Smart bins that don't come with a supply contract.
Many smart bin programs are run by parts distributors. The bins are part of the deal, and the reorders go to them. Maxi Bin counts your stock and tells you. Who you buy from is still your call.
A supplier-independent smart bin system measures stock and reports it to you, instead of sending orders to one distributor. With Maxi Bin, scales under your bins count parts by weight and show levels in the StockMonitor app. You keep your existing suppliers, export your data to CSV, and choose who replenishes each bin.
How do distributor-run smart bin programs work?
The bins come with the supply deal
The distributor installs and maintains the bins, often at little upfront cost, in return for supplying the parts that go in them.
Reorders go to one place
When a bin runs low, the system raises an order with that distributor. Convenient, but it makes comparing prices or switching suppliers harder.
The history sits in their system
Consumption data lives in the distributor's portal. Check what you can take with you before you sign.
What changes when the system is independent?
| Distributor-run program | Maxi Bin | |
|---|---|---|
| Who you buy parts from | The program's distributor | Any supplier, part by part |
| Who sees stock levels | You and the distributor | You, plus anyone you add as a Viewer |
| Your consumption data | Held in the distributor's portal | In your StockMonitor account, exportable to CSV |
| Changing supplier | Often means removing the bins | Nothing changes on the shelf |
| Parts you make or kit yourself | Often outside the program | Counted the same way as bought parts |
| Bins | Often the program's own containers | Your existing standard bins |
Give your supplier a view, not the keys.
Add a supplier's rep as a Viewer and they see counts and get low-stock alerts, just like a distributor program. Remove their access and add another supplier whenever you like.
Who is supplier-independent monitoring for?
Buyers who tender C-parts
Compare fastener and fitting prices across suppliers without losing visibility of what is on the shelf.
Manufacturers with their own parts
Count machined, moulded or kitted components that no distributor supplies.
Sites with many suppliers
Fasteners from one, fittings from another, electrical from a third. All bins in one view.
Frequently asked questions
Can my current supplier still replenish my bins?
Yes. Add your supplier's representative as a Viewer in StockMonitor and they can see bin levels and receive low-stock alerts. If you change supplier, you change who has access, not the hardware.
What happens to my data if I change suppliers?
Nothing. Your stock levels and activity history stay in your StockMonitor account, and you can export current levels to CSV at any time.
Do I need to replace my bins?
No. The scale slides under standard storage bins. Platforms come in four footprints from 210 × 150 mm to 600 × 230 mm, with custom sizes made to order.
Is Maxi Bin Solutions a parts distributor?
No. Maxi Bin Solutions makes the monitoring hardware and the StockMonitor app. We do not sell the parts that go in your bins, so we have no reason to steer where you buy them.
Related guides
Keep your suppliers. Keep your data.
Tell us about your bins and we will size a system that works with whoever supplies you.