Inventory management 库存管理 -外文翻译.docx

FloydD.Hedrick,1.ibraryofCongress,Washington,D.C.Editor:JeannetteBudding,CommunicationsManagerNationalAssociationofPurchasingManagementInventorymanagementAbstractInventorymanagement,orinventorycontrol,isanattempttobalanceinventoryneedsandrequirementswiththeneedtominimizecostsresultingfromobtainingandholdinginventory.Thereareseveralschoolsofthoughtthatviewinventoryanditsfunctiondifferently.Thesewillbeaddressedlater,butfirstwepresentafoundationtofacilitatethereader'sunderstandingofinventoryanditsfunctionInventorymanagementisinventorymanagementinshort.Asanimportantinventoryofliquidassets,itsexistenceisboundtotakeupalotOfliquidity.Ingeneral,inventoriesofindustrialenterprisesaccountedforabout30%ofthetotalassetsofcommercialcirculationenterprisesisevenhigher,themanagementofutilizationisdirectlyrelatedtotheoccupationofthelevelofcorporatefundsandassetefficiency.Therefore,abusinesstomaintainhighprofitability,shouldbeattachedgreatimportancetoinventorymanagement.Inventorymanagementatdifferentlevels,thecompany'saverageoccupancyleveloffundingisabigdifference.Throughtheimplementationofproperinventorymanagementmethodstoreducetheleveloftheaverageamountoffundsusedtoimprovetheinventoryturnoverrateandtotalassets,willultimatelyimprovetheeconomicefficiencyofenterprises.Keyword：Inventory；ManagementChapter I InventoryDefinitionInventoryisaquantityorstoreofgoodsthatisheldforsomepurposeoruse(thetermmayalsobeusedasaverb,meaningtotakeinventoryortocountallgoodsheldininventory).Inventorymaybekept"in-house,11meaningonthepremisesornearbyforimmediateuse;oritmaybeheldinadistantwarehouseordistributioncenterforfutureuse.Withtheexceptionoffirmsutilizingjust-in-timemethods,moreoftenthannot,theterm11inventory11impliesastoredquantityofgoodsthatexceedswhatisneededforthefirmtofunctionatthecurrenttime(e.g.,withinthenextfewhours).Chapter II ThemeaningofInventoryManagement2.1maintainthelistWhywouldafirmholdmoreinventorythaniscurrentlynecessarytoensurethefirm'soperation?Thefollowingisalistofreasonsformaintainingwhatwouldappeartobe"excess11inventory.Table1JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneDemand5500100200200Produce100100100100100100Month-endinventory501002002001000Table11-6monthabusinessdemand,production,endbalancesituation2.2 MeetdemandInorderforaretailertostayinbusiness,itmusthavetheproductsthatthecustomerwantsonhandwhenthecustomerwantsthem.Ifnot,theretailerwillhavetoback-ordertheproduct.Ifthecustomercangetthegoodfromsomeothersource,heorshemaychoosetodosoratherthanelectingtoallowtheoriginalretailertomeetdemandlater(throughback-order).Hence,inmanyinstances,ifagoodisnotininventory,asaleislostforever.2.3 KeepoperationsrunningAmanufacturermusthavecertainpurchaseditems(rawmaterials,components,orsubassemblies)inordertomanufactureitsproduct.Runningoutofonlyoneitemcanpreventamanufacturerfromcompletingtheproductionofitsfinishedgds.Inventorybetweensuccessivedependentoperationsalsoservestodecouplethedependencyoftheoperations.Amachineorworkcenlerisoftendependentuponthepreviousoperationtoprovideitwithpartstoworkon.Ifworkceasesataworkcenter,thenallsubsequentcenterswillshutdownforlackofwork.Ifasupplyofwork-in-processinventoryiskeptbetweeneachworkcenter,theneachmachinecanmaintainitsoperationsforalimitedtime,hopefullyuntiloperationsresumetheoriginalcenter.2.4 1.eadtime1.eadtimeisthetimethatelapsesbetweentheplacingofanorder(eitherapurchaseorderoraproductionorderissuedtotheshoporIhefactoryfloor)andactuallyreceivingthegoodsordered.Ifasupplier(anexternalfirmoraninternaldepartmentorplant)cannotsupplytherequiredgoodsondemand,thentheclientfirmmustkeepaninventoryoftheneededgoods.Thelongertheleadtime,thelargerthequantityofgoodsthefirmmustcarryininventory.Ajust-in-time(JIT)manufacturingfirm,suchasNissaninSmyrna,Tennessee,canmaintainextremelylowlevelsofinventory.Nissantakesdeliveryontruckseatsasmanyas18timesperday.However,steelmillsmayhavealeadtimeofuptothreemonths.Thatmeansthatafirmthatusessteelproducedatthemillmustplaceordersatleastthreemonthsinadvanceoftheirneed.Inordertokeeptheiroperationsrunninginthemeantime,anon-handinventoryofthreemonths'steelrequirementswouldbenecessary.2.5 HedgeInventorycanalsobeusedasahedgeagainstpriceincreasesandinflation.Salesmenroutinelycallpurchasingagentsshortlybeforeapriceincreasegoesintoeffect.Thisgivesthebuyerachancetopurchasematerial,inexcessofcurrentneed,atapricethatislowerthanitwouldbeifthebuyerwaileduntilafterthepriceincreaseoccurs.2.6 SmoothingrequirementsSometimesinventoryisusedtosmoothdemandrequirementsinamarketwheredemandissomewhaterratic.ConsiderthedemandforecastandproductionscheduleoutlinedinTablelNoticehowtheuseofinventoryhasallowedthefirmtomaintainasteadyrateofoutput(thusavoidingthecostofhiringandtrainingnewpersonnel),whilebuildingupinventoryinanticipationofanincreaseindemand.Infact,thisisoftencalledanticipationinventory.Inessence,theuseofinventoryhasallowedthefirmtomovedemandrequirementstoearlierperiods,thussmoothingthedemand.Chapter III Con