From the first product record to its final sale, return or safe withdrawal. A coherent operating reference for manufacturers, suppliers, distributors and automated-retail operators.
A product moves through recorded states; every physical handoff must reconcile with a digital record.
Each stage defines the operational action, accountable party and audit evidence produced.
Create the master product record (SKU/GTIN), producer and supplier, imagery, description, ingredients/allergens for food, variants, lots, serial numbers where available, date codes and regulatory documents. Not every unit has a unique identity: traceability may be at lot, delivery or serialized-unit level.
Check machine suitability: size, weight, dispensing method, temperature range, storage requirements, labelling, allergens, age restrictions and margins. Approve sale price, tax treatment and applicable restrictions before listing.
Issue a purchase order using demand forecasts and minimum-stock thresholds. Record supplier, quantity, purchase price, currency, expected date, delivery location and agreed terms.
At dispatch, capture the shipment reference, packs, unit counts, lots, required transport temperatures and ETA. Goods in transit are not yet available warehouse stock.
Match delivery to the order; verify identity, quantity, packaging, damage, lot, expiry and temperature when relevant. Quarantine discrepancies; only accepted units become sellable inventory.
Book quantities including lot and expiry, assign bins and storage conditions, and maintain blocked status when needed. Prevent duplicate receipt posting. Each move needs origin, destination, timestamp, actor and reason.
Use machine stock and sales to plan routes and warehouse picking. Account for shelf velocity, machine capacity, earliest expiry first (FEFO), access constraints, outages and stock reservations.
Pick defined SKUs and lots, verify counts and condition, and assign them to the service route. Maintain required transport conditions and log shortages or damage.
Identify the machine and slots; check correct SKU, position, displayed price, availability, cleanliness, temperature and expiration. Confirm actual quantities loaded; rejected units must not be booked into machine stock.
Publish availability and prices to the machine controller. Define safe offline-sales and later reconciliation behaviour; distinguish actual stock from stale telemetry.
Customer selects an item and payment method. Validate stock, restrictions and price. Create a transaction attempt; starting a payment does not yet mean a completed sale.
Correlate payment status and confirmed physical delivery. Handle “paid but not dispensed” by reversal/refund or incident according to terminal and payment-provider capabilities. Make retries idempotent to prevent duplicate postings.
After successful dispensing, reduce machine inventory and record revenue, applicable taxes, fees and settlement. Maintain traceable links among order, payment, dispensing and inventory movements; issue customer documents as legally required.
Capture complaint details and transaction reference. Differentiate defective item, failed dispense, wrong product and any legally applicable withdrawal rights. Do not automatically restock a returned item; inspect it first.
For safety alerts, defects and near/expired dates, identify affected SKUs and lots. Block sale, create field tasks, physically remove items and document their disposition. Assess any required authority notifications for the product category and jurisdiction.
Reconcile physical with system stock: sales, refill, damage, expiry, theft and failed dispenses. Investigate variances. Segregate unmerchantable goods, post write-offs and route to supplier return, recycling or compliant disposal.
A “birth certificate” is a useful business metaphor, not necessarily a legally defined document. The passport links SKU, lot and movement records; mandatory documentation depends on the category and applicable law.
| Data domain | Recommended record scope |
|---|---|
| Identity | SKU, GTIN/EAN, product name, maker, supplier, category, imagery, ingredient/allergen data |
| Traceability | Lot, manufacture/expiry dates where relevant, serial number where relevant, receipt and location links |
| Commercial | Cost, sale price, tax, currency, price history and assortment authorization |
| Operations | Machine, location, slot, capacity, required temperature and sale eligibility |
| Transactions | Unique transaction, order, payment and delivery-confirmation references; refunds |
| Audit | Actor, time, location, change and reason; time-stamped events, versions and attachments |
product → product_lot → purchase_order → goods_receipt → inventory_movement → machine_slot → sale → payment → dispense → return/recall/disposalDo not mark as successfully completed; open an incident, verify terminal state and reverse/refund if appropriate. Reconcile physical inventory.
Preserve dispense evidence, investigate payment settlement and never double-charge without authorization.
Quarantine the item, record evidence and decide supplier claim or write-off before any release to sale.
Block affected lot, assess risk, remove goods and decide their disposition.
Find every affected warehouse, route and machine; block and withdraw, reconcile recovered quantities and follow notification duties.
Separate confirmed sales from estimated stock and authorize documented physical reconciliation.
Producer supplies product data and relevant documentation. Supplier and carrier ensure correct handoffs. Operator manages stock, safe sale, support and records. Payment partner reports authorization and settlement.
On-shelf availability, inventory accuracy, failed dispense rate, complaints per 1,000 sales, expiry losses, replenishment lead time, stock turnover, uptime and recall completion time.
Integration of product data, warehouses, machine operations and transactions starts with a coherent data model.