Inventory Management

Does inventory management sometimes feel like a waste of time? Learn how to maximize your inventory management process to use it as a tool for making important business decisions.

Master and apply both the technical and behavioral skills you need to succeed in any inventory management role or function! Now, there’s an authoritative and comprehensive guide to best-practice inventory management in any organization. Authored by world-class experts in collaboration with the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP), this text illuminates planning, organizing, controlling, directing, motivating and coordinating all the activities used to efficiently control product flow. The Definitive Guide to Inventory Management covers long-term strategic decisions; mid-term tactical decisions; and even short-term operational decisions. Topics discussed include: Basic inventory management goals, roles, concepts, purposes, and terminology Key inventory management elements, processes, and interactions Principles/strategies for establishing efficient and effective inventory flows Using technology in inventory planning and management New approaches to inventory reduction: postponement, vendor-managed inventories, cross-docking, and quick response systems Trade-offs between inventory and transportation costs, including carrying costs Requirements and challenges of global inventory management Best practices, metrics, and frameworks for assessing inventory management performance

The book Inventory Management Principles and Practices explains all the fundamental principles of Inventory Management. It starts with a definition of Inventory, why it is needed as well as not needed, what is its impact on a business, how do we classify them for ease of control and what are the various techniques of inventory control. Inventory is an outcome of procurement. So obviously, while studying inventories, the logic behind its procurement should be studied. Hence, chapters on Manufacturing Resources Planning have been added. Just-in-time principles and TQM are some more methods of achieving world-class manufacturing, so they have also been included here. In the present scenario, all activities are being computerized. So lessons on e-commerce as well as all the latest technologies that are affecting Inventory Management have been included. Chapters have been included on methods to handle specific classes of inventories such as spare parts inventory, finished goods inventory, work-in-process inventory, surplus, obsolete and non-moving inventory, etc. Logistics and supply chain management defines the path which a material takes in it s life through a company. So it was essential to include a chapter on it also. Keeping in mind the syllabus prescribed in the various universities on this subject, the chapters have been designed accordingly. A chapter has also been included on some motivational thoughts outlining some principles, which would help us to become successful in life. The principles outlined here are universal, applicable to any situation, organization or country.

The goal of Inventory Management will be to explain the dynamics of inventory management's principles, concepts, and techniques as they relate to the entire supply chain (customer demand, distribution, and product transformation processes). The interrelationships of all functions will be defined. The book concentrates on understanding the many ramifications of inventory management. In today's competitive business environment, inventory management has proven to be most critical, and this book is directed to the management of inventory to assist in better understanding the body of knowledge required to operate in a competitive world. Almost all functions such as sales, engineering, and accounting have an impact and are impacted by inventory management. The book will assist in the training of students as well as APICS CPIM (Certified in Production and Inventory Management) candidates. As such it will not only be a textbook, but also a desk reference for those employees responsible for controlling inventories, and thereby assist in reducing cost, improving customer service, and maximizing capacity. Each chapter concludes with a case study and suggested solution. The case studies tell the story of a growing company, Smith Industries, and the related inventory management problems it had to address. The problems addressed relate to the subject matter of the chapter.

This is a revision of a classic which integrates managerial issues with practical applications, providing a broad foundation for decision-making. It incorporates recent developments in inventory management, including Just-in-Time Management, Materials Requirement Planning, and Total Quality Management.

As markets become more dynamic and competitive, companies must reconsider how they view inventory and make changes to their production and inventory systems. They must begin to think outside the classical box and develop a new paradigm of inventory management. Exploring the trend away from classical models based on economic order quantities to dependent demand systems, Inventory Management: Non-Classical Views comes as a just-in-time resource. Explore the new role of inventories in business enterprises This book discusses a new paradigm for inventory management that is responsive to dynamic changes in the economy. It explores: Inventory systems that provide flexibility Inventory performance measures other than using cost as a means to control inventory Inventory as a contributor to customer value creation, rather than a liability The book also examines why energy and the environment are to be considered in inventory decisions, the non-classical application of inventory management in fields such as healthcare and disaster relief, and non-classical approaches to measuring the performance of inventory such as information theory, fuzzy sets, and thermodynamics. While many factors may change, one certainty is that the global economy is becoming increasingly dynamic. Planting the seeds for new research in inventory control and management, this book outlines the evolving role of inventories in business enterprises. It explores how to create inventory management as a tool for continued success regardless of market fluctuations and economic variances.

Foundations of Inventory Management presents a complete treatment of inventory theory and models for use in advanced undergraduate, masters, or PhD courses in Operations research, manufacturing management or Operations management. Coverage is organized into an introductory section, followed by a section focused on predictable supply and demand, and the third section covering stochastic inventory models. Many recent developments related to or impacting inventory such as ERP systems, supply chain management, JIT, and ERP systems are integrated within the text. The text presents inventory as a critical topic for virtually all businesses today and one in which theory and practice are closely linked. Prequisite coursework for students of this text would include basic optimization theory, stochastic processes, and dynamic programming. The text includes examples as well as rigorous assignment problem sets.

Inventory Management isn't easy. If it were, more companies would be good at it. But being competent at managing your inventory isn't all that difficult either. Inventory Management Explained helps readers build a solid understanding of the key planning aspects of inventory management. It does this by clearly explaining what inventory management is, but then goes well beyond typical inventory management books by tearing apart the calculations and logic we use in inventory management and exposing the hidden (or not so hidden) flaws and limitations. It then builds on this by showing readers how they can use their understanding of inventory management and their specific business needs to modify these calculations or develop their own calculations to more effectively manage their inventory. The emphasis on practical solutions means readers can actually use what they've learned.For those new to inventory management, the author includes highly detailed explanations and numerous examples. Instead of archaic mathematical syntax, the author explains the calculations in plain English and uses Excel formulas and spreadsheet examples for many of them.For the experienced practitioner, the author provides insights and a level of detail they likely have not previously experienced. Overall, Inventory Management Explained does actually explain inventory management, and in doing so, exposes the good, the bad, and the ugly aspects of it. But more importantly, it leaves the readers knowing enough to be able to start making smart decisions about how they manage their inventory.