Capterra Glossary
SKU (Stock-Keeping Unit)
An SKU is a code linked to a particular product. These codes are generally alphanumeric. On many retail products, the code also appears as a bar code. These barcodes can be scanned to provide SKU information such as product name, cost, and volume or amount. SKUs are used for intangible products too, such as labor at an automotive garage or services from a managed IT services provider.
What Small and Midsize Businesses Need to Know About SKU (Stock-Keeping Unit)
SKU codes allow vendors to digitally capture how much of a product has sold. It helps manage stock levels. For small businesses providing a range of services, monitoring SKU levels can give various insights such as demand, seasonal peaks, and what raw products need purchasing. It can also show which products aren’t as popular. This can help with product research and development.
Related Terms
- Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
- Procurement
- Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)
- Vendor
- Supply Chain Planning (SCP)
- Telematics
- Senpai
- Vendor Management
- Value-Added Reseller (VAR)
- Bill of Materials (BOM)
- Supply Chain
- Smart Factory
- Scanner
- SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition)
- Radio-frequency Identification (RFID)