Inventory Planning Starts With Material Readiness
Better inventory planning depends on knowing when parts and materials will actually arrive. SourceDay keeps supplier commitments and open PO data current, so planning teams can reduce surprises, excess stock, and last minute shortages.
Why Inventory Plans Break Down
Inventory issues start when dates change, quantities shift, orders go unacknowledged, or updates never make it back to the ERP. The planning system is doing it’s job but it’s working from outdated data. When that happens teams plan around uncertainty instead of actual material availability.
WHAT YOU SEE EVERY WEEK
THE DOWNSTREAM COST
Parts arrive late or early
with no warning
Excess inventory tied up in the
wrong materials
Supplier date changes live in
emails, not systems
Expedites and downtime when the right parts still don’t show up
Planners buffer stock because
they distrust the data
Planning teams stuck
reacting instead of planning
What Better Inventory Planning Looks Like
Better planning comes from giving teams a clearer view of what material is actually available, at risk, and committed. That means:
- Material readiness is easier to see. Teams know what parts are confirmed, late, or need action.
- Inventory buffers become more intentional. Planners only hold stock where risk is real.
- Exceptions surface earlier. Late parts, short shipments, and unconfirmed orders are visible.
With reliable PO data planners can:
- Confirm what materials are on track
- Reduce excess safety stock
- Catch material risks before production is disrupted
How SourceDay Supports Inventory Planning & Material Readiness
SourceDay helps planning teams by fixing the data behind the plan.
Buyers and suppliers collaborate, so updates are captured against the actual PO. Approved changes flow back into the ERP, keeping teams up to date.
With SourceDay, teams can:
- See which commitments are confirmed, missing, or changing
- Keep dates and quantities aligned with responses
- Catch material and item risks earlier
How Teams Get Started
Most teams do not start by rebuilding the planning process. They start by stabilizing the open purchase orders that already drive material availability.
This gives teams a lower-risk way to improve inventory planning: start with the supplier commitments already affecting production, then build confidence as open orders become cleaner and more predictable.
01
Connect SourceDay to existing purchase orders
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02
Capture current supplier commitments on dates and quantities
03
Keep changes visible and controlled as they happen
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How PO Management Shows Up in Inventory Planning
BraunAbility
Automotive mobility leader boosts on-time delivery by 30%, cuts inventory 22%, and eliminates procurement chaos with SourceDay
Ag Leader
Agriculture technology company boosted on-time delivery to 99%, cut inventory 32%, and saved millions using SourceDay with Epicor ERP.
Sportsman Boats
Learn how Sportsman Boats used SourceDay to reduce safety stock by 66% and achieved zero downtime from missing parts while their business was growing 40%.
Hubbardton Forge
How the artisan light maker reduced their buyers’ clerical work by 25%.
JBT AeroTech
JBT AeroTech saves $800K and boosts on-time delivery by fixing supplier communication with SourceDay
Inventory Planning & Inventory Reduction FAQs
Inventory planning depends on knowing when material will actually arrive. When supplier dates and quantities are unreliable, teams compensate with excess inventory. Improving planning accuracy starts with reliable execution data.
Excess inventory is often a response to uncertainty. Late supplier updates, unconfirmed purchase orders, and changes that never make it back into systems force teams to hold buffer stock to protect production.
No. SourceDay supports inventory planning by keeping purchase order commitments current and aligned to reality, so planning systems are working from more reliable inputs.
When supplier commitments are clear and current, material readiness improves. Planners can make decisions with confidence instead of reacting to last-minute changes or surprises.
Most teams begin by stabilizing open purchase orders—capturing current supplier commitments and keeping changes visible as they happen—so inventory planning improves without reworking existing systems.