Future Development Roadmap

This roadmap outlines planned features and enhancements for the LUStores inventory management system. It provides visibility into upcoming development priorities and helps users understand the system’s evolution.

Note

Timeline Disclaimer: Timelines are estimates and subject to change based on resource availability, user feedback, and technical discoveries. Features are listed in priority order within each phase.

Vision and Priorities

Strategic Goals

The LUStores roadmap focuses on three strategic pillars:

  1. User Empowerment: Enable departments to manage their own inventories with minimal IT overhead

  2. Workflow Automation: Reduce manual data entry and streamline procurement processes

  3. Data-Driven Insights: Provide analytics to optimize inventory levels and reduce costs

Development Principles

  • Backward Compatibility: Existing data and workflows remain supported

  • Incremental Delivery: Features rolled out in usable increments, not big-bang releases

  • User Feedback: Regular user testing and feedback collection guides priorities

  • Security First: All features undergo security review before deployment

Near-Term Features (3-6 Months)

SSO Integration

Status: Planning

Overview:

Integrate with university single sign-on (SSO) systems for seamless authentication without separate passwords.

Key Features:

  • Shibboleth Integration: Support for Shibboleth-based university SSO

  • SAML 2.0 Support: Standard SAML authentication flow

  • OAuth2/OIDC: Modern OAuth2 and OpenID Connect support

  • Automatic User Provisioning: Create user accounts on first login

  • Attribute Mapping: Map university roles to LUStores permissions

  • Fallback Authentication: Keep local accounts for non-SSO users

Benefits:

  • No separate password to remember

  • Centralized access management

  • Automatic deprovisioning when users leave

  • Compliance with university security policies

  • Reduced help desk burden

Technical Approach:

  • passport-saml library for SAML integration

  • Environment-specific SSO configuration

  • Graceful fallback to local auth for development

  • Session management remains PostgreSQL-based

User Impact:

  • Users click “Login with University SSO” button

  • Redirected to university login page

  • Authenticated and returned to LUStores

  • First-time users automatically provisioned with default role

Timeline: Q2 2025

User Self-Service Stores

Status: Design Phase

Overview:

Allow departments to manage their own isolated inventory stores without central IT involvement.

Key Features:

  • Multi-Tenant Architecture: Complete data isolation between stores

  • Store Creation Wizard: Guided setup for new departmental stores

  • Delegated Administration: Department admins manage their own users

  • Cross-Store Transfers: Transfer items between stores with audit trail

  • Consolidated Reporting: University-wide analytics across all stores

  • Isolated Charge Codes: Each store manages its own charge codes

  • Custom Branding: Store-specific logos and naming

Benefits:

  • Departments control their own inventory

  • No central IT bottleneck for adding items

  • Better visibility into departmental assets

  • Scalable to 100+ departments

  • Reduced training burden (each dept trains own users)

Technical Approach:

  • store_id foreign key added to all major tables

  • Row-level security policies for data isolation

  • Separate database schemas per store (optional)

  • Store context in user session

  • API endpoints scoped to current store

User Workflows:

  1. Creating a Store: - System admin approves store request - Store wizard guides setup (name, admin, charge codes) - Initial admin user created automatically - Store appears in global store directory

  2. Switching Stores (for multi-store users): - Dropdown in top navigation bar - Select desired store - UI refreshes with store-specific data - Session maintains current store context

  3. Managing Store Users: - Store admin adds/removes users - Assign charge codes specific to this store - Set store-level permissions

Timeline: Q3 2025

Medium-Term Features (6-12 Months)

Automated Invoice Generation

Status: Requirements Gathering

Overview:

Automatically generate PDF invoices from purchase orders and sales transactions for accounting and record-keeping.

Key Features:

  • PDF Invoice Templates: Professional, customizable templates

  • Automatic Generation: Create invoices on order receipt or sale completion

  • Email Dispatch: Send invoices directly to suppliers/customers

  • Invoice Numbering: Sequential invoice numbers with prefixes

  • Multi-Currency Support: Handle international suppliers

  • VAT Calculation: Automatic VAT computation and display

  • Attachment to Records: PDFs stored with orders/sales

  • Batch Export: Export multiple invoices as ZIP archive

Benefits:

  • Eliminate manual invoice creation

  • Professional, consistent documentation

  • Faster supplier payments (quicker invoice turnaround)

  • Improved audit trail

  • Reduced paperwork errors

Technical Approach:

  • puppeteer or pdfkit for PDF generation

  • Jinja2-style templates for customization

  • S3-compatible storage for PDF files

  • Email integration via SendGrid or university mail server

  • Background jobs for batch generation

Invoice Templates:

  • Purchase Order Invoice (to suppliers)

  • Sales Invoice (to customers/departments)

  • Credit Note (for returns)

  • Packing Slip (for order fulfillment)

Timeline: Q3 2025

Order Scanning and Barcode Support

Status: Research Phase

Overview:

Use barcodes and QR codes for faster order receiving, stock taking, and item location.

Key Features:

  • Barcode Generation: Generate barcodes for all inventory items

  • QR Code Support: QR codes with embedded item URLs

  • Mobile Scanning: Web-based camera scanning (no app required)

  • Batch Receiving: Scan multiple items during order receipt

  • Stock Counting: Barcode-assisted physical inventory counts

  • Location Labeling: QR codes on shelves link to stored items

  • Supplier Barcode Mapping: Map supplier barcodes to internal SKUs

Benefits:

  • Faster order receiving (scan instead of type)

  • Reduced data entry errors

  • Improved stock count accuracy

  • Mobile-friendly workflows

  • Better location tracking

Technical Approach:

  • ZXing barcode library (JavaScript)

  • HTML5 camera API for scanning

  • PWA (Progressive Web App) for offline scanning

  • Barcode formats: EAN-13, UPC-A, Code 128, QR Code

  • Print-friendly barcode sheets (Avery label templates)

User Workflows:

  1. Receiving an Order: - Open order on mobile device - Scan each item’s barcode - System marks item as received - Stock automatically updated

  2. Finding an Item: - Scan item barcode or SKU - System shows location and current stock - Navigate to physical location

  3. Stock Count: - Start stock count session - Scan items in location - System compares with expected quantities - Generate discrepancy report

Timeline: Q4 2025

Long-Term Features (12+ Months)

Demand Forecasting and Pattern Prediction

Status: Concept Exploration

Overview:

Machine learning-powered demand forecasting to predict future inventory needs and optimize stock levels.

Key Features:

  • Seasonal Trend Analysis: Detect seasonal patterns (e.g., academic calendar)

  • Auto-Reorder Suggestions: Predict when to reorder based on consumption

  • Budget Forecasting: Estimate future spend by category

  • Anomaly Detection: Alert on unusual consumption patterns

  • Lead Time Optimization: Factor in supplier lead times

  • What-If Scenarios: Model impact of policy changes

  • Customizable Thresholds: Set minimum/maximum stock levels per item

Benefits:

  • Prevent stockouts of critical items

  • Reduce excess inventory and waste

  • Lower carrying costs

  • Proactive budget planning

  • Data-driven purchasing decisions

  • Identify slow-moving items for discontinuation

Technical Approach:

  • Time-series forecasting (Prophet or ARIMA models)

  • Python scikit-learn for ML pipelines

  • Historical data: 2+ years for accurate predictions

  • Weekly batch jobs for model training

  • Dashboard visualizations with Recharts/D3.js

  • Configurable sensitivity thresholds

Prediction Models:

  1. Consumption Forecast: Predict next 3 months usage by item

  2. Stock-Out Risk: Probability of running out before reorder

  3. Budget Projection: Estimated spend by department/category

  4. Seasonal Index: Seasonal multipliers for each item

Data Requirements:

  • Minimum 12 months of historical data

  • At least 10 transactions per item

  • External factors: academic calendar, special events

User Interface:

  • Forecasting Dashboard page

  • Visual graphs: historical vs predicted consumption

  • Reorder recommendations with confidence scores

  • Export forecasts to Excel/CSV

  • Alert system for high stock-out risk items

Privacy Considerations:

  • Aggregate data only (no individual user patterns)

  • Department-level analysis (not user-level)

  • Opt-out for sensitive categories

Timeline: 2026

Additional Features Under Consideration

These features are being evaluated but not yet scheduled:

Advanced Reporting:

  • Custom report builder (drag-and-drop interface)

  • Scheduled email reports

  • Power BI / Tableau integration

  • Real-time dashboards with WebSocket updates

Mobile App:

  • Native iOS/Android app (React Native)

  • Offline mode for stock counts

  • Push notifications for low stock alerts

  • Camera scanning optimized for mobile

Supplier Portal:

  • Self-service portal for suppliers

  • View purchase order status

  • Upload invoices directly

  • Update product catalogs

Asset Management:

  • Track high-value assets with serial numbers

  • Loan/checkout system for equipment

  • Maintenance scheduling

  • Asset depreciation tracking

Integration APIs:

  • REST API for third-party integrations

  • Webhooks for event notifications

  • ERP system connectors (SAP, Oracle)

  • Accounting software export (QuickBooks, Xero)

Contributing to the Roadmap

How to Request Features

We welcome feature requests from users! Here’s how to contribute:

1. Check Existing Requests:

  • Review this roadmap to see if your feature is already planned

  • Check GitHub Issues for similar requests

2. Submit a Feature Request:

3. Provide Details:

  • Problem: What problem does this solve?

  • Use Case: How would you use this feature?

  • Frequency: How often would you use it?

  • Workaround: How do you currently handle this?

  • Priority: How important is this to your workflow?

Beta Testing Program

Want early access to new features? Join our beta testing program:

Benefits:

  • Test new features before general release

  • Influence feature design with feedback

  • Direct communication with development team

  • Recognition in release notes

Commitment:

  • Test features within 1 week of release

  • Provide structured feedback via surveys

  • Report bugs and usability issues

  • 2-3 hours per month testing time

Sign Up: Email inventory-support@university.edu with subject “Beta Tester”

Roadmap Updates

This roadmap is updated quarterly (January, April, July, October) based on:

  • Development progress

  • User feedback and feature requests

  • Technical discoveries

  • Resource availability

  • Strategic university priorities

Last Updated: January 2025

Next Review: April 2025

Completed Features (Reference)

Recently Delivered (2024-2025)

Three-Tier Permission System (Completed: December 2024)

  • Role-based access: User, Manager, System Admin

  • Charge code assignments for fine-grained access

  • 45 granular permissions for advanced control

Location and Unit Tracking (Completed: December 2024)

  • Physical location field for warehouse management

  • Measurement unit field (pieces, kg, meters, etc.)

  • Location shown in picking lists and sale printouts

Draft Quote System (Completed: December 2024)

  • Session-based draft quotes (4-hour expiration)

  • Saved persistent quotes with names

  • Quote → Sale conversion workflow

Charge Code Validation (Completed: January 2025)

  • 6-rule validation system

  • Validity date checking

  • On-hold status support

  • Category restrictions

  • User authorization

Payment Reconciliation (Completed: January 2025)

  • Separate “completed” and “paid” sale states

  • Mark sales as paid for accounting

  • Charge code financial reports

Comprehensive Documentation (Completed: January 2025)

  • User tutorials for all workflows

  • Developer guides (database, deployment, code structure)

  • FAQ and troubleshooting guides

  • System recovery procedures

  • Public roadmap (this document)

Release History

v2.0 (January 2025): Permission system and charge code validation

v1.8 (December 2024): Location/unit tracking and draft quotes

v1.5 (October 2024): Invoice PDF uploads and supplier management

v1.2 (August 2024): Purchase order system

v1.0 (June 2024): Initial release with inventory and sales

Contact and Support

Questions about the roadmap? Get in touch:

We’re committed to building a world-class inventory management system for higher education. Your feedback shapes our roadmap!