Planner Monthly Inventory Health Review Checklist
A monthly review keeps inventory from drifting. This checklist walks a planner through parameters, excess, accuracy, suppliers and reporting in a repeatable order, so nothing depends on memory.
0 of 31 items complete
10 critical items still open - these are the highest-risk gaps.
Planning parameters
Stock levels and excess
Accuracy and counts
Suppliers and open orders
Reporting
Aim to tick every critical item each month. Items you cannot complete signal a data or process gap worth fixing before next month.
One-page inventory health view
Optional: a short review of building the monthly checks as a single ERP-driven report.
Optional. The tool and every export work without this. No spam.
How to run the review
Block out two or three hours at the same point each month, ideally after month-end close when numbers are final. Work through each group in order and tick items as you complete them. Note actions on the spot, with an owner and a date. Critical items are the ones most likely to cause a stockout or a write-down, so do not skip them when time is short.
Why these groups
The five groups follow how inventory problems actually arise. Parameters set the plan; stock levels show whether the plan is working; accuracy tells you whether the numbers are true; suppliers explain why the plan fails; reporting shows leadership the result. Reviewing them in this order means each step informs the next, for example finding a lead time error before you judge reorder points.
- Parameters first, because they drive everything
- Excess alongside shortage, not separately
- Accuracy before conclusions about stock
Using ERP reports
Most items map to standard reports: MRP exception lists, stock overview and aging reports, cycle count variance reports, open purchase order and past due reports, and inventory valuation. Save these as variants or saved searches so the review starts from the same data every month. Where a check needs a manual export, consider automating it.
Common mistakes
Reviewing only what is short, and ignoring what is excess, is the classic one; both cost money. Another is making changes without recording them, so no one knows why a parameter moved. And skipping the review in busy months is exactly when drift happens.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long should the review take?
Two to four hours for a plant with a few thousand active parts if reports are ready. It takes longer the first time while you set up saved reports. Focus on A items and exceptions.
Should this be monthly or weekly?
Monthly suits parameter and excess reviews. Shortages and past due orders need daily or weekly attention. Use this checklist monthly and the shortage log for daily work.
Who attends?
The planner leads. Invite a buyer for supplier items and finance for reserves. Many plants do the first half alone and the second half in a short meeting.
What do I do with the findings?
Record each as an action with owner and date, review last month's open actions first, and report the trend to your supply chain manager. Repeated findings point to a process cause.
If the review takes a full day because the reports are scattered, we can consolidate it into a single view from your ERP data. Ask for a review.
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AI on your ERP
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