Inventory planning training is a one-day workshop that teaches demand planners, inventory planners, warehouse and operations staff to keep the right stock in the right place. It covers demand signals and simple replenishment forecasts, safety stock, reorder points, ABC and slow-mover reviews, service level versus cost, warehouse accuracy and the weekly planning meeting.
- Recommended: 1 day in person, or 3 × 2.5-hour live virtual sessions, plus a 60-day stock review project
- Level: Intermediate · In person · Live virtual · Blended
- Designed with the ADDIE model and customised to your context
- Offered by Bodhih since 2008 to 2,000+ organisations across 7 regions
Also known as: inventory management training, supply chain planning training, safety stock training, demand and inventory planning course
Where and how: inventory planning training as an in-person workshop in Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Gurugram, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune, Kolkata, Ahmedabad and Jaipur; as a live online course; or delivered overseas in Dubai, Singapore and across the Middle East, Asia and Africa.
Last reviewed by Siddharthan VGJ, Founder · Bodhih Training, Bengaluru
Why inventory planning decides both service and cash
A festive-season stock-out loses sales you never get back, while a warehouse full of last year's slow movers ties up cash you badly need. Many organisations swing between the two because planning runs on gut feel, old reorder levels and a spreadsheet only one person understands.
Inventory planning training replaces guesswork with a few clear numbers and a weekly rhythm. Planners, buyers and warehouse teams learn the same language, so the conversation moves from blame about stock to decisions about it.
Analytical thinking is the most sought-after core skill, seen as essential by about seven in ten companies.
What participants will be able to do
Read demand signals
Separate trend, seasonality, promotions and one-off spikes in consumption history before setting replenishment.
Build a simple replenishment forecast
Use moving averages and seasonal factors to project replenishment needs and measure forecast error.
Set safety stock and reorder points
Calculate safety stock and reorder points from demand, variability and supplier lead time in plain numbers.
Prioritise with ABC and slow-mover reviews
Classify items by value and movement and agree actions for slow, obsolete and near-expiry stock.
Balance service and cost
Choose service-level targets by item class and explain the stock and cash each target requires.
Run the weekly planning meeting
Lead a focused weekly review of exceptions, risks and decisions with purchase, warehouse and commercial teams.
Who should attend
- Demand and inventory planners in manufacturing, FMCG and consumer durables
- Replenishment and category teams in retail and e-commerce
- Warehouse managers, supervisors and inventory controllers
- Purchase and materials planning staff in plants and MSMEs
- Distribution and depot teams in pharma distribution and FMCG
- Operations and finance analysts who track inventory days and working capital
Program outline
Recommended design, customised to your context after a short needs analysis.
01Inventory basics that drive cash and serviceModule 1 · 60 min+
- Why we hold stock: cycle, safety, seasonal and pipeline
- Inventory days, turns and fill rate in plain terms
- The cost of too much and too little
02Demand signals and replenishment forecastsModule 2 · 90 min+
- Reading history: trend, seasonality, promotions and outliers
- Moving averages and seasonal factors
- Measuring forecast error and bias
- Lab: build a 12-week replenishment forecast for ten items
03Safety stock and reorder pointsModule 3 · 90 min+
- Demand variability and lead-time variability
- Safety stock by service level, worked in plain numbers
- Reorder point and order quantity
- Lab: reset reorder levels for a sample depot
04ABC, slow movers and ageing stockModule 4 · 60 min+
- ABC by value and XYZ by variability
- Slow-moving, obsolete and near-expiry stock
- Actions: liquidate, transfer, bundle or stop buying
05Warehouse flow and accuracyModule 5 · 60 min+
- Receiving, put-away, picking and dispatch flow
- Cycle counting and record accuracy
- Location and slotting basics
- How inaccurate records break planning
06The weekly planning meetingModule 6 · 75 min+
- Agenda: exceptions, risks, decisions and owners
- Inputs from purchase, warehouse, finance and commercial teams
- Simulation: a festive-season planning meeting
- Your 60-day stock review project plan
Sample training plan: 1-day hands-on design
This one-day workshop turns inventory planning into a few clear numbers and a weekly rhythm. Participants read the story in a year of consumption history, build a 12-week replenishment forecast, calculate safety stock and reorder points by hand and in a spreadsheet, and sort a messy item list into ABC classes. A multi-round stock game shows the cost of every reorder decision, and the day ends with a festive-season planning meeting. Each team leaves with a 60-day stock review project.
Participants can set replenishment numbers, prioritise items and run a weekly planning meeting.
- 09:30–10:00Empty shelf, full warehouseEnergiser
- 10:00–11:00Reading the demand storyHands-on lab
- 11:15–12:30Safety stock by handSkill drill
- 12:30–13:15ABC, XYZ and the slow moversGroup challenge
- 14:00–15:00The stock gameBusiness game
- 15:00–15:45When the records are wrongCase clinic
- 16:00–16:45The festive-season planning meetingSimulation
- 16:45–17:30My 60-day stock reviewAction planning
Every session’s activity, timings, outputs and materials, plus pre-work, a 90-day reinforcement plan and how impact is measured. Free, emailed to you instantly.
Recommended: 1 day in person (09:30–17:30), or 3 × 2.5-hour live virtual sessions, plus a 60-day stock review project. A sample design: every Bodhih program is customised after a short needs analysis.
How long is inventory planning training?
The recommended design is one full day in person or three live virtual sessions of two and a half hours, followed by a 60-day stock review project with check-ins at 30, 60 and 90 days. A two-day version adds deeper forecasting and warehouse labs.
What activities are included in inventory planning training?
Participants read a year of consumption history, build a replenishment forecast, calculate safety stock and reorder points, classify 200 items by value and variability, play a six-round stock game, fix record accuracy in a warehouse case and run a festive-season planning meeting.
How we deliver it
Plain-number labs
Every formula is worked by hand and in a spreadsheet with small, realistic datasets, so planners understand the logic, not just the output.
Your SKUs, your lead times
Where approved, labs use anonymised extracts from your own item master and consumption history.
Cross-functional tables
Planners, buyers, warehouse and finance staff work together, mirroring the real weekly meeting.
A stock game
A multi-round business game shows how reorder decisions play out in stock-outs, cash and warehouse space.
Tailored versions
For FMCG and retail
Focus on promotions, festive peaks, store replenishment and distributor stock norms.
For manufacturing and MSMEs
Focus on raw material and spares planning, supplier lead times, minimum order quantities and plant stores.
For pharma distribution and e-commerce
Focus on near-expiry stock, batch tracking, fast-moving SKUs and allocation across several warehouses.
How we measure impact
We measure the impact of inventory planning training in the ADDIE model's Evaluate stage. Participants take AssessAll pre-assessments, Demand and Inventory Planning Judgment for Supply Chain and Operations Teams and Warehouse & Logistics Operations Judgment, and repeat them as post-assessments at day 90. In the 30-60-90 day follow-up, managers review the 60-day stock project, record accuracy and agreed indicators such as fill rate and inventory days with your supply chain lead.
Pair this program with AssessAll, Bodhih’s AI assessment platform, for pre- and post-program skill measurement.
Frequently asked questions
What is inventory planning training?
Inventory planning training teaches planners, buyers and warehouse teams to decide how much stock to hold, where to hold it and when to reorder. It covers demand signals, simple replenishment forecasts, safety stock, reorder points, ABC and slow-mover reviews, service levels and the weekly planning meeting. Bodhih's version is hands-on, using plain numbers and spreadsheets.
How do you calculate safety stock?
Safety stock covers the variability in demand and supplier lead time. A common approach multiplies a service-level factor by the variability of demand over the lead time. The workshop takes participants through the calculation step by step in plain numbers and a spreadsheet, then tests the result against real stock-out history.
What is a reorder point?
A reorder point is the stock level at which you place a new order. It equals expected demand during the supplier's lead time plus safety stock, so when stock falls to that level, you reorder. Participants recalculate reorder points for sample items and see how outdated levels cause both stock-outs and excess.
What is ABC analysis in inventory management?
ABC analysis ranks items by their share of consumption value. A items are the few that make up most of the value, while C items are the many that make up little. Planners then apply tighter reviews and service targets to A items. The workshop combines ABC with movement analysis to spot slow and obsolete stock.
Who should attend inventory planning training?
Demand and inventory planners, replenishment and category teams, purchase and materials planners, warehouse managers and inventory controllers. Finance and operations analysts who track inventory days also benefit. Mixed groups work well because stock problems usually start in the hand-offs between commercial teams, purchase and the warehouse.
What is the difference between service level and fill rate?
Service level usually means the chance of not running out of stock during a replenishment cycle, and it is used to set safety stock. Fill rate is the share of demand actually met from stock on hand. A high service level target does not always mean a high fill rate, so the workshop shows planners how to track both.
Do participants need advanced maths or planning software?
No. The workshop uses plain numbers and simple spreadsheets, so basic arithmetic and percentages are enough. The logic transfers to whatever planning or ERP system your organisation uses, and we align examples to the reports your planners already see. A two-day version adds deeper forecasting and warehouse labs.
Do you run inventory planning training in India and the Middle East?
Yes. Bodhih runs it in person in Bengaluru, Chennai, Pune, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Delhi NCR, including at plants and warehouses, and master trainers travel to Dubai, Jeddah and other Gulf cities. Live virtual sessions suit planners spread across depots and regions. Every design is customised after a needs analysis.