At ten in the morning, Store A sells the last unit of a bestseller; by noon, Store B’s system still reads “1 in stock,” and a clerk promises to hold it for a customer. What the owner sees is usually just “inaccurate inventory,” but what actually needs checking is: whether the two stores are keeping their books in the same inventory system. First, a word on who we are: we are Beijing Siwenlide, and Yuxinan SD-WAN Networking is our own product. Below we also spell out the cases where networking is not needed, so that you don’t buy the wrong thing over an inventory problem.
Start by looking at where your inventory books live
Two stores can mean very different setups on the ground. Some use cloud POS, some run their own inventory system at headquarters, and some still rely on Excel. These three cases should not be given the same solution:
| Current setup | Who deducts the inventory | What still needs to be solved |
|---|---|---|
| Both stores use the same cloud POS / cloud inventory system | The vendor’s cloud | Enable software features such as multi-store support and shared inventory; extra networking is usually unnecessary |
| Headquarters has a server, and the stores need to reach the same system | The headquarters server | Give stores cross-region access to the internal system, and confirm that the software supports multiple users and multiple stores |
| Each store runs standalone software, or each keeps its own Excel file | Each keeps its own records | Unify the software and product data first; networking or a shared folder alone is not enough |
So before asking “can it be real-time,” open the software and confirm two things: whether both stores see the same product master data, and whether sales orders are written into the same inventory ledger. If those two conditions are not met, faster connectivity only lets you see two different sets of books faster.
How “one store sells a unit and the other knows right away” actually happens
Store A scans the item at checkout, the POS software generates a sales order, and the server deducts one unit of that product; when Store B runs a query, it sees the quantity after that deduction. Scanning, creating the order, deducting inventory, and querying are all done by the software — the network’s job is to deliver the store’s request to the server.
This is also why I don’t recommend treating a shared Excel file as a proper solution. When you carry very few items, two people agreeing to update the number after a sale can indeed work as a stopgap; but once you have simultaneous edits, missed updates, or one version overwriting another, there are no sales orders or inventory transaction logs left to trace. Real-time inventory is not two files syncing with each other; it is everyone doing business around the same set of books.
When the software already runs at headquarters, what does networking cover
Many companies already have an inventory system, ERP, or POS back end they have used for years, with the server at headquarters and enough functionality — the only issue is that branches outside cannot reach the internal network address. In that case, there is no need to buy a new cloud application just for inventory, and you certainly should not map the server port directly to the public internet.
In this chain, Yuxinan does only one thing: it connects authorized store computers and the headquarters server into the same encrypted network, and the stores still open the system at the original internal address. The inventory logic, document workflows, and reports remain the job of the existing software, and headquarters does not have to expose the inventory system’s ports to the internet. For why we advise against port mapping when accessing a NAS or ERP remotely, this article on the security question goes into more detail.
One boundary is worth spelling out: if the old software itself only supports a single user, or the two stores run two mutually incompatible versions, networking cannot turn it into a multi-store system. Upgrading the software and organizing the product data is still work that has to be done.
Four things more easily missed than “can it connect”
- Unify product codes first. If “red, size M” and “size M, red” are two different products, no system, however fast, can align your inventory for you.
- Every sale must be recorded as an order. If staff take goods on the side or take WeChat payments without scanning, the software naturally has no idea a unit went missing. If the process isn’t controlled, switching to a more expensive system changes nothing.
- Count your opening inventory. If you don’t take stock before go-live, you are only moving the same wrong numbers into the new system.
- Ask what happens when the network goes down. Software differs in how it handles offline orders and re-uploading them after reconnection; test the version you are actually using rather than relying on a salesperson’s verbal assurance.
If the two stores also have to handle checkout and internet access at the same time, you may also want to read whether networking slows down checkout and how to connect the POS systems of two stores; these questions often come up in the same project.
At acceptance testing, make a real sale — don’t just open the home page
Create a test product with an opening stock of 10, then walk through the following sequence: Store A sells 1 unit — does Store B’s query show 9? Store B returns 1 unit — does Store A go back to 10? Both stores create orders at the same time — are the inventory and sales records correct on each side? Finally, disconnect one store’s network and then restore it, and see whether orders are re-uploaded as duplicates.
This test exercises the software, the network, and staff procedures at the same time. Merely demonstrating that “the headquarters page opens” does not prove that inventory can synchronize. For permissions involving business data, we also recommend assigning them by role: being able to create orders does not mean a clerk should be able to change inventory or delete documents. For related guidance, see our article on multi-site networking security.
If you want to first verify that headquarters software can serve branch stores
You can start with the Yuxinan free trial to test connectivity between two sites: permanently ¥0, with an allowance of 2 endpoints, and hardware also counts toward the allowance; cloud relay 2 Mbps, with no speed limit on P2P direct connections. First let one store access the headquarters system and run the sales and returns tests above, then decide on a formal deployment. Two stores plus headquarters usually means more than two access points; for formal use, count endpoints according to the actual connection method. The Enterprise Basic plan is ¥980/year and includes 5 endpoints. For the complete line between the free and paid versions, see the free version comparison.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: If both stores use cloud POS, do we still need Yuxinan?
A: If it is only for inventory synchronization, usually not — start by asking your software provider to enable multi-store support and shared inventory. If you also need to reach headquarters systems such as finance or file servers, evaluate networking separately.
Q: Once networking is in place, can two different brands of software synchronize inventory automatically?
A: No. The network only provides connectivity; different software’s data formats and inventory rules will not become compatible because of it. That requires support in the software itself, or a separate data interface.
Q: Our headquarters has no public IP. Can branch stores still access the inventory system?
A: Yes — you can use Yuxinan for multi-site networking; you do not need to apply for a dedicated public IP for remote access, nor to open inventory system ports on the router. For the various no-public-IP scenarios, see this explanation.
Q: Is inventory always synchronized within one second?
A: It depends on how the software actually works. Some deduct as soon as the order is created, some deduct after approval, and some queue offline orders until the connection is restored. At acceptance testing, look at the sales order status and the inventory transaction log, not just the number on the page.
Yuxinan versions, pricing, and bandwidth are based on information published on the official website in October 2026; capabilities such as inventory deduction and offline order creation depend on the inventory or POS software you actually use.
