Multi-site inventory reporting is one of the most consistently manual processes we inherit from clients. One site is running IQMS. Another is running an older system that exports to CSV. A third has everything in spreadsheets. Someone in corporate finance is reconciling all three into a weekly report.
Here is the architecture that makes that automatic.
The data extraction layer
Each source system needs a connection. For modern ERPs, this usually means a direct database connection or an API. For legacy systems, scheduled CSV exports to a shared location. For spreadsheets, a structured template with a known location and format.
The extraction layer runs on a schedule - usually nightly for inventory - and writes raw data to a staging area. Nothing transforms at this stage. Raw data in, raw data out.
The transformation layer
This is where business rules live. Unit of measure conversions. Site code standardization. Category mapping. The transformations that make data from different sources comparable.
This layer also handles validation - checking that site totals match expected ranges, that part numbers conform to your master item list, that values from late-arriving sources are flagged as incomplete.
The output layer
The transformed, validated data feeds your reporting tool. A dashboard showing current inventory by site, by category, by part. Automated email reports with variance analysis. Alerts when a location falls below a reorder threshold.
The people who were running the weekly reconciliation become the people who review the automated output and investigate the flagged exceptions - which is the work that actually requires their expertise.
If you are running manual multi-site inventory reconciliation, we can usually cut the manual work to near zero in four to six weeks. Get in touch and we will scope it.
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