Frostlink

Overview

Frostlink is a custom internal platform developed for a frozen food and beverages business to support inventory management, warehouse operations, and operational accountability.

The system was designed to replace fragmented manual workflows with a structured, auditable approach to stock handling. Particular emphasis was placed on data integrity, traceability, and usability in a warehouse environment, where speed and clarity are critical.

Problem Space

The business required a reliable way to:

• Track inventory across multiple product lines and subsidiaries
• Record stock intake in a way that supports expiry management and recalls
• Capture damaged or destroyed items with clear accountability
• Provide different levels of system access for operational staff and managers

Existing processes relied heavily on manual input and lacked consistent auditability, making it difficult to maintain accurate stock levels or trace issues when they occurred.

Solution

Frostlink models inventory around batch-based intake rather than simple product totals. Each intake event records quantities, expiry dates, and ownership, enabling stock to be tracked over time with precision.

The platform supports role-based access for staff, managers, and administrators, ensuring operational tasks remain simple while oversight and control are retained at management level.

Workflows are intentionally designed to be mobile-friendly, allowing warehouse staff to interact with the system directly during day-to-day handling of goods.

Technical Approach

Frostlink is being built as a full-stack Ruby on Rails application backed by PostgreSQL.

Key technical considerations include:

• Batch-based inventory modelling for traceability and expiry control
• Strict data relationships to prevent inconsistent stock states
• Role-based authentication and authorisation
• Clear audit trails for inventory adjustments and losses
• A modular architecture that supports future feature expansion

The MVP focuses on core inventory and damage reporting flows, while laying the groundwork for more advanced logistics features.

Current & Future Work

Frostlink is under active development. Planned future phases include expanded traceability features, delivery workflows with proof of delivery, and enhanced reporting to support operational decision-making.