Reconcile job and stock codes before sites combine
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A code can look familiar and still mean the wrong thing. Before two teams share a stockroom or order system, find out whether their labels refer to the same items, revisions and jobs. Do not let the shortest description decide.
This matters to the combined stock policy. A stock total is unreliable if one site counts a complete assembly under a code that the other site uses for a component. Adding the quantities creates a tidy number without a useful meaning.
Three conflicts worth separating
Consider this fictional register. The proposed responses are questions for the people who know the items, rather than instructions to overwrite a system.
| References found | Conflict | Decision needed |
|---|---|---|
| Site A: P104; Site B: P104 | A means a finished bracket; B means a purchased blank | Confirm two distinct identities and approve separate references |
| Site A: SEAL-8; Site B: S008 | Descriptions appear identical | Check specification, supplier and permitted use before merging |
| Both sites: job 2517 | Two unrelated customer orders | Preserve each order's identity and its customer documents |
Give every conflict a named decision owner. An item specialist might confirm the technical identity, while the order owner confirms which customer instruction belongs to a job. The person importing the data should not have to infer either answer from a spreadsheet.
Record the evidence used, the approved reference and the old references people will still encounter. A dated decision is useful when a delivery arrives carrying last month's label.
Keep the old reference searchable
Changing the visible code does not change the physical item or resolve an uncertain specification. Keep an agreed way to trace the former code through purchase records, job paperwork and stock locations. Test that a member of each team can find the same item using the references they already know.
Take extra care with work in progress. Its identity may depend on a drawing revision, customer approval or inspection record as well as the stock code. If the inherited records disagree, use the process for choosing an authoritative operating record before releasing the job into the combined schedule.
Do not discard a conflicting entry merely because nobody recognises it during one meeting. Mark the uncertainty and assign the investigation. That is more useful than a clean-looking list that quietly loses a customer obligation.
Carry the decision through to the surplus list
Code changes can make retained and surplus equipment harder to distinguish, especially where local nicknames survive longer than system references. Show both names while the transition is active. Confirm the physical identity and business decision before treating an item as available for sale.
When the scope is clear, UK Auction Group is a contact for discussing merger or consolidation surplus. Provide descriptions that someone outside the business can understand, with any uncertain identities explained.
Keep the reconciled code register with the combined workload trial. If the trial team cannot find the correct material or job record, the data change still needs work.
Sources
This guide is general information and education only. Legal, tax, employment and safety decisions may need a qualified adviser who knows your situation. Read the disclaimer.