Why pick arbitrary Service Level Targets?

The Smart Forecaster

Pursuing best practices in demand planning,

forecasting and inventory optimization

Why pick arbitrary Service Level Targets? Learn how to select automatically the optimal Targets @scale minimizing total costs for your business.

There are unavoidable tradeoffs between inventory cost and item availability. The Smart Inventory Optimization (SIO) app calculates all the key metrics to expose those tradeoffs. You can try “what-if” experiments such as “What happens to shortage cost if we raise the reorder point from 5 to 10?”. Better yet, you can let SIO find the optimal operating policy, e.g., the lowest cost combination of reorder point and order quantity that guarantees a 95% service level.

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12 Causes of Overstocking and Practical Solutions

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      What is the difference between Demand planning and Inventory optimization ?

      The Smart Forecaster

      Pursuing best practices in demand planning,

      forecasting and inventory optimization

      What is the difference between Demand planning and Inventory optimization ? 

      The Smart Demand Planning app (SDP) provides demand forecasts. The SDP forecasting engine is also the core of the Smart Inventory Optimization app (SIO), which stress-tests various inventory policies using a number of demand scenarios to find optimal inventory policy settings.

       

       

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          Automatic Forecasting for Time Series Demand Projections

          The Smart Forecaster

           Pursuing best practices in demand planning,

          forecasting and inventory optimization

          Improve Forecast Accuracy, Eliminate Excess Inventory, & Maximize Service Levels

          In this video tutorial Dr. Thomas Willemain, co–Founder and SVP Research at Smart Software, presents Automatic Forecasting for Time Series Demand Projections, a specialized algorithmic tournament to determine an appropriate time series model and estimate the parameters to compute the best forecasts methods. Automatic forecasts of large numbers of time series are frequently used in business, some have trend either up or down, and some have seasonality so they are cyclic, and each of those specific patterns requires a suitable technical approach, and an appropriate statistical forecasting method.  Tom explains how the tournament computes the best forecasts methods and works through a practical example.

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              Forecast Using Leading Indicators – Regression Analysis:

              The Smart Forecaster

               Pursuing best practices in demand planning,

              forecasting and inventory optimization

              Improve Forecast Accuracy, Eliminate Excess Inventory, & Maximize Service Levels

              In this video tutorial Dr. Thomas Willemain, co–Founder and SVP Research at Smart Software, presents Regression Analysis, a specialized statistical modeling technique to identify and harness leading indicators to achieve more accurate forecasts.  Regression analysis is a statistical procedure to estimate the relationship between a response variable and one or more predictor variables. Housing starts, for example, might be a good leading indicator of vinyl siding demand.  Tom explains how and when to use regression analysis and works through a practical example.

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                  Forecasting Techniques for a more profitable business

                  The Smart Forecaster

                   Pursuing best practices in demand planning,

                  forecasting and inventory optimization

                  Improve Forecast Accuracy, Eliminate Excess Inventory, & Maximize Service Levels

                   

                  In this Video Dr. Thomas Willemain, co–Founder and SVP Research, defines and compares the most useful Forecasting Techniques: Exponential Smoothing, Single Exponential Smoothing, Holt’s Method and Winter’s Method.  These videos explain the basic thinking under each technique as well as the math behind them, how they are used in practice and the tradeoff of each method.

                  Forecasting Techniques for a more profitable business
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                  RECENT POSTS

                  Managing Spare Parts Inventory: Best Practices

                  Managing Spare Parts Inventory: Best Practices

                  In this blog, we’ll explore several effective strategies for managing spare parts inventory, emphasizing the importance of optimizing stock levels, maintaining service levels, and using smart tools to aid in decision-making. Managing spare parts inventory is a critical component for businesses that depend on equipment uptime and service reliability. Unlike regular inventory items, spare parts often have unpredictable demand patterns, making them more challenging to manage effectively. An efficient spare parts inventory management system helps prevent stockouts that can lead to operational downtime and costly delays while also avoiding overstocking that unnecessarily ties up capital and increases holding costs.

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                  FAQ: Mastering Smart IP&O for Better Inventory Management.

                  FAQ: Mastering Smart IP&O for Better Inventory Management.

                  Effective supply chain and inventory management are essential for achieving operational efficiency and customer satisfaction. This blog provides clear and concise answers to some basic and other common questions from our Smart IP&O customers, offering practical insights to overcome typical challenges and enhance your inventory management practices. Focusing on these key areas, we help you transform complex inventory issues into strategic, manageable actions that reduce costs and improve overall performance with Smart IP&O.

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                    Inventory Optimization for Manufacturers, Distributors, and MRO

                    • Managing Spare Parts Inventory: Best PracticesManaging Spare Parts Inventory: Best Practices
                      In this blog, we’ll explore several effective strategies for managing spare parts inventory, emphasizing the importance of optimizing stock levels, maintaining service levels, and using smart tools to aid in decision-making. Managing spare parts inventory is a critical component for businesses that depend on equipment uptime and service reliability. Unlike regular inventory items, spare parts often have unpredictable demand patterns, making them more challenging to manage effectively. An efficient spare parts inventory management system helps prevent stockouts that can lead to operational downtime and costly delays while also avoiding overstocking that unnecessarily ties up capital and increases holding costs. […]
                    • Innovating the OEM Aftermarket with AI-Driven Inventory Optimization XLInnovating the OEM Aftermarket with AI-Driven Inventory Optimization
                      The aftermarket sector provides OEMs with a decisive advantage by offering a steady revenue stream and fostering customer loyalty through the reliable and timely delivery of service parts. However, managing inventory and forecasting demand in the aftermarket is fraught with challenges, including unpredictable demand patterns, vast product ranges, and the necessity for quick turnarounds. Traditional methods often fall short due to the complexity and variability of demand in the aftermarket. The latest technologies can analyze large datasets to predict future demand more accurately and optimize inventory levels, leading to better service and lower costs. […]
                    • Future-Proofing Utilities. Advanced Analytics for Supply Chain OptimizationFuture-Proofing Utilities: Advanced Analytics for Supply Chain Optimization
                      Utilities in the electrical, natural gas, urban water, and telecommunications fields are all asset-intensive and reliant on physical infrastructure that must be properly maintained, updated, and upgraded over time. Maximizing asset uptime and the reliability of physical infrastructure demands effective inventory management, spare parts forecasting, and supplier management. A utility that executes these processes effectively will outperform its peers, provide better returns for its investors and higher service levels for its customers, while reducing its environmental impact. […]
                    • Centering Act Spare Parts Timing Pricing and ReliabilityCentering Act: Spare Parts Timing, Pricing, and Reliability
                      In this article, we'll walk you through the process of crafting a spare parts inventory plan that prioritizes availability metrics such as service levels and fill rates while ensuring cost efficiency. We'll focus on an approach to inventory planning called Service Level-Driven Inventory Optimization. Next, we'll discuss how to determine what parts you should include in your inventory and those that might not be necessary. Lastly, we'll explore ways to enhance your service-level-driven inventory plan consistently. […]