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Functional Requirements for a Retail Inventory Management System
- User Authentication and Authorization:
- Users: Ability to create accounts, log in, and manage profiles.
- Role-Based Access Control: Different permissions for roles such as store managers, inventory staff, and administrators.
- Inventory Tracking and Management:
- Product Management: Add, update, and delete product details, including SKU, description, category, price, and quantity.
- Stock Levels: Monitor and manage stock levels in real-time, including tracking stock movements and adjustments.
- Order Management:
- Purchase Orders: Create, manage, and track purchase orders from suppliers.
- Sales Orders: Process and track sales orders, including order fulfillment and returns.
- Supplier Management:
- Supplier Profiles: Create and manage supplier information, including contact details, payment terms, and product catalogs.
- Order History: Track order history and performance metrics for each supplier.
- Barcode and RFID Integration:
- Scanning: Support for barcode and RFID scanning for inventory tracking and management.
- Label Printing: Generate and print barcode labels for products.
- Stock Replenishment:
- Automatic Reordering: Set reorder points and thresholds to trigger automatic stock replenishment.
- Inventory Alerts: Notify staff when stock levels fall below predefined thresholds.
- Reporting and Analytics:
- Inventory Reports: Generate reports on stock levels, turnover rates, and stock aging.
- Sales Reports: Analyze sales performance, revenue, and trends.
- Supplier Performance: Report on supplier performance metrics and order fulfillment.
- Returns and Exchanges Management:
- Return Processing: Handle product returns and exchanges, including updating inventory and processing refunds or replacements.
- Return Policies: Manage and enforce return policies and procedures.
- Integration with POS Systems:
- Sales Integration: Integrate with point-of-sale (POS) systems to synchronize sales transactions and inventory updates.
- Data Sync: Ensure real-time synchronization of sales data and inventory levels.
- Inventory Auditing:
- Stock Audits: Perform regular physical counts of inventory and reconcile with system records.
- Discrepancy Management: Identify and address discrepancies between physical and system inventory.
- Multi-Location Support:
- Store Management: Manage inventory across multiple store locations or warehouses.
- Centralized Reporting: Aggregate data from multiple locations for consolidated reporting.
- User Preferences and Customization:
- Dashboard Customization: Allow users to customize dashboards and reports based on their preferences and role.
- Notification Settings: Configure notification preferences for inventory alerts and order updates.
- Data Backup and Recovery:
- Backup: Regularly back up inventory data to ensure data integrity and availability.
- Recovery: Implement recovery procedures to restore data in case of loss or corruption.
Non-Functional Requirements for a Retail Inventory Management System
- Performance:
- Ensure fast response times for inventory queries, order processing, and report generation.
- Handle high volumes of data and simultaneous user access efficiently.
- Scalability:
- The system should scale to accommodate increasing numbers of products, transactions, and users.
- Support both horizontal and vertical scaling as needed.
- Reliability:
- Ensure high availability with minimal downtime.
- Implement redundancy and failover mechanisms to maintain system reliability.
- Security:
- Use strong authentication and encryption to protect user data and transaction details.
- Regularly update security measures to address vulnerabilities and protect against threats.
- Usability:
- Design an intuitive and user-friendly interface for staff and administrators.
- Provide clear instructions and support to facilitate effective use of the system.
- Maintainability:
- Design the system with modularity and clear documentation to facilitate maintenance and updates.
- Implement automated testing and monitoring to identify and resolve issues promptly.
- Interoperability:
- Ensure compatibility with external systems such as POS systems, accounting software, and supplier platforms.
- Support standard data formats and communication protocols for seamless integration.
- Availability:
- The system should be available 24/7, with mechanisms to handle high traffic and system outages.
- Implement regular backups and disaster recovery procedures to ensure data integrity and system continuity.
- Compliance:
- Adhere to relevant data protection regulations (e.g., GDPR, CCPA) to ensure user privacy and security.
- Ensure compliance with industry standards and regulations related to inventory management.
- Accessibility:
- Design the system to be accessible to users with disabilities, following WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines).
- Ensure compatibility with assistive technologies and various devices.
- Localization and Internationalization:
- Support multiple languages and regional settings for a global user base.
- Allow customization of settings based on regional preferences and legal requirements.
- Disaster Recovery:
- Implement a disaster recovery plan to restore system functionality in case of major failures or data loss.
- Regularly test and update recovery procedures to ensure effectiveness.
- Data Accuracy and Integrity:
- Ensure the accuracy and reliability of data related to inventory levels, transactions, and supplier information.
- Implement validation mechanisms to prevent and correct data errors, and perform regular audits to maintain data quality.