The operating question
Inventory numbers become dangerous when different states are added together and read as one quantity.
What to decide, in order
- Define when inventory becomes sellable. Produced, inspected, labelled, released and shelved are not the same as available. Choose the event that turns stock into sellable inventory and use it everywhere.
- Keep inspection and reservation states separate. Goods in inspection and goods reserved for an order both exist — and neither should be offered twice. The dashboard should show the state, not a single total.
- Attach exceptions to the SKU and the order. A shortage, a hold or a correction is only actionable with the product and the order context attached.
Quick reference
| Decision | What it settles |
|---|---|
| Define when inventory becomes sellable. | Produced, inspected, labelled, released and shelved are not the same as available. Choose the event that turns stock into sellable inventory and use it everywhere. |
| Keep inspection and reservation states separate. | Goods in inspection and goods reserved for an order both exist — and neither should be offered twice. The dashboard should show the state, not a single total. |
| Attach exceptions to the SKU and the order. | A shortage, a hold or a correction is only actionable with the product and the order context attached. |
Where the handoff usually breaks
The failure mode is a confident number that hides a state. A promise is made from a total that includes goods nobody can ship today.
What good looks like
Every number a team acts on can be traced to a state definition, and the definition is the same in the warehouse, in the account team and in the store.
Placeholder article prepared for layout review. The operating guidance above is generic; replace it with your own verified content before the public launch.
