Step 2: Defining a Scope for Your Project
Immediately after receiving the initial information about the Six Sigma Project, scoping begins. Scoping is usually the first task done while executing any project. Here is what exactly Project Scoping is and how to use it. What is Project Scope? A Project scope defines exactly what is in the process. Processes are usually continuous i.e. […]
P-Value in Hypothesis Test – Interpreting the Statistical Conclusion
What is the P-Value ? The P-Value is a statistical representation of the likelihood that the null hypothesis is true. Therefore the P-Value is the probability that the output (Y) will not change as a result of the variation that we are deliberately introducing in the input (X). Example: If we have a null hypothesis […]
Warranty Management – Meaning and its Components
Warranty Management had been traditionally viewed by companies as a cost of doing business. The costs of warranty management were found to be costing between 4 to 5 percent of the total sales revenue of the company per annum and were considered to be the cost of providing customer satisfaction and as an opportunity to […]
Is the Internet the Great Leveler in Globalization?
Flat World? The famous cheerleader of globalization, Thomas Friedman, characterizes the global economy as a “flat world” where anyone can reap the benefits of the many opportunities that are provided by globalization because there are no “barriers” anymore with the advent of the internet. The basic premise is that anyone from anywhere can use the […]
Role of Governments in International Businesses
The Need to Encourage Foreign Investment The previous articles have discussed how international businesses need supporting ecosystems and business friendly policies if they are to succeed in emerging markets. Of particular importance is the role of governments in deciding whether they would allow international businesses to setup their operations and encourage them to grow and […]
In any business or organization, all functions are interlinked and connected to each other and are often overlapping. Some key aspects like supply chain management, logistics and inventory form the backbone of the business delivery function. Therefore these functions are extremely important to marketing managers as well as finance controllers.
Inventory management is a very important function that determines the health of the supply chain as well as the impacts the financial health of the balance sheet. Every organization constantly strives to maintain optimum inventory to be able to meet its requirements and avoid over or under inventory that can impact the financial figures.
Inventory is always dynamic. Inventory management requires constant and careful evaluation of external and internal factors and control through planning and review. Most of the organizations have a separate department or job function called inventory planners who continuously monitor, control and review inventory and interface with production, procurement and finance departments.
Inventory is an idle stock of physical goods that contain economic value, and are held in various forms by an organization in its custody awaiting packing, processing, transformation, use or sale in a future point of time.
Any organization which is into production, trading, sale and service of a product will necessarily hold stock of various physical resources to aid in future consumption and sale.
While inventory is a necessary evil of any such business, it may be noted that the organizations hold inventories for various reasons, which include speculative purposes, functional purposes, physical necessities etc.
From the above definition the following points stand out with reference to inventory:
Inventory of materials occurs at various stages and departments of an organization. A manufacturing organization holds inventory of raw materials and consumables required for production. It also holds inventory of semi-finished goods at various stages in the plant with various departments.
Finished goods inventory is held at plant, FG Stores, distribution centers etc. Further both raw materials and finished goods those that are in transit at various locations also form a part of inventory depending upon who owns the inventory at the particular juncture.
Finished goods inventory is held by the organization at various stocking points or with dealers and stockiest until it reaches the market and end customers.
Besides Raw materials and finished goods, organizations also hold inventories of spare parts to service the products. Defective products, defective parts and scrap also forms a part of inventory as long as these items are inventoried in the books of the company and have economic value.
| INPUT | PROCESS | OUTPUT |
| Raw Materials | Work In Process | Finished Goods |
| Consumables required for processing. Eg : Fuel, Stationary, Bolts & Nuts etc. required in manufacturing | Semi Finished Production in various stages, lying with various departments like Production, WIP Stores, QC, Final Assembly, Paint Shop, Packing, Outbound Store etc. | Finished Goods at Distribution Centers through out Supply Chain |
| Maintenance Items/Consumables | Production Waste and Scrap | Finished Goods in transit |
| Packing Materials | Rejections and Defectives | Finished Goods with Stockiest and Dealers |
| Local purchased Items required for production | Spare Parts Stocks & Bought Out items | |
| Defectives, Rejects and Sales Returns | ||
| Repaired Stock and Parts | ||
| Sales Promotion & Sample Stocks |
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