SKU numbers are often printed as barcodes that can be attached to products.
SKU numbers are "stock keeping unit" codes that allow a company to identify products or materials in inventory. Stores use them to keep track of items for sale. Manufacturing plants use them to inventory parts and materials. Service sellers such as doctors, lawyers and repair persons may use SKU numbers to indicate a unit of time or supplies they use. The person or company using the SKU number determines the actual information encoded in the numbers.
Instructions
Assigning the SKU number
1. Decide what information you will put in the SKU. Categorize your products, then within each category, identify characteristics you want the SKU to indicate. For example, if you were selling fruit products, the first digit or letter of the SKU would probably indicate the type of fruit. The second digit could indicate the type of product, such as jam or jelly. Use the third element for the size of the container and additional elements to indicate any other information you need.
2. Design the structure of the SKU. Decide whether to use a combination of letters and numbers or just numbers. It is usually best to keep the number short, but make it long enough to contain the information you need.
3. Construct the SKU numbers by assigning letters or numbers to each unique item in your inventory. You can do this with a paper list or by entering the SKU numbers directly into a specialized computer program.
4. Print barcode labels with the SKU numbers and attach them to your products.
