The rise of e-commerce and the growing instant gratification consumer mentality has exacerbated the need for early and thoughtful peak season preparation. This article is a reminder to adjust inventory on-hand settings and replenishment timelines for critical items in animal health inventories. Halloween will not create much disruption, but it does signals the upcoming holiday focus.
Monday, November 20th will be the best day to reorder ahead of Thanksgiving, Black Friday is the 24th. Christmas and New Year’s Day fall on Mondays this season. Tuesdays, December 21st and December 28th will be good days to create replenishment orders for your “A” and “B” key items. Consider contacting animal owners who are using specialty items, such as diabetic treatments to ensure they have ample supplies and your inventory can support last-minute purchases.
If you are using a 10-day supply as a reorder point (ROP), adjust to 14 to15 days if possible. Economic order quantities (EOQ) can be adjusted similarly during November, December and early January to account for a strained supply and delivery chains.
Source: Material, Handling and Logistics, September 29, 2017. Plan, prepare and prosper: how to master the busy holiday season