This is a planning framework, not a client case study, a quote or evidence of delivered results. The scenarios describe decisions to validate with the business.
A stock balance may include reserved, damaged, incoming or inaccessible units. A buyer needs to know which of those states matters to the next operational decision.
Inventory software: distinguish stock from availability
Identity and units
Define item identifiers, variants, units and location rules. Confirm how the existing ledger handles conversions and substitutions.
Reservation and movement
Separate a physical movement from a reservation or expected receipt. Make partial fulfilment and release of reservations explicit.
Purchasing loop
Connect a reorder decision to approval, receipt and reconciliation. Give quantity or quality exceptions a controlled resolution path.
Can warehouse staff distinguish stock from available stock?
Walk through reserved goods, an incoming partial receipt and a damaged unit in the same location. Does a sales promise use the correct availability state? Reconcile a count adjustment with the ledger and check who can approve the difference.
Which inventory events may the new layer write?
Specify item identifiers, unit conversions, reservations and movement sources before defining dashboards. Separate read-only availability from purchasing or ledger updates. Agree how item mappings are maintained and how a failed import can be retried without creating another movement.
The next step
Custom business software provides a route to scope warehouse roles and approval history. Discuss stock coordination with a sample ledger, reservation rules and the differences staff currently reconcile by hand.