Operational Review
Inventory tracking needs one source of truth
A focused first-pass review of the problem, likely causes, and the smallest useful next step.
Executive Summary
The decision in one page.
Inventory is being tracked in multiple places, and nobody is confident which record is current.
Multiple sources of truth
Choose one authoritative inventory record, define who updates it and when, then test the receiving and issuing process against that standard.
Do not buy a new inventory-management platform yet. The current process is not controlled well enough to know whether new software would solve the underlying problem.
Case File
What we know, what we suspect, what we still need to verify.
What we heard
Inventory is being tracked in multiple places, and nobody is confident which record is current.
What may be underneath it
- Multiple sources of truth
- Unclear update ownership
- Receiving and issuing changes are not consistently recorded
Functions that may help
Questions that matter next
- How inventory enters the business
- Who updates counts today
- How adjustments are recorded
- Whether duplicate entry is introducing errors
Operational Diagnostic
Where the process appears to be losing control.
If the authoritative record is not updated at the point where inventory changes, later reporting cannot reliably correct the error. The process needs a clear control point before automation becomes useful.
Recommendation
Start with the smallest useful control.
Choose one authoritative inventory record, define who updates it and when, then test the receiving and issuing process against that standard.
It creates a clear source of truth and exposes whether the real problem is process discipline, ownership, tooling, or some combination.
Do not buy a new inventory-management platform yet. The current process is not controlled well enough to know whether new software would solve the underlying problem.
Next Decision