FAQ
Commonly asked questions about Clear Spider and our inventory management software.
Trial
Can we do a trial?
Rather than trials, we offer interactive, live system demos to discuss your inventory needs, showcase the software’s capabilities, and show you how Clear Spider fits into your business. When we implement the software for you, we tailor the features, configure the workflows, etc. as per your use case. Request a live demo today to see how Clear Spider can help!
Cost and Pricing Plans
How much does Clear Spider cost?
At Clear Spider we understand that no two businesses are the same. Please click “Learn More” below to read about our different plans, and enter your information to get contacted for a custom quote.
Clients
Who uses Clear Spider?
Over 300,000 companies use Clear Spider across ten different industries around the world including:
- Aerospace and Automotive
- Construction, Maintenance, and Building Services
- Education, Healthcare, and Fitness
- Finance and Banking
- Industrial and Manufacturing
- Print and Publishing
- Research, Energy, and Environment
- Retail, Entertainment, and Food Services
- Technology and Telecommunications
- Transportation Warehousing and Logistics
Some of our clients include Grainger, Honeywell Intelligrated, Parker Hannifin, General Electric, United Airlines, Whirlpool, Cerner and Global Industrial.
Is Clear Spider suitable if I run an international business?
Clear Spider is suitable for companies involved with international business as our system is available to anyone with an internet connection. Clear Spider is an online system so users do not need to be in the same timezone to use the solution. It supports a variety of languages including English, Spanish, French, German, Hebrew and Chinese (Simplified).
Is Clear Spider suitable for smaller businesses?
While Clear Spider is used by large companies who use more of its many features, we are able to tailor the solution to your business’s specific needs. Clear Spider is priced based on both the number of users operating on your company’s instance and the degree of customization you want done to the system. The flexibility of the system allows Clear Spider to be utilized by organizations of all sizes.
What industries does Clear Spider work best for?
Clear Spider’s system is used by scores of businesses spread out over ten different industries. Even if your industry is not listed on our clients page, our system can be custom tailored to your business processes. As long as you have inventory management needs, we can create a solution that is the right fit for your organization.
Integration
Can Clear Spider integrate with other systems?
You will be able to integrate your Clear Spider Inventory Management System with any current or future external systems, as long as they have integration capabilities as well. Clear Spider can integrate with a wide variety of systems including ERP, Accounting, and Ecommerce. We have over 50 API’s we can use to set up an integration, or we can pass info via EDI. All of Clear Spider’s integrations are customizable to ensure we meet the needs of your organization.
Setup
Can we implement Clear Spider on our own servers?
It is possible, however it ends up being much more costly and inefficient than a cloud-based solution.
How long does it take to setup the system?
On average, Clear Spider’s Inventory Management Software is ready to use within a few weeks. This includes the time needed to set the system up for your specific use case, as well as the time for training your different types of users on how to use the system effectively. Clear Spider is web-based, so with the proper training, adopting is as easy as selecting the processes you want to use, then determining your user roles, and finally loading the data with templates. There is no software or hardware to implement so you only pay for the users, saving you both time and money. You determine the process flows (what steps you want to use), import data into the templates, upload the information into Clear Spider, and go.
Simplicity
How easy to use is Clear Spider?
Clear Spider is extremely straight-forward and has an easy-to-understand system interface, allowing you to quickly learn to complete basic tasks. With just a bit of familiarity, even complex tasks become easy. We provide technical support to our customers, assisting them if questions or concerns arise.
Support
What are your support hours?
Clear Spider offers telephone support from 8:30 AM ET to 5:30 PM ET.
Outside of those hours, email support is available. In addition, consultants are available to help you with more complex problems such as integration to existing applications and data. Telephone: 905-366-0222 Email: support@clearspider.net
Which browsers support Clear Spider?
Clear Spider is supported by Google Chrome, Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Opera and Safari.
Specifications
How scalable is Clear Spider?
We are here to grow with your organization. There is no limit to the number of locations, users or transactions in Clear Spider.
Security and Backup Systems
How secure is Clear Spider?
Clear Spider provides safe and secure inventory management. Our software was built to use leading security protocols and tools. The security setup can be configured to meet your organization’s specific requirements. Our solutions use secured biometrics, security guards, diesel generators, and other measures to ensure your application is protected and available 24/7. Clear Spider also uses 256 bit SSL encryption, the same standards used for internet banking. You define who has access to your information and what each user or user group can view or edit. Our privacy policy precludes us from using your data without your consent. Back-ups are performed at least once a day.
Technology
Does the Clear Spider System work with drones?
While Clear Spider can be customized to work with different forms of technology (barcode readers, industrial vending machines, etc.), working with a drone is not functionality that is currently built into our system. We are always working on improving our product and staying current with the latest advancements, and this is something we are working towards in the future.
Reporting
What kind of reporting does Clear Spider do?
Clear Spider offers a wide range of inventory reports related to inventory transaction, billing, invoice generation, inventory valuation, etc. These reports provide an opportunity to view the data within the system. Clear Spider allows you to run comparisons, create graphs and charts, and generate a detailed analysis. You can compare month-to-month and year-over-year data, review the data details yourself or export the results for analysis by your management team. Reports can also be exported to Excel and XML on demand.
Features
Does Clear Spider have a mobile app?
Yes, we have a mobile app which can be downloaded onto an iOS or Android device. It can be downloaded directly from the App Store or from Google Play, and allows you to scan in barcodes using the device’s camera.
Does Clear Spider support light manufacturing and kitting?
The Clear Spider light manufacturing and kitting inventory management system allows for the creation of kits. Managing inventory for light manufacturing is much easier to do by combining sets of multiple parts into kits. Each order can then be viewed as an order of kits, and each kit includes all of its component parts.
Does Clear Spider support consignment?
The Clear Spider consignment inventory management system manages inventories you own at your customers’ locations. You retain ownership and a level of control with consigned inventory. Customers enter real-time information about receipts, adjustments, shipments, allocations, cycle-counts and physical counts, while suppliers plan for replenishment, manage inventories and gain insight into consignment levels. This results in maximized customer service while maximizing stock-outs.
Does Clear Spider handle returns?
The Clear Spider return material authorization inventory management system authorizes and manages customers returning goods. Returning goods with Clear Spider is quick and efficient. The customer initiates the process and monitors the status online; while the supplier can see the reasons for return, check its validity, and then manage the return to the customer, a 3rd party, or a repair facility.
Does Clear Spider support automated vending?
The Clear Spider return material authorization inventory management system authorizes and manages customers returning goods. Returning goods with Clear Spider is quick and efficient. The customer initiates the process and monitors the status online; while the supplier can see the reasons for return, check its validity, and then manage the return to the customer, a 3rd party, or a repair facility.
Does Clear Spider support lot control and shelf life?
The Clear Spider lot control and shelf life inventory management system gives you full control of your product lots or batches. The lot or batch number can be assigned to one or many units that are produced or purchased on the same or various dates and that, possibly, have a production and/or expiry date. The system contains as much information as necessary depending on its complexity.
Does Clear Spider support barcode scanning?
Barcode inventory management makes inventory control faster and more accurate. Clear Spider customers use barcode scanning for shipping, receiving, counting, point-of-use and electronic kanban. As part of our setup process we will help you choose the best barcode scanners for your company’s needs.
Does Clear Spider support serialized inventory?
The Clear Spider serialized inventory management system allows you to track individual items from purchase to sale. The serial number creates a unique record that can be referenced for history purposes. Pricing, additional costs, and options can be recorded for individual products.
Does Clear Spider support fulfillment and replenishment?
Clear Spider provides distributors and manufacturers with fulfillment and replenishment capabilities through the fulfillment and replenishment inventory management system. Features include customer order creation, customer order updates, customer visibility into order and fulfillment status, inventory allocations, inventory tracking, distribution of an order across multiple suppliers, “kit” creation and configuration, drop ship logic, and automatic replenishment processes.
