The supply chain leader's data checklist
Supply chain is judged on three things that pull against each other: service, cost and cash. Any number that shows only one of them will drive the wrong decision.
01 The numbers you own
Five you should be able to defend
Not the longest list — the shortest one that covers the job. Each links to its full definition, including where the number lives and how it gets read wrong.
On time in full
The promise the customer actually experiences.
orders_delivered_on_time_and_complete ÷ total_ordersFAForecast accuracy
The upstream cause of most stock and most stockouts.
1 − ( Σ|actual − forecast| ÷ Σactual )CoverStock cover
Cash held as insurance against that error.
current_stock ÷ average_daily_demandSLTSupplier lead time
Both the average and the variability, which is what really drives buffers.
mean and variability of (goods_receipt_date − purchase_order_date)FCUFreight cost per unit
The cost consequence of how customers order.
total_freight_cost ÷ units_shipped02 Questions to ask
Six questions for your next review
Ask them of your own team before anyone asks them of you. The uncomfortable answers are the useful ones.
- Can we see service, stock and cost for the same product on the same screen?
- Are planned lead times in the system the ones suppliers actually achieve?
- How much of our safety stock is covering forecast error, and how much is covering unreliable supply?
- When a customer order is late, can we say why within an hour?
- What does one extra day of stock cost us, in money, this month?
- Which customers are expensive to serve because of how they order, not what they buy?
03 First 90 days
A plan that finishes something
Narrow and finished beats broad and half-built. Each stage produces evidence that funds the next one.
04 Where the data lives
The systems behind your numbers
| System | What it holds | Key records |
|---|---|---|
| ERP planning and purchasing | Demand, orders and receipts — where lead times and coverage are set. | Material, Purchase order, Goods receipt, Planned order |
| WMS and TMS | Where stock is, what moved and what it cost to move. | Stock item, Delivery, Shipment, Lane |
| Demand planning | The forecast, its version history and its error — the reason buffers exist. | Forecast version, Statistical baseline, Override, Promotion |
05 Questions
Frequently asked
Which single fix gives the most back?
Accurate planned lead times. Everything downstream — safety stock, coverage, expediting — is calculated from a number that is often years out of date.
How do we argue for stock reduction without hurting service?
Separate the two causes of buffer: forecast error and supply variability. Reducing either one releases stock without touching the service level, which turns the argument into a project rather than a debate.
Bring your hardest number
We will trace one of your own figures back to source, live, on your data.