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Records and systems

SKUs, locations, barcodes, and the point at which a spreadsheet stops being enough.

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A stock system is only as good as the naming underneath it. Inconsistent SKUs, vague locations and three names for the same item defeat any software you put on top, and no migration fixes them.

This section covers the unglamorous foundations, then the honest question of when a spreadsheet genuinely stops working — which is later than vendors suggest and earlier than most businesses admit.

The threshold is usually reached in labour rather than in item count: the point where keeping the record current is itself a part-time job. Measuring that — counting, receiving, adjusting and reconciling, recorded for a couple of weeks with a spreadsheet or a task timer — turns the decision from a feeling into a comparison against the subscription price.

Records and systems8 min read

SKUs and naming that survive growth

No stock system works on top of inconsistent item codes, and no migration fixes them.

When work happens away from the manager, visibility becomes a separate operational problem. For one approach to creating a remote activity record, see further details.

For technical background on product identification and scanning, GS1 barcode standards describe common barcode standards used in supply chains.

For businesses that still run stock records in spreadsheets, Microsoft Excel support provides the official Excel documentation and support material.

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