A short self-check · about 6 minutes to read
Most replenishment problems don't announce themselves. They show up as long days, awkward meetings and small losses that become normal. Here are seven signs that planning is costing more than it should — and a first step you can take for each, with no software needed.
1. Planners spend their week copying numbers
What it looks like. If the first job each morning is exporting, pasting and rebuilding orders, your best people are doing data entry.
Why it happens. Time is lost to routine work that a system can prepare, and mistakes creep in with every copy.
First step. Write down how many hours a week go into building orders. Then ask which of those orders are routine.
2. You hear about promotions when shelves are empty
What it looks like. Supply chain learns about an offer from the first sellout, or from a store phoning in.
Why it happens. Marketing and supply plan on different calendars, and nobody has estimated the extra demand.
First step. Ask marketing for the promotion calendar a few weeks ahead and agree who owns the stock decision.
3. Safety stock was set once, years ago
What it looks like. The numbers in the system have not changed since the project that put them there.
Why it happens. Demand patterns and supplier reliability change; a number that doesn't change can't be right for long.
First step. Pick your twenty most important products and check whether their buffers still make sense.
4. The same product is out in one store and overstocked in another
What it looks like. Total stock looks fine, yet customers find gaps.
Why it happens. Stock is allocated by habit, not by where it will sell.
First step. Compare a fast and a slow store for one product over a month. Is the stock where the sales are?
5. Seasonal goods are discounted late and deep
What it looks like. The final markdown is large and margin is gone by the time it lands.
Why it happens. Decisions are made when the problem is obvious, not when it is cheap to fix.
First step. Look at last season's leftovers and ask when you could have first seen them coming.
6. Supplier lateness is a surprise every time
What it looks like. You find out a delivery is late when it doesn't arrive.
Why it happens. Reliability isn't tracked, so plans assume every delivery is perfect.
First step. List your five most important suppliers and note how often they're on time. Do your plans reflect that?
7. Meetings are about whose numbers are right
What it looks like. Finance, buying, marketing and stores each bring their own spreadsheet.
Why it happens. There is no single, shared plan, so every discussion starts with reconciling.
First step. Choose one number — next month's forecast — and find out how many versions exist.
How many did you recognise?
One or two is normal. Four or more means there is real value in changing how you plan. Take the two-minute quiz to see which areas to start with.
How mature is your planning?
Ten quick questions. Get your own result and where to start. About 2 minutes.