# Inventory Planning Capability Self-Assessment > Source: https://netray.co/tools/inventory-planner-capability-self-assessment > Publisher: Netray (netray.co), AI and integration engineering for ERP and manufacturing systems. > Section: Free Tools ## Short answer Answer ten questions to see how mature your inventory planning practice is and what to improve first. ## Category supply-chain ## Audience - Supply chain manager - Materials planner - Operations director ## Tool **Kind:** assessment **Questions:** #### How are safety stock levels set for most items? **Options:** ##### Rules of thumb or copied from history **Score:** 0 ##### A flat percentage or weeks of cover **Score:** 1 ##### Calculated from demand variability and lead time **Score:** 2 ##### Calculated, reviewed on a schedule and tied to service targets **Score:** 3 #### How accurate are lead times in the ERP? **Options:** ##### Unknown, rarely checked **Score:** 0 ##### Checked when something goes wrong **Score:** 1 ##### Compared to actual receipts once a year **Score:** 2 ##### Compared to actual receipts at least twice a year, with variability tracked **Score:** 3 #### How is inventory record accuracy maintained? **Options:** ##### Annual physical count only **Score:** 0 ##### Occasional counts after problems **Score:** 1 ##### A cycle count program by class **Score:** 2 ##### Cycle counting with root cause follow-up and accuracy targets **Score:** 3 #### How do you classify items for planning? **Options:** ##### We treat all items the same **Score:** 0 ##### By value only (ABC) **Score:** 1 ##### By value and variability (ABC and XYZ) **Score:** 2 ##### By value, variability and demand pattern with different policies **Score:** 3 #### How are exceptions handled each day? **Options:** ##### Planners scan lists by hand **Score:** 0 ##### Standard ERP messages without priority **Score:** 1 ##### Prioritized exception lists by planner **Score:** 2 ##### Prioritized exceptions with root cause codes and trend review **Score:** 3 #### How is slow moving and obsolete stock managed? **Options:** ##### Found at year end **Score:** 0 ##### Reviewed annually **Score:** 1 ##### Quarterly report with owner actions **Score:** 2 ##### Monthly review with disposition rules and reserve linkage **Score:** 3 #### How do sales, operations and finance align on inventory? **Options:** ##### They do not meet regularly **Score:** 0 ##### Ad hoc meetings **Score:** 1 ##### Monthly demand and supply review **Score:** 2 ##### Monthly S and OP with agreed inventory targets and decisions logged **Score:** 3 #### How are planning parameter changes controlled? **Options:** ##### Anyone with access can change them **Score:** 0 ##### Planners change them without a log **Score:** 1 ##### Changes are logged by the ERP **Score:** 2 ##### Logged, approved above a threshold and sampled for audit **Score:** 3 #### Which KPIs are reviewed regularly? **Options:** ##### None, or only total inventory value **Score:** 0 ##### Inventory value and turns **Score:** 1 ##### Turns, fill rate and stockouts **Score:** 2 ##### Turns, fill rate, days of supply, forecast accuracy and aged stock by class **Score:** 3 #### How do you handle supplier performance in planning? **Options:** ##### Not considered **Score:** 0 ##### Planners remember problem suppliers **Score:** 1 ##### Scorecard reviewed quarterly **Score:** 2 ##### Scorecard feeds lead time, safety stock and sourcing decisions **Score:** 3 **Bands:** #### Reactive **Min:** 0 **Max:** 39 **Verdict:** Planning relies on individual effort and firefighting. Parameters and records are probably not trusted. **Recommendations:** - Start a cycle count program for the top value items - Compare ERP lead times with real receipts for your top suppliers - Write a one page policy for safety stock and ownership #### Developing **Min:** 40 **Max:** 64 **Verdict:** Basic controls exist but are uneven. Some areas are managed well and others depend on habit. **Recommendations:** - Calculate safety stock from variability for A items first - Add a prioritized exception list for each planner - Hold a monthly demand and supply review with finance #### Managed **Min:** 65 **Max:** 84 **Verdict:** Processes are defined and measured. Gains now come from refinement and from linking planning to finance. **Recommendations:** - Segment by demand pattern and adjust policies - Track root causes for stockouts and excess - Sample parameter changes for audit each quarter #### Optimized **Min:** 85 **Max:** 100 **Verdict:** Planning is data driven and governed. Focus on automation and keeping the discipline as the business changes. **Recommendations:** - Automate exception detection and routine adjustments with approval - Test scenario planning for supplier and demand shocks - Review the policy yearly against actual results ## Content **Intro:** This ten question assessment shows where your inventory planning practice stands, from reactive firefighting to a governed, data driven process. It takes about five minutes and gives specific next steps for your band. **Sections:** #### How to use it **Body:** Answer for the typical situation across your main plant, not for your best item group. Where answers differ between teams, choose the lower one. The score is shown as a percentage of the maximum, and each band comes with three actions. Retake it after six months to see change, and ask a colleague to answer independently to compare. **Bullets:** - Be honest about the current state - Use evidence such as reports and logs - Share the export with your team lead #### What the questions cover **Body:** The ten questions follow the chain from data to decisions: how safety stock and lead times are set, how accurate records are, how items are classified, how exceptions are managed, how slow stock is handled, how functions align, how changes are controlled, which KPIs are watched and how suppliers feed back into planning. A low score in one area often explains symptoms in another. #### Reading the bands **Body:** A Reactive score is common in plants that grew quickly or changed ERP recently and is fixable with a few basics. Developing is the largest group. Managed teams usually gain most from segmentation by demand pattern. Optimized teams should be sure the discipline survives staff change, which means documentation and audits as much as tools. #### Common mistakes **Body:** Scoring on intentions rather than practice, averaging away a serious gap, and treating the band as a verdict instead of a starting point. A single weak area such as record accuracy can undo the benefit of excellent calculation, so look at the lowest answers as well as the total. **Cta:** Netray can help you act on the result with read-only analysis of your ERP data, such as lead time accuracy and aged stock by class. **Faq:** #### Is the assessment tied to a particular ERP? **Answer:** No. The questions describe practices, not software. They apply whether you plan in SAP, Oracle, Infor, Epicor, Dynamics, NetSuite or spreadsheets. #### How is the score calculated? **Answer:** Each answer is worth zero to three points. The total is converted to a percentage of the maximum, and the percentage selects one of four bands with suggested actions. #### Who should take it? **Answer:** A supply chain manager or lead planner, ideally with one other person from planning or purchasing. Different people often rate the same practice differently, which is useful information in itself. #### What should I do first after a low score? **Answer:** Fix record accuracy and lead times before refining safety stock formulas. Calculation quality depends on the inputs, so correct inputs give the fastest improvement. ## Search terms inventory planning maturity assessment, materials planning self assessment, inventory management maturity model, supply planning capability, inventory process assessment, planner skills assessment, inventory optimization readiness, mrp maturity quiz --- Talk to an engineer: https://netray.co/contact?intent=erp_ai | Machine catalog: https://netray.co/agent/catalog.json