Product Catalog Module
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Product Catalog Module
Centralized product information with pricing and specifications
Module Purpose: Maintain comprehensive product database with multi-tier pricing for all business operations
Primary Users: Managers, Inventory Staff, Sales Staff
Last Updated: June 4, 2026
Overview
The Product Catalog module serves as the single source of truth for all product information, specifications, pricing, and related data used throughout the system.
UI routes: /dashboard/products, /dashboard/products/new, /dashboard/products/[id], /dashboard/products/[id]/edit
Key Capabilities
- Product Database: Complete product information
- Multi-Tier Pricing: Cost, retail, wholesale prices
- Product Specifications: Brand, category, manufacturer, unit
- Multiple Identifiers: SKU, UPC, EAN, MPN, ISBN support
- Product Images: Visual product representation
- Supplier Information: Purchasing lead contacts
- Inventory Integration: Real-time availability across locations
- Category Management: Organize products hierarchically
- Bulk import: Spreadsheet import via Bulk Import (
products:import)
Business Value
Operational Efficiency
Centralized Information:
- Single entry point for product data
- Consistent information across all modules
- Reduced data entry errors
- Easy updates propagate everywhere
Faster Operations:
- Quick product lookup
- Barcode scanning support
- Category browsing
- Recent items access
Pricing Control
Multi-Tier Strategy:
- Cost price (COGS) for profitability analysis
- Retail price for individual consumers
- Wholesale price for business customers
- Consistent pricing across locations
Margin Protection:
- Define minimum prices
- Track pricing changes
- Analyze profitability by product
- Optimize pricing strategy
Product Information
Core Product Data
Identification:
- Product name
- SKU (Stock Keeping Unit)
- Item code
- UPC (Universal Product Code)
- EAN (European Article Number)
- MPN (Manufacturer Part Number)
- ISBN (for books)
Description & Specifications:
- Detailed description
- Brand
- Category and parent category
- Unit of measure (pieces, boxes, liters, etc.)
- Manufacturer
- Product image
Pricing:
Cost Price: What you pay supplier
↓
Retail Price: Sell to individual consumers (highest)
↓
Wholesale Price: Sell to business customers (lower margin)
Purchasing Information:
- Purchasing lead (name, contact, email)
- Preferred supplier
- Lead time for reorder
- Reorder point
Inventory Integration
Real-Time Availability:
- Total available across all locations
- Location-specific stock levels
- Reserved quantities
- Calculated from inventory module
Benefits:
- Accurate availability for sales
- Prevent overselling
- Identify stock imbalances
- Plan purchases
Product Management
Adding Products
Process:
- Navigate to Products module
- Click "Add Product"
- Enter product name and description
- Add product codes (SKU, UPC, etc.)
- Set pricing (cost, retail, wholesale)
- Select brand, category, manufacturer
- Set unit of measure
- Upload product image (optional)
- Enter purchasing lead information
- Set reorder parameters
- Submit
Validation:
- SKU uniqueness check
- Required fields validation
- Pricing logic (retail > wholesale > cost)
- Category must exist
Updating Products
Common Updates:
- Price changes
- Description improvements
- Image updates
- Supplier information changes
- Category reassignments
Price Change Management:
- Manager approval for significant changes
- Historical pricing tracked
- Impact analysis on inventory value
- Notification to relevant staff
Product Categories
Organization:
- Parent categories (e.g., "Electronics")
- Child categories (e.g., "Printers", "Scanners")
- Multiple levels supported
- Facilitates browsing and reporting
Benefits:
- Easy navigation
- Category-based reporting
- Targeted promotions
- Organized product catalog
Pricing Strategy
Cost-Based Pricing
Markup Calculation:
Retail Markup = ((Retail Price - Cost Price) / Cost Price) × 100%
Wholesale Markup = ((Wholesale Price - Cost Price) / Cost Price) × 100%
Typical Markups:
- Retail: 50-100% (varies by industry)
- Wholesale: 20-40%
Competitive Pricing
Considerations:
- Market rates
- Competitor pricing
- Customer perception
- Value proposition
Dynamic Pricing
Factors:
- Demand patterns
- Inventory levels
- Seasonal trends
- Competitive pressure
- Customer segmentation
Product Performance
Sales Analysis
Metrics:
- Units sold (daily, weekly, monthly)
- Revenue by product
- Profit margin by product
- Sales trends over time
Classification:
- Fast-moving products (high volume)
- Slow-moving products (low turnover)
- Seasonal products
- Discontinued products
Inventory Performance
Stock Turnover:
Turnover = Cost of Goods Sold / Average Inventory Value
Target: 4-12 times per year (varies by industry)
Analysis:
- High turnover: Popular, efficient
- Low turnover: Slow-moving, review pricing/promotion
Profitability Analysis
Contribution Margin:
Contribution Margin = Sales Price - Variable Costs
Margin % = (Contribution Margin / Sales Price) × 100%
Use Cases:
- Identify most profitable products
- Focus sales efforts
- Adjust pricing strategy
- Product mix optimization
Success Metrics
Product Data Accuracy:
- Target: 99%+ accurate information
- Regular audits
- User feedback incorporation
Pricing Optimization:
- Maintain target margins
- Competitive positioning
- Customer satisfaction with value
Catalog Completeness:
- All products have descriptions
- Images available for key products
- Supplier information current
- Categories properly assigned
Best Practices
✅ Do:
- Maintain accurate product information
- Update prices strategically
- Use clear, descriptive product names
- Organize products into logical categories
- Add product images for visual identification
- Keep supplier information current
- Review slow-moving products regularly
❌ Don't:
- Create duplicate product records
- Use inconsistent naming conventions
- Neglect price updates
- Forget to update discontinued products
- Ignore product performance metrics
- Skip category assignments