In this article, we propose to address the issue of Stock keeping unit from a broad and detailed perspective. This topic is of great relevance today and has generated great interest in different areas. Over the next few lines, we will explore the most relevant aspects related to Stock keeping unit, analyzing its impact, its implications and possible solutions or approaches to address it. With a comprehensive approach, our goal is to offer a complete and detailed overview that allows our readers to fully understand this topic and form an informed opinion about it.
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In inventory management, a stock keeping unit (abbreviated as SKU, pronounced es-kay-YOO or SKEW) is the unit of measure in which the stocks of a material are managed. It is a distinct type of item for sale, purchase, or tracking in inventory, such as a product or service, and all attributes associated with the item type that distinguish it from other item types (for a product, these attributes can include manufacturer, description, material, size, color, packaging, and warranty terms). When a business records the inventory of its stock, it counts the quantity it has of each unit, or SKU.
SKU can also refer to a unique identifier or code, sometimes represented via a barcode for scanning and tracking, which refers to the particular stock keeping unit. These identifiers are not regulated or standardized. When a company receives items from a vendor, it has a choice of maintaining the vendor's SKU or creating its own. This makes them distinct from Global Trade Item Number (GTIN), which are standard, global tracking units. The Universal Product Code (UPC), European Article Number (EAN), and Australian Product Number (APN) are special cases of GTINs.