Stock-outs rarely come from a lack of data. They come from reorder points kept in spreadsheets that drift, and from buyers checking several systems by hand. These four steps agree the rules, connect the data once, and put a short list of reasoned suggestions in front of a buyer who still approves every order.

Step 1 — Agree reorder rules

Goal: Write down how reorder decisions are made today.

  1. List your most important items and how they are currently reordered.
  2. Record supplier lead times, minimum order quantities and delivery windows.
  3. Set a reorder point or rule for each item with the buyer.
  4. Note seasonal items and anything with unpredictable demand.

You finish with: Written reorder rules for your key items.

Step 2 — Connect the data

Goal: See stock, orders and sales in one view.

  1. Identify where stock, open orders and recent sales live.
  2. Give read access to those systems for this purpose only.
  3. Match item codes across systems so each item is counted once.
  4. Check the combined numbers against a manual stock count.

You finish with: A checked, combined view of stock and demand per item.

Step 3 — Flag and suggest

Goal: Give buyers a short, reasoned list each day or week.

  1. Flag items likely to run short before the next delivery window.
  2. Draft a reorder suggestion with quantities and the reasoning behind them.
  3. Send unusual demand spikes to a person rather than suggesting a large order.
  4. Have the buyer edit and approve before any order is created.

You finish with: A reorder list with reasons, approved by a buyer.

Step 4 — Measure and tune

Goal: Show fewer stock-outs and keep the rules current.

  1. Track stock-outs and buyer time spent against your starting point.
  2. Track how many suggestions are approved without major edits.
  3. Update lead times and reorder rules when suppliers or demand change.
  4. Review overstock as well as stock-outs each month.

You finish with: Measured results and reorder rules that stay current.

Common pitfalls

  • Connecting systems before item codes match.
  • Placing orders automatically without a buyer’s approval.
  • Treating a one-off demand spike as a new normal.
  • Watching only stock-outs and ignoring overstock.

See it as a workflow

Operations

Inventory reorder alerts

Watch stock levels across systems, flag items likely to run short, and draft reorder suggestions for a buyer to approve.

See the workflow

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