Demand Planning & Forecasting
Demand Planning & Forecasting
Planning is profit control. This hub teaches operators to forecast with confidence, translate plans into rock-solid purchase orders, and balance service levels with cash. We cover open-to-buy, seasonality, lead-time risk, MOQs, container math, and vendor scorecards. You’ll get calculators and templates for safety stock, PO timing, and replenishment cadence. We connect the dots between demand signals, PO automation, and warehouse reality—so inventory shows up where and when you need it. You’ll also see how Endless automates PO creation, approvals, and vendor messaging directly from your plan.
Why Should You Care About Demand Planning?
Because inventory mistakes burn cash faster than ad spend.
Demand planning translates sales signals, seasonality, and supplier lead times into purchase orders. Done right, it preserves cash and keeps shelves stocked; done poorly, it erodes margin.
Core Topics
How Endless Helps
CommerceOS converts forecasts into PO proposals with MOQs and lead‑time baked in, tracks inbound reliability, and alerts on stockout or overstock risk before it hits revenue.
Turn forecasting into a competitive advantage →Resources & Guides
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The Practical Guide to Purchase Orders for Modern BrandsFAQs
How do I set safety stock?
Use service-level targets, demand variability, and lead-time variability; revisit per channel and season.
What’s a healthy inventory turn?
Most brands target 4–8 turns; the right number depends on margin, lead time, and promotional strategy.
How early should I place POs for Q4?
Work backward from docks-by dates, add vendor lead-time + transit + buffer; lock critical SKUs 90–150 days ahead.
How do I avoid dead stock?
Shorten PO intervals, kill slow SKUs, bundle intelligently, and use liquidation triggers tied to aging thresholds.