Inventory Replenishment- Definition & 5 Profit-Boosting Methods

Inventory Replenishment October 23, 2020

Hanh Truong

Writer

When businesses experience stockouts of key items, they are not only inconveniencing their customers but also themselves as they lose out on potential sales due to shortages. Companies can prevent this from occurring by implementing efficient inventory replenishment strategies and ensuring optimal stock levels at all times.

By practicing the best methods for restocking, organizations will be able to maximize their profits, retain customer loyalty, and improve their inventory management.

Inventory Replenishment and its Significance

Inventory replenishment refers to the process of skillfully moving products and raw materials down the supply chain to maintain appropriate stock levels. The movement of products generally begins at the reserve storage, which is a facility that contains bulk items from manufacturers. Then, the stock is brought to the primary storage where it will be used to fulfill orders.

A robust inventory replenishment process will prevent instances of understocking and profit loss. In the case of manufacturers, having inadequate quantities of raw materials can slow down the production process and delay the supply chain.

Procedures for managing inventory will also avert cases of overstocking and unnecessary spending. For example, having an excess of unsold products can take up valuable warehouse space and increase carrying costs. Additionally, overstocking can lead to quality depreciation or expiration when dealing with perishable items.

Optimal replenishment will address these issues by using calculated and data-driven approaches to ensure that healthy stock levels are maintained.

5 Replenishment Methods to Boost Profit

Maintaining strict inventory replenishment processes will help businesses overcome common challenges of optimizing stock levels. Following the best practices can help to minimize extra spending and maximize earnings.

1. Determine the Best Balance of Inventory

It is important to order the optimal balance of stock to fulfill consumer demands without resulting in excess products. A common method to configure which items to prioritize is the ABC analysis model, which classifies inventory into 3 statuses.

A items - These are products that sell well with large profit margins.

B items - These are goods that have fewer consumer demands than A items with moderate profit margins.

C items - These products have a steady demand from consumers but are not as highly sought after, compared to A and B items.

Resources should be directed initially towards products that are in high demand and then towards less popular items. This will ensure A items are consistently stocked at proper levels before B and C inventory.
Using an inventory management system can streamline this process through smart ordering tools. These software programs offer suggested ordering features and provide better visibility into product sales data.

2. Set Realistic Service Level Targets
Service levels refer to the amount of stock available to fulfill customers' demands. These levels depend on the type of industry and how fast a product sells out.

By using data analysis to understand product demands and sales metrics, realistic service level targets can be established. For example, if an inventory item is consistently in high demand, its service level targets will also be high.

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3. Evaluate and Work with Current Stock
Overstocking can lead to items becoming obsolete and unmarketable due to quality depreciation. Quick actions need to be taken to prevent excess inventory items from being dead stock. There are various ways to work with unsold inventory, including-

Determine Inventory Health

Identify and separate different types of stock. Healthy stock, which has steady demand, should be made available to consumers. Obsolete stock refers to items that no longer have demand or cannot be sold. These products should be discarded or recycled.

Excess stock, which is when there are higher quantities of products than necessary, should be reevaluated. New marketing campaigns or re-leveling service levels should be considered to sell the remaining items and prevent further overstocking instances.

Re-Distribute

For businesses that have multiple inventory warehouses, it is key to record the stock-keeping unit (SKU) for every item at each facility. The SKU, which is a product code that identifies and tracks stock, will enable businesses to re-distribute overstocked items to facilities that need them.

4. Make Informed Purchases
Negotiating for better prices when reordering products is one element of ensuring profitability. Other factors to consider when purchasing from third-party suppliers are-

Lead Times

Before placing an order, it is imperative to know how quickly an order can be received. This can help with finding suppliers that can complete fast order fulfillment.

If a supplier has a longer lead time, businesses should decide if it is beneficial to carry safety stock so that negotiations for lower prices can continue.

Quantity

Many suppliers provide discounts for bulk orders, however, companies should determine whether or not this is necessary for their business models. Unsold bulk items can take up warehouse space, increase holding costs, and interrupt cash flow.

Order Quantity Requirements

Some suppliers will have a minimum or maximum order requirement. When trying to meet the minimum stipulations, consider adding items that align with existing customer demands.

5. Automate Inventory Replenishment

A well-managed inventory replenishment system requires a comprehensive understanding of sales data, inventory, and trends in demand. Implementing inventory management software will make this information easily accessible.

Software solutions provide increased visibility of data via a user-friendly dashboard and offer mobile app features and alerts for real-time updates. This enables businesses to perpetually track spending, identify price fluctuations, and manage purchase orders from anywhere.

Establishing an effective inventory replenishment strategy will improve warehouse management and boost profitability by identifying and maintaining optimal stock levels.