[A version of this article appeared in the Jan/Feb edition of DEMM Engineering and Manufacturing Magazine]

Inventory forecasting software StockTrim is finishing 2020 having proven itself effective in a year which tested supply chain resilience.

Lead time is probably the most important variable you'll use in inventory planning.

In a world that demands instant gratification, customers are loathe to wait - pandemic or no pandemic. 

In the midst of COVID-19, businesses are looking outside the box to slash lead times and improve reliability during uncertain times.

South African start-up, Supply Run provide supply chain and operations support for clients across Africa. One of their clients is Hungry Lion – a popular fast-food, fried-chicken franchise. Hungry Lion has restaurants across the African continent, and Supply Run’s Alex de Sousa supports staff at their Zambia and Angola franchises.  

If you've ever looked at a weather forecast, you'll know that the task of predicting the future is an inherently difficult one. Yet as a small businesses, you're expected  to generate an inventory forecast. So how do you do it accurately?

When it comes to running a business, there is a lot to get your head around. Staff, culture, product-market fit, advertising, cash-flow, profitability, planning, leases, customer satisfaction - the list goes on.

When it comes to inventory forecasting, StockTrim is all about making your job easier.

For the past few months, we've been tinkering behind the scenes preparing the biggest upgrade to our platform to date. We've prepared a raft of improvements to StockTrim that will make managing your orders and forecasts even better than before.

Stocking high levels of inventory might be an ill-fated move for a new business. But what about when you’ve built a business on the premise that you always have stock available? 

One of the tricky elements of operating a business in wholesale, manufacturing or retail is inventory planning. Whether you’re an SME managing a lot of stock or just a little, having control over your inventory is essential to your business's success.

Small and medium sized businesses that use Xero have already discovered the benefits of using cloud software to make their lives easier. Now they can automate their inventory planning and demand forecasting with a Xero integration to save up to 40% in working capital.

Poor stock management is one of several challenges to small business causing disproportionate harm and difficulty. 

Luckily solutions are here, beginning with smart stock control software such as StockTrim.