Essentials of Inventory Management

Most inventory professionals would gladly trade all the ""latest thinking"" books for a guide they could use to do their jobs better right now. Essentials of Inventory Management! presents ready-to-use information in key areas from physical control and layout to problem identification and resolution. Concentrating on daily-use inventory concepts, this practical workplace companion specifically addresses: * Forecasting and replenishment strategies * Differences between finished-goods (retail) inventories and materials or work-in-process (manufacturing) inventories. * Materials requirements planning (MRP) and just-in-time (JIT) inventory systems * Managing inventory as both a physical object and a monetary value * Applying simple formulas to calculating quantities * Analyzing and remedying dysfunction Plus, the book covers theft prevention, legal obligations, and the managment of natural, technological, and incited emergencies. In all, it's the most thorough introduction available to the inventory management profession.

The most thorough introduction available regarding inventory management—now thoroughly updated and expanded—Essentials of Inventory Management gives you the answers you need to every question you’ll ever have about core inventory concepts, from a financial, physical, forecasting, and operational standpoint. Whether you’re a seasoned inventory control professional, new to stockroom/ warehouse management, or a small business owner who needs to keep on top of everything, this essential guide provides you with timeless stock-keeping fundamentals for optimizing efficiency and driving profits.

Perfect for both instructional and on-the-job use, this nontechnical yet thorough guide helps you understand business realities and to make decisions that balance current demand with future needs while keeping overhead and operating costs to a minimum. Focusing on daily-use inventory concepts and enabling you to analyze and fix dysfunctions when they occur, the book provides the tools and practical guidance you need to:

· Forecast inventory levels and undertake stock replenishment so you have the right items, in the right quantities, at the right time, and in the right place.

· Apply simple formulas to compute breakeven points, profit margins, markups and markdowns, as well as selling price and margin percentages.

· Use financial ratios to improve the operation of your business.

· Manage inventory as both a physical and database object.

· Set up effective stock locator systems.

· Implement efficient item placement theories.

· Consider the differences between finished-goods (retail) inventories and raw materials or work-in-process (manufacturing) inventories.

· Decide when to dispose of dead stock.

· Choose the right cycle counting method for your organization and use it to head off long-range problems.

· Understand materials requirements planning (MRP) and just-in-time (JIT) inventory systems.

· Guard against supply chain risks.

From physical stock issues to problem identification and resolution to technologies like RFID and other automated inventory mechanisms, the second edition of Essentials of Inventory Management is a no-nonsense, how-to-get-it-done-right guide every inventory manager will turn to again and again.

MAX MULLER is an attorney who has been chief executive officer or chief operating officer for numerous companies distributing products ranging from food to ATMs to safety equipment. An authorized General Industry Outreach Trainer for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), U.S. Department of Labor, his seminars throughout the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom have drawn more than 100,000 attendees. His books include The Manager’s Guide to HR as well as the first edition of Essentials of Inventory Management.