INVENTORY MANAGEMENT EXCEL DESCRIPTION
Editor Summary
The Inventory Reordering Tracker is an XLSX spreadsheet (0 slides/pages) authored by Jason Varner, an accountant and financial modeler with 10+ years' experience, that identifies SKUs likely to require reordering by priority of days until the reorder point.
Read more
It uses inputs such as SKU/NAME, On‑Hand Units, Lead Time (days), Start/End/Total Sales, Required Reserve (safety stock), Expected Order Date (formula), and Amount to Order (formula). A Google Sheets version link is included on the instruction tab. Sold as a digital download on Flevy.
This spreadsheet is designed for situations where a team needs to prioritize replenishment across many SKUs to avoid stockouts while managing lead times, expected sales, and safety stock.
Inventory managers assessing which SKUs will hit reorder point within a user-defined window and scheduling purchases using Expected Order Date outputs.
Procurement buyers calculating order quantities and timing based on Lead Time (days) and Amount to Order formulas.
Operations planners reconciling on-hand units and Required Reserve against forecasted sales per day using Start/End/Total Sales inputs.
Finance analysts projecting near-term inventory spend and timing from reorder-level outputs.
The approach applies reorder-point logic and lead-time-driven forecasting with safety-stock adjustments consistent with inventory management and supply-chain consulting practice.
If you are an inventory manager and what a quick spreadsheet tool that tells you what items are likely to need reordering in priority of days until reorder point, this tool should help.
This template is designed to keep track of many inventory SKUs. The main benefit is in organization and logic to look at lead times / current inventory / expected sales / safety stock and then spit out a date in the future that inventory is likely to need to be reordered by so that you don't run out.
There is as much automation around the calculations as possible and based on the user inputs, this template lets the user easily manage various frequencies that things need to be reordered and what is or should be upcoming based on the current state of inventory and expected sales.
There is a Google Sheet version (link on the ‘instruction' tab) that has a little more automation in the filtering of data and formulas. One of the features that both the Excel and Google Sheet version have is that you can define the number of days until reorder is triggered to happen and see all SKUs that meet that criteria. This makes it easy to see what is coming up in the next 5 days, 10 days, 30 days, etc.. and you can define the number of days that each filter runs for.
The following is a data input:
• SKU/NAME
• On-Hand Units
• Reorder in ‘x' days (formula)
• Inventory Level to reorder (formula)
• Required Reserve (safety stock)
• Start Date / End Date / Total Sales (for forecasted sales per day expectation)
• Lead Time (days)
• Current Date (auto-populated with formula)
• Expected Order Date (formula)
• Order ‘x' of Reorder Level
• Amount to Order (formula)
Got a question about the product? Email us at support@flevy.com or ask the author directly by using the "Ask the Author a Question" form. If you cannot view the preview above this document description, go here to view the large preview instead.
TOPIC FAQ
What inputs are required to calculate a reorder date?
A reorder-date calculation in this category typically combines current on‑hand units, expected sales per day derived from Start Date/End Date/Total Sales, lead time, and safety stock. The template then outputs an Expected Order Date (formula) based on those inputs and the Current Date (auto-populated), Expected Order Date (formula).
How does safety stock affect when I should reorder inventory?
Safety stock (Required Reserve) is treated as a buffer subtracted from available inventory before projecting when on‑hand units will reach the reorder threshold. The tracker evaluates lead time, current inventory, and expected sales together with Required Reserve (safety stock) to determine reorder timing, Required Reserve (safety stock).
How can I use forecasted sales to set reorder timing?
Use Start Date, End Date, and Total Sales to estimate sales per day, then combine that rate with current on‑hand units and lead time to estimate when stock will hit reorder levels. The template uses those inputs to produce an Expected Order Date based on forecasted sales rates, Start Date / End Date / Total Sales.
What features should I prioritize when choosing an inventory reordering spreadsheet?
Prioritize ability to manage many SKUs, automation of calculations, adjustable reorder-trigger windows, and filtering for upcoming needs. Also look for fields for lead time, safety stock, and forecast inputs; a Google Sheets alternative can add filtering automation. Key capability: filtering by X days.
Will buying a prebuilt inventory reorder template save time versus building one from scratch?
A prebuilt template provides organized inputs and preconfigured formulas so you avoid designing reorder-point logic yourself. The Inventory Reordering Tracker specifically centralizes lead time, expected sales, safety stock, and automated outputs, delivering organization and automation around the calculations.
Can a spreadsheet handle prioritizing reorders for hundreds of SKUs?
Yes—this category of tracker is designed to keep track of many SKUs and rank items by days until reorder point so users can see what requires attention soon. The template supports user-defined windows to view items coming due in the next 5, 10, 30 days, next 5, 10, 30 days.
How flexible are reorder-trigger windows in spreadsheet trackers?
The tracker lets users define the number of days until a reorder is considered triggered and then lists SKUs that meet that criterion; you can set different filter windows (e.g., 5, 10, 30 days) so each filter runs for a user-defined period, user-defined days until reorder is triggered.
What common formula outputs should an analyst expect from an inventory reorder tracker?
Expect outputs such as Reorder in 'x' days (formula), Inventory Level to reorder (formula), Expected Order Date (formula), Order 'x' of Reorder Level, and Amount to Order (formula), all driven by inputs like On‑Hand Units and Lead Time (days), Amount to Order (formula).
Source: Best Practices in Inventory Management Excel: Inventory Reordering Tracker Excel (XLSX) Spreadsheet, Jason Varner | SmartHelping