In Switzerland, we often just add the inventory number at the end of the file name.
 Thank you! That was indeed the solution I was thinking of & good to hear others are doing it this way too.

Yes, this is a fairly standard practice - and as such is documented in the allmighty help page :) 

<https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:Guide_to_batch_uploading#Naming>

-- 
Jean-Fred

(Sorry for the double post if list admins validate the other unfinished one)