1、 1 外文翻译 原文 can you profit from inventory control? Material Source: http:/www.asashop.org/autoinc/march/invntctr.htm Author: Rick Lavely Inventory control. If youre like most shop owners, that seems like a contradiction in terms. It doesnt have to though. You can control your inventory rather than th
2、e other way around. What does inventory mean to you? Does it mean after-hours projects, such as extra paperwork or heated conversations with your bookkeeper over cost vs. markup vs. profitability? If you answered “yes,“ inventory probably also means “piles of money“ on the shelf. Inventory is money
3、on the shelf. National averages for a typical shop range from $10,000 to $20,000 worth of inventory and 30 percent of that inventory is dead! A 21-month study conducted recently on what shop owners sell and what they stock, revealed that 11 percent of shop owners sell spark plugs but dont stock them
4、, while 18 percent stock spark plugs but dont have what they need. What is the purpose of inventory? Many shop owners think its there to facilitate shop operation by reducing rack time and increasing gross profit. In reality, however, inventory exists to improve your level of service. How? The right
5、 amount of the right part numbers will provide you with what you need when you need it, without enormous stress on your operating capital. Consider the following two methods of inventory control. Last In First Out (LIFO) means that when there is more than one of a given part number, you sell the las
6、t one received, first. The rationale being that the newest is probably the most expensive. First In First Out (FIFO) means that when there is more than one of a given part number, you sell the one youve had the longest, first. The rationale? To keep your stock rotating. Whether you use LIFO or FIFO,
7、 the actual transfers are only taking place on paper. The old dusty part may be pulled off the shelf, but its the new expensive one thats reduced from inventory. Ask your bookkeeper which is the correct method for your business. 2 Why should you even consider these inventory control methods listed a
8、bove? Take a moment to compare the value of your inventory to the value of some piece of your equipment. When you purchased the expensive piece of equipment, you probably considered various things. You probably shopped for the best price and considered return on investment. If the equipment wouldnt
9、pay for itself, you probably would not have purchased it. After the purchase, you monitored your investment to maximize its use and, therefore, its return. All the same rules apply to your inventory investment. There are some fundamental differences, however, between your inventory investment and yo
10、ur capital investments. Your equipment is depreciable, while your inventory is taxable. Your capital investments happen suddenly, while your inventory value creeps up gradually. At some point, most shop owners end up with a large inventory investment on which they pay taxes, yet rarely do they monit
11、or or control it properly. Face it, its a time-consuming process in an industry that holds time at such a premium that you charge for it in six-minute increments. So what to do? Some think the best inventory is none at all. Inventory interferes with your productivity. How much time do you spend coun
12、ting it, ordering and receiving it, tracking incorrect orders, stocking shelves and tracking returns? How much energy goes into protecting it? How often do you give something away? Inventory Calculations When was the last time your parts percentage figures were at the level you require for profitabi
13、lity? There are two calculations that are often overlooked when determining inventory profitability. The first is cost-to-order, the second is cost-to-keep. The factors involved in cost-to-order are time and money. Time to calculate order quantities and time to do paperwork, time to receive it, stoc
14、k it, correct errors and then time to track them, and money to pay someone to do it all. To determine your cost-to-order, you first must learn how much: time is actually spent deciding what to order; time it takes to do the paperwork; time it takes to check in and stock the order; you pay the indivi
15、dual(s) that actually perform each step. If the inventory value of the order received is $100, and if you sell parts at a 45 percent margin, youd sell that $100 for $182. The formula here is: selling price = 3 cost of goods (in this case, $100) divided by the result of 1.00 minus the margin (.45 in
16、this example). If your cost-to-order is $10, what happens to the selling price? If it remains the same, you just lost money. (The cost of goods remains at $100, but the cost to order = $10. A $110 investment would gross $200.20 on a 45 percent margin). You just lost $18.20. There is also a calculati
17、on called cost-to-keep. Space does not permit a lengthy discussion, but the important point to consider is how much it costs to buy inventory based on how long you own it, as well as how much return on investment you could get on that dollar if it wasnt on the shelf. You must also factor in cost-of-
18、obsolescence. For example, if it costs you 10 percent to keep something on the shelf, and you receive a 5 percent quantity discount, maybe you shouldnt buy it. The lowest price is not always the best price. If gaining control of your inventory sounds like the impossible dream, its not. My recommenda
19、tion is to look into just-in-time inventory. This means that you order on a regular basis and purchase only when you need to replenish what has been sold since the last order. Just-in-time inventory means you must have short inventory order cycles and accurate tracking to determine what and how much
20、 inventory to stock. It is an attainable goal. Seven Steps To Improve Inventory Control The following seven steps can help you improve your inventory control, improve your level of service and improve your bottom line. Step One Determine which items are your real movers. To accomplish this, you must
21、 first determine what represents “dead“ inventory in your store. Be realistic. Dont forget about that shelf of dealer parts tucked away in the back. A good way to measure dead inventory is to evaluate inventory turns. Turns equal cost of goods sold (COGS) divided by inventory value. Calculate COGS o
22、n your inventory as a whole, then recalculate on specific lines such as belts or hoses. You may be surprised by the result. Your computer system should be able to provide accurate purchase data by line. If not, speak with your bookkeeper about supplying the proper information. Step Two Turn dust int
23、o dollars. You must get rid of whats not moving. If you multiply your gross profit percent by what you can recover by turning it in, for example, 50 cents on the dollar, 30 cents on the dollar, etc., youll arrive at the amount of reinvestment capital available to you. Its important that you dont get
24、 trapped by thinking about 4 what you paid for it vs. what you can get for it now. Inventory turns can be increased by either selling more parts, or by reducing inventory value. If inventory turns increase, so does your bottom line, guaranteed. Step Three Analyze your business profile. Its important
25、 to consider what you have in stock vs. what types of repairs you perform. Do you do lots of brake repairs? Stock lots of brake parts? Do you ever have to order parts when doing a brake repair? How is the level of your service affected by having brake parts in inventory? Is it working? If not, why s
26、tock it? Step Four Determine what and how much to stock. Who makes the ordering decisions in your shop? Does he/she consider seasonal items? Do you utilize replenishment ordering, or do you order to stock levels? If you use the latter, who determines the stock levels? Determining what to stock (and
27、how much) is similar to determining your dead inventory. The difference is how much inventory do you really need? Again, your computer should be able to tell you what is selling and which items produce the greatest gross profits. If the gross profit percent is low on a given item, sales have to be h
28、igh. But, if gross profit percent is high, you can get away with selling fewer of that item. Remember the goal you want to maximize your level of service. If stocking an item doesnt help you reach that goal, dont stock it. Step Five Monitor sales for profitability. Its easy to fall into the we-sell-
29、lotsa-em, we-better-stock-lotsa-“em“ trap. Its a trap because high sales volume doesnt necessarily equate to high profitability. If youre losing money each time you sell one, you cant make it up in volume. A better consideration would be to determine where the profit lies and unload everything that
30、isnt profitable. Gross profit per line item is one measure. How much it costs to wait for parts is another. Most of this information is available from your computer (or your bookkeeper from information youre already providing him/her). Remember, a 1 percent increase in gross profit equals a 1 percen
31、t increase in net profit, if the volume remains constant. Step Six Establish daily ordering. This step is nearly self-explanatory. Once youve determined what the movers are, gotten rid of the dead inventory, and determined what and how much to stock based on the types of repairs you perform (and the
32、 5 profitability), then youre ready to order and receive parts daily to replenish yesterdays sales. If youre automated, it wont be a problem. If not, its still doable. Step Seven Buy smart. When selecting a supplier, realize that prices are so competitive and deliveries are so good that you do have
33、choices. Its important to evaluate what you can get from your supplier other than parts. For example, will your suppliers analyze your purchases and returns on an item level? What are your return privileges? What percent can be sent back “no questions asked“? Will they clean up your inventory? How o
34、ften? Many of these important issues are overlooked when choosing a supplier. 译文 你能从库存控制中获利吗 ? 资料来源 : http:/www.asashop.org/autoinc/march/invntctr.htm 作者： Rick Lavely 存货的控制。如果你像大多数店主一样，这似乎是 一个矛盾的术语。这是不必要的。你能控制你的库存。 存货对你来说意味着什么？它是否意味着下班后的项目，如额外的文书工作或者跟你的记帐员关于成本、标记、盈利能力的热烈讨论？如果你回答 “是的 ”，库存可能意味着落在货架上的金
35、钱。 库存就是落在货架上的金钱。一个典型的拥有平均存货价值在 $10000 到$20000 的店，就意味着 30%的库存已经死了！近来 21 个月关于对店主卖什么和储存什么的研究显示， 11%的店主卖火花塞但不储存，而 18%的店主储存火花塞却从来不卖。 什么是库存的目的？不少店主认为它的存在能减少机架时间，增 加毛利，从而推动店铺营业。实际上，库存的存在提高了服务水平。怎么做呢？适当的库存产品保持一定的量就能够在你需要的时候提供给你，而无须考虑营运资金的压力。 考虑以下两种库存控制的方法。后进先出法意味着，当有超过一个给定的零件编号，你最先卖出的是最新进的货。理由是最新的可能是最昂贵的。先进
36、先出法意味着，当有超过一个给定的零件编号，你最先卖出的是你拥有时间最6 长的。理由是 ?为了使你的库存流动。无论你使用先进先出法或是后进先出法，实际的转换都只是在纸上发生。旧的坏的部分可能从货架上移除，但是新的贵的那些也会从库存中减 少。问问你的记帐员哪种方法适合你的企业。 为什么你要考虑上面列出的这些库存控制的方法呢 ?你应该花些时间来比较库存和设备的价值。当你购买了一件昂贵的设备，你可能会考虑各种事情。你可能会以最优惠的价格购买，并且考虑它的投资回报率。如果设备不值得投资，你就不会去购买它。在购买之后，你会管理你的设备让其最大限度地发挥其效用和它带来的回报。 所有的规则同样适用于你的库存投
37、资。但在库存投资和资本投资之间还是有一些根本性的区别的。你的设备要折旧，而库存会征税。资本投资可以突然发生，但你的存货价值是逐步提升的。在某些时候， 大多数店主败在一个大的库存投资上，他们为此需要纳税，却不能合理地管理或者控制他们的存货。面对现实吧，这是一个在行业中耗费时间的过程，你必须为拥有这样一个保费付出以 6分钟为单位的代价。 那么怎么办呢？一些人认为最好的办法是零库存。库存干扰你的产量。那么你花多少时间去计算，订购和接收库存，又花多少时间去跟踪错误的订单，库存货架和库存回报呢？有多少精力去介入保护它呢？你又有多久会说漏嘴呢？ 库存计算 在你要求的盈利水平下，你最后一次计算库存百分比是什
38、么时候？在确定存货的盈利能力的时候，有两点常常被忽视。 首先是成 本与订单，二是成本与保存。决定成本与订单的因素是时间和金钱。时间来计算订单的数量，来做文书工作，来接受它，储存它，来纠正错误，来追踪它，而金钱就是雇某人来做这一切。要确定你的成本和订单，你首先必须了解： 时间实际上是用来决定下什么订单， 时间是用来完成文书工作， 时间是用来检查和储存订单， 你付钱给执行上述步骤的人。 如果收到的订单的存货价值是 $100，而你的销售利润率在 45%，你就会卖$182。这里的公式为：销售价格 =销售成本（在此情况下， $100）是 1.00 减去利润的结果（在这个例子， 45）。如果你的成 本对订
39、单是 $10，销售价格会是多少？如果仍然保持不变，你就损失了钱。（货物的成本仍然维持在 $100，但成本对订单 =$10。一个 110 美元， 45%利润率的总投资会获利 200.20 美元）。你损失了 18.2美元。 7 还有所谓的成本对保持的计算。空间不容许长时间的讨论，但是重要的一点是，你要考虑在你拥有库存多久的基础上，在你投资能获得多少回报的基础上，你能为存货投资付出多少。你还必须考虑存货陈旧过时的成本。例如，你付出 10%的成本形成存货，但你会拥有 5%的数量折扣，你就不应该买它。最低的价格不一定是最好的价格。 对你 的库存进行控制，听起来像一个不可能实现的梦，事实上却不是这样。我的
40、建议是遵循 JIT 库存模式。这意味着你的订单要建立在有规律的基础上，只有当你最近的订单售完之后你才需要补货。 JIT 存货模式意味着你要建立短期库存循环，准确地计算来决定需要哪种存货，需要的量是多少。这是一个可以实现的目标。 七个步骤来改善库存控制 以下七个步骤可以帮助你提高库存管理，提高服务水平，提高你的底线。 第一步 确定哪些项目是你真正的推动者。要做到这一点，你必须首先确定在你的店里哪些代表 “死 ”的库存。要现实一点。不要忘记藏在经销商背后货架 上的那部分。评估存货的周转速度是来衡量库存的死活一个好方法。将库存价值除以等量的销货成本。先将销货成本作为一个整体计算，然后按具体路线重新计
41、算如皮带或者软管的销货成本。你可能会为结果感到惊讶。你的计算机系统应该能够提供准确的购买数据信息。如果不能的话，让你的记帐员提供合适的信息给你。 第二步 将灰尘变成钱。你必须摆脱不动的状态。你可以通过从一美元中上缴 50美分或从一美元中上缴 30美分的方法提高毛利率，从而你可以得到想要的再投资资本。重要的是，你没有被类似于你为它付出了什么或者你从它那儿获得什么的问题所困扰。 库存周转率可以通过出售更多的零件或者减少库存价值来提高。存货周转率的增加意味着你的底线得到了保证。 第三步 分析你的企业形象。重要的是考虑你的库存中有什么和你会做哪些类型的补救措施。你是否总是做刹车的维修？储存很多刹车零部
42、件吗？你是否曾经在修刹车的时候才订购零部件？拥有刹车零部件库存对你的服务水平有什么影响？有好的影响吗？如果没有，为什么要储存它呢？ 第四步 确定储存什么和储存多少。在你的店中，谁是做订购决定的？他考虑到季节性的商品了吗？你是真正利用补货订货还是只是为了保证库存水平？如果是后者，那么谁决定库 存水平？决定储存什么和决定你的库存呆料是类似的。区8 别在于你真正需要的存货是多少？同样地，你的计算机应该告诉你正在卖什么，什么是最好卖的。如果一个产品的毛利率很低，销量就应该高一点。但是，如果它的毛利率很高，你可以减少销量。记住你的目标是最大限度地提高你的服务水平。如果你的库存不能帮助你实现这个目标，那就
43、放弃它。 第五步 管理销售的盈利能力。这很容易让我们进入一个 “我们卖什么就应该储存什么 ”的陷阱。这是一个陷阱因为高的销量并不等同于高盈利能力。如果你每次赔钱卖，你并不能提高销量。一个更好的建议是，去除掉一切不 能盈利的因素和确定盈利点。每行项目的毛利润是一件事。费用又是另一件事。其中大部分的信息能从你的计算机中得到（或从你的记帐员那里获得）。请记住，如果销量保持不变，毛利润增长一个百分点等于净利润增长一个百分点。 第六步 建立日常的订单流程。这一步几乎是不言自明的。你一旦确定哪些是可流动的库存，就要摆脱那些 “死的 ”库存，并根据你的补救类型和盈利能力来决定储存什么和多少存货，然后你就能下订单来补充库存，以满足销售。如果你很主动，这不会是一个问题。如果你不是的话，它仍然是可行的。 第七步 明智地购买。当选择供应商的时 候，你要确保价格是有竞争力的，而快递也很好，你才能作出选择。重要的是你能从供应商那里获得什么。例如，你的供应商会分析你的购买和回报吗？你有什么回报的特权？有多少部分可以毫无疑问地获得回报？他们会帮你清理库存吗？多久一次？选择一个供应商的时候，许多类似重要的问题被忽略。
