The best Inventory Breakdown feature
How does the Inventory Breakdown Feature work?
The Inventory Breakdown feature within our inventory systems allow users to essentially break down inventory items into multiple stock items and place them in any location. Users can break down (or take apart/disassemble) anything from tables, computers, or previously assembled items. For example, instead of having quantity 1 of a table, you can break it down into quantity 4 of table legs and quantity 1 of tabletop. This is just one example of how you can use the Inventory Breakdown feature to track parent-child inventory items.
When to Use Inventory Breakdown in Real Inventory Workflows
BarCloud’s breakdown inventory workflow helps you shift from item-level to part-level inventory whenever a single stocked item needs to be tracked as multiple usable components. This makes it an ideal solution whenever disassembling equipment for reusable parts, splitting bulk items into smaller inventory units, breaking down assemblies after returns, or separating components for redistribution to different locations.
This functionality is especially useful when components have different storage locations, usage rates, or replenishment needs. With this parts-level visibility, you can cut down on “mystery shortages” because components are no longer hidden within the parent item listing. It’s an extremely useful tool for making accurate daily inventory decisions, not just recordkeeping.
How to Use the Breakdown Inventory Feature
Disassemble inventory items and manage them separately
If you have Inventory items such as a computer, you can take it apart, or essentially “breakdown”, the computer into its multiple parts and assign each piece a Stock Item #. Once the computer is broken down or disassembled, each piece can be individually tracked within our Barcode Inventory System. By defining the breakdown, you will be able to track and manage each inventory item and the necessary pieces much more easily and efficiently.
Parts-Level Inventory Tracking After Breakdown
Once a parent item is broken down, each component becomes its own tracked inventory item complete with a distinct stock item number and quantity record.
This gives you the ability to perform standard inventory actions on each component independently, including counting, moving, issuing, and transferring. As you create component listings, the quantity of the parent item is reduced, ensuring your on-hand inventory totals remain accurate.
With parts now having their own location assignments, your inventory records will match physical reality across your stockrooms and warehouses.
Using Breakdown Inventory Data for More-Effective Inventory Management and Planning
The breakdown history provided by BarCloud shows you how often parent items are converted into parts as well as which components are consumed most. Seeing these parts-level consumption trends can help your teams set more -accurate reorder points for individual components, not just the parent items.
With comprehensive breakdown reports, you have a clear record for audits and internal accountability for disassembly events. Your teams will be able to review each breakdown by inventory ID, component stock item number, quantity, and location to help them spot patterns or issues.
Generate Inventory Breakdown Reports
Gain better visibility of your breakdown Inventory transactions
If users would like to acquire more visibility of their inventory breakdown transactions, our Inventory Control Software enables users to generate configurable Inventory Breakdown reports. These reports can be emailed on a preset delivery schedule if needed.
Also, if you would like to create reports on your own, you can simply fill in the fields listed below and your report will be generated:
- Inventory ID#
- Stock Item#
- Breakdown Inventory ID#
- Breakdown Quantity
- Breakdown Location
Inventory Control Benefits for Repairs, Reuse, and Re-Assembly
The breakdown function in BarCloud inventory management software supports controlled reuse.
When a larger item is dismantled, the usable parts can be re-stocked and issued later without manual tracking.
A breakdown inventory for repairs can have a huge impact on your operations, as teams can remove and replace only the components they need while keeping accurate on-hand counts for each part.
BarCloud also makes it easier to rebuild kits and assemblies later because component quantities and locations are always visible.
Multi-Location Breakdown Quantity Tracking for Distributed Inventory
The Inventory Breakdown feature lets your teams assign each component to any location, enabling multi-location inventory component management after disassembly. This is critical for preventing confusion when parts are redistributed.
With location-specific component records, you can reduce duplicate ordering and make transfers cleaner. Staff will be able to see where each part lives and how the quantities shift between sites over time.
FAQs
What is an inventory breakdown in BarCloud?
This is a feature that converts assemblies into components that each become their own inventory items within the system. These parts become individually tracked stock items with their own quantities and locations. By providing new component items with their own stock IDs, you gain clean, trackable parts-level records.
When should a team break down an inventory item?
The breakdown function is useful whenever you need to store, issue, or track parts after disassembly on their own, apart from the parent item. This includes equipment disassembly, splitting assemblies, or salvaging reusable parts. It’s especially helpful when components will be stored in different locations or used on different schedules than the parent item.
Does breaking down inventory change the parent item’s on-hand quantity?
Yes, BarCloud’s disassembled equipment inventory function automatically adjusts the stock level of the parent item whenever it is broken down into components. It ensures both sides of the conversion have balanced totals between parent reductions and component additions.
Can components be moved, issues, or transferred like normal inventory items?
Because each part is treated as a standard inventory item after breakdown, they all have their own transaction history to support ongoing inventory disassembly tracking. This includes component inventory tracking by location and including them in routine inventory transactions.
How do inventory breakdown reports help with audits or reconciliations?
Breakdown reports provide you with a clear trail of what was broken down, into what parts, in what quantities, and where those parts went. Having a complete breakdown bill of materials means you can experience faster reconciliation in the event of discrepancies as well as reduced reliance on manual spreadsheets.
Can breakdown support future re-assembly or kitting workflows?
Even after a parent item is broken down, BarCloud maintains individual tracking for each part. This means you can see the availability of each component before rebuilding items or creating kits. With accurate parts-level inventory tracking, you can prevent re-assembly efforts without the right parts on-hand.
