Functional requirements of Inventory Management for Small Businesses with non-functional
Functional Requirements
- User Registration and Authentication:
- Allow users (e.g., inventory managers, sales staff, administrators) to register and authenticate using secure methods.
- Implement role-based access control to define permissions for different user roles.
- Inventory Tracking:
- Enable real-time tracking of inventory levels, including quantities on hand, quantities on order, and quantities allocated to sales.
- Provide options for tracking inventory across multiple locations or warehouses.
- Product Management:
- Allow for the creation, updating, and deletion of product records, including details such as SKU, name, description, category, and price.
- Support for adding product attributes (e.g., size, color) and managing product variants.
- Stock Movement Management:
- Track stock movements, including receipts (e.g., purchases, returns), issues (e.g., sales, internal transfers), and adjustments (e.g., stocktakes).
- Provide options for recording stock transfers between locations or warehouses.
- Order Management:
- Support for creating and managing purchase orders, sales orders, and supplier orders.
- Enable order fulfillment and updating of inventory levels based on order processing.
- Inventory Valuation:
- Provide methods for calculating inventory valuation, such as FIFO (First-In-First-Out), LIFO (Last-In-First-Out), or weighted average cost.
- Generate reports on inventory valuation for financial and accounting purposes.
- Stock Alerts and Notifications:
- Send automated alerts and notifications for low stock levels, reorder points, and inventory discrepancies.
- Allow users to configure alert thresholds and notification preferences.
- Reporting and Analytics:
- Generate detailed reports on inventory levels, stock movements, sales trends, and supplier performance.
- Provide analytics and dashboards to help users make informed decisions and optimize inventory management.
- Integration with Sales and Accounting Systems:
- Support integration with sales systems (e.g., POS) and accounting software for seamless data synchronization and financial reporting.
- Provide APIs or import/export options for connecting with third-party applications.
- Barcode and RFID Support:
- Enable the use of barcode scanners or RFID technology for efficient inventory tracking and data entry.
- Support for generating and printing barcode labels for products.
- Supplier and Purchase Management:
- Allow for the management of supplier information, including contact details, payment terms, and order history.
- Provide tools for creating and managing purchase orders, tracking supplier performance, and handling returns.
- Stocktaking and Audits:
- Support for periodic stocktakes and inventory audits, including tools for counting and reconciling stock.
- Provide features for adjusting inventory levels based on audit results.
- User Management and Permissions:
- Allow administrators to manage user accounts, roles, and permissions.
- Provide options for setting up different access levels for various functions within the system.
- Mobile Access:
- Provide a mobile-friendly interface or app for accessing inventory information and managing tasks from mobile devices.
- Enable mobile scanning capabilities for stocktaking and real-time updates.
- Data Backup and Recovery:
- Implement regular data backups to ensure recovery in case of data loss or system failure.
- Provide procedures for restoring data and maintaining continuity of operations.
Non-Functional Requirements
- Scalability:
- The system should be able to handle an increasing number of products, transactions, and users without performance issues.
- Support for scaling infrastructure to accommodate business growth and peak usage periods.
- Performance:
- Ensure fast and responsive interactions, with quick processing of inventory transactions, report generation, and data retrieval.
- Optimize system performance to handle large datasets and concurrent users efficiently.
- Reliability and Availability:
- Ensure high availability of the system with minimal downtime, supported by redundancy and failover mechanisms.
- Implement regular backups and disaster recovery procedures to maintain service continuity.
- Usability:
- The user interface should be intuitive and user-friendly, accommodating users with varying levels of technical expertise.
- Provide a consistent and seamless experience across different devices and platforms.
- Interoperability:
- The system should integrate seamlessly with other business systems, such as sales and accounting software.
- Support standard APIs and data formats for interoperability and data exchange.
- Maintainability:
- Ensure the system is easy to maintain, with clear documentation, modular design, and support for regular updates and bug fixes.
- Implement automated monitoring and logging to identify and address issues promptly.
- Compliance:
- Ensure the system complies with relevant regulations and standards, such as data protection laws and industry-specific requirements.
- Provide features to support auditing, data retention, and regulatory reporting requirements.
- Data Integrity and Accuracy:
- Ensure that all inventory data collected and processed by the system is accurate, consistent, and up-to-date.
- Implement validation checks and data integrity mechanisms to prevent errors and data corruption.
- Localization and Internationalization:
- Support multiple languages and regional settings to cater to a global user base.
- Allow easy adaptation of the system to meet local regulations and cultural practices.
- Accessibility:
- Ensure that the system is accessible to users with disabilities, following web accessibility standards (e.g., WCAG).
- Provide features such as screen reader compatibility, keyboard navigation, and adjustable text sizes.
- Privacy and Data Ownership:
- Ensure that users retain ownership of their data and can easily control, access, and delete their information.
- Provide transparency regarding data usage, sharing, and storage practices, with clear consent mechanisms.