SKU

SKU (Stock Keeping Unit) is the commercially unique identifier for a sellable, stockable variant of a product — the level at which inventory is counted, prices are set, and orders are placed. In PLM terms a SKU is the downstream sales-and-distribution face of a configurable product: each valid combination of options coming out of the variant configurator typically resolves to one SKU, with its own EBOM, MBOM, and packaging.

What it covers

• One-to-one mapping to a billable, shippable, scannable variant — distinct from the engineering part number.
• Channel- and region-specific SKUs for packaging, language, voltage, and regulatory variants.
• Lifecycle states — introduce, active, restrict, obsolete — independent of the underlying engineering item.
• Hand-off to ERP and commerce systems, which own pricing, availability, and order management.
• Distinct from MPN (Manufacturer Part Number), which lives on the supplier-facing side.

Relationships (see sidebar)

• Depends on the Part Master, Variant Configurator, and Product Structure capabilities.
• Supports the Product Portfolio Planning and Release Management processes.
• Resolved into ERP through the ERP / PDM Integration capability.