We’re Too Disorganized to Improve

Last week I received a phone call from the owner of a distribution company who said he was “desperate” to improve his inventory performance. In a lengthy phone conversation, we discussed his company’s primary inventory challenges: • The quantities of products in his...

The First Key to Inventory Accuracy

Over the past several weeks, I have been working with two customers to improve the accuracy of their inventory. That is, to ensure that the on-hand quantities in their computer system agree with what is actually on the shelves in their warehouses. No matter how...

The Silver Lining in Advice Articles

Some months ago, I discussed some bad advice that was being promoted by some industry experts. Your response was overwhelming. Many of you described other situations in which you did not receive realistic solutions to your problems. But sometimes even bad advice can...

Contingency Planning Part II

The most important element of effective inventory management is to meet or exceed your customers’ expectations of product availability. To achieve this goal, you must depend on your vendors’ ability to reliably replenish your inventory. But your vendors aren’t always...

Contingency Planning

Your organization utilizes people, equipment, inventory and other assets to serve customers.  Almost every day these three elements work in harmony to generate profits.  They may work so well that your management is lulled into a false sense of security.  But what if...