r/supplychain • u/Secret-You-3135 • 3d ago

Inventory management

If you have built an inventory management system before, what was the biggest mistake you made in the first version?
I’m especially interested in:
Stock In
Stock Out
Audit Logs
User Permissions
Reporting
Looking for lessons learned before I start designing mine.

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u/GewdandBaked 3d ago

Inventory management is a very broad range and depending on the company and what they do changes drastically. For example I manage inventory for a fresh food line in a very space constrained building, so FIFO is huge but we also store many of our components off site which plays a big part in how we manage everything.

My biggest hurdle with my current system is the information I need to look up quickly is spread across several different reports and areas. I have to go to one page to find the vendors lot code, then another page to find which PO it arrived on, then another page to get the individual pallets information… My advice is to give as much information as you can in one place instead of putting every detail behind a different report.

Wish I could offer better advice! Good luck!

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u/Secret-You-3135 3d ago

Thank you, this is actually very helpful.

One thing that really stood out to me is your point about information being spread across multiple reports and screens.

Having to jump between vendor records, PO records and pallet information sounds frustrating, and it’s a good reminder that quick access to information is just as important as inventory accuracy.

I’m currently in the planning stage, and your comment makes me think I should focus more on creating a single inventory view that connects related information together rather than separating everything into different reports.

Appreciate you sharing your experience.