Rami Pinto Prieto

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Revolutionizing Inventory Classification with Generative AI

In today's volatile geopolitical environment, the global automotive industry faces compounding disruptions that require a fundamental rethink of data and operations strategy. After decades of low import taxes, the return of tariffs as a tool of economic negotiations has led the global automotive industry to delay model-year transitions and disrupt traditional production and release cycles. As of June 2025, only 3% of US automotive inventory comprises next-model-year vehicles —less than half the number seen at this time in previous years. This severe decline in new-model availability, compounded by a 12.2% year-over-year drop in overall inventory, is pressuring consumer pricing and challenging traditional dealer inventory management. In this environment of constrained supply, better tools are urgently needed to classify and control vehicle, spare part, and raw material inventories for both dealers and manufacturers. Traditionally, dealerships and automakers have relied on ABC analysis to segment and control inventory by value. This widely used method classifies items into Category A, B, or C. For example, Category A items typically represent just 20% of stock but drive 80% of sales, while Category C items might comprise half the inventory yet contribute only 5% to the bottom line. This approach effectively helps prioritize resource allocation and promotional efforts. Figure 1. ABC analysis for inventory classification. While ABC analysis is known for its ease of use, it has been criticized for its focus on dollar usage. For example, not all Category C items are necessarily low-priority, as some may be next-model-year units arriving early or aging stock affected by shifting consumer preferences. Other criteria—such as lead-time, commonality, obsolescence, durability, inventory cost, and order size requirements—have also been recognized as critical for inventory classification. A multi-criteria inventory classification (MCIC) methodology, therefore, adds additional criteria to dollar usage. MCIC can be achieved with methods like statistical clustering or unsupervised machine learning techniques. Yet, a significant blind spot remains: the vast amount of unstructured data that organizations must deal with; unstructured data accounts for an estimated 80% of the world's total. Traditional ABC analysis—and even MCIC—often overlook the growing influence of insights gleaned from unstructured sources like customer sentiment and product reviews on digital channels. But now, valuable intelligence from reviews, social media posts, and dealer feedback can be vectorized and transformed into actionable features using large language models (LLMs). For instance, analyzing product reviews can yield qualitative metrics like the probability of recommending or repurchasing a product, or insights into customer expectations vs. the reality of ownership. This textual analysis can also reveal customers' product perspectives, directly informing future demand. By integrating these signals into inventory classification models, businesses can gain a deeper understanding of true product value and demand elasticity. This fusion of structured and unstructured data represents a crucial shift from reactive inventory management to predictive and customer-centric decision-making. In this blog post, we propose a novel methodology to convert unstructured data into powerful feature sets for augmenting inventory classification models. Figure 2. Transforming unstructured data into features for machine learning models. How MongoDB enables AI-driven inventory classification So, how does MongoDB empower the next generation of AI-driven inventory classification? It all comes down to four crucial steps, and MongoDB provides the robust technology and features to support every single one. Figure 3. Methodology and requirements for gen AI-powered inventory classification. Step 1: Create and store vector embeddings from unstructured data MongoDB Atlas enables modern vector search workflows. Unstructured data like product reviews, supplier notes, or customer support transcripts can be vectorized via embedding models (such as Voyage AI models) and ingested into MongoDB Atlas, where they are stored next to the original text chunks. This data then becomes searchable using MongoDB Atlas Vector Search, which allows you to run native semantic search queries directly inside the database. Unlike solutions that require separate databases for structured and vector data, MongoDB stores them side by side using the flexible document model, enabling unified access via one API. This reduces system complexity, technical debt, and infrastructure footprint—and allows for low-latency semantic searches. Figure 4. Product reviews can be stored as vector embeddings in MongoDB Atlas. Step 2: Design and store evaluation criteria In a gen AI-powered inventory classification system, evaluation criteria are no longer a set of static rules stored in a spreadsheet. Instead, the criteria are dynamic and data-backed, and are generated via an AI agent using structured and unstructured data—and enriched by domain experts using business objectives and constraints. As shown in Figure 5, the criteria for features like “Product Durability” can be defined based on relevant unstructured data stored in MongoDB (product reviews, audit reports) as well as structured data like inventory turnover and sales history. Such criteria are not just instructions or rules, but are knowledge objects with structure and semantic depth. The AI agent uses tools such as generate_criteria and embed_criteria tool and iterates over each product in the inventory. It leverages the LLM to create the criteria definition and uses an embedding model (e.g., voyage-3-large ) to generate embeddings of each definition. MongoDB Atlas is uniquely suited to store these dynamic criteria. Each rule is modeled as a flexible JSON document containing the name of the feature, criteria definition, data sources use, and the embeddings. Since there are different types of products (different car models/makes and different car parts), the documents can evolve over time without requiring schema migrations and be queried and retrieved by the AI agent in real time. MongodB Atlas provides all the necessary tools for this design—a flexible document model database, vector search, and full search tools—that can be leveraged by the AI agent to create the criteria. Figure 5. Unstructured and structured data are used by the AI agent to create criteria for feature generation. Step 3: Create an agentic application to perform transformation based on the criteria In the third step, we have another AI agent that operates over products, criteria, and unstructured data to generate enriched feature sets. This agent iterates over every product and uses MongoDB Atlas Vector Search to find relevant customer reviews to apply the criteria to and calculate a numerical feature score. The new features are added to the original features JSON document in MongoDB. In Figure 6, the agent has created “durability” and “criticality” features from the product reviews. MongoDB Atlas is the ideal foundation for this agentic architecture. Again, it provides the agent the tools it needs for features to evolve, adding new dimensions without requiring schema redesign. This results in an adaptive classification dataset that contains both structured and unstructured data. Figure 6. An AI agent enriches product features with vectorized review data to generate new features. Step 4: Rerun the inventory classification model with new features added As a final step, the inventory classification domain experts can assign or balance weights to existing and new features, choose a classification technique, and rerun inventory classification to find new inventory classes. Figure 7 shows the process where generative AI features are used in the existing inventory classification algorithm. Figure 7. Domain experts can rerun classification after balancing weights. Figure 8 shows the solution in action. The customer satisfaction score is created by LLM a using customer reviews vectorized collection and then utilized in the inventory classification model with a new weight of 0.2. Figure 8. Inventory classification using generative AI. Driving smarter inventory decisions As the automotive industry navigates slowing sales and uneven inventory, traditional inventory classification techniques also need to evolve. Though such techniques provide a solid foundation, they fall short in the face of geopolitical uncertainty, tariff-driven supply shifts, and fast-evolving consumer expectations. By combining structured sales and consumption data with unstructured insights, and enabling agentic AI using MongoDB, the automotive industry can enable a new era of inventory intelligence where products are dynamically classified based on all available data—both structured and unstructured. Clone the GitHub repository if you are interested in trying out this solution yourself. To learn more about MongoDB’s role in the manufacturing industry, please visit our manufacturing and automotive webpage .

July 16, 2025

Data Modeling Strategies for Connected Vehicle Signal Data in MongoDB

Today’s connected vehicles generate massive amounts of data. According to an article from S&P Global Mobility, a single modern car produces nearly 25GB of data per hour. To put that in perspective: that’s like each car pumping out the equivalent of six full-length Avatar movies in 4K—every single day! Now scale that across millions of vehicles, and it’s easy to see the challenge ahead. Of course, not all of that data needs to be synchronized to the cloud—but even a fraction of it puts significant pressure on the systems tasked with processing, storing, and analyzing it at scale. The challenge isn’t just about volume. The data is fast-moving and highly diverse—from telematics and location tracking to infotainment usage and driver behavior. Without a consistent structure, this data is hard to use across systems and organizations. That’s why organizations across the industry are working to standardize how vehicle data is defined and exchanged. One such example is the Connected Vehicle Systems Alliance or COVESA , which developed the Vehicle Signal Specification (VSS)—a widely adopted, open data model that helps normalize vehicle signals and improve interoperability. But once data is modeled, how do you ensure it's persistent and available at all times in real-time? To meet these demands, you need a data layer that's flexible, reliable, and performant at scale. This is precisely where a robust data solution designed for modern needs becomes essential. In this blog, we’ll explore data strategies for connected vehicle systems using VSS as a reference model, with a focus on real-world applications like fleet management. These strategies are particularly effective when implemented on flexible, high-performance databases like MongoDB, a solution trusted by leading automotive companies . Is your data layer ready for the connected car era? Relational databases were built in an era when saving storage space was the top priority. They work well when data fits neatly into tables and columns—but that’s rarely the case with modern, high-volume, and fast-moving vehicle data. Telematics, GPS coordinates, sensor signals, infotainment activity, diagnostic logs—data that’s complex, semi-structured, and constantly evolving. Trying to force it into a rigid schema quickly becomes a bottleneck. That’s why many in the automotive world are moving to document-oriented databases. A full-fledged data solution, designed for modern needs, can significantly simplify how one works with data, scale effortlessly as demands grow, and adapt quickly as systems evolve. A solution embodying these capabilities, like MongoDB, supports the demands of complex connected vehicle systems. Its features include: Reduced complexity: The document model mirrors the way developers already structure data in their code. This makes it a natural fit for vehicle data, where data often comes in nested, hierarchical formats. Scale by design: MongoDB’s distributed architecture and flexible schema design help simplify scaling. It reduces interdependencies, making it easier to shard workloads without performance headaches. Built for change: Vehicle platforms are constantly evolving, and MongoDB makes it easy to update data models without costly migrations or downtime, keeping development fast and agile. AI-ready: MongoDB supports a wide variety of data types—structured, time series, vector, graph—which are essential for AI-driven applications. This makes it the natural choice for AI workloads, simplifying data integration and accelerating the development of smart systems. Figure 1. The MongoDB connected car data platform. These capabilities are especially relevant in connected vehicle systems. Companies like Volvo Connect use MongoDB Atlas to track 65 million daily events from over a million vehicles, ensuring real-time visibility at massive scale. Another example is SHARE NOW , which handles 2TB of IoT data per day from 11,000 vehicles across 16 cities, using MongoDB to streamline operations and deliver better mobility experiences. It’s not just the data—it’s how you use it Data modeling is where good design turns into great performance. In traditional relational systems, modeling starts with entities and relationships to focus on minimizing data duplication. MongoDB flips that mindset. You still care about entity relationships—but what really drives design is how the data will be used. The core principle? Data that is accessed together should be stored together. Let’s bring this to life. Take a fleet management system. The workload includes vehicle tracking, diagnostics, and usage reporting. Modeling in MongoDB starts by understanding how that data is produced and consumed. Who’s reading it, when, and how often? What’s being written, and at what rate? Below, we show a simplified workload table that maps out entities, operations, and expected rates. Table 1. Fleet management workload example. Now, to the big question: how do you model connected vehicle signal data in MongoDB? It depends on the workload. If you're using COVESA’s VSS as your signal definition model, you already have a helpful structure. VSS defines signals as a hierarchy: attributes (rarely change, like tank size), sensors (update often, like speed), and actuators (reflect commands, like door lock requests). This classification is a great modeling hint. VSS’s tree structure maps neatly to MongoDB documents. You could store the whole tree in a single document, but in most cases, it’s more effective to use multiple documents per vehicle. This approach better reflects how the data is produced and consumed—leading to a model that’s better suited for performance at scale. Now, let’s look at two examples that show different strategies depending on the workload. Figure 2. Sample VSS tree. Source: Vehicle Signal Specification documentation . Example 1: Modeling for historical analysis For historical analysis—like tracking fuel consumption trends—time-stamped data needs to be stored efficiently. Access patterns may include queries like “What was the average fuel consumption per km in the last hour?” or “How did the fuel level change over time?” Here, separating static attributes from dynamic sensor signals helps minimize unnecessary updates. Grouping signals by component (e.g., powertrain, battery) allows updates to be scoped and efficient. MongoDB Time Series collections are built for exactly this kind of data, offering optimized storage, automatic bucketing, and fast time-based queries. Example 2: Modeling for the last vehicle state If your focus is real-time state—like retrieving the latest signal values for a vehicle—you’ll prioritize fast reads and lightweight updates. Common queries include “What’s the latest coolant temperature?” or “Where are all fleet vehicles right now?” In this case, storing a single document per vehicle or update group with only the most recent signal values works well. Updating fields in place avoids document growth and keeps read complexity low. Grouping frequently updated signals together and flattening nested structures ensures that performance stays consistent as data grows. These are just two examples—tailored for different workloads—but MongoDB offers the flexibility to adapt your model as needs evolve. For a deeper dive into MongoDB data modeling best practices, check out our MongoDB University course and explore our Building with Patterns blog series . The right model isn't one-size-fits-all—it’s the one that matches your workload. How to model your vehicle signal data At the COVESA AMM Spring 2025 event, the MongoDB Industry Solutions team presented a prototype to help simplify how connected vehicle systems adopt the Vehicle Signal Specification. The concept: make it easier to move from abstract signal definitions to practical, scalable database designs. The goal wasn’t to deliver a production-ready tool—it was to spark discussion, test ideas, and validate patterns. It resonated with the community, and we’re continuing to iterate on it. For now, the use cases are limited, but they highlight important design decisions: how to structure vehicle signals, how to tailor that structure to the needs of an application, and how to test those assumptions in MongoDB. Figure 3. Vehicle Signal Data Model prototype high-level architecture. This vehicle signals data modeler is a web-based prototype built with Next.js and powered by MongoDB Atlas. It’s made up of three core modules: Schema builder: This is where it starts. You can visually explore the vehicle signals tree, select relevant data points, and define how they should be structured in your schema. Use case mapper: Once the schema is defined, this module helps map how the signals are used. Which signals are read together? Which are written most often? These insights help identify optimization opportunities before the data even hits your database. Database exporter: Finally, based on what you’ve defined, the tool generates an initial database schema optimized for your workload. You can load it with sample data, export it to a live MongoDB instance, and run aggregation pipelines to validate the design. Together, these modules walk you through the journey—from signal selection to schema generation and performance testing—all within a simple, intuitive interface. Figure 4. Vehicle signal data modeler demo in action. Build smarter, adapt faster, and scale more confidently Connected vehicle systems aren’t just about collecting data—they’re about using it, fast and at scale. To get there, you need more than a standardized signal model. You need a data solution that can keep up with constant change, massive volume, and real-time demands. That’s where MongoDB stands out. Its flexible document model, scalable architecture, and built-in support for time series and AI workloads make it a natural fit for the complexities of connected mobility. Whether you're building fleet dashboards, predictive maintenance systems, or next-gen mobility services, MongoDB helps you turn vehicle data into real-world outcomes—faster. To learn more about MongoDB-connected mobility solutions, visit the MongoDB for Manufacturing & Mobility webpage. You can also explore the vehicle signals data modeller prototype and related resources on our GitHub repository .

July 1, 2025

How MongoDB and Google Cloud Power the Future of In-Car Assistants

The automotive industry is evolving fast: electrification, the rise of autonomous driving, and advanced safety systems are reshaping vehicles from the inside out. But innovation isn’t just happening to the drivetrain. Drivers (and passengers) now expect more intelligent, intuitive, and personalized experiences whenever they get into a car. That’s where things get tricky. While modern cars are packed with features, many of them are complex to use. Voice assistants were supposed to simplify things, but most still only handle basic tasks, like setting navigation or changing music. As consumers’ expectations of technology grow, so does pressure on automakers. Standing out in a competitive market, accelerating time to market, and managing rising development costs—all while delivering seamless digital experiences—is no small task. The good news? Drivers are ready for something better. According to a SoundHoundAI study , 79% of drivers in Europe would use voice assistants powered by generative AI. And 83% of those planning to buy a car in the next 12 months say they’d choose a model with AI features over one without. Gen AI is transforming voice assistants from simple command tools into dynamic copilots—able to answer questions, offer insights, and adapt to each user. At CES 2025, we saw major players like BMW, Honda, and HARMAN pushing the boundaries of AI-driven car assistants. To truly make these experiences personalized, you need the right data infrastructure. Real-time signals from the car, user preferences, and access to unstructured content like manuals and FAQs are essential for building truly intelligent systems. By combining gen AI with powerful data infrastructure, we can create more responsive, smarter in-car assistants. With flexible, scalable data access and built-in vector search, MongoDB Atlas is an ideal solution. Together with partners like Google Cloud, MongoDB is helping automotive companies innovate faster and deliver better in-car experiences. MongoDB as the data layer behind smarter assistants Building intelligent in-car assistants isn't just about having cutting-edge AI models—it’s about what feeds them. A flexible, scalable data platform is the foundation. To deliver real-time insights, personalize interactions, and evolve with new vehicle features, automakers need a data layer that can keep up. MongoDB gives developers the speed and simplicity they need to innovate. Its flexible document model lets teams store data the way applications use it—without rigid schemas or complex joins. That means faster development, fewer dependencies, and less architectural friction. Built-in capabilities like time series, full-text search, and real-time sync mean fewer moving parts and faster time to market. And because MongoDB Atlas is built for scale, availability, and security, automakers get the enterprise-grade reliability they need. Toyota Connected , for example, relies on MongoDB Atlas to power its Safety Connect platform across millions of vehicles, delivering real-time emergency support with 99.99% availability. But what really sets MongoDB apart for gen AI use cases is the way it handles data. AI workloads thrive on diverse, often unstructured inputs—text, metadata, contextual signals, vector embeddings. MongoDB’s document model handles all of it, side by side, in a single, unified platform. That’s why companies like Cognigy use MongoDB to power leading conversational AI platforms that manage hundreds of queries per second across multiple channels and data types. With Atlas Vector Search , development teams in the automotive industry can bring semantic search to unstructured data like manuals, support docs, or historical interactions. And by keeping operational, metadata, and vector data together, MongoDB makes it easier to deploy and scale gen AI apps that go beyond analytics and actually transform in-car experiences. MongoDB is already widely adopted across the automotive industry, powering innovation from the factory floor to the finish line . With its ability to scale and adapt to complex, evolving needs, MongoDB is helping automakers accelerate digital transformation and deliver next-gen in-car experiences. Architecture that drives intelligence at scale To bring generative AI into the driver’s seat, we designed an architecture that shows how these systems can work together in the real world. At the core, we combined the power of MongoDB Atlas with Google Cloud’s AI capabilities to build a seamless, scalable solution. Google Cloud powers speech recognition and language understanding, while MongoDB provides the data layer with Atlas Database and Atlas Vector Search . MongoDB has also worked with PowerSync to keep vehicle data in sync across cloud and edge environments. Imagine you're driving, and a red light pops up on your dashboard. You’re not sure what it means, so you ask the in-car assistant, “What is this red light on my dashboard?” The assistant transcribes your question, checks the real-time vehicle signals to identify the issue, and fetches relevant guidance from your car’s manual. It tells you what the warning means, whether it’s urgent, and what steps you should take. If it’s something that needs attention, it can suggest adding a service stop to your route. Or maybe switch your dashboard view to show more details. All of this happens through a natural voice interaction—no menus, no guesswork. Figure 1. A gen AI in-car assistant in action. Under the hood, this flow brings together several key technologies. Google Cloud’s Speech-to-Text and Text-to-Speech APIs handle the conversation. Document AI breaks the car manual into smaller, searchable chunks. Vertex AI generates text embeddings and powers the large language model. All of this connects to MongoDB Atlas, where Atlas Vector Search retrieves the most relevant content. Vehicle signals are kept up to date using PowerSync, which enables real-time, bidirectional data sync. And, by using the Vehicle Signal Specification (VSS) from COVESA, we’re following a widely adopted standard that makes it easy to expand and integrate with more systems down the road. Figure 2. Reference architecture overview. This is just one example of how flexible, future-ready architecture can unlock powerful, intuitive in-car experiences. Reimagining the driver experience Smarter in-car assistants start with smarter architectures. As generative AI becomes more capable, the real differentiator is how well it connects to the right data—securely, in real time, and at scale. With MongoDB Atlas, automakers can accelerate innovation, simplify architecture complexity, and cut development costs to deliver more intuitive, helpful experiences. It’s not just about adding features—it’s about making them work better together, so drivers get real value from the technology built into their cars. Learn how to power end-to-end value chain optimization with AI/ML, advanced analytics, and real-time data processing for innovative automotive applications. Visit our manufacturing and automotive web page. Want to get hands-on experience? Explore our GitHub repository for an in-depth guide on implementing this solution.

May 13, 2025

How to Enhance Inventory Management with Real-Time Data Strategies

In the competitive retail landscape, having the right stock in the right place at the right time is crucial. However, the retail industry faces significant challenges in achieving this goal. In 2022, unsold stock in the US surged by a staggering $78 billion, reaching approximately $740 billion—a shocking 12 percent increase . Without a single view of inventory, retailers struggle to compete with new market disruptors offering customers omnichannel experiences. Retailers who get stock management right can move to distributed supply chains, leveraging stock across online and in-store platforms to distribute inventory quickly and react to shifting buying patterns. With effective access to the data, retailers speed up workforce efficiency and allow for automation. In this blog, we will explore how inventory management affects customer experiences, effective stock management for accurate demand forecasting, and workforce productivity. Building a single view of inventory to enhance customer experience Modern retail consumers expect seamless omnichannel experiences, like the ability to view product availability online and pick it up at a nearby store the next day. They will gravitate toward retailers that prioritize their need for convenience and speed. The difficulty in delivering these features often stems from the lack of a centralized inventory hub, i.e. operating with separate inventories for online and in-store. Combining data from diverse sources, including vendor solutions, RDBMS databases, and files, becomes a complex task that hampers the ability to achieve an accurate real-time view of stock availability. It also extends the time to market for new features, requiring redundant and customized development efforts across different channels. This lack of adaptability impacts the retailer's ability to offer customer-centric features, putting them at a disadvantage compared to their competitors. To track inventory in real-time and improve visibility and consistency across multiple channels and locations, MongoDB’s document data model is a powerful choice. Using the document model, data types can be combined easily, making it more flexible for handling diverse product data. Its intuitive design enables developers to iterate on the data model at the same pace as the rest of the code base, without downtime for schema changes. This agility accelerates the implementation of new features and functionalities that can be built on top of a single view of inventory, like real-time stock availability, and buying online and picking up in-store the next day. Figure 1: Enabling buy online and pick up in-store through single-view inventory By leveraging a single view of inventory, retailers can accelerate the development of superior customer experiences, securing a competitive edge in the retail industry. Effective stock management with real-time analytics Now that the retailer can see and understand inventory levels across their organization in one place, they can begin to manage stock more effectively. This enables retailers to move to a more complex distributed supply chain and activate the use of real-time analytics or AI. In a traditional retailer without a centralized inventory management system, the complexity of mixing stock between channels was too difficult in a segmented data landscape, leading to waste through dead stock in stores while others or online channels have an insufficient supply of the same item. With a single view of inventory, items can be moved around in a way that makes sense for the business. Online orders destined for in-store pick-up might be packed using in-store items. Dead stock on a shelf might be available online. Stores can move stock between themselves in an intelligent manner. The added complexity does come with more complex decision-making. It's vital to be able to ask difficult questions about the inventory management system and get answers in real-time. Rather than move data to a different analytical platform and get answers a day later, retailers are looking to do real-time analysis to make important stock allocation decisions in real-time. Next, retailers tackle demand forecasting and bring intelligence into stock allocation. This is where a translytical data platform comes in. Its distributed architecture means analytical workloads can run on a real-time analytics node. This approach eliminates the need for additional systems such as separate analytics platforms and reduces the lag associated with transferring data. The aggregation framework, MongoDB’s advanced processing pipeline can then be used to ask complex analytical questions and get results back to the user in real-time. For example, retailers can easily see which products are the most popular or the most likely to run out of stock soon or understand when a product rapidly sells out in one store if this is a trend or tied to a specific event like a sports game. This insight can guide smart decisions on redistributing products to get them in front of the customer who is most likely to buy. Figure 2: Inventory real-time analytics This architecture could also be leveraged to feed AI or machine learning models. The more complex the supply chain becomes, the more retailers are turning to cutting-edge technology to gain further insight. Demand forecasting is a great use case for AI as there can be a vast amount of possible factors and results. With MongoDB, retailers are integrating AI systems so they can access real-time data, enhancing their accuracy and responsiveness. This synergy enables businesses to streamline their supply chains. Boost workforce efficiency through an event-driven solution A successful inventory management strategy also contributes to improving workforce efficiency. The lack of real-time updates brings on inefficient inventory tracking procedures that result in errors, such as excess or unavailable goods, and hinder customer orders, leading to dissatisfaction among staff and customers alike. As the business grows and sales volume increases, the ability to process large amounts of real-time data becomes increasingly important. A future-proof, scalable, and flexible architecture supporting the tools that empower your workforce, can make a difference when retailers face a peak in demand or decide to expand their business. The central question retailers face is, "How can businesses enhance workforce efficiency in their inventory operations? The key lies in using event-driven architectures for managing inventory systems. MongoDB is a great fit for this approach, offering features like Change Streams , Triggers , and the Kafka Connector . Take for example the scenario seen in Figure 3; a customer purchases a t-shirt in-store. The Point of Sale device then instantly updates the product stock. If stock runs low, this change is instantly sent to the store manager app through Change Streams to alert the store manager. To automate the re-ordering process, MongoDB Triggers can be set up to trigger a function that would perform complex actions in response to the event, like automatically reordering products. Figure 3: Event-driven architecture for inventory management Today, when an influencer mentions a particular item, it can fly off the shelves at an unforeseen pace. Thanks to automation enabled by event-driven architectures, such situations become opportunities, not challenges. As soon as that item goes unexpectedly out of stock, the system triggers an automatic reorder, ensuring that your shelves are replenished in real-time. This rapid response eliminates the need for manual intervention, freeing up your store manager to focus on more value-add activities. Instead of spending hours every day reordering items, they can now dive into more engaging tasks, like interacting with customers, providing personalized recommendations, and exploring innovative stock decisions. This isn't just a theoretical advantage. A prime example comes from MongoDB’s work with 7-Eleven . By implementing a custom inventory management app, 7-Eleven streamlined its operations across 10,000 stores in the U.S. and Canada. With event-driven functionality, 7-Eleven store employees can now seamlessly manage transactions, sales, and inventory through mobile devices, eradicating the need for manual updates and improving overall workforce efficiency. Closing the loop for a future-proof inventory management strategy Effective inventory management strategies are vital in the evolving retail landscape. By providing a consistent single-view inventory, retailers can enhance customer experiences and gain a competitive edge. With efficient stock management capabilities, they can optimize their inventory levels, reducing costs and improving profitability. And by embracing event-driven solutions, retailers can boost workforce efficiency, enabling data-driven decision-making and streamlining processes through automation. If you want to get hands-on, follow our step-by-step tutorial on how to Build an Inventory Management System using MongoDB Atlas . Access our GitHub repo for code samples, video guide, and more!

August 23, 2023