Specification-Based Inventory Tracking: A Model for Order Lines and Individual Units
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Specification-Based Inventory Tracking: A Model for Order Lines and Individual Units
Ravikumar Thinnatti Palanichamy
Senior Software Engineer, ERP
tpravik@gmail.com
ABSTRACT
In contemporary manufacturing and warehousing settings, inventory needs to be managed at a detailed level to support traceability, reduce errors, and maximize operational efficiency. Batch tracking or generalized stock-keeping units (SKUs) used in conventional inventory systems do not capture the complexity of custom-configured products. This work presents a new specification-based inventory tracking model that takes into account the distinct properties of every order line and individual item, especially where every item is tailored to custom customer specifications — like tailor-made windows in building or design-driven industries. The model tightly couples with warehouse management modules, enabling real-time trackability from the order initiation right through production, warehouse transfers, and end-delivery. It solves the specific problem of identifying and tracing non-identical units through manufacturing and logistics processes with linkage to order-level data. We introduce a system architecture that employs order-level specifications as the main indexing criteria, supplemented by serial numbers, QR codes, and configuration metadata to create item uniqueness. The model is deployed in a warehouse module that accommodates scanning-based item movements, rule-based checks, and real-time inventory dashboards. Pilot results show increased order accuracy, mis-ship reduction, and warehouse throughput improvements. The paper also addresses ERP integration implications, cost trade-offs, and large-scale manufacturing operation scalability. With increased visibility and control, the model proposed has a feasible answer for firms working with highly custom products, enabling a path towards fully digital, specification-based inventory ecosystems.
Keywords- Inventory tracking, configuration-based products, warehouse management system (WMS), ERP integration, order line traceability, customized manufacturing, serialized inventory, specification-based logistics.