Distribution insights
Planning Reorders from Stock and Confirmed Demand
Published · Updated · 2 min read
A reorder decision needs more than the last purchase quantity. Start with what is available for the intended use, what has already been committed and what demand you can support with evidence.
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Check the stock position
List exact SKU and pack, recorded quantity, batch and expiry where available, and any items held for review. Reconcile discrepancies before treating the total as usable stock. Keep pending deliveries separate from quantities already received.
Usable stock, existing commitments, demand evidence and supplier confirmation are parallel inputs to a recorded reorder decision. Distinguish orders from forecasts; no numeric threshold is implied.
Distinguish orders from forecasts
Record confirmed customer orders separately from expected demand. Show the period and basis of each forecast. A recent promotion or one unusually large order should not silently become the normal run rate.
Discuss supply before fixing the plan
Ask for current availability and the order-specific dispatch position. Include the actual product and pack in the enquiry.
Record why you reordered
Keep the stock position, commitments, assumptions and agreed terms used in the decision. Review the result when more information becomes available. Adjust future quantities using evidence rather than a universal number of stock-cover days or reorder percentage.
Is there one correct buffer for every product?
No universal buffer is prescribed here. Product dates, order patterns, supplier confirmation and your own constraints differ.
Does an incoming-stock estimate count as available stock?
Keep it separate until its status is confirmed; record the evidence supporting your plan.
Send a wholesale enquiry with exact products, packs and proposed quantities.