Inventory - Key Business Questions
The questions below are grouped by the persona who typically asks them. Each question is answered either through a ready-made standard report or through an ad-hoc, self-service analysis you build yourself on the semantic model by combining the listed measures with the listed dimensions.
Inventory / Warehouse Manager
Keep stock levels healthy - avoid overstocking and out-of-stock, and steer reach and turnover.
How are our on-hand quantities and inventory value developing over time?
Answer with the report: Summary
- Measures: OnHand Quantity, OnHand CostAmount Posted, OnHand Quantity YoY %
Which items have the highest reach and are at risk of overstocking?
Answer with the report: By Item
- Measures: Reach (Days), OnHand Quantity, Turnover Rate (per Yr)
How do inbound receipts compare with outbound issues per month?
Answer with the report: Summary
- Measures: Quantity Receipt, Quantity Issue, Quantity
Which items are currently out of stock?
Answer ad-hoc (self-service): build this on the semantic model yourself.
- Measures: # Items OutOfStock, # Items OutOfStock %, # Items OnHand
- Break down by: Item, InventLocation
Supply Chain / Logistics Manager
Balance stock across locations and keep goods flowing through the supply chain.
How is stock distributed across our inventory locations?
Answer with the report: By Location
- Measures: OnHand Quantity, OnHand CostAmount Posted, # Items OnHand
How do movements and stock levels change when I focus on a single location?
Answer with the report: By Location
- Measures: Quantity Receipt, Quantity Issue, OnHand Quantity
What is the supply-chain pattern (receipts vs. issues) for a specific item?
Answer with the report: By Item
- Measures: Quantity Receipt, Quantity Issue, OnHand Quantity
How fast is our inventory turning over?
Answer ad-hoc (self-service): build this on the semantic model yourself.
- Measures: Turnover Rate (per Yr), Reach (Days)
- Break down by: Item, InventLocation, Calendar
Operations Manager
Ensure product availability while keeping capital tied up in stock under control.
Do we have enough stock coverage, and where is reach too high or too low?
Answer with the report: By Item
- Measures: Reach (Days), Turnover Rate (per Yr), OnHand Quantity
Which items and item groups drive most of our on-hand quantity and value?
Answer with the report: By Item
- Measures: OnHand Quantity, OnHand CostAmount Posted, # Items OnHand
How balanced are stock levels across locations?
Answer with the report: By Location
- Measures: OnHand Quantity, OnHand CostAmount Posted, Reach (Days)
How is the number of items on-hand developing versus last year?
Answer ad-hoc (self-service): build this on the semantic model yourself.
- Measures: # Items OnHand, # Items OnHand YoY %
- Break down by: Item, Calendar, Client
Controller / CFO
Monitor the capital tied up in inventory, its valuation and cost-price effects.
How is the total value of our inventory developing?
Answer with the report: Summary
- Measures: OnHand CostAmount Posted, OnHand CostAmount Posted YoY %, OnHand Quantity
How are cost prices developing and how do they affect inventory value?
Answer with the report: Summary
- Measures: OnHand CostPrice, CostPrice, OnHand CostAmount Posted
How large are the adjustments to our inventory value?
Answer with the report: Summary
- Measures: CostAmount Adjustment, OnHand CostAmount Posted
How does inventory value split across companies and locations?
Answer ad-hoc (self-service): build this on the semantic model yourself.
- Measures: OnHand CostAmount Posted, OnHand Quantity
- Break down by: Client, InventLocation