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๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฃ๐๐๐ญ: StockPilot
๐๐ฒ๐ฉ๐: Product Concept / Interactive Prototype
๐๐ง๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฒ: Automotive parts / warehouse operations / inventory management
๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐: Design a simple, barcode-first inventory system for small parts distributors that have outgrown spreadsheets but do not need the complexity or cost of a full ERP system.
๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ญ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐๐ซ: Small distributors managing roughly 1,000โ20,000 SKUs from a single warehouse
๐
๐จ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ: Receiving, barcode scanning, bin locations, order reconciliation, stock visibility, and low-stock monitoring
The concept was inspired by a common operational problem: small warehouse teams often manage thousands of SKUs using spreadsheets, while still relying on manual checks during receiving and fulfillment.
The goal was to design a system that keeps the simplicity of the spreadsheet workflow while adding the accuracy and visibility of modern warehouse software.
The Challenge
For a small parts distributor, spreadsheets can work surprisingly well โ until the physical warehouse starts moving faster than the spreadsheet.
Typical issues include:
Manual stock updates
Inventory quantities that do not match what is physically on the shelf
Receiving staff manually comparing delivered quantities against purchase orders
Products stored in the wrong location
No easy way to identify shortages or overages during receiving
Difficulty seeing what is currently on order
Limited visibility into safety stock and reorder requirements
For a three-person company with one warehouse worker, implementing a large ERP or warehouse management platform can create another problem entirely: too much complexity.
The challenge was therefore not simply to โbuild inventory software.โ
It was to answer a more specific question:
How can a small warehouse gain barcode-level inventory accuracy without changing the simple workflow the team already understands?
The Solution
I designed StockPilot as a lightweight inventory operations platform built around a simple workflow:
๐๐ฉ๐ฅ๐จ๐๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ซ โ ๐๐๐๐ง ๐๐ซ๐จ๐๐ฎ๐๐ญ๐ฌ โ ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ก ๐๐ฎ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฌ โ ๐
๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐๐ฉ๐๐ง๐๐ข๐๐ฌ โ ๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ญ๐ ๐๐ง๐ฏ๐๐ง๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ฒ
The product concept focuses on four core operational areas.
๐. ๐๐๐ซ๐๐จ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ง๐
Warehouse staff can upload an incoming purchase order using Excel or CSV and begin scanning the manufacturer barcodes already attached to the products.
As each barcode is scanned, the system:
Identifies the SKU
Displays the product and bin location
Updates the scanned quantity
Matches the scanned quantity against the expected order
Highlights completed items
Flags unexpected products
Detects shortages and overages
๐๐ฑ๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐:
Toyota Brake Pad Set
Expected: 24
Scanned: 24
Status: MATCHED
NGK Spark Plug
Expected: 30
Scanned: 28
Status: SHORT 2
Denso Sensor
Expected: 12
Scanned: 13
Status: OVER 1
The goal is to surface discrepancies while the shipment is still being received โ not days later when the inventory mismatch becomes harder to investigate.
๐. ๐๐ข๐ง ๐๐จ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ
Each SKU can be assigned a physical warehouse location.
For example:
Warehouse 01
Aisle A
Rack 14
Bin 03
Displayed simply as:
A-14-03
This gives warehouse staff an immediate answer to one of the most common inventory questions:
โWhere exactly is this part?โ
The same location data can later support receiving, stock counts, picking, and order fulfillment.
๐. ๐๐ง๐ฏ๐๐ง๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ฒ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ
The inventory interface is designed to give small teams the information they actually need without overwhelming them with enterprise-level complexity.
Each product can display:
On-hand quantity
Allocated stock
Available stock
Quantity currently on order
Safety stock
Bin location
Stock status
๐๐ฑ๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐จ๐๐ค ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ญ๐๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ฎ๐๐:
Healthy
Low Stock
Reorder
Out of Stock
The interface also supports searching by SKU, product name, or barcode.
๐. ๐๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐๐๐ฌ๐ก๐๐๐ญ-๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ค๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ฐ
Instead of forcing businesses to immediately abandon the tools they already use, StockPilot is designed to work alongside existing spreadsheet workflows.
Incoming or outgoing orders can be uploaded through Excel or CSV.
The system then adds operational controls that spreadsheets alone cannot provide:
Barcode verification
Real-time quantity matching
Physical bin locations
Overs and shortages
Low-stock visibility
On-order quantities
Safety-stock monitoring
This creates a simpler transition from spreadsheet-based inventory management to structured warehouse software.
๐๐ซ๐จ๐๐ฎ๐๐ญ ๐๐ฑ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ง๐๐
The prototype was designed around one principle:
The warehouse worker should understand the system in minutes, not weeks.
Rather than creating a traditional ERP interface filled with menus and configuration screens, the experience focuses heavily on the actions warehouse staff perform every day.
The primary receiving interface shows:
Purchase order number
Supplier
Expected units
Scanned units
Remaining units
Current discrepancies
Barcode scanning area
Last scanned product
Bin location
Expected vs scanned quantities
Receiving status
The interface also simulates barcode scans so prospective users can immediately understand how the workflow would operate in a real warehouse.
๐๐๐ฌ๐ข๐ ๐ง ๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐๐ก
The interface was intentionally designed to feel like professional operational software rather than a typical marketing dashboard.
The visual system uses:
Clean enterprise typography
High-contrast data tables
Minimal navigation
Subtle operational status colors
Green for successful matches
Amber for warnings
Red for significant discrepancies
Simple cards and metrics
Large, readable scanning states
Responsive layouts for desktop and mobile
The product UI is deliberately understated so warehouse staff can focus on completing tasks instead of learning the interface.
๐๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐
๐๐๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ฑ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐จ๐ซ๐๐
๐๐๐ซ๐๐จ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ง๐
Scan manufacturer barcodes and verify products against uploaded purchase orders.
๐๐ซ๐๐๐ซ ๐๐๐๐จ๐ง๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง
Automatically compare expected quantities against scanned quantities and flag shortages, overages, or incorrect items.
๐๐ง๐ฏ๐๐ง๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ฒ ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ค๐ข๐ง๐
Track stock movement across receiving, available inventory, allocated stock, and outgoing orders.
๐๐ข๐ง ๐๐จ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ
Assign SKUs to warehouse locations and quickly identify where stock is stored.
๐๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐๐๐ฌ๐ก๐๐๐ญ ๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ
Import Excel and CSV purchase orders or stock data without rebuilding the company's entire workflow.
๐๐๐๐๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐ญ๐จ๐๐ค
Set minimum stock thresholds for frequently used products.
๐๐ง-๐๐ซ๐๐๐ซ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ
See incoming replenishment quantities alongside current stock levels.
๐๐จ๐ฐ-๐๐ญ๐จ๐๐ค ๐๐จ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐
Identify inventory approaching reorder levels.
๐๐ง๐ฏ๐๐ง๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ฒ ๐๐๐๐ซ๐๐ก
Search products using SKU, barcode, product name, category, or storage location.
๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ญ ๐๐ง๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ฌ
Although the initial concept was designed around OEM automotive parts distribution, the same workflow can apply to inventory-heavy businesses such as:
Automotive parts distributors
Industrial components suppliers
HVAC distributors
Electrical wholesalers
Plumbing suppliers
Machinery spare-parts businesses
Bearing and fastener distributors
Electronics components suppliers
Small B2B warehouses
The common pattern is the same:
Many SKUs, physical inventory, small operations teams, and a spreadsheet that is starting to become difficult to trust.
๐๐๐ฒ ๐๐๐๐ก๐ง๐จ๐ฅ๐จ๐ ๐ข๐๐ฌ / ๐๐จ๐จ๐ฅ๐ฌ
๐๐ซ๐จ๐๐ฎ๐๐ญ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ข๐ ๐ง UX strategy, workflow mapping, interface design, responsive product UI
๐
๐ซ๐จ๐ง๐ญ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ญ๐จ๐ญ๐ฒ๐ฉ๐
React-based interactive web experience
๐๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ฆ
Modern component-based design system, responsive tables, operational dashboards
๐๐๐ญ๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐๐ฉ๐ญ๐ฌ
SKU inventory, barcode mapping, purchase orders, stock movements, bin locations, safety stock
๐๐จ๐ญ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฅ ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ ๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ
Barcode scanners, Excel / CSV import, accounting platforms, e-commerce systems, shipping platforms, supplier data feeds
๐๐ค๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฌ
Product strategy
UX/UI design
Internal tools
Inventory workflows
Business process automation
Dashboard design
Frontend development
Operational software design
๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐
StockPilot demonstrates how a small warehouse could move from spreadsheet-based inventory tracking to a barcode-powered operational workflow without implementing a complex ERP.
The concept shows how one receiving process can become significantly clearer:
๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐๐ ๐จ๐:
Receive boxes โ manually count โ check spreadsheet โ update quantities โ investigate discrepancies later
The workflow becomes:
๐๐ฉ๐ฅ๐จ๐๐ ๐จ๐ซ๐๐๐ซ โ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ง ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐ฎ๐๐ญ๐ฌ โ ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ฒ ๐ช๐ฎ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฌ โ ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ก ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐๐ฉ๐๐ง๐๐ข๐๐ฌ โ ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐๐๐ญ๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ฏ๐๐ง๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ฒ
The project also demonstrates my broader approach to building business software:
I do not start with features.
I start with the existing workflow, identify where manual work is creating friction, and design software around the way the business actually operates.
For StockPilot, the opportunity was not to build another enterprise inventory system.
It was to build something for the businesses sitting between Excel and ERP.
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