Managing Slow-Moving Stock
Slow-moving stock ties up cash and space, but age alone does not determine the right action.
Review ageing and demand before changing stock
Illustrative ageing worksheet. Define the observation period, last movement, units, open demand and owner; zero sales requires review rather than division by zero.
| Record / decision | Filled example and next owner |
|---|---|
| Product A | On hand100; sold10 in90 days; no receipt in120 days. At the same observed rate,100 units imply900 days cover; review stale demand. |
| Product B | On hand20; sold40 in90 days=45 days cover. Buyer reviews replenishment separately from A, with current open orders. |
| Owner / action | Buyer pauses A replenishment pending sales review; finance separately reviews impairment/write-off authority. Cover arithmetic is not an automatic forecast. |
Use this worksheet to organise your requirements, assign owners and plan the next steps.
Put it into practice
Define the review period and compare last sale, demand, condition, expiry and supplier return rights. Separate items reserved for a known job from obsolete items. Decide whether to discount, transfer, return or write down stock under an approved policy.
Put the right controls in place
Use real transaction data and document assumptions. No Datrylo savings result is inferred from a dashboard; the reporting calculation must be reconciled.
Use this guide with the people who own the process. Agree responsibilities, prepare the necessary records and turn the next steps into a working plan. Get help with your implementation.