Chapter 06 Inventory Control Systems Independent Demand Inventory Whole-sale and retail merchandise Finished goods and spare parts for replacement Maintenance, Repair and Operating Supplies Service industry inventory Inventory Control Systems for Independent-demand items Perpetual review system or, ‘Q’ System or, Continuous review system Periodic review system or, ‘P’ System Continuous Review System (Q System) In this system a fixed quantity of the material or item is ordered every time whenever the inventory on hand reaches a certain level referred to as re-order level or order point. Advantages of ‘Q’ System Control is provided by continuous monitoring of inventory withdrawals and inventory levels Since the order quantity is fixed, the EOQ is justified EOQ Formula EOQ = 2 X D X Co p X Ci Where, D = annual demand in units Co = Ordering cost per order P = Unit price in rupees Ci = Inventory carrying charges as a percentage of the value of average inventory Re-Order Level Re-Order Level = (Normal or average demand rate) X (Normal or average lead time) Safety Stock Safety Stock = (Normal or average consumption rate) X (Maximum extension of lead time) X (Cumulative probability of that extension) Periodic Review System (‘P’ System) Inventory levels are reviewed at fixed time intervals also known as review period Orders are placed for enough quantity of material to bring the inventory level back to some predetermined level referred as desired inventory level (DIL) Review Period Review Period (R) = 12 Months N Whereas, N = Annual Demand in Units EOQ Concept of Service Level The service level is the probability that the amount of inventory on hand during the lead time is sufficient to meet expected demand that is the probability that a stock out will not occur. Standard Deviation in Poisson Distribution Standard Deviation = Average demand during lead time Conditions that tend to encourage higher levels of safety stock The cost or loss due to stock out may be high The cost of carrying safety stock may be low The variability or uncertainty of demand may be high The number of annual exposures to the risk of stock-out may be high Advantages of ‘P’ System Convenient because replenishments are made at fixed intervals Orders for multiple item from the same supplier may be combined into a single purchase order. This approach reduces ordering cost and transportation costs The inventory position needs to be known only when a review is made and not continuously as in ‘Q’ system Advantages of ‘Q’ System The frequent review of each item may be individualized Fixed lot sizes, if large enough may result in quantity discounts Lower safety stocks result in reduced inventory carrying costs Special Purpose Inventory Models A. B. Hybrid Systems Optional Replenishment System Base Stock System Single Period Models Miscellaneous Inventory Systems One-Bin System Periodic replenishment regardless of the quantity needed – few or many At fixed periods, the inventory is brought up to its predetermined maximum level Two-Bin System Items are used from one bin and the second bin provides an amount large enough to ensure that the stock can be replenished. The second bin would contain an amount equal to the re-order point calculated in the ‘Q’ system Inventory Accuracy Inventory accuracy refers to how well the inventory record and the physical count for an item stored agree with each other. Reasons for the differences between the inventory record and actual inventory (Physical) The authorized removal may have been done in a hurry and not recorded in the inventory records Sometimes items are misplaced and traced after a considerably long time Parts are often stored in several locations but records may be lost or the locations recorded wrongly Cycle Counting It is a physical inventory-checking techniques in which inventory is counted on a frequent basis rather than once or twice a year How can a firm keep accurate up-to-date records? Keep the store-room locked Access has to be given only to authorized stores personnel and inventory accuracy should be considered as one of their performance measures Continuous Inventory Level The service level is the probability that demand will not exceed the inventory level. Calculation of service level is the key to the determination of the optimum level Service Level Service Level = Cs Cs + Ce Whereas, Cs = Shortage cost per unit Ce = Excess cost per unit