Inside the project / Inventory & youth camp
BBG Lager
The right crate. Without the search party.
BBG Lager connects stock, storage locations and loans for a youth camp. From the first search to the return.
- React
- PocketBase
The starting idea
At camp, one person needs equipment for a game while another is returning something. The starting idea: connect items, crates and shelf locations in one overview. Anyone looking for an item should also see where it belongs and whether it is available.
Finding equipment is only the first step; borrowing it comes next. The application therefore covers bookings and returns too. It needs to work on a phone at the storeroom and give administrators enough of an overview to manage the stock.
Why build it this way?
Easy access to search. Public search makes the inventory available without a login. Management features sit in their own area, keeping access simple for people who just need equipment.
One backend, several interfaces. React and PocketBase power the web application. The native iOS app uses the same backend, so stock and bookings do not need separate records.
Make the storage location visible. Crates and shelf positions are part of the data model, with a visual shelf view alongside search. An item stays connected to its physical location.
A detail from development
In stock does not always mean available
An item can be sitting in storage while already booked for the next time slot. An inventory list alone cannot tell someone whether they can borrow it.
BBG Lager connects search and booking with a check for overlapping reservations. Physical location and availability remain separate questions. The interface can show both where something belongs and whether the planned loan fits.
The solution
Items can include photos, while crates hold their contents and shelf location. Search leads into booking, with a conflict check for overlapping reservations. Checkouts and returns are recorded in the system, including signatures where the workflow calls for them.
A guided inventory process helps check the stock. BBG Lager is available on mobile devices as an installable web app, with an iOS interface providing another route to the same inventory data.
What to take from it
Inventory software becomes useful when it answers a practical question: where is the equipment, and can I use it right now?