2015 Inventory Planning Wish List

Today, I'm heeding my own advice about conducting an annual process post-mortem, on a personal level. I've been reflecting on the businesses I've worked with this past year here at Direct Tech, and thinking about how my experiences with them will affect my own planning for the year ahead.

In the course of that analysis, I've identified several issues that crop up repeatedly industrywide. I'd like to share them with you. So without further ado, here are the top five inventory planning process improvements I'd recommend that all companies address in 2015:

1. Embrace change. It seems odd that this would be at the top of the list. After all, the retail omnichannel transition has been with us for a while now. Still, many companies remain reluctant to adjust their merchandise and inventory planning processes to meet the new reality, and therefore are losing ground to those companies that are willingly facing the challenges. You know the old saying, adapt or die.

2. Don't just ask, demand a seat at the management table. As an inventory planner, you're responsible for your company's largest asset. You have unique insights as to which products are truly successful and, beyond that, the ability to align critical inventory ownership with customer demand. This is no time to be passive. Your input can help drive increased sales and profits for your business — but only if you're part of the decision-making process.

3. Embrace the power of incremental gains. It's a proven fact: even small gains in inventory metrics — e.g., higher order fulfillment, fewer overstocks, better inventory turnover — significantly increase sales and profits. Don't swing for the fences; instead, focus on hitting for average. Do the little things well and continually seek to improve your game (especially the time-tested 80/20 principle).