Read the Instruction carefully and answer the following

question
1. List some products in your personal or family inventory,
how do you manage them?
two categories of “inventory” demands that I have at home,
independent and dependent. The items that have independent
demands can be TVs, laptops and furniture as the demand to
each other (Collier & Evans, 2013. p.256). Alarm clocks,
batteries, milk and cereal are examples of items that have
dependent demands as the battery requires replacing when it
runs out and cereal does not go well with water (Collier &
Evans, 2013. p.256). The trend I noticed about the various
demands of my household items is that, most items that have
independent demands will encounter a stockout or shortage
issue when it is damaged, whereas the opposite is true for
most items that have dependent demands mainly due to the
cost of the items. In fact, items such as batteries and cereal
usually have a safety stock level due to its relatively longer
shelf life and also to reduce stockout instances (Collier &
Evans, 2013. p.253).

2. What is the importance of inventory?

Inventory management saves you money and allows you to
fulfill your customers' needs. In other words, it enables
successful cost control of operations. Knowing what you have,
what is in your warehouse, and how to manage the supply
chain properly is the backbone of business.

3. What do you say about ABC Inventory Analysis?

ABC analysis is an approach for classifying inventory items
based on the items' consumption values. Consumption value
is the total value of an item consumed over a specified time
period, for example a year. ... Their consumption
values are lower than A items but higher than C items.
 Read the Instruction carefully and answer the following
question

What do you think?

Can you cite any experiences in which the lack of appropriate inventory
at a retail store has caused you as the customer to be dissatisfied?

Stockouts almost always make it to the “worst nightmare” lists of retailers, and for
good reason. Not only do they lead to lost sales, but out-of-stocks also result in
reduced customer satisfaction and lower loyalty levels. Shoppers often feel let down
when you don’t have what they’re looking for, and the last thing you want is to
disappoint customers.
Fortunately, though, there are a number of solutions to your out-of-stock woes.
Many causes of stockouts can be prevented by taking steps to better understand
your business and products, and by refining your store’s processes.
To give you a better idea of how you can accomplish this, below are 5 common
causes of stockouts and pointers on how you can sidestep them:
1. Inaccurate data
It’s very easy to run into inaccuracies when dealing with inventory. Between
shipment variances, misplaced products, returns, and stolen goods, retailers find
that the inventory numbers they have on paper (or on screen) often don’t match
what they have in their stores.
Such discrepancies can lead to merchants mistakenly thinking that they have an
item in stock when they don’t, so they end up re-ordering the wrong products or
quantities.
How can you address this? Consider the following:
a. Use a modern inventory system
The first step to avoiding discrepancies is to implement an electronic (ideally cloud-
based) inventory system.  Keeping track of products using a pen and paper isn’t just
time-consuming, it can also lead to mistakes.
It’s best to use a point-of-sale or inventory system that automatically modifies
inventory levels as you ring up sales, so you won’t have to worry about
manually updating your database. Such solutions are also beneficial if you
have several locations because they allow you to manage multiple stores
from one place.
Not ready for a full retail management solution? Consider creating an inventory
management system in Excel. It’s easy, basic, and it can give you the data you
need to spot inventory inaccuracies.
b. Integrate your platforms
If you’re selling through multiple channels, be sure to connect all your retail
platforms. This typically means integrating your POS system with your ecommerce
site.
Doing so helps ensure that all your catalogs are in sync and that stock levels are
updated every time you make a sale. After all, the last thing you want is to sell
something online that isn’t physically available in your stores or warehouse.
c. Stay organized and vigilant
Modern inventory systems can only go so far. While a nifty solution can keep your
databases synced, it can’t deter shoplifters nor can it stop suppliers from delivering
the wrong quantities.
This is where your diligence and organizational skills will come in. Get to the
root of your inventory discrepancies. Is it an issue with your vendors? Are
you dealing with theft? Whatever the case, find the reasons why the numbers
aren’t adding up and take the necessary steps to stop them.
If it’s a matter of vendor discrepancies, for example, you may want to make
changes with how deliveries are handled in your store. Perhaps you need to
reschedule shipments to make sure that deliveries don’t happen all at once, or
maybe you need to assign someone to double check the packing slips.
Dealing with theft? It could be time to upgrade your security system or re-arrange
your store to make it easier for associates to keep an eye on shoppers.

d. Consider RFID (Radio Frequency Identification)

Other retailers are taking on a more hi-tech approach when it comes to maintaining
inventory accuracy. Many are now using RFID–a technology that can store and
track product information using a chip embedded in an item’s tag or packaging.

(Image credit: NXP)
RFID enables merchants to monitor and search for merchandise using a handheld
scanner (see image above), making it faster and easier for them to track down
where each item is.

“People manually counting items in the supply chain take too much time; it is too
expensive and is also fraught with error,” writes Will Roche of Xterprise
on RetailSoulutionsOnline.com. According to him, RFID technology is the top
solution for inventory data inaccuracies, especially for apparel and footwear
retailers.
e. Conduct regular stock counts
You can’t have accurate numbers if you’re not tracking and updating them. While
modern inventory systems can do a great job at keeping your stock levels in check,
you still need a handle on the amount of physical inventory that you have.
That’s where physical inventory counts come in. Set aside time to count your
products and ensure that what you have on paper matches up with what’s actually
in-store or in your backroom.
Retailers typically have two options when it comes to stock counts: full inventory
counts or cycle counting.
With full inventory counts, you’ll need to set aside several hours to count every item
that’s in your store. You can choose to do it after you close for the day, but if that’s
not enough, you may have to halt operations for about half a day or so. (Be sure to
notify your customers beforehand!)
If you’re not keen on closing your store, then cycle counting might be a better
option. This method entails counting and checking just a small selection of SKUs
daily until you’re able to “cycle count” through your entire catalog. It allows you to
stay on top of stock counts without having to close your store.
The “right” method depends on each store, so see which practice works best for
you. But whether you decide to conduct full inventory counts or you’d rather
stick to cycle counting, aim to count all of your merchandise once a month, or
at the very least, once every quarter.
Avoiding stockouts requires you to have near real-time information on what
you have (or don’t have) on hand. You won’t be able to do that if you’re only
counting your merchandise once or twice a year.
2. Failure to re-order in a timely manner
This issue is pretty straightforward: products are flying off the shelves faster than
you can re-stock, and this results in you selling out of in-demand items. How can
you prevent it? Here are a couple of ways:

a. Find OOS (out of stock) patterns

Try to identify OOS trends in your store. A study by P&G found that OOS “tend to
form patterns such as day of week,” and retailers can find them by regularly auditing
their inventory and taking note of the days and times of the week when they usually
experience stockouts.
Consider the chart below:

b. Implement demand forecasting

As the term indicates, this process is all about anticipating demand so you can
determine what products to order and when.
You can try to forecast demand on your own by using your judgment and factoring
in stock turn, sell through, historical sales data, and other components such as
promotions, seasonality, economic state, etc. Crunching these numbers should give
you some insights into how products are going to perform.
One example of a retailer that forecasts demand efficiently is Christmas Elves, a
holiday store in Australia.
“I have to place my Christmas orders in January or February each year, so we
pretty much get one shot at purchasing. If I under-purchase and sell out then I lose
sales opportunities,” he said.
According to Jason, he pays close attention to the speed at which products
are selling. “I call it velocity reports. I look at how many trees are selling per
week and track the sales progression over time.
”By looking at when sales spike and which products are selling the most,
Jason and his team can get a clearer idea of how many units to order. Jason
says he looks at sales velocity reports for specific products and their overall
categories, and this allows him to figure out what items to order and if there
are any related products that he could purchase.
c. Pay attention to consumer trends
Historical data is great, but you also need to pay attention to consumer trends in
your market. Are there any new products that people are gravitating towards? Are
there any styles that are making a comeback? Take note, then stock up
accordingly.
Jason over at Christmas Elves does a great job at using trends to predict demand.
According to him:
“For example, there’s this trend at the moment where customers have moved away
from buying white Christmas trees, and instead are purchasing snow covered or
flocked Christmas trees. In other words, fewer people are buying white and more
people are buying green trees with snow on them, so it looks like a true winter
wonderland.”

“Looking at sales reports allowed us to identify that trend, so we haven’t bought

many white trees, and the ones we have are on sale.”

d. Set re-order points

Once you have an idea of your out-of-stock patterns and the amount of product you
should have at any given time, create re-order points to ensure that you can order
the right merchandise when necessary. 
For best results, use a POS or inventory management solution that lets you set re-
order points, so you can get notified whenever stock is running low.

3. Poor management of people, processes, and technology

You can have robust tools and solid inventory plans in place, but if you don’t have
the right employees to implement them, you’re still going to run into stockout issues.
For instance, you may have sufficient stock in the backroom, but if your staff isn’t
staying on top of replenishing the shelves, customers may assume that you don’t
have the merchandise available. Or, your inventory system could be offering some
great insights, but if your employees don’t know how to interpret the data, then they
can’t put the information to good use.
Prevent such issues from happening by investing in three areas: people, processes,
and technology.
Let’s start with the first one:
a. People
Invest in better training for your staff. See to it that they not only know how to
work your system but that they’re also aware of what data and insights to
take action on. If possible, have a vendor, technology partner, or consultant
conduct the training to ensure that they get the proper education.
Also, note that investing in your staff isn’t just about training them. You also need to
invest in their well being. Happy employees work harder, are more motivated, and
produce better results, which is why retailers should keep finding ways to empower
them.
b. Processes
Design a business flow detailing the inventory process in your store, then assign
people to take on each step. Who’s in charge of receiving items? Who’s supposed
to replenish your shelves? At what point should the staff reorder products, and
who’s in charge of doing it?

Have everything down on paper. Doing so will help you and your staff understand
the process and implement it correctly.

This is exactly what Chris Herbert and Christian Smith of TrackR did. In an article
on Entrepreneur, they talked about how documenting their inventory process —
from receiving a purchase to fulfillment — enabled them to stay on top of things.
They wrote:

We created our business flow chart Mad Men style — with no computers, email or
fancy software services. The end result? We had a document that detailed all the
different people needed to fulfill an order and all the necessary communications
between them. We then ushered this 1950s flow chart into the 21st century by
choosing some automated software.

Consider doing the same for your store. Be clear on how inventory flows in
your business, write down the process, and get your staff on the same page.
c. Technology
Arm yourself (and your team) with tools that’ll make inventory-centric tasks easier.
Planograms – A lot of retailers use planograms to create visual representations of
how products should be arranged in their store. Planograms are useful for
merchandising purposes and can help retailers execute appealing displays. They’re
also an excellent tool for staying on top of shelf inventory. By giving your staff a
planogram to refer to, they can easily see if they need to replenish store shelves
and if all the products are in the right place.

(Image credit: Vic 1976)

Inventory counting tools – Are you still using pen and paper to physically count
your merchandise? Do yourself (and your staff) a favor and switch to a more
modern tool instead.
Our recommendation? Scanner, a free barcode app for inventory that works on
iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. The app lets you scan all the most common
barcodes and datamatrix codes, and then it saves the name and quantity of items
you scan.
From there, you can save your products into a CSV file, which you can then email
to yourself or your staff. And if you’re a Vend user, Scanner automatically syncs
with your account, so there’s no need to deal with CSV files and email.
In-store analytics – You could also consider more sophisticated tools such as in-
store analytics solutions that let you measure foot traffic. Aside from allowing you to
get to know your customers better, these tools can also help you staff your stores
more effectively.
By knowing when your peak hours are, you can arrange staff schedules
accordingly, and you won’t have to worry about not having enough people
restocking the shelves or helping customers.
4. Poor communication or relationships with your suppliers
Failure to deal with or communicate effectively with suppliers can result in missed or
delayed orders, which can then lead to stockouts.
How do you avoid all that? For starters, work on your communication. Get all order
and deadlines on paper, then see to it that everyone is on the same page. You
should also be prompt and let your suppliers know about any issues as early as
possible.
For instance, if a product is selling faster than expected, don’t wait until is inventory
is low before taking action. Get in touch with your vendors ASAP, then plan your
next order.
It also helps to leverage supplier platforms that facilitate communication between
you and your vendors. A good example of this is Bira Direct, a product buying group
for independent retailers in the UK. Bira Direct has 200+ promoted suppliers and
allows Bira members to enjoy exclusive buying terms and discounts.
Finally, consider sharing data and forecasts with your vendors, so you can both
agree on product ordering and schedules.
“One way that supply chain relationships often break down in the retail
industry is that product forecasting is imperfect,” says Attorney Sarah
Rathke, a partner at Squire Patton Boggs.
“Retailers sometimes do not know or fail to adequately analyze, how much of
a given product their consumers will likely demand over the coming buying
phase. Suppliers then are left totally in the dark.”
It’s vital that you invest in the necessary forecasting tools and processes, so
you and your suppliers are on the same page when it comes to the
merchandise that you need.

5. Not enough working capital

Some businesses run into stock-outs because of lack of funds to purchase new
inventory. If this is you, then you’ll need to find ways to improve cash flow. Now,
each company’s financial situation is different, but here are some things you can try
to free up some working capital:
a. Liquidate surplus stock
Dealing with excess stock? Try to move that inventory as soon as you can. Put
them on sale or bundle them with high-performing products to get them off the
shelves. If that doesn’t work, see if you can sell them to liquidation companies.
b. Collect on unpaid invoices
Do you have customers who owe you money? Get in touch and remind them about
any outstanding invoices. Staying on top of on-account sales is essential, as it will
allow you get much-need (and well-deserved) funds into your business.
c. Increase sales
Another way to improve cash flow? Sell more. Brainstorm ways to increase sales
and revenue in your store. Is it a matter of improving your product offerings? Do you
need to make your promotions more enticing? What can you do to get your existing
customers to buy more?
Spend some time answering these questions. You’re bound to come up with ideas
to help you generate revenue and improve cash flow.