From Stove to 1,500-Gallon Tanks: Build an Inventory & Order App for Craft Brands

Hook: When your syrup recipe outgrows the stove, your app must outgrow a spreadsheet

You scaled your product from a single pot to 1,500-gallon tanks — congratulations. Now the hard part: inventory spreadsheets, manual batch logs, and ad-hoc invoices are cracking under the load. For craft beverage makers moving from local accounts to national and B2B customers, you need a pragmatic, production-ready starter kit that combines e-commerce with operations: reliable inventory, deterministic batch tracking, robust order management, and B2B invoice flows that cover net terms and wholesale pricing.

The opportunity (2026): Why build a combined e-commerce + operations starter kit now

Late 2025 and early 2026 cemented three trends that make a focused starter kit essential:

• Composable commerce & headless backends are mainstream — teams want decoupled storefronts and operations APIs to avoid vendor lock-in.
• Edge-first realtime sync (Supabase/Hasura improvements, edge functions) lets mobile apps act as the operational control plane at the brewery, even offline.
• Mature cross-platform tooling: React Native's runtime and Hermes improvements, and stable patterns for native modules, make mobile-first ERP-lite apps performant on Android and iOS.

A starter kit tailored for beverage manufacturers bridges the gap between consumer e-commerce and operational systems such as ERPs and accounting — shipping, lot tracking, quality checks, and B2B invoicing. Below, you'll get an actionable blueprint and code-forward examples to build (or evaluate) such a kit.

Core features your starter kit must include

Don't confuse bells and whistles with fundamentals. A practical starter kit focuses on these core capabilities first.

• Product & SKU catalog with ingredient-to-SKU mapping and batchable SKUs.
• Batch tracking (lot numbers): create, merge, split, and retire batches; record yields and QC checks — see patterns from local fermentation micro-brand guides for batch lifecycle ideas.
• Inventory ledger: per-location stock, reserved vs available, FIFO/LIFO toggles for expiry-sensitive ingredients. For small sellers and stalls, data-led stallcraft approaches to inventory and display are useful inspiration.
• Order management: sales orders, wholesale pricing tiers, order holds, pick/pack workflows.
• B2B invoicing: PDF invoices, net terms, credit memos, automated posting to accounting systems.
• Offline-first mobile: support for disconnected production floors and warehouse RF scanning — borrow patterns from edge field kit playbooks for resilient, offline operator experiences.
• Integrations: Shopify/BigCommerce for DTC, accounting (QuickBooks/Xero), and ERPs (Odoo/ERPNext).

Architectural blueprint — how the pieces fit

Build a split-stack: a headless backend for truth, serverless edge functions for light business logic, and a React Native mobile app for operators.

Suggested components

• Primary DB: Postgres (hosted via Supabase/Planetscale + edge caching). Use Row-Level Security for multi-tenant isolation — modern infra and micro-edge instances make low-latency Postgres hosting more accessible.
• Realtime / Sync: Postgres replication with realtime channels (Supabase/Hasura) or WebSocket/CRDT sync for conflict resolution on local-first clients.
• Serverless: Edge functions (Vercel, Cloudflare, or Supabase Functions) for invoice generation, webhook handling, and heavy reconciliations.
• Mobile local store: SQLDelight/SQLite or WatermelonDB/Realm for offline-first workflows and large batch queries.
• Mobile client: React Native (Hermes enabled) with React Navigation, TanStack Query for remote caching, and a lightweight state layer.

This gives you a single source of truth (Postgres) and a resilient, offline-capable mobile operator experience.

Data model: minimal but deterministic

Keep the data model small and referentially strong. Here’s a pragmatic schema sketch you can implement quickly.

// Key tables (simplified)
products(id, sku, name, unit_volume_ml, price_retail, price_wholesale)
ingredients(id, name, unit)
recipes(product_id, ingredient_id, amount_per_unit)
batches(id, batch_code, product_id, quantity_units, created_at, status, yield_percent)
batch_movements(id, batch_id, location_id, qty_change, reason, created_at)
inventory(location_id, sku, available_units, reserved_units)
sales_orders(id, customer_id, order_number, status, net_terms_days, created_at)
order_lines(order_id, product_id, qty, price, batch_reserved_id)
invoices(id, order_id, amount, due_date, pdf_url, status)

Batch tracking patterns and rules

Batch tracking is the heart of beverage operations. Your system should support the following workflows out of the box.

• Create batch from recipe — instantiate a batch with expected yield and link consumed ingredient lots.
• Merge & split — combine partial batches or split to match fill lines and packaging sizes.
• Record QC — pH, Brix, microbial checks and pass/fail flags stored against the batch.
• Batch-based reservations — reserve a batch for a wholesale order to ensure traceability on fulfillment.
• Recall & expiry — mark batch quarantined or recalled and auto-block matching inventory.

Example: Reserve batch for a wholesale order (React Native + SQL pseudocode)

This snippet demonstrates a safe reservation flow that updates local store, pushes to server, and reconciles conflicts.

async function reserveBatchForOrder(orderId, batchId, qty) {
  // Local optimistic update
  await db.transaction(async (tx) => {
    const inv = await tx.getInventory(batchId.locationId, batchId.sku)
    if (inv.available_units < qty) throw new Error('Insufficient stock')
    await tx.updateInventory(inv.location_id, inv.available_units - qty, inv.reserved_units + qty)
    await tx.insert('order_reservations', { order_id: orderId, batch_id: batchId.id, qty })
  })

  // Push to server; server acts as arbiter, returns final state
  const res = await api.post('/orders/' + orderId + '/reserve', { batchId, qty })

  // Reconcile local store with server response
  await reconcileWithServer(res.data)
}

Offline-first and sync strategy

Production floors are noisy: intermittent Wi-Fi, barcode scanners, and last-minute recipe adjustments. Build with these rules:

1. Local-first writes — write to local DB immediately, show UI feedback, and enqueue sync tasks.
2. Server arbitration — if conflicts occur, server reconciles using deterministic rules (FIFO reservations, timestamp + user role).
3. Change feeds — use a realtime channel to push critical updates (e.g., inventory falls below reorder point).
4. Idempotency — ensure operations are idempotent (use client-generated UUIDs) to handle retries.

Integrations: accounting and storefronts

Your starter kit should make integrations easy and maintainable.

• Accounting: Sync invoices and payments to QuickBooks/Xero. Post journal entries with metadata (batch ids, order ids) for traceability.
• DTC storefront: Connect Shopify/BigCommerce via webhooks for order sync, or use headless commerce APIs for full control. See a recent case study on how integrations cut costs and grew engagement for small teams at Bitbox.Cloud.
• Wholesale portals: Expose a B2B portal with tiered pricing, net terms application, and order approvals.

Invoice generation and B2B terms

B2B invoicing differs from consumer receipts. Implement these features:

• Net terms: support N/30, N/45, and credit limits with automated dunning paths.
• PDF invoices: server-side generation (headless Chromium or cloud PDF service) and storage in object store with signed URLs.
• Credit memos & partial payments: apply credits to orders and maintain unapplied balance records.

React Native implementation notes and recommended libraries (2026)

Prioritize stability and maintainability. In 2026, the ecosystem favors minimal native surface area and proven libraries.

• Navigation: React Navigation (latest stable)
• Networking: TanStack Query (React Query) for cache and retries
• Local DB: SQLDelight or Realm for deterministic queries and migrations; WatermelonDB for large collections
• Sync: CRDT libraries or Supabase Realtime/Hasura subscriptions
• PDF generation: server-side via Puppeteer/Playwright or use Render/Prerendered templates
• Barcode / NFC: react-native-vision-camera for scanning on the floor

Keep native modules minimal. Prefer JS-first libraries where possible to reduce CI complexity and Expo compatibility issues. If you use Expo, choose the managed workflow only if all native capabilities you need are supported — otherwise use EAS Build with a custom dev client. For guidance on CI and build templates, see modular workflows & templates.

Quality, compliance and traceability

Beverage makers must track batches for recalls and regulatory questions. Your app should provide:

• Audit logs for every batch change, order update, and invoice action — and exportability for auditors (see legacy storage reviews for guidance: document storage options).
• Immutable records or signed snapshots for key batch QC results.
• Export tools to CSV/PDF for auditors and distributors.

Roadmap & MVP checklist: 12-week plan

Prioritize features that unlock revenue and reduce variance on the production floor. Here’s a pragmatic 3-sprint plan.

1. Sprint 1 (Weeks 1–4): Core catalog + inventory. Implement product SKUs, locations, simple inventory ledger, and a mobile inventory count screen (offline-capable). Use the microbrand packaging & fulfillment playbook to guide packing and fulfillment choices.
2. Sprint 2 (Weeks 5–8): Batch creation and order management. Add recipe-driven batch creation, batch movement logs, sales orders, and reservation flow. Check lessons from fermentation micro-brands for practical batch rules.
3. Sprint 3 (Weeks 9–12): B2B invoices & integrations. Add invoice PDF generation, net terms, QuickBooks/Xero sync, and a wholesale portal.

Real-world example: Lessons from Liber & Co.

“We started with a single pot and taught ourselves every role. Today, scaling required systems that could keep up — not just more spreadsheets.” — Lessons adapted from Liber & Co.'s growth

Craft brands like Liber & Co. grew by doing, but at scale manual processes become a liability. The right digital kit recreates that same hands-on control with repeatability and auditability — exactly what a small beverage maker needs when shipments, distributors, and international customers start to matter.

Security, licensing & maintenance considerations

Shipping production software carries responsibility. Address these upfront:

• Dependency hygiene: use Snyk or Dependabot for vulnerability scanning and pin exact package versions for builds.
• License checks: verify third-party packages for commercial use (avoid restrictive copyleft where you need proprietary modules).
• Upgrade path: maintain a biannual upgrade cadence (React Native and key libs) and use CI automations to run smoke tests on major upgrades.

Advanced strategies for scaling (2026 outlook)

As volume grows, shift to event-driven operational primitives and connect to ERP systems.

• Event sourcing for inventory changes to provide an immutable ledger and easier reconciliation with distributors.
• Micro-billing for metered services (e.g., co-packing or fill/label fees) integrated into invoices via edge functions.
• Predictive reorder using time-series models at the edge to trigger automated purchase orders when lead-time risk rises.

Practical takeaways — start building today

• Ship an MVP in 12 weeks: focus on inventory, batch tracking, and order reservation first.
• Design for offline-first and deterministic server arbitration to keep the production floor moving.
• Make invoices and accounting integration a first-class feature for B2B customers.
• Choose local DBs and sync strategies that scale with your transaction volume.
• Keep native modules minimal to reduce build complexity and maintenance burden.

Starter kit checklist — what to look for or include

• React Native app with local DB examples and sync tests.
• Headless backend templates (Postgres schema + edge functions).
• Order/reservation flows and batch lifecycle implementations.
• PDF invoice generator and sample QuickBooks/Xero connector.
• CI templates for EAS Build and native release pipelines — refer to modular delivery & templates-as-code for ideas.
• Documentation, sample data, and a migration plan to integrate with ERPs later.

Call to action

Ready to move from stove-top spreadsheets to a repeatable, auditable operations platform? Download our craft-beverage e-commerce + operations starter kit at reactnative.store. The kit includes working React Native screens, a Postgres schema, sync samples, and invoice templates — everything you need to pilot batch tracking, inventory, and B2B billing in 12 weeks. Prefer a demo or custom integration? Contact our team for a 30-minute architecture session and roadmap tailored to your production needs, or explore pop-up and showroom kits for demos at pop-up tech & hybrid showroom kits.

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