Magento modules Blog 2
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Chosing SKU and part numbers for a Magento Store.
How to Choose Smart SKUs & Part Numbers for Your Magento Store
A good SKU system is one of the most important structural decisions you will make in your Magento store. It affects inventory control, barcode scanning, reporting, purchasing, and how fast your staff can make decisions at the counter.
Start With the Manufacturer Code
We always recommend starting your SKU with a supplier or manufacturer identifier. For example, in our store we carry Monkey Labs filament. We assign:
ML-PLA-BLK
- ML → Supplier ID (Monkey Labs)
- - → Hyphen for readability
- PLA → Material Type
- BLK → Color or variant
This structure makes the SKU human-readable and instantly understandable.
Why Human-Readable SKUs Matter
Magento allows you to use any SKU format you want. Many distributors use long numeric part numbers or raw UPC codes — but those are difficult for humans to remember.
When your staff can glance at a SKU like:
ML-PLA-RED
They instantly know:
- Supplier
- Material type
- Variant
That speeds up picking, counter sales, and troubleshooting.
Use UPC Codes Separately (Don’t Replace Your SKU)
With a UPC or barcode module in Magento, you do not need to make the UPC your SKU. Instead:
- Keep your clean, readable SKU structure
- Store the UPC in a separate ProductCode field
The UPC might be long and not human-friendly:
628123456789
That’s fine — it’s for scanners, not humans.
How Scanning Works in Magento
When you scan a barcode at the counter:
- The scanner inputs the UPC
- Magento searches the SKU field
- If not found, it searches the ProductCode field
- The product is instantly added to the order
This gives you the best of both worlds:
- Human-readable SKUs for daily operations
- Barcode compatibility for fast checkout
Design Your SKU for Sorting
A structured SKU allows quick sorting inside Magento grids. For example:
- ML-PLA-BLK
- ML-PLA-RED
- ML-PETG-BLK
- FD-ABS-GRY
You can instantly filter by:
- Supplier
- Material Type
- Variant
That makes purchasing, reporting, and stock adjustments significantly easier.
Keep It Short, Structured, and Consistent
A good SKU system should be:
- Short
- Readable
- Structured
- Consistent
- Expandable
Think ahead. Plan for:
- New materials
- New suppliers
- New product categories
- Future automation
Final Recommendation
Do not let random supplier codes dictate your internal system. Create your own clean SKU structure.
Let barcodes and UPC numbers live in a dedicated field. Use scanners for speed. Use structured SKUs for intelligence.
Your future self — and your staff — will thank you.
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