In simple terms, within strokeone, the relationship between a stock line item, its SKU and recorded stock locations is dependent on two key variables:-
Largely speaking if the answer to either of the above is "no" - the item is viewed as a SKU and is accounted for in terms of SKU by location. If the answer is "yes", the item is viewed as being in use with or associated to a job or fulfilment, and is thus no longer regarded as having a location by SKU. Instead it is regarded as being located with a job (or fulfilment)
This can be illustrated diagrammatically by looking at the varying stages of a blank stock item's life-cycle and how it is accounting for throughout.
Generally, if blank stock has not been associated to a job order in any way - that is, it has not been allocated or picked, then it is accounted for as a blank SKU and as such has a definite storage location at the Blank SKU level.
Once blank stock is allocated
to a job order, then it no longer is conceptually viewed as a blank SKU.
Instead it is accounted for as part of
the job object, and is recorded against a job location - (for example
stock ready for process, or the
actual machine name if the job
process is in actively taking place.).
The key difference is that the stock is no longer accounted for as a blank
SKU by location..
At the completion of the last process on the job, the end result - the decorated product is created.
At this point, the product is regarded as a decorated SKU, and is treated identically to a blank stock item - that is it is accounted for and viewed as existing at the decorated SKU by location level.
Crucially decorated SKU's are no longer conceptualised as being associated to a job (and therefore a job's location)
In the absence of being despatched or collected from the warehouse, the
decorated SKU would remain filed at the decorated SKU / location level.
However, invariably, decorated products are destined for customers. The process by which decorated SKU's get to customers is termed fulfilment, and in terms of the stock location methodology it can be thought of in very similar terms to a job.
A fulfilment is made up of one or more decorated SKU's that are destined for a customer. The mechanism by which they get to the customer might be by despatch, or could be customer collection. For the purposes of stock location, it is largely immaterial.
What is crucial to understand, is that once a decorated SKU is allocated to, and subsequently picked for a fulfilment, then it is debited from the decorated SKU / location domain, and is associated to, and accounted for as being in the fulfilment location.
The end result once the fulfilment is satisfied and assembled for collection / despatch is that the decorated item is no longer held in the warehouse.
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