Calculate And Maintain Optimal Inventory

Levels
Determine your business’ optimal stock levels to streamline inventory management prac
and boost overall business performance.

Managing inventory levels is a balancing act for direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands. Too much inventory, and you’re left with
that jacks up overhead costs. Too little leaves you with stockouts, unable to fulfill demand.

Somewhere between those 2 options are your optimal levels of inventory. AKA the goldilocks zone where your ecommerce
reach peak profitability.
So, how can you find your optimal inventory levels? Let’s find out.

What are inventory levels?

“Inventory levels” refers to the amount of stock available throughout your distribution network. By tracking your inventory lev
consistently meet demand without accruing unnecessary holding costs that diminish gross profits.
For instance, when your inventory levels are low, you won’t have enough inventory to fulfill all the demand that comes your
a result, you’ll go out of stock. During that stockout event, you miss out on sales and revenue if you don’t sell those product
on backorder.
Meanwhile, keeping too much inventory necessitates a significant upfront capital commitment. And the longer units lie in yo
warehouse, the more carrying costs they accumulate, and the more likely they will become obsolete. So, by the time you se
units, the margins will have reduced and you will no longer be profitable.
The sweet spot, then, is the point between too much and too little inventory. There, you achieve optimal inventory levels an
units guaranteed to sell.

3 types of inventory levels

There are 3 types of inventory levels you should track: Your minimum, maximum, and optimal levels of inventory.

1. Minimum inventory levels

Minimum inventory levels are the lowest amount of inventory you should have for each SKU. Anything below this threshold
might stock out and fail to meet customer demand that comes your way.
As such, your low stock alert and reorder point should consider what’s happening with your supply chain and how variabiliti
your order lead times. That way, you can ensure replenishment arrives before you drop below this minimum stock level.

2. Maximum inventory levels

Maximum inventory levels are the ceiling amount of stock you should have on hand for each SKU. Anything more above th
is considered excess inventory and introduces unnecessary inventory risks (like higher costs and waste).

As such, your maximum inventory levels should be calculated before you place a purchase order (PO) to prevent over-orde

3. Optimal inventory levels

Optimal inventory levels are the ideal inventory quantities your brand should have on hand. These stock levels match your
customer demand, so you always have enough inventory to fulfill that demand. All while keeping inventory costs down, ca
flow moving, and profits as high as possible.

How to calculate min and max inventory levels

To calculate your optimal inventory levels, you need to first know where your minimum and maximum stock levels are. To d
need to know your:
Reorder point (the point when your inventory needs to be replenished so you don’t run into a stockout situation).
Economic order quantity or optimal order quantity (the most cost-effective amount of inventory to purchase at one
Minimum consumption (the smallest amount of demand you expect during a time frame).
Normal consumption (based on your historical sales, the average forecasted demand you expect to see during that same
Minimum order lead time (the minimum amount of time it will take to receive your replenishment at your warehouse once
placed).
Normal delivery time (the average amount of time it takes to receive your replenishment at your warehouse once the PO i
Once you have these numbers, you’re ready to calculate your inventory levels.
Calculating minimum inventory levels
To calculate your minimum inventory levels, use the following formula:

minimum inventory level = reorder point – [normal consumption × normal delivery time].
For example, say you sell t-shirts. Your reorder point is 10k shirts with a normal delivery time of 6 weeks. The normal consu
these shirts is 1,200 units per week.
minimum inventory level = 10,000 shirts – (1,200 shirts per week × 6 weeks) = 2,800
In this example, your minimum inventory level would be 2,800 shirts.
Calculating maximum inventory levels
To calculate maximum inventory levels, use the following formula:

maximum inventory levels = reorder point + reorder quantity – [minimum consumption × minimum lead

Let’s go back to the t-shirt example. Your reorder point is still 10,00- shirts with a reorder quantity typically of 15,000 shirts.
consumption is 1,000 shirts per week and your minimum lead time still hovers at the 6-week mark.

maximum inventory levels = 10,000 shirts + 15,000 shirts – (1,000 shirts × 6 weeks) = 19,000
In this example, the maximum inventory level is 19,000 shirts.
Calculating optimal inventory levels
Optimal inventory levels are somewhere between your minimum and maximum levels. And you need to calculate this numb
maintain optimal inventory levels.

But calculating your optimal levels is more complex than just plugging numbers into a formula. It depends on your real-time
data and the growth assumptions your demand forecasts rely on.

Admittedly, calculating your exact optimal level of stock is complicated because these factors are constantly changing.
While some brands calculate this number with spreadsheets, it’s time-consuming and typically unreliable. So, the better (an
proof) option is to use an inventory management software or ops optimization tool. (More on this in a minute.)

Maintaining optimal inventory levels important

Optimal inventory levels ensure you never have too much or too little inventory at any given time. And when a DTC brand m
that kind of inventory control, they benefit in a myriad of ways.

Consistently meet customer demand

Having the right amount of inventory on hand means none of your generated demand goes unfilled. Instead, you always ha
what your customers what at the moment they want it. This keeps customers happy and revenue flowing.

Build trust and brand loyalty

A whopping 17% of customers will leave a brand after just 1 bad experience (and 59% after multiple instances). But when y
continually meet demand with optimal inventory levels, you create positive experiences for your new and old customers. An
means they’re more likely to come back and purchase from you again and again.

Maintain low holding costs

Optimal inventory levels ensure you have constant inventory turnover. That’s because you’re constantly selling through and
replenishing the stock you have in your warehouse. This eliminates excess inventory (so you’re not stuck paying storage co
reduces your insurance liability, and keeps you from collecting dead stock.

Optimize inventory management processes

By forecasting your optimal inventory levels, you also improve your inventory optimization, inventory planning and inventory
management processes. That’s because you have a better sense of what customers will want to buy in the coming months
only order the inventory that you’ll actually sell through (nothing more, nothing less).

Improve cash flow and maximize profits

Optimal levels ensure that you never invest too much capital upfront for unnecessary inventory. And the stock you do inves
guaranteed to sell quickly. This way, your cash flow keeps, well, flowing. And you get a bigger return because the inventory
accumulating unnecessary carrying costs that deplete margins.

How to determine your optimal inventory levels

Determining your optimal inventory levels comes down to monitoring several factors like order lead times, safety stock, a

Monitor production lead times

As I mentioned earlier, order lead time is the amount of time it takes to receive your replenishment at your warehouse once
placed. And it impacts when you need to place your next PO to ensure you get your order long before falling below your op
levels.
Typically, lead times are somewhere between 8-10 weeks. But with ongoing supply-chain disruptions, many DTC brands ar
longer than usual lead times closer to the 6-month mark.
To calculate your order lead time, use the following formula:
order lead time = [delivery date – order entry date]
Here, the delivery date is the day the order arrives at your warehouse. Meanwhile, the order entry date is the day the PO w
submitted.
Calculate safety stock
Safety stock is the extra inventory you keep on hand to protect against demand and supply chain uncertainty.
And its primary purpose is to prevent stockouts when your brand experiences unprecedented spikes in demand or supply c
You can use the following formula to calculate your safety stock:
safety stock = products sold per day × desired days of safety stock
The amount of safety stock you need depends on the supply chain capabilities and customer demand. And that makes it a
intensive task to manually (and constantly) rerun this calculation.
Alternatively, an ops optimization tool like Cogsy will automatically calculate safety stock into your optimal stock levels and
POs reflect that information.
Calculate weeks of supply
Weeks of supply (WOS) is how long it’ll take to sell through your on-hand inventory based on current demand trends. And

To calculate weeks of supply, use the following formula:

weeks of supply = on-hand inventory / average weekly units sold
Knowing your WOS prevents lost revenue by ensuring you always replenish at the right time to avoid a stockout. Similarly,
excess inventory from accumulating by ensuring you don’t place POs sooner than needed.
Forecast customer demand
Demand forecasting relies on historical sales data and real-time demand trends to predict how many units a brand will ne

Most retail brands rely on spreadsheets to forecast sales and determine optimal inventory.
But the problem is that manual forecasts are time-consuming and prone to human error. Plus, by the time you gather and in
most recent data, it’s likely already outdated.
Cogsy, on the other hand, tracks inventory levels 24/7 and considers how this data will affect your brand’s forecasts in real-
way, you always have a wildly more accurate forecast to determine when, what, and how much stock to order.

5 tips for maintaining optimal inventory levels

Optimal inventory levels are critical for fulfilling customer demand while avoiding too much inventory. And while every DT

1. Conduct regular inventory audits

Often, you don’t know your inventory has shrunk until you take stock. And that’s why inventory audits are helpful — beca

Let’s say one SKU’s optimal quantity is 200 units, and you have 25 units available right now. But because there’s a discrep
data, your inventory management software shows you only have 30 units on hand.

An inventory audit would identify those 5 missing units. That way, you can actually replenish to the optimal 200-unit level. A
investigating where those missing units went (whether it’s human error, technical issues, or shrinkage) head-on.

2. Calculate reorder points

The easiest way to stay in stock is to optimize your purchase order process, so that you always get your POs in at the ideal

Your reorder point (ROP) signals when inventory approaches the minimum inventory level and needs to be restocked. To c
ROP, use the following formula:
ROP = demand during lead time + safety stock
For example, say your demand during lead time is 1,800 units (or 180 days x 10 units sold per day), and your safety stock i
units. In this scenario, your reorder point is when inventory hits 3,500 units.

1,800 units during lead time + 1,700 units safety stock = 3,500 units ROP
If you calculate this number manually, you’ll need to regularly set aside time to rerun this calculation. That’s because every
a shift in your demand, your ROP shifts with it.
Alternatively, a tool like Cogsy can automatically calculate your ROP for you using your current inventory levels and real-ti

This alert lets you know it’s the perfect time to place your next PO. (The tool will even automatically draft an optimized dig

3. Reduce lead times

Maintaining optimal inventory levels is easier when your lead times are shorter — or at least reliable. That way, when you o
replenishment, you can count on when they’ll arrive.
To reduce your lead times:

1. Share accurate sales forecasts with your vendors, so they can plan accordingly. This can ensure your invento
into their production cycle and streamline the production process.

2. Opt for domestic suppliers instead of international ones. This eliminates the time it takes for shipping containe
at ports. But it might also increase your sourcing costs, so you have to weigh the benefits to see if this option is

3. Place more frequent, smaller POs instead of bulk orders. Smaller orders might cost a little more in the long ru
they’re much quicker for suppliers to fulfill. So, you’ll have to determine if the speed is worth the cost depending
goals.

4. Get rid of obsolete inventory

Obsolete inventory takes up space in warehouses and racks up holding costs over time. But if you proactively get rid of the

To clear your obsolete inventory, offer the products at a majorly discounted rate. You can also create product bundles tha

5. Use an IMS or ops optimization tool

As you probably noticed, calculating and maintaining optimal inventory levels is a time-consuming task. One that often chan
moment you think you’ve got it right.

That’s why the best brands invest in an inventory management system (IMS) or ops optimization tool to do this work for the
typically tracks your inventory levels and could potentially help streamline how you place POs.

But Cogsy (and ops optimization tool) takes this one step further with demand planning. Because it tracks what your invent
are doing (every minute of the day) and translates this information into actionable steps.

So, for instance, you know to order 500 units of SKU A by this date and time. This helps brands proactively maintain optima
levels by replacing manually-updated spreadsheets with predictive sales and inventory intelligence.

Plus, it automates a lot of the mundane replenishment tasks, saving time and eliminating human errors. This includes reple
alerts and optimized POs to keep inventory at the optimal level. It also tracks your demand as it changes, so you avoid orde
performing SKUs.
Advantages of low inventory levels Disadvantages of low inventory levels
Stockouts are a high risk, especially if demand
Frees up working capital, allowing you to use
exceeds your estimates or supply chain
it to deal with problems or invest in growth
interruptions generate shortages of completed
initiatives.
items or raw materials.
Lost sales and revenue if (or, more likely, when)
Lower inventory costs when fewer products stockouts happen. Plus, lower customer
take up space in your warehouse. satisfaction rates when you don’t have what they
want readily available.
Higher per-unit costs when you order
More inventory control because it’s easier to
the minimum order quantities (MOQ) and don’t get
manage fewer SKUs at any one time.
a bulk discount.
Inventory visibility becomes easier, making Incur increased freight costs when you have to
losses due to damage or theft less likely. transport replenishment inventory more often.
Advantages of high inventory Disadvantages of high inventory
levels levels
Low risk of going out of stock thanks to More inventory ties up working capital which could
excess safety stock. otherwise offset pitfalls or fund growth initiatives.
Easier to meet customer demand and provide
Risk buying too much of an unsellable item,
a better customer experience when you
leading to dead stock and unnecessary waste.
always have the products they want available.
Quickly fulfill orders because you’re not Higher holding costs (like storage, utilities, and
waiting on inventory replenishments. insurance) to keep this excess inventory safe.
Lower per-unit costs since larger orders Inventory visibility becomes a greater challenge,
typically mean you’ll get a wholesale discount. making losses due to damage or theft more likely.