Product and variant catalogue
Products, variants, barcodes, units of measure, packs, substitutes and supplier references with cost and lead time.
Solution
Inventory and Order Management
One stock position and one order lifecycle across every channel, built on a movement ledger rather than a quantity field people adjust.
Overview
What the system does
Inventory goes wrong when stock is stored as a number that gets edited. Two processes adjust it, a correction is applied twice, and by the end of the month nobody trusts the figure.
The correct model is a ledger. Every receipt, sale, return, transfer, count and write off is an immutable movement, and the quantity on hand is derived from them. That makes the position explainable, which is what you need at three in the morning during a stock take.
Order management is the other half: taking orders from every channel into one lifecycle with allocation, picking, shipping and returns.
Who needs this
Distributors, retailers and service businesses whose order promises depend on stock across locations.
What we build
Track on-hand, reserved, available and damaged stock separately. Purchase receipts, transfers, picks, returns and adjustments are movements with reasons. Never infer a stock balance from the last edited product quantity alone.
Modules
Core modules
Movement ledger
Immutable movements with type, quantity, location, reason, actor and reference. On hand, allocated and available are derived values.
Multi location stock
Positions per warehouse, store, van or bin, with transfers modelled as paired movements and in transit visibility.
Allocation and reservation
Stock committed to an order at a defined point with a clear rule, so available to promise is honest and oversell is a choice rather than an accident.
Purchasing
Reorder points, supplier lead times, purchase orders, partial receipts and cost capture.
Order lifecycle
Orders from every channel in one state machine: placed, allocated, picked, packed, shipped, delivered, returned, refunded, with the events that drive each transition.
Fulfilment
Pick lists, batch and wave picking, packing verification by scan, carrier labels and tracking.
Returns
Authorisation, receipt back into stock or quarantine, disposition and refund, with the movement recorded rather than an adjustment.
Cycle counting
Scheduled counts by location and velocity class, with variance recorded as an explicit movement and a reason code.
Reporting
Stock valuation, ageing, turns, fill rate and stockouts, computed from the ledger.
Architecture
How it fits together
A typical implementation flow, with explicit responsibilities at each boundary.
Integrations
- Ecommerce storefronts and marketplaces
- Point of sale systems
- Shipping carriers and label services
- Accounting software for cost and valuation
- Supplier systems for purchase orders and availability
- Fulfilment providers and print on demand services
- 01
Commit
Validate an order and reserve eligible stock against its lines.
- 02
Fulfill
Record picking, partial shipment, substitutions and backorders.
- 03
Reconcile
Match movement records to warehouse counts and ERP postings.
Security and controls
Design for the exceptions, not just the happy path.
Require appropriate authority for adjustments and customer-specific catalogs. Audit changes to quantities and units of measure. Repeated scanner events must not move stock twice.
Technology options
We select the final stack after reviewing your existing systems and operating requirements.
Security and IP practicesFit
Industries that use this
FAQ
Questions people actually ask
Why a ledger rather than a stock quantity field?
Because a quantity field cannot explain itself. With a ledger, every number has a history, a double applied correction is visible, and a discrepancy can be traced to a movement instead of argued about.
Can we sell the same stock on several channels?
Yes. One position serves all channels, with allocation at a defined point and an optional buffer per channel for the lag in reporting a sale.
How is available to promise calculated?
On hand, minus allocated, plus inbound within a stated lead time where you choose to include it. The rule is explicit and shown, rather than hidden in a formula.
Does it handle kits and assemblies?
Yes. A kit consumes components on fulfilment, and a light assembly step can be modelled as a movement pair with a labour record.
What about stock valuation?
Cost is captured on receipt, and valuation follows the method you use, commonly weighted average or first in first out. The method is agreed during design because it affects the ledger structure.
Can it work alongside our accounting system?
Yes. Accounting remains the financial record and receives valuation and cost of sales, while the ledger holds the operational detail.
Let’s talk about the system you need.
Tell us where the current process breaks down. We can map the workflow, examine the integration requirements and define a practical scope for the build.
- A mutual NDA is signed before project details are shared.
- Scope is fixed in writing before any build starts.
- You own the source code, the IP and the documentation at delivery.
- Support plans are available and tailored on a discovery or technical call.