AI is changing the way manufacturers and supply chain teams work, but where should you actually start?

In this episode, we sit down with Rehaan Bicha, the Co-Founder and CEO of Metalinked, to explore how businesses can approach AI in operations without getting caught up in the hype.

Rehaan shares insights from his hands-on experience building AI products for manufacturing and supply chain, including where businesses have the biggest data gaps, how to identify workflows worth automating, and where human judgment still matters.

We also get into one of the biggest trends in AI right now: vibe coding. While AI can make it easier than ever to build your own tools, Rehaan explains why operational software needs more than just a working prototype, especially when security, reliability, and business-critical data are involved.

Whether you're just starting to explore AI or already experimenting with it, this episode offers a practical look at where AI can fit into your operations and what to consider before handing important workflows over to it.

00:00 - Teaser
00:25 - Intro
01:50 - Building Metalinked & Modernizing Supply Chains
03:31 - How Hands-On Experience Shapes AI Products
04:59 - The Biggest Data Gaps in Manufacturing
06:04 - Where Operations Leaders Should Start with AI
07:48 - AI Advantages for Smaller Manufacturers
08:49 - Identifying the Best Workflows to Automate
11:06 - AI vs. Traditional Manufacturing Software
12:49 - When to be Cautious About Automation
14:29 - Workflows Requiring Human Oversight
15:58 - Processes Never to Fully Automate
17:20 - Veteran Worker vs. AI Recommendation
19:33 - Real-World AI ROI & Use Cases
23:09 - Key Metrics to Track AI Success
24:17 - The First Metric SMBs Should Focus On
26:52 - Top Mistakes When Adopting AI
29:08 - The Dangers of Vibe Coding Operational Tools
31:22 - Vibe Coding Failures & Hacking Risks
33:19 - The Hardest Parts of Vibe Coding to Get Right
34:20 - Hidden Costs of Vibe Coding
36:18 - The Importance of Reliable & Trusted Data
38:21 - Evaluating AI Without a Tech Background
39:32 - Questions to Ask AI Vendors Before Investing
42:09 - SOC 2 Compliance Explained
43:09 - The Future of AI in Supply Chain
46:52 - Autonomous AI vs. AI as a Tool
48:30 - Final Advice for Inventory Leaders
49:13 - Outro

⬇️ Resources:
Explore Metalinked: https://metalinked.ai/
Follow Rehaan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rehaanbicha/

✅ Try inFlow Inventory for free and never run out of stock:
https://www.inflowinventory.com/

🎧 Stream our Secret Life of Inventory podcast:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZPdD9vxalF-TD_uxHmFsPkP5638NrU8-&si=7YIruVL0daUgxCBt

🎙️ Visit our website for show notes:
https://www.secretlifeofinventory.com/

👀 Have an interesting inventory story or business? Apply to be a podcast guest:
https://www.secretlifeofinventory.com/apply-to-be-our-guest/

#inflowinventory #inflow #inventory #inventorymanagement

If you sell physical products, your inventory isn't just stock sitting on a shelf—it's a major asset that directly impacts your profits, taxes, and financial reporting.

In this episode of The Secret Life of Inventory, we break down inventory valuation methods in simple terms. You'll learn the difference between price and cost, how Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) works, and why choosing the right inventory costing method can have a big impact on your business.

We cover the three most common inventory costing methods:
→ FIFO (First-In, First-Out)
→ LIFO (Last-In, First-Out)
→ Moving Average Cost

Plus, we explain the differences between IFRS and GAAP accounting standards, discuss which industries benefit most from each costing method, and share practical advice for choosing the right approach for your business.

Whether you're managing inventory in spreadsheets, evaluating inventory software, or trying to better understand your financial statements, this episode will help you connect inventory operations with accounting fundamentals.

Podcast Produced by: inFlow Inventory
Hosted by: Jared Plumb & Melinda Tse

📖 Read our blog to learn more:
→ Inventory Valuation Methods: https://www.inflowinventory.com/blog/inventory-valuation-methods-costing
→ FIFO vs. LIFO: https://www.inflowinventory.com/blog/fifo-vs-lifo/
→ Moving Average: https://www.inflowinventory.com/blog/moving-average-formula-for-calculating-cost
→ Inventory Accounting: https://www.inflowinventory.com/blog/inventory-accounting

0:00 - Teaser
0:26 - Intro
1:37 - What is inventory valuation?
2:17 - Difference between price and cost
3:55 - Why does the inventory costing method matter?
4:26 - What is cost of goods sold? (COGS)
5:55 - FIFO explained
6:40 - Example of FIFO
8:04 - Best industries for FIFO
8:47 - LIFO explained
10:02 - Why doesn''t everyone use LIFO?
10:37 - IFRS and GAAP explained
11:12 - Best industries for LIFO
12:04 - Moving Average explained
14:26 - Moving Average vs. Weighted Average
15:34 - Downsides of Moving Average
17:04 - How do you know which costing method is best?
18:56 - At what point do spreadsheets start holding you back?
20:01 - Inventory management vs. inventory accounting
21:44 - What to look for in inventory and accounting software
22:55 - Best practices for inventory accounting
24:30 - Outro

✅ Try inFlow Inventory for free and never run out of stock:
https://www.inflowinventory.com/

🎧 Stream our Secret Life of Inventory podcast:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZPdD9vxalF-TD_uxHmFsPkP5638NrU8-&si=7YIruVL0daUgxCBt

🎙️ Visit our website for show notes:
https://www.secretlifeofinventory.com/

👀 Have an interesting inventory story or business? Apply to be a podcast guest:
https://www.secretlifeofinventory.com/apply-to-be-our-guest/

#secretlifeofinventory #inventory #inventorymanagement #inflow #inflowinventory #inventorymanagement #inventoryaccounting #fifo #lifo #cogs #inventoryvaluation #accountingbasics #smallbusiness #supplychain #inventorysoftware

When warehouse operations start to feel chaotic, most businesses jump to the same solutions: hire more people, move to a bigger space, or buy new software. But according to Adrian Betts, Founder of Xpandur, the solution lies in something deeper—the process.

In this episode, we sit down with Adrian Betts to explore how growing businesses can diagnose what's actually slowing their warehouse down before rushing to add resources. Drawing on his experience at UPS, FedEx, Target, Nike, Walmart, and Amazon, Adrian breaks down why space problems are almost always flow problems in disguise, what he looks for in the first 20 minutes on a warehouse floor, and how poor slotting quietly drains throughput in operations of every size.

Process gaps, broken flow, and misaligned layouts can cost warehouses far more than a new hire or a bigger building ever could. But with the right diagnosis, most operations can unlock significantly more capacity from what they already have—without adding headcount or signing a new lease.

Whether you're managing a small stockroom or overseeing a growing distribution center, this episode is practical, no-fluff, and full of ideas you can bring back to your team the next day.

⬇️ Follow Adrian!
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrian-betts/
Book a consultation: https://xpandur.com/

✅ Try inFlow Inventory for free and never run out of stock:
https://www.inflowinventory.com/

00:00 – Teaser
00:13 – Intro
01:33 – Adrian's backstory
02:57 – Lessons learned from large-scale operations
04:00 – What lessons don't transfer
04:39 – The real problem behind a messy warehouse
05:43 – What a process problem looks like
07:02 – Early warning signs of deeper operational issues
08:08 – The 20-minute warehouse walkthrough
09:12 – Blind spots
10:20 – Advice to a busy founder
11:45 – The difference between a process vs. people problem
13:17 – What does poor space utilization look like?
14:30 – Real story of maximizing an existing space
16:17 – What to consider before implementing inventory software
17:51 – Must-have inventory software features
19:46 – Slotting explained
20:51 – How to decide where inventory belongs
21:46 – How to conduct a quick warehouse slotting audit
22:59 – Warehouse layout considerations
24:24 – Preparing for peak season
25:55 – Where warehouses quietly lose time
27:25 – How to get employee buy-in for change
29:41 – The most important habit to build
30:53 – People, space, or software: What to prioritize first?
33:12 – Signals it’s time to expand
34:19 – How to identify your own hidden inefficiencies
35:35 – The top 2-3 warehouse KPIs to track
37:22 – Metrics to obsess over and metrics to ignore
39:22 – Where to start formalizing warehouse operations
40:50 – Outro

🎧 Stream our Secret Life of Inventory podcast:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZPdD9vxalF-TD_uxHmFsPkP5638NrU8-&si=7YIruVL0daUgxCBt

🎙️ Visit our website for show notes:
https://www.secretlifeofinventory.com/

Stay connected:
https://www.facebook.com/inFlowInventory/
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https://www.instagram.com/inflow.inventory/
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#inventory #inventorymanagement #inflow #inflowinventory #warehousemanagement #supplychain #xpandur #adrianbetts