Create one record per item
Check for duplicate items before importing your catalogue. If the same hammer has two SKUs, a buyer may reorder it while stock sits under the other code.
Decide which details distinguish your items. Pack size matters if you buy by the case and issue individual units. Lot and expiry details matter for supplies that must be traced.
Use a consistent SKU format and assign someone to manage changes. Two people receiving the same product should find the same record.
Name your stock locations
List the places where you keep stock, including vehicles and off-site storage. Give each location a name your team recognises.
Keep separate balances where stock needs to be counted separately. Record transfers when items move so a company-wide total does not hide a local shortage.
Start with the locations you use today. Add bins or zones when that detail helps someone find or count an item.
Set reorder points
Start with items whose shortages have interrupted orders or jobs. Calculate expected usage during replenishment lead time, then add safety stock.
Reorder point = average daily usage × lead time in days + safety stock.
Five elbows a day with three days of lead time and ten units of safety stock gives a reorder point of 25. Check incoming purchase orders before ordering again. Review the threshold when demand or delivery times change.
Record stock movements as they happen
Record receipts and transfers when they happen. Entering a clipboard count later leaves everyone else working from an outdated quantity.
A barcode scan identifies the item; the person scanning still needs to confirm the quantity. Label locations too, so the record identifies where the stock belongs.
Use photos where condition matters, such as damaged deliveries or returned equipment.
Schedule counts and stock reviews
Give someone responsibility for checking a small set of items regularly. Prioritise stock that moves often or would be expensive to lose.
Review low-stock alerts alongside incoming deliveries. Investigate count differences before correcting quantities, and record the reason for each adjustment.
Choose a schedule your team can maintain during busy periods. Increase coverage once those checks are routine.
Test software with a real task
Ask the person who will use the software to try a receipt or count. Can they find the item, enter a quantity and check the resulting record?
Test an import from your spreadsheet. Check how duplicate items and units of measure are handled before moving the full catalogue.
Confirm the cost for your team and the help available during setup. Evaluate the product using your own records.
Check records before connecting other systems
Check item identifiers and quantities in one location before exchanging data with accounting or ecommerce software. Agree which system owns each field and what should happen when records disagree.
A wrong unit of measure can affect both the stock count and the amount billed. Test a receipt and a return before relying on automatic updates.
Confirm which records each connection supports. A connection to a platform does not mean every transaction type will sync.