Cross-shop inventory without losing control

01

Keep ownership explicit

Every on-hand quantity should belong to a location and bin. Network search can reveal availability, but reservation and transfer rules decide whether another shop may use it.

02

Create a controlled transfer lifecycle

Use request, approval, pick, in-transit and receipt states. Each state needs an owner, timestamp and quantity so neither location carries unexplained inventory.

• Prevent the sending shop from promising transferred stock twice.
• Record partial shipments and discrepancies.
• Move cost and quantity only according to the agreed accounting event.

03

Design receiving for real operations

A central buyer may place one order for several shops. Receiving must support a central dock, direct delivery to a location and partial receipts without erasing the original purchase intent.

04

Use replenishment with context

Minimum and maximum levels should reflect location demand, lead time and access to nearby stock. A network surplus may be preferable to another urgent supplier order.

05

Watch the right exceptions

Review negative stock, overdue transfers, unreceived purchase orders, dormant items, frequent emergency buys and price variance. Exceptions expose process problems faster than a total inventory value.