Sample report
What the inventory checkup delivers
The excerpts below come from the checkup's own tool run on a made-up 41-row item file. The numbers show the format, not results for any real company.
Updated October 15, 2026
You send one export with one row per item: on-hand quantity, unit cost, lead time and at least six months of usage. Lead time variability, current safety stocks and reorder points are optional; include them to see how they compare. You get back an Excel workbook and a one-page summary. The sample below used a 95% cycle service level and included the buffer screening offered in the Advanced tier (lead time factors by lead-time group, variability factors by demand variability, a 7-day order cycle; this file had no MOQs).
1. One-page summary
Summary metrics (made-up data)
| Metric | Result |
|---|---|
| Rows in the file | 41 (spreadsheet rows 2–42; row 1 is the header) |
| Items analysed | 39 (the 2 duplicate rows are held back until you say which is right) |
| Inventory value | $1,127,543 |
| Excess over 180 days of cover | $430,662 |
| No movement in 6 months | 1 item, $10,476 |
| Net safety stock change at 95% service | +$45,446 (28 items up, 10 down) |
Rows with one bad field stay in the analyses that don't need that field. FST-104 has no unit cost, so it has no value-based results and the 9-box below covers 38 items. SKT-112 has no lead time, so it has no safety stock or reorder point and the safety stock comparison covers 38 items (28 up, 10 down).
In this made-up file, excess stock ($430,662 at cost) is much larger than the net safety stock increase ($45,446). Excess is book value, not cash you can recover, and one item can have both too much stock and too little safety stock (see section 3), so treat it as a prompt to look closer rather than money that moves from one to the other.
2. ABC/XYZ matrix
Item counts by class (made-up data) · Swipe sideways to see all columns.
| Value class | X (steady) | Y (variable) | Z (erratic) |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 9 | 3 | 0 |
| B | 7 | 3 | 0 |
| C | 8 | 4 | 4 |
3. Highest-value items: cover and excess
Top items by annual usage value (made-up data) · Swipe sideways to see all columns.
| Item | Class | Days of supply | Excess value | Safety stock now → recommended |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SKT-114 | AX | 271.7 | $60,272 | 360 → 970 |
| SKT-113 | AX | 338.6 | $87,954 | 1,684 → 4,190 |
| BKT-126 | AX | 83.8 | $0 | 404 → 1,840 |
| FLT-125 | AY | 414.0 | $92,283 | 269 → 812 |
| MTR-117 | AY | 144.6 | $0 | 12 → 19 |
Read together, these columns separate two problems: items with too much stock overall (high days of supply and excess) and items whose safety stock is set too low for their demand and lead time variability. Both can be true of the same item. Recommended safety stock uses the combined demand and lead time formula from the safety stock guide; items without lead time variability in the file are treated as having none. Excess means stock beyond 180 days of average usage, a screening threshold rather than proof the stock is unneeded.
4. What's in the workbook
- Summary with the metrics above
- SKU detail: every item with ABC/XYZ class, days of supply, excess, recommended safety stock and reorder point, and (when requested) first-pass buffer zones
- Excess & no movement: the inventory dollars to look at first
- Safety stock changes: current versus recommended, in units and dollars
- Exceptions: every row that couldn't be used, and why
- Method & assumptions: every formula and setting, so each number can be checked
5. Exceptions are listed, never guessed
Exceptions found in the made-up file
| Row | Item | Issue |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | FST-104 | Unit cost missing, negative or non-numeric |
| 7 | BRG-106 | Item appears 2 times; not analysed until you say which row is right |
| 13 | SKT-112 | Lead time missing, zero or non-numeric |
| 42 | BRG-106 | Item appears 2 times; not analysed until you say which row is right |
How the work is done
The analysis is produced with AI tools and automated scripts, with a separate automated check pass, then reviewed and signed off by a CPIM- and DDMRP-certified planner. Results are decision support: nothing is changed in your systems, and every assumption is written into the workbook. The checkup is ordered and paid through Upwork, in three fixed-price tiers starting at $175.