Introduction
In our inventory management system, users are allowed to create multiple inventory items with the same name. These are referred to as "cousin items." This feature is designed to help manage inventory more efficiently, especially when dealing with subcontracted goods.
What are Cousin Items?
Cousin items are multiple inventory entries with identical names. Despite sharing the same name, each cousin item can have different inventory levels and pricing. This allows businesses to maintain a consistent product listing while managing stock from different sources or subcontractors.
How Cousin Items Work
- Single Page Display: Although there may be multiple items with the same name in the inventory, only one page for that item will be displayed on the website. This ensures a clean and user-friendly shopping experience for customers.
- Subcontracting Inventory: When the primary item runs out of stock, businesses can automatically switch to a subcontracted cousin item. This allows for continuous availability of the product without manual intervention.
- Price Variation: Subcontracted cousin items can have different prices. This flexibility helps in adjusting to different cost structures from various subcontractors.
Determining the Primary Item
The primary item is identified by its ID:
- The item with the lower ID (created first) is considered the primary item.
- When the primary item is out of stock, the system can switch to subsequent cousin items based on their availability.
Benefits of Using Cousin Items
- Continuous Product Availability: Maintain product listings on the website without interruption, even when the primary stock is depleted.
- Flexible Pricing: Adjust prices for subcontracted items to reflect different supplier costs.
- Efficient Inventory Management: Seamlessly manage multiple sources of the same product, ensuring inventory is always stocked.
By utilizing cousin items, businesses can streamline their inventory management processes, ensuring that products remain available and competitively priced, even when relying on multiple suppliers.