How POS Inventory Sync Works

Match products and locations

The same barcode or SKU must point to the intended product at the intended store location. Resolve duplicate or missing identifiers before making changes. A product at one branch should never silently consume the dated stock recorded at another branch.

• Map a POS variation to a ShelfAhead product.
• Confirm the physical location and starting quantity.
• Review unmatched products before relying on alerts.

Handle sales and returns

When a sale reduces the POS total, an expiry tracker can allocate the decrease to the earliest suitable dated stock first. This is an estimate of which batch sold unless the checkout captures the actual batch. Returns can increase the total without proving a returned item's expiry date, so that quantity should remain unassigned until checked.

• Avoid processing the same transaction twice.
• Keep unknown-date stock visible for assignment.

Distinguish delivery from a count

A delivery of 24 units adds 24 to existing stock. A physical count of 24 means the new total is 24. Confusing these operations can double the stock or erase units. Verify the provider's write capability before a two-way workflow is enabled.

• Use an idempotency key for repeated delivery attempts.
• Review discrepancies rather than silently overwriting them.

Plan for interruptions

A webhook can be delayed or missed. Periodic reconciliation compares the POS total with the expiry system and records differences. Keep an event history so a store owner can see which update succeeded, failed or still needs attention.