Inventory Barcode Scanning

Scanning an Item Directly

The simplest form of inventory consumption is scanning an item's own barcode label. Standard Time® matches the scan value against five identifier fields on each inventory record:

Name — the item's display name
Code — an internal item code
SKU — your own stock-keeping unit number
Vendor SKU — the SKU assigned by your supplier
Manufacturer SKU — the OEM part number on the manufacturer's label

If the scan value matches any one of these five fields, Standard Time® locates the inventory record and deducts exactly one unit from the quantity on hand. The deduction is logged immediately and tied to the active work order or job if one is open on that station.

Diagram: scanning any item identifier deducts 1 from quantity on hand — Any of the five identifiers on the item label will match the inventory record and trigger a deduction of one unit.

This approach works well in two scenarios:

High-velocity single-unit consumption — operators pulling one fastener, one component, or one assembly at a time scan the bin label directly. Each scan removes one unit from stock with no prompts or keyboard entry.
Manufacturer-labeled parts — incoming parts already printed with a manufacturer or distributor barcode can be scanned directly if that barcode is stored as the Manufacturer SKU on the inventory record.

Tip: If the same item is stored in multiple physical locations, use the location-aware labels (described below) so the deduction is applied to the correct bin rather than the total stock pool.

INV-SUB — Prompted Quantity Deduction

INV-SUB is a special barcode label you print once and post at a workstation, receiving dock, or anywhere stock is consumed. Unlike scanning an item's own label, INV-SUB does not require you to scan each unit individually. Instead, it opens a prompt that asks which item and how many — letting an operator pull twenty bolts from a bin and record the deduction in a single scan sequence.

INV-SUB flow: scan label, enter item identifier, enter quantity, stock deducted — Scan the INV-SUB station label → enter the item SKU or name → enter the quantity → stock is deducted immediately.

How INV-SUB Works

Scan the INV-SUB label posted at the station.
A prompt appears: Which item? — Enter the item's SKU, name, code, vendor SKU, or manufacturer SKU. You can type it or scan the item's own barcode label.
A second prompt appears: How many? — Enter the quantity to deduct.
Standard Time® deducts the entered quantity from the item's stock immediately and logs the transaction against the active work order.

When to Use INV-SUB

INV-SUB is most useful when you are pulling multiple units of the same part in one batch — a handful of screws, a set of gaskets, a measured length of material. It avoids the need to scan each unit individually and works even when the item's individual barcode label is not accessible (bulk bins, rolls, bags).

Tip: Print the INV-SUB label at a large, visible size and laminate it. It will be scanned hundreds of times — a durable wall or counter label is more practical than a paper printout.

INV-ADD — Add Stock

INV-ADD is the receiving counterpart to INV-SUB. Scan the INV-ADD label when goods arrive, when production yields finished parts, or any time stock needs to increase. Like INV-SUB, it prompts for the item identifier and a quantity.

INV-ADD flow: scan label, enter item and quantity, stock increased — Scan INV-ADD → enter item identifier → enter received quantity → stock is increased immediately.

How INV-ADD Works

Scan the INV-ADD label posted at the receiving dock or production area.
Enter the item identifier (SKU, name, code, vendor SKU, or manufacturer SKU).
Enter the quantity received or produced.
Standard Time® adds the entered quantity to the item's stock on hand immediately.

Common Uses

Goods receipt — receiving an inbound shipment at the dock, confirming purchase order quantities.
Returned material — adding back parts that were pulled for a job but not used.
Production output — recording finished parts coming off a machine or production cell (for manual builds, as opposed to the automated INV-BUILD flow described next).
Physical count corrections — adjusting stock upward after a count reveals more units than the system shows.

Note: INV-ADD increases the global stock total unless you specify a location. To add received goods to a specific warehouse or bin, use INV-ADD-LOC instead (see the Inventory Location Labels section below).

INV-BUILD — Build from Bill of Materials

INV-BUILD automates the assembly recording process. When scanned, it reads the Bill of Materials (BOM) attached to the finished assembly item, deducts each component's required quantity from stock, and adds one finished assembly to stock. The finished assembly is then available as an inventory item that can itself be scanned, pulled for future work orders, or used as a component in a higher-level BOM.

INV-BUILD deducts BOM components and adds one finished assembly to stock — Scanning INV-BUILD deducts every component defined in the Bill of Materials and adds one finished assembly to stock.

How INV-BUILD Works

Scan the INV-BUILD label (or scan the finished assembly's own barcode if configured with an INV-BUILD rule).
Standard Time® looks up the Bill of Materials for the assembly.
Each BOM line item is deducted by its required quantity — for example, if the BOM calls for 4× Hex Bolt M6, exactly 4 units are removed from that component's stock.
One unit of the finished assembly is added to the assembly's stock on hand.
All component deductions and the finished-goods addition are logged as a single build transaction, timestamped and linked to the active work order.

Multi-Level BOM

If a BOM component is itself a built assembly — a sub-assembly that also has its own BOM — Standard Time® can cascade the deductions down through the BOM hierarchy. Each level of the assembly tree is deducted in the correct proportions for the quantity being built.

When the Finished Assembly Is "In Stock"

After INV-BUILD runs, the finished assembly appears in the inventory list with a quantity of 1 (or more, if you've run multiple build scans). That stock is real and consumable — a future work order can pull the finished assembly just like any other part, either by scanning its own label, or via INV-SUB. This supports a two-stage manufacturing model: build a batch of sub-assemblies in advance, then scan them out to final assembly jobs later.

Tip: Set up a Barcode Rule with the finished assembly's prefix (e.g., ASSY-) mapped to INV-BUILD, so operators simply scan the assembly barcode to trigger a build — no separate INV-BUILD station label required.

Inventory Location Labels

Standard Time® supports inventory locations, which allow a single inventory item to be tracked across multiple warehouses, bins, shelves, or vehicles simultaneously. Each location maintains its own independent stock level, so you can know precisely how many units are in the main warehouse, how many are in Bin A-3 on the shop floor, and how many are loaded on a service truck — all as separate counts for the same part number.

Three inventory locations — Main Warehouse, Bin A-3, Service Truck — each with independent stock counts — The same item can be present in multiple locations simultaneously. Each location has its own stock count managed by its own scan labels.

The five location barcode labels each handle a different management task:

Label	Action	When to Use
INV-ADD-LOC	Add a quantity to a specific location's stock	Receiving goods at a particular bin or warehouse; transferring stock into a location
INV-SUB-LOC	Deduct a quantity from a specific location's stock	Pulling parts from a named bin; consuming material from a specific storage location
INV-SET-LOC	Set a location's stock to an exact count	After a physical count — set the bin to the verified quantity rather than adjusting up or down
INV-MOV-LOC	Move a quantity from one location to another	Relocating stock between warehouses, bins, or vehicles; replenishing a floor bin from a main warehouse
INV-DEL-LOC	Delete a location record for an item	Removing a bin assignment that is no longer in use; cleaning up obsolete location records

How a Location Scan Works

Each location label scan follows the same prompt sequence: scan the label, enter the item identifier, enter the location name (or scan a location label), and enter the quantity where applicable. Standard Time® then updates that location's stock level while leaving all other locations for the same item unchanged.

Location vs. Global Stock

Items that have location records display their total global stock (the sum across all locations) alongside the per-location breakdown. Scanning an item's own barcode label directly — without a location label — deducts from the global stock total and does not target any specific location. For tight location accuracy, use the INV-SUB-LOC label for all consumption so every transaction is tied to a named bin.

Setup tip: Print one set of location labels per physical storage area — one INV-ADD-LOC and one INV-SUB-LOC laminated card per bin, rack, or vehicle. Operators scan the bin's label first to identify the location, then enter the item and quantity. This prevents stock from landing in the wrong location during receiving or consumption.