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Ininventory management, astock keeping unit (abbreviated asSKU, pronouncedes-kay-YOO orSKEW[1]) is the unit of measure in which the stocks of a material are managed. It is a distinct type of item for sale,[2] purchase, or tracking in inventory,[3] such as a product or service, and all attributes associated with the item type that distinguish it from other item types (for a product, these attributes can include manufacturer, description, material, size, color, packaging, and warranty terms). When a business records the inventory of its stock, it counts the quantity it has of each unit, or SKU.
SKU can also refer to aunique identifier or code, sometimes represented via abarcode for scanning and tracking, which refers to the particular stock keeping unit. These identifiers are not regulated or standardized. When a company receives items from a vendor, it has a choice of maintaining the vendor's SKU or creating its own.[4] This makes them distinct fromGlobal Trade Item Number (GTIN), which are standard, global tracking units. TheUniversal Product Code (UPC),European Article Number (EAN), andAustralian Product Number (APN) are special cases of GTINs.
SKU is also used inSoftware andSoftware as a service (SaaS), includingCloud computing. Cloud service providers such asGoogle Cloud Platform present different purchasable variations of the product or service as SKUs.[5]