Simple shelf scheme that scales past 50 SKUs

When inventory is small, one drawer works. After dozens of SKUs, people start grabbing the wrong lot. What works in small private labs • Zone by product family or project, not by “whatever fits.” • One lot per labeled bin. Secondary bags get the same lot text as the vials inside. • Opened vs unopened can be a column on the sheet and a sticker on the bin — pick one system and stick to it. • Monthly 15-minute reconciliation: sheet vs shelf for high-use items first. What fails • Combining two lots in one unlabeled bag “to save space” • Erasing quantity received when quantity remaining changes • Storing COAs only in email with no lot index If you have a layout that survived a shared fridge, describe it — concrete details help more than slogans. — Dane