Catalog & Inventory Management
Managing products, SKUs, pack sizes, stock allocations, and bulk CSVs.
This guide covers product master data, pack sizes, stock allocations, reorder thresholds, and alias maintenance via the Catalog Management portal (/catalog).
1. Catalog Master Overview (/catalog)
The catalog page (http://localhost:XXXX/catalog) displays all products synchronized from your ERP or added directly into Kholo:
| SKU | Name | Pack Size | Price (ZAR) | Stock | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WSTAR-12.5KG | White Star Maize Meal 12.5kg | 1 x 12.5kg | R 148.50 | 420 bags | In Stock |
| TASTIC-10KG | Tastic Long Grain Rice 10kg | 1 x 10kg | R 215.00 | 85 bags | In Stock |
| COKE-2L | Coca-Cola Original 2L (Case of 6) | 6 x 2L | R 132.00 | 14 cases | Low Stock |
| DRAGON-500ML | Dragon Energy 500ml Cans (24s) | 24 x 500ml | R 245.00 | 310 cases | In Stock |
2. Product Fields Reference
When creating or editing a product, the following attributes must be configured:
| Field | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
SKU | Unique alphanumeric catalog code (must match ERP exactly). | WSTAR-12.5KG |
ERP Product ID | Internal ERP system ID or ledger code. | ITEM-8802 |
Name | Full official trade description. | White Star Super Maize Meal 12.5kg |
Unit of Measure | Packaging type (case, single, pack, bag, bale). | bag |
Pack Size | Number of consumer items inside this trade unit (e.g. 6 for 6-packs, 24 for cans). | 1 (for 12.5kg bag) or 24 (for can case) |
Base Price | Distributor base price excluding VAT in ZAR. | R 148.50 |
Reorder Point | Threshold at which low-stock warning banners trigger. | 50 |
Safety Stock | Buffer stock reserved for emergency orders. | 20 |
Bin Location | Physical warehouse storage bay identifier. | Aisle 1 - Bay A04 |
3. Product Aliases Management (The Jargon List)
Under each product in the catalog, click "Manage Aliases" to view and edit all colloquial terms linked to that SKU.
White Star Super Maize Meal 12.5kg WSTAR-12.5KG
Best Practices for Aliases:
- Include Common Shorthand: If customers frequently write "coke 2" or "coke big", add them as global aliases.
- Keep Weights & Units in the Phrase: Specify the size if multiple variants exist (e.g. "whites 10" vs "whites 12.5" vs "whites 25").
- Avoid Overly Generic Words: Do not map a single word like "meal" to a specific maize brand, as customers order Iwisa, Ace, Impala, and White Star interchangeably.
4. Real-Time Stock Allocations & Reservation
Kholo tracks two distinct inventory numbers per product per location:
- Available Stock: Physical stock in the warehouse ready to sell.
- Reserved Stock: Units committed to approved orders awaiting packing and dispatch.
Reservation Logic:
Clerk approves order or auto-approval triggers.
Warehouse picker scans items onto the dispatch pallet.
Sage Evolution commits delivery note and post tax invoice.
5. Bulk CSV Ingestion Format
To upload or update your entire product list at once, provide a standard comma-separated file with these headers:
SKU,Name,PackSize,BasePrice,UnitOfMeasure,BinLocation,InitialStock
IWISA-10KG,"Iwisa Super Maize Meal 10kg",1,118.50,bag,"Aisle 1 - Bay A02",500
ACE-10KG,"Ace Super Maize Meal 10kg",1,114.00,bag,"Aisle 1 - Bay A03",450
WSTAR-12.5KG,"White Star Maize Meal 12.5kg",1,148.50,bag,"Aisle 1 - Bay A04",380
SUNF-OIL-2L,"Sunfoil Cooking Oil 2L",1,74.90,bottle,"Aisle 2 - Bay C01",600
COKE-2L,"Coca-Cola Original 2L (Case of 6)",6,132.00,case,"Aisle 3 - Bay D05",250
DRAGON-500ML-24S,"Dragon Energy Drink 500ml Cans (24s)",24,245.00,case,"Aisle 3 - Bay E02",300