Developing a stock management strategy in a commercial enterprise

Abstract

Subject. The coronavirus pandemic has brought serious economic consequences, which have primarily affected small and medium-sized businesses. The office supply industry, whose products are widely used by office workers, students, and teachers, is no exception. Distance working and learning have reshaped the demand for the products of stationery companies. Therefore, it is necessary to analyse which products are in highest demand and most profitable for a company and to optimise the stock, which cannot be done without using mathematical tools. On a daily basis, employees of a commercial enterprise have to make procurement decisions: what products need to be ordered, in what quantities, and how often. Effective stock management allows avoiding a stock shortage or an overstocked warehouse, which, of course, has an impact on the revenue of the company and its competitiveness. Objectives. To analyse stationary supplies and to identify the most profitable products for the company. To determine the optimal amount of purchasing for the goods with the highest demand. Methods. The study used the methods of comparative and structural analysis, the descriptive method, the method of studying documents and the results of activities, ABC-analysis, stock management models, and numerical optimisation methods. Results. The main results are as follows: the most profitable products for the company have been identified; a stock management strategy for products with the highest demand has been developed. Solving a linear programming problem helped determine the optimum order amounts for certain goods and the best intervals between deliveries. Conclusions. The developed stock management strategy will allow the company to provide the necessary amount of goods with the highest demand in the warehouse.