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Tip of the Day
STOCK NUMBER
ORGANIZATION
Have you ever wondered why things
like social security numbers, zip codes and telephone numbers don't
contain letters? It's because numbers (0-9) offer a better and more
reliable way to organize information than letters do, and they are less
confusing when read and spoken. Just try taking an order over the
phone with stock numbers that are all letters and you'll quickly see the
reason why numbers are better.
When you first sit down to assign stock numbers (sku's, item numbers,
product numbers, whatever) to all your products, you should begin by
organizing your line into categories. We'll use a candle line as
an example. Let's say our candle line consists of three main
categories - pillars, votives and tapers. Within each category,
you have to specify size and color to order.
Ideally, every item in your line should have an unique stock number.
In the case of our candle line example, that means we must have a
stock number that specifies a candle by type, size and color.
To illustrate this, look at the following table:
| Description |
Stock Number - #'s only |
Stock Number - letters |
| 3" Pillar - Red |
1301 |
3P-RED |
| 3" Pillar - Blue |
1302 |
3P-BLUE |
| 3" Pillar - White |
1303 |
3P-WHITE |
| Votive - Red |
2001 |
V-RED |
| Votive - Blue |
2002 |
V-BLUE |
| Votive - White |
2003 |
V-WHITE |
| 8" Taper - Red |
3801 |
8T-RED |
| 8" Taper - Blue |
3802 |
8T-BLUE |
| 8" Taper - White |
3803 |
8T-WHITE |
Using numbers only, we set up a 4
digit stock number system. Pillars fall in the 1000-1999 range,
Votives in the 2000-2999 range, and Tapers in the 3000-3999 range.
We define categories and sizes with the first two digits, 01-99.
The last 2 digits, 01-99, define colors, where 01 is always red, 02 is
always blue and 03 is always white.
When compared to a stock number system using letters, it's easy to see
why using only numbers is a much better and more organized way of
defining stock items. Are numbers harder to remember then some
abbreviated letter code? Not at all! In no time, everybody
will know that 1303 is a 3" White Pillar.
Thanks for your support. |