Knowing When to Reorder Stock and Materials

Start with stock you can actually use

• Stock available nowUsable stock that has not already been reserved for other work.
• Stock needed before the next deliveryThe expected demand during the time it takes to order and receive more.

Check locations, units and condition. Stock at another site or awaiting inspection may not cover the job you are planning.

The guide to on-hand, reserved and available stock explains these differences. Use the same definitions in purchasing so staff do not subtract job reservations twice or count unusable materials as ready.

Include the time until materials are ready

Supplier lead time is the time between ordering and receiving the goods. Your planning may also need to allow for internal approval, transport between sites or inspection after delivery.

For a regularly used item, estimate how much is likely to be needed during that period. If delivery normally takes two weeks, waiting until the shelf is empty will usually be too late.

Review actual delivery times rather than relying indefinitely on the original estimate. Keep uncertainty visible when a supplier cannot yet confirm a date.

Check upcoming jobs as well as past use

Past usage can help with routine supplies, but a large upcoming job may change the requirement. Show its quantities and needed dates alongside normal demand.

Be clear whether a forecast includes jobs already reserved. Adding the full job requirement to a forecast that already includes it can create an unnecessarily large order.

For special materials, link the purchase to the relevant job. That helps staff explain why it was ordered and what to review if the job changes or is cancelled.

Look at orders already on the way

Before preparing a new purchase, show open orders, outstanding quantities and expected arrival dates. An overdue delivery may need following up rather than replacing with another order.

Record partial deliveries against the original order. Staff should be able to see what arrived and what is still outstanding without treating the whole order as complete.

If the expected delivery will be too late, make the affected jobs visible. A person can then discuss an alternative supplier, an acceptable substitute or a change to the schedule.

Choose a sensible buffer and approval process

Some extra stock may help cover normal variation in demand or delivery times. How much is reasonable depends on storage space, cost, shelf life and how difficult a shortage would be to manage.

Use different rules where the materials behave differently. A common consumable and an expensive job-specific part do not need the same purchasing approach.

A suggested order can still need staff approval. Show the reason for the suggestion, the quantity calculation and any supplier minimum or pack size that affects the purchase.

Review the result after deliveries and jobs

Look at items that repeatedly run short or remain unused. Check whether the cause is demand, an inaccurate stock record, late deliveries or a reorder setting that needs changing.

Start with a small group of important materials and compare suggested orders with the decisions an experienced employee would make.

An inventory product, a purchasing report connected to your job system or a custom planning screen may each fit. Choose the approach that gives the person ordering enough information to make a clear decision.

Your next step

Pick one item that regularly runs short. Compare its available stock, upcoming demand, open orders and actual delivery times, then adjust the information or reorder rule causing the problem.