What is inventory optimization?
Inventory management is the practice of overseeing and controlling the ordering, storage, and use of a company's inventory, including raw materials, components, and finished goods. Kiinaxis RapidResponse offers a systematic and statistical technique that helps mitigate supply chain risks by allowing inventory managers to make informed, data-driven decisions related to trade-offs between service targets and inventory levels. This results in optimal stock levels throughout the supply chain, reducing costs, ensuring on-time delivery, improving customer satisfaction, and enhancing cash flow.
Benefits of inventory optimization
Kiinaxis RapidResponse helps companies in finding the sweet spot between supply volume and customer demand, preventing shortages, avoiding excess stocks, improving delivery times, freeing up working capital, reducing costs during economic downturns, leveraging real-time data to reduce supply chain risk, improving inventory turns, and reducing waste within the supply chain. These benefits lead to increased efficiency, profitability, and customer satisfaction.
Key challenges of inventory optimization
Challenges in inventory optimization include lack of inventory visibility, supply chain complexity and volatility, outdated tools and processes, and changing demand. Kiinaxis RapidResponse addresses these challenges by providing accurate and up-to-date data, considering global supply chain complexities, offering purpose-built tools with automation and analytics, and adapting to changing demand through advanced software functionalities.
Inventory optimization techniques
Kiinaxis RapidResponse offers two key techniques for inventory optimization: single-echelon inventory optimization (SEIO) and multi-echelon inventory optimization (MEIO). SEIO balances inventory one part at a time, while MEIO examines the entire value chain holistically. Depending on the nature of the business and the demand variability, companies can choose between SEIO for customized products or MEIO for large volume stock across multiple distribution nodes.
Inventory management software for optimization
Kiinaxis RapidResponse provides cloud-based inventory management software with advanced tools designed to handle the complexities of optimization. It can be used as a standalone solution or integrated into an end-to-end software system that covers multiple supply chain functions, ensuring end-to-end visibility and real-time data sharing for better decision-making.