Inventory Management System for B2B SaaS
Overview
You're joining a team building "StockFlow" - a B2B inventory management platform. Small
businesses use it to track products across multiple warehouses and manage supplier
relationships.
Time Allocation
● Take-Home Portion: 90 minutes maximum
● Live Discussion: 30-45 minutes (scheduled separately)
Part 1: Code Review & Debugging (30 minutes)
A previous intern wrote this API endpoint for adding new products. Something is wrong -
the code compiles but doesn't work as expected in production.
@app.route('/api/products', methods=['POST'])
def create_product():
data = request.json
# Create new product
product = Product(
name=data['name'],
sku=data['sku'],
price=data['price'],
warehouse_id=data['warehouse_id']
)
db.session.add(product)
db.session.commit()
# Update inventory count
inventory = Inventory(
product_id=product.id,
warehouse_id=data['warehouse_id'],
quantity=data['initial_quantity']
)
db.session.add(inventory)
db.session.commit()
return {"message": "Product created", "product_id": product.id}
Your Tasks:
1. Identify Issues: List all problems you see with this code (technical and business
logic)
2. Explain Impact: For each issue, explain what could go wrong in production
3. Provide Fixes: Write the corrected version with explanations
Additional Context (you may need to ask for more):
● Products can exist in multiple warehouses
● SKUs must be unique across the platform
● Price can be decimal values
● Some fields might be optional
Part 2: Database Design (25 minutes)
Based on the requirements below, design a database schema. Note: These requirements
are intentionally incomplete - you should identify what's missing.
Given Requirements:
● Companies can have multiple warehouses
● Products can be stored in multiple warehouses with different quantities
● Track when inventory levels change
● Suppliers provide products to companies
● Some products might be "bundles" containing other products
Your Tasks:
1. Design Schema: Create tables with columns, data types, and relationships
2. Identify Gaps: List questions you'd ask the product team about missing
requirements
3. Explain Decisions: Justify your design choices (indexes, constraints, etc.)
Format: Use any notation (SQL DDL, ERD, text description, etc.)
Part 3: API Implementation (35 minutes)
Implement an endpoint that returns low-stock alerts for a company.
Business Rules (discovered through previous questions):
● Low stock threshold varies by product type
● Only alert for products with recent sales activity
● Must handle multiple warehouses per company
● Include supplier information for reordering
Endpoint Specification:
GET /api/companies/{company_id}/alerts/low-stock
Expected Response Format:
{
"alerts": [
{
"product_id": 123,
"product_name": "Widget A",
"sku": "WID-001",
"warehouse_id": 456,
"warehouse_name": "Main Warehouse",
"current_stock": 5,
"threshold": 20,
"days_until_stockout": 12,
"supplier": {
"id": 789,
"name": "Supplier Corp",
"contact_email": "orders@supplier.com"
}
}
],
"total_alerts": 1
}
Your Tasks:
1. Write Implementation: Use any language/framework (Python/Flask,
Node.js/Express, etc.)
2. Handle Edge Cases: Consider what could go wrong
3. Explain Approach: Add comments explaining your logic
Hints: You'll need to make assumptions about the database schema and business logic.
Document these assumptions.
Submission Instructions
1. Create a document with your responses to all three parts
2. Include reasoning for each decision you made
3. List assumptions you had to make due to incomplete requirements
4. Submit within 90 minutes of receiving this case study
5. Be prepared to walk through your solutions in the live session
Live Session Topics (Preview)
During our video call, we'll discuss:
● Your debugging approach and thought process
● Database design trade-offs and scalability considerations
● How you'd handle edge cases in your API implementation
● Questions about missing requirements and how you'd gather more info
● Alternative approaches you considered
Evaluation Criteria
Technical Skills:
● Code quality and best practices
● Database design principles
● Understanding of API design
● Problem-solving approach
Communication:
● Ability to identify and ask about ambiguities
● Clear explanation of technical decisions
● Professional collaboration style
Business Understanding:
● Recognition of real-world constraints
● Consideration of user experience
● Scalability and maintenance thinking
Note: This is designed to assess your current skill level and learning potential. We don't
expect perfect solutions - we're more interested in your thought process and ability to work
with incomplete information.
