Inventory API and operator console

The challenge

Each branch tracked stock separately. Head office numbers were a week old and wrong, so purchasing was guesswork and popular lines ran out while slow stock accumulated.

What discovery found

• Branches kept private spreadsheets because they distrusted the central figure
• Transfers between branches were recorded at one end only
• Stock counts happened quarterly and were reconciled by adjustment
• No alerting existed for lines about to run out

The approach

A single stock API as the source of truth, with every movement — sale, delivery, transfer, write-off — recorded as an event. The operator console shows live positions and flags discrepancies as they appear rather than at quarterly count.

What we built

• Central stock API with event history
• Branch transfer with two-sided confirmation
• Live stock console with discrepancy flags
• Reorder levels and alerts
• Cycle counting to replace quarterly stocktakes
• Purchasing reports by velocity

Security

Branch-scoped permissions, signed API access per terminal, and full attribution on every stock movement.

What went wrong

Opening balances were unreliable. We ran the new ledger alongside the old system for one full cycle and reconciled the difference before cutting over.

The result

82% → 98%

Stock accuracy

11

Branches on one source of truth

Quarterly → daily

Discrepancy detection