Skip to content
English
Contact us
  • There are no suggestions because the search field is empty.

Inventory Creation Checklist

Your inventory data is critical to your success and hard to edit en masse, so best to get it right the first time!

Creating inventory might seem like a straightforward process, but done right it can take some work. It is important to spend the time up front getting it right is so your users will have the information they need, no data issues hold up or prevent sales, and so you don't need to waste precious time fixing errors later. 

  1. Set up the Catalog
  2. Determine Method of Creation
  3. Assemble the Data
  4. Create the Inventory
  5. Review the Inventory

1. Set up the Catalog 

Whatever inventory you are creating, including containers, should have a Catalog Record created. This catalog record serves as the source of truth for that item in your account and helps to keep the data consistent across your inventory. Every item must have a Catalog Record. 

2. Determine your Method of Creation

There are numerous ways to create inventory in Beacon and the one you pick will depend on your circumstances: 

  • Manual Creation: With manual creation you are entering all of the inventory data manually or via copy/paste. You are allowed to enter a quantity to create, so this option is best if you have a smaller number batches of items to create or a large batch of inventory that all shares the same product info. 
  • Scan UDI to Import: This option is the best if you have UDI barcodes you can scan. With this option you'll scan the barcode label and use the data from the FDA GUDID Database to create your inventory. This is great (as long as you have a label), because much of the information is provided from the FDA expediting the process and ensuring its accuracy. If you do not have a label to scan, but you do have the UDI in text form there is also an opportunity to enter the UDI this way. 
  • Inventory Import: This option allows you to build a large spreadsheet of your inventory data to import into Beacon. This option is great if you are importing many batches of inventory or countless items with varying product information. This is also a viable option if your supplier or manufacturer provides you a digital record of the inventory to start from. 
  • Create from Request: This is an option available to you if your organization is using Beacon to request orders from your suppliers, like a Purchase Order. These are managed as inventory requests between your company and your supplier in Beacon, but when they are fulfilled you have the option of receiving the inventory into your system. The act of receiving the inventory gives you the opportunity to manually create the inventory, but with some information populated from the request as a starting point. 

3. Assemble your Information

What we mean here is you want to be prepared when you're creating your inventory, not be scrambling to look up data; that's how mistakes happen. 

To make sure your inventory goes in clean it's best to prepare your information and check it for data quality. 

  • Manual Method: If you're creating your inventory manually it might help to get your data assembled in a spreadsheet or other document so you can just copy/paste into Beacon. The document can also serve as an offline record if you need to look back at where the info came from. 
  • Scan UDI Method: Pull your labels together and make sure you know how much of each to create, whose custody it should go in, and whether it's billable. 
  • Import Method: You'll need to prepare your import file and we recommend deeply vetting all of the data before importing. Incorrect imports may be undone within 48 hours, but in order to do this NO DATA CAN HAVE BEEN CHANGED. 
  • Create from Request: Similar to the manual method, you'll need to pull together the other details you'll need so you can create your inventory when it's time. 

What information is required? 

While the scope of the data you put into Beacon is ultimately up to you, there are certain data points that are required for the system to function. 

Field Description
Product Line This is the product line or brand name. Every item must have at least one product line assigned. 
Catalog # This is your catalog or product number that specifies the type of device (not the individual device itself). This can be any string of letters, numbers, or characters.
Description This is the human readable descriptor for your devices. Some examples include `T-Handle,` `80mm Cortical Screw,` `Slap Hammer` and the like.
Quantity This is the number of items you have on hand in your assigned inventory. This must be a valid number. (`1` and NOT `one`).

 

What data Isn't required? 

This is the part where you decide how robust you want your inventory management to be. The more complete your data model, the more accurate your data, the more value you will receive from using Beacon.

So, the up front work put in now determines how well you are set up for the future. 

We encourage you to put in the time now to create your inventory in a complete fashion, because it is much harder to update inventory en masse at a later date and can introduce risks to your account. 

Field Description
Unique Device Identifier This is the raw GS1 or HIBCC unique device identifier string for each individual device that has been assigned in the GUDID database. This field can be left blank for items without a UDI.
Serial Number While the serial number is present in the UDI string, we recognize some items will not have current UDIs. In the event that you do not have UDIs but you DO have a Serial Number, it will be mapped to this field. Note: If your UDI contains serial number data, that information will be used, EVEN IF you map this field.
Lot While the lot number is present in the UDI string, we recognize some items will not have current UDIs. In the event that you do not have UDIs but you DO have Lot Number, it will be mapped to this field. Note: If your UDI contains lot number data, that information will be used, EVEN IF you map this field.
Expiration Date If you do not have associated data for all fields, the import will leave those field mappings blank. Please use MM/dd/yyyy, mm-dd-yyyy or YYYYMMDD formats.
Container This is the identifier for any top-level items containing `child` inventory, such as trays, sterile packs, etc. Devices assigned to these containers will reflect this number in their detail page. Items with multiple containers (e.g. implants in sterile packs that are inside trays) will reflect all appropriate IDs.
Tags These are identifies such as length, size, product type, etc. that help you quickly find relevant items in your inventory. This can be any string of letters, numbers, or characters.
Custody This is the user that currently has custody. It can be a sales user if it is out in the field, a distributor, or a manufacturer. In each case the value should be a valid email address or account ID that corresponds to an user on ConnectSx. If custody is not defined, the uploaded inventory will default to Distributor or Manufacturer custody (depending on the account type you are uploading from).
Billable This is usually a `Yes/No` for whether you charge for the given item or device. This must be a text string. Note: If you leave this field blank, the billable status will be determined by the price column. That is, if there is a prices associated, we will consider it billable = `yes`.
Price This is the price of the individual item. Please note this is the list price; you can edit actual price for each case at the invoice level. Missing values will default to `0.` This must be a valid number.
Barcode This is your alpha-numeric barcode data. It should appear exactly as any barcode scanner will read it.
Cost of Goods This is the COG value of an item. This value is displayed as a number (currency value, up to 999,999.99)
Location Any existing locations from your account will be mapped on import. If you add new locations in the spreadsheet not foud in your account, will import the name only. Address information (Geolocation) will need to be added manually in the Locations page.
Inventory Type This can be left blank or set to one of the following values: Implant, Instrument, Biologic, or Other. Setting a value for Inventory type will help you filter and locate inventory items.
Date of Manufacture/Acquisition If you do not have associated data for all fields, the import will leave those field mappings blank. Please use MM/dd/yyyy, mm-dd-yyyy or YYYYMMDD formats.

4. Create the Inventory!

Double check your data before creating your inventory to make sure there are no errors. Undoing inventory creation is not always straight forward, so best to catch any issues up front.

You can find specific articles linked above in the methods section for how to create the inventory. 

5. Review the Data

It is critical that you review the data after you've created your inventory to make sure it was entered correctly. 

If inventory was imported and errors exist, the import may be undone under a very specific set of circumstances: 

  • NONE of the imported data can have been changed, updated, or modified in any way. This is why the review step following an import is so important. 
  • It must be within 48 hours of import. 

If inventory as added another way or the import cannot be undone, the inventory may be removed (deactivated) from your account using a Stock Adjustment Event.