How do you manage "on stock" component on your personal lab?

To probably no surprise to anyone ... I don't keep track of stock at all.

I just store my parts in boxes or bins where they should be. If I come to a project and find there's not enough, then I'll start my game of substitutions or ordering "way more than I'd ever need" and waiting it out for delivery (often taking advantage of specials and price breaks).

As it's not really a job, just a hobby, I try not to take things too seriously. I don't need a full-blown stocktake inventory system, sign-in and sign-out of parts, quality management, safe work procedures, etc ... I just don't think I'd have the discipline to keep it up to date even if I had one, as I'd grab a component for a quick trial-and-error substitution and forget to note it down.

- Gough

Phew, there is more than one of me. It embarrassed me to confess my parts organization or lack of it.

I stored the components in the clear plastic bags they arrive in, arranged in an elongated cardboard box, like a card index filing system. I have a few other small boxes with lids that hold other larger stuff or more quantities.

I visit the box regularly and shuffle through the bags, looking for something I might have or forgot I ordered. I do envy people that are organized but not enough to invest in the organization myself. I use very few smaller components, mostly prebuilt modules. Connectors, screw and crimp as well as sockets to install Arduino boards are consumed the most.

I am not a professional engineer.  I did take electronics in school, but for me projects are hobby projects.  I do at times repair various things.  I started getting back into electronics about ten years ago after about 15 years away from doing anything component level in electronics.

For me it is mostly finding a place for items that I will be likely to find them quickly if I have them.  I did start an inventory list years ago when I started getting back to electronics, but I quickly realized it is more work than it is worth at the level of work and quanity of work that I am doing.  I found if I can have it where it is easy to find, or I know where to look for items of that type, I can usually get away with not having and inventory.  Yes, I have purchased "not best item" but "the best fit" of item that is in stock, only to find that while I am putting away surplus parts after I have finished the project that I had exactly what I wanted in stock..  Generally, if I have to order any parts, it isn't a huge deal if I ordered some items I didn't need.  It is a bigger deal if I had "only" ordered that part and paid all the shipping etc for no reason.

There is a point where organizing becomes more important.  When I started getting into some electronics projects I didn't have much of anything to track, but as I ended up with more parts I had to start working on organizing so I didn't spend so much time looking through what I had.  There is a point where an inventory I would say comes in too.  I am just not there yet.  I can still fairly quickly go through and tell if I have what I need or not.

I mostly use clear compartment bins for small items.  Plano Fishing Tackle clear flat compartment bins, some cheaper similar bins.  Various sets of components that were ordered as a kit remain in their bins.  For larger items I often put into larger parts organizers with removable / configurable open bins in them that have a clear top cover. Stuff like switches, DIN connectors, IC sockets, knobs anything in those size ranges.  For ESD I use the old style black slightly crumbly conductive foam and put all my ICs and various mossets and such into that before putting into the parts bins.  I put small labels on the various compartments of what type or value the item is in that compartment for quick identification.  Some ICs are tough to read if the light is not just right, small capacitors and such. For modules and micro controllers, they remain in esd bags and then are organized in various bins.  I try to group related/similar parts into the bins to it so I can check if I have what I need.  Unique stuff, or items I am unlikely to use, go into various other boxes that aren't right at my bench. I have various ammo boxes/bins dedicated to certain types of larger items, like usb cables/parts and related things.

Just last week I couldn't find a part for the project I was working on, as I got it in early, it was sitting on the bench for a few weeks waiting on other parts.  I put it away somewhere at some point when clearing the bench to work on something else.  I put it in  "safe place" and forgot where that place was.  That night I reordered it after tearing open all my bins, containers, drawers.  In the morning I went over to my one "deep" storage box that is in the other room and it was sitting on the top.  So an inventory list wouldn't have been much help on that bit, as I certainly knew I had it, but I couldn't find it.  If I get to doing an inventory, I do intend to have a "Location" entry, and a "date" that location was last updated.

I am not a professional engineer.  I did take electronics in school, but for me projects are hobby projects.  I do at times repair various things.  I started getting back into electronics about ten years ago after about 15 years away from doing anything component level in electronics.

For me it is mostly finding a place for items that I will be likely to find them quickly if I have them.  I did start an inventory list years ago when I started getting back to electronics, but I quickly realized it is more work than it is worth at the level of work and quanity of work that I am doing.  I found if I can have it where it is easy to find, or I know where to look for items of that type, I can usually get away with not having and inventory.  Yes, I have purchased "not best item" but "the best fit" of item that is in stock, only to find that while I am putting away surplus parts after I have finished the project that I had exactly what I wanted in stock..  Generally, if I have to order any parts, it isn't a huge deal if I ordered some items I didn't need.  It is a bigger deal if I had "only" ordered that part and paid all the shipping etc for no reason.

There is a point where organizing becomes more important.  When I started getting into some electronics projects I didn't have much of anything to track, but as I ended up with more parts I had to start working on organizing so I didn't spend so much time looking through what I had.  There is a point where an inventory I would say comes in too.  I am just not there yet.  I can still fairly quickly go through and tell if I have what I need or not.

I mostly use clear compartment bins for small items.  Plano Fishing Tackle clear flat compartment bins, some cheaper similar bins.  Various sets of components that were ordered as a kit remain in their bins.  For larger items I often put into larger parts organizers with removable / configurable open bins in them that have a clear top cover. Stuff like switches, DIN connectors, IC sockets, knobs anything in those size ranges.  For ESD I use the old style black slightly crumbly conductive foam and put all my ICs and various mossets and such into that before putting into the parts bins.  I put small labels on the various compartments of what type or value the item is in that compartment for quick identification.  Some ICs are tough to read if the light is not just right, small capacitors and such. For modules and micro controllers, they remain in esd bags and then are organized in various bins.  I try to group related/similar parts into the bins to it so I can check if I have what I need.  Unique stuff, or items I am unlikely to use, go into various other boxes that aren't right at my bench. I have various ammo boxes/bins dedicated to certain types of larger items, like usb cables/parts and related things.

Just last week I couldn't find a part for the project I was working on, as I got it in early, it was sitting on the bench for a few weeks waiting on other parts.  I put it away somewhere at some point when clearing the bench to work on something else.  I put it in  "safe place" and forgot where that place was.  That night I reordered it after tearing open all my bins, containers, drawers.  In the morning I went over to my one "deep" storage box that is in the other room and it was sitting on the top.  So an inventory list wouldn't have been much help on that bit, as I certainly knew I had it, but I couldn't find it.  If I get to doing an inventory, I do intend to have a "Location" entry, and a "date" that location was last updated.

I've gone looking for parts that are actually in my hand. When this happens I abandon the exercise and just sit and have a beer. Provided I can find the bottle opener.

I can relate to searching in vain for a part I know I have, giving up and ordering it, only to discover it later. When such a part is found it is usually obvious why it was stored there. Sometimes it is even obvious why I couldn't find it.