Generator Distributor SKU Matrix: Separate Orderable Variants

Use a generator distributor SKU matrix to give each build a stable stock code before you list it for sale. SKU means stock keeping unit: the code your team uses to order, hold and sell an item. Split two builds when the same stock record cannot meet both orders. Keep a parent family for browsing, not as proof that all units in it are the same.

The matrix below links your stock code to the build, sample and files supplied with it. Use it to catch two errors before an order: one code shared by units that cannot replace each other, or two codes that split stock for the same build.

Keep six identities separate

Your stock code is only one part of the record. Keep these six groups apart, even when some use the same text:

• Parent family: a way to browse related units, not a code for an exact build.
• Supplier model and build: the unit described by the current drawings and files.
• Supplier order code: the code the supplier needs on your purchase order.
• Distributor SKU: your own code for buying, holding and selling stock.
• Approved sample: the sample ID and version you agreed to use as a reference.
• Sales unit, barcode and service part: separate records for what ships, what scans and what fits a repair.

If a model name covers different panels, outlets or start systems, keep those differences visible in the row. Staff need to know which unit to pick. Duplicate codes create a different problem: demand, returns and parts history can end up split across records for the same build.

Start with the destination and offer

Start each row with the buyer's plan: market, sales channel, intended use and dated demand forecast. State who owns the row and where service is needed. Is this a core stock item, a trial order or a build due to retire? The supplier can respond to these choices, but cannot make them for you.

Mark each gap so the next person knows what to do:

• OPEN: the buyer still needs to make a choice.
• PENDING CONFIRMATION: the supplier still needs to provide a fact or file.
• NOT APPLICABLE: the field does not apply to this build.

A blank cell does not show which of these states is true.

Set the electrical requirements before you freeze a row. The voltage and frequency checklist and outlet, receptacle, and plug guide cover those choices in more detail. For start controls, use the start-mode comparison to separate local start, remote commands and automatic start. Link the agreed result and its source file back to the row.

Build the Generator SKU Control Matrix

Use one row for one build that can be ordered. Group the fields below so staff can find a mismatch without searching the whole sheet.

Keep the quoted minimum order quantity (MOQ) and lead time with the dated quote. They may change on the next order. Don't make them part of a permanent stock code or present them as a promise for the whole range.

Decide whether a difference requires a split

Not every difference needs a new SKU. Ask the sales, technical, stock, document and service owners to decide what each change means for their work.

Review a split when a change affects what the buyer receives or how staff pick, ship or service it. Work through the following checks:

• Can the same voltage, frequency, phase and outlet meet both orders?
• Are the start controls, frame and wheel kit the same?
• Will staff pick the right unit from the same stock bin?
• Do the label, manual, carton and sales unit match both offers?
• Can the same spare parts and replacement unit serve both buyers?

A failed check needs either a new stock code or a clear rule that keeps the variants apart throughout the order. Record who chose the rule and why; a shared model name is not a reason to merge the rows.

A variant can stay under the same structure if each team can still pick the right build and trace it. Color alone does not settle the question. If buyers order a named color, the order and stock records must preserve that promise.

Trace one identity from requirement to service

Audit the same configuration through this chain:

buyer requirement → quote line/configuration code → BOM/options → approved drawing and panel/outlet record → sample/nameplate → labels/manuals → packing/carton → purchase order → goods receipt/ERP → sales listing and service record

At each handoff, record whether the files match and who must resolve a gap. Keep the version and the fix with the row. A family photo can help with a shortlist, but it doesn't prove the exact build; likewise, do not assume that a certificate for one unit covers every variant.

Check what the carton barcode identifies. It must point to the sales unit that will ship, not just a convenient family code.

For private-label variants, attach the matrix to your OEM project inquiry so the offered configuration and buyer-facing files are reviewed together.

Design the SKU code last

Choose the code format after you settle the fields and split rules. Each code should have one meaning and keep it. Write down the allowed terms and the link to the parent family. Keep retired codes in the record; do not assign them to new builds.

Leave prices and supplier names in their own fields because both can change while the stock code stays fixed. Don't put an unproven performance claim in the code. There is no single required code length or format: choose one your order and stock systems can use without changing its meaning.

Keep the SKU and Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) in separate fields. As the GS1 GTIN overview explains, a GTIN identifies a trade item: a product or service priced, ordered or invoiced in the supply chain. That is not the same task as choosing your internal stock code.

If your sales channel needs a GTIN, record which item and sales unit it identifies. Consult GS1's current allocation rules before assigning or changing one; this matrix does not replace those rules.

Request a configuration-specific supplier return

Ask the supplier to return one file set for each row:

• Exact model, build and supplier order code, linked to the current quote.
• Bill of materials (BOM), options, drawings and panel or outlet record.
• Nameplate, label and manual versions, plus the agreed sample ID.
• Carton and sales unit, spare-parts match and allowed substitutions.
• Current revision, change status and anything excluded from the offer.

Send the buyer's market, sales plan and service needs with that request. Give each open choice an owner. Use the OEM/private-label guide when brands, labels, manuals or cartons differ. Save each approval with its row; artwork is part of what the buyer orders.

Return a response for correction if its code covers incompatible builds, its barcode points to the wrong sales unit, or its files belong to another market. A family photo is not a substitute for the exact build record. If the gap is in the buyer's own plan, hold the row and assign the missing choice to its owner.

Release a stock code only after the records agree

Release a row when its required fields, evidence links and owners agree. Return a conflicting supplier file for correction; leave the row on hold when the distributor has not decided the destination, stock policy or service boundary.

Don't average unresolved fields into a score. The right voltage cannot make up for the wrong manual. If a later parts change affects service fit, reopen that choice even if the earlier sample was approved.

Save the row, source files, code links, sign-offs and start date as one release record. Keep its change history. Before a reorder, reopen the affected rows if the build, panel, start system, frame, carton, labels or spare parts change. Do the same when the supplier, market or sales promise changes.

Send a range brief that can become an order

Send BEAR your proposed SKU matrix with the market, sales channel, intended use and estimated quantity. Include voltage, frequency, phase, panel, start controls and the languages needed for documents. Mark the choices you have made and the gaps that need a supplier reply.

Ask for the exact build and revision on each quote line. A unit's place in the catalogue does not confirm that every proposed variant is available.