Having too much stock, or not enough, can cost your business dearly. If you don’t have the products your customers want readily available, you might have to pay extra for an express order – cutting into your profit margin. Or worse still; lose the sale to a competitor.

With too much inventory, on the other hand, you could find yourself paying for storage or warehouse space that you wouldn’t otherwise need. Excess stock might also have to be insured, secured against shrinkage, depreciated and taxed as an asset. All of this will eat into your working capital, reducing the amount you have to invest in things like product development, new equipment and marketing. That’s why planning and managing your inventory with precision is key to business efficiency.