Inventory health
Compare stock position with sales velocity, product lifecycle and committed incoming supply. A category average can conceal very different conditions across individual SKUs.
Analytics & advisory
Inventory Analytics Consulting
See where inventory needs attention before the next buying decision. Elarva evaluates stock, sales and supply context to prioritize what to replenish, monitor, review or reduce.
An inventory total does not tell you where the risk sits.
A business can hold too much stock overall while running short of the products customers are buying. Inventory analytics consulting connects units on hand, recent sales, product attributes and supply timing so those differences become visible at SKU and category level.
Elarva supports product-driven retailers and brands reviewing a purchase order, a slow-moving category, a seasonal commitment or the balance of inventory investment. The starting point is a defined operating decision. The output is an evidence-based priority list with business implications, assumptions and recommended actions.
Separate excess exposure from availability risk.
Slow-moving and aging stock
Distinguish products with low recent movement from newly introduced items and intentionally held range. Receipt or aging data are needed to assess how long stock has actually been held.
Stockout indicators
Review available units, demand signals and replenishment lead times. Low stock cover is a review signal; it is not proof that a stockout will occur.
Concentration and inventory productivity
Compare category sales contribution with inventory investment. Where cost data are available, evaluate the capital exposed alongside units and commercial role.
Use measures that answer the question.
Sell-through, stock cover and inventory turnover describe different aspects of inventory performance. Elarva defines the period, denominator and treatment of returns before comparing products. Units and cost values are not mixed within a calculation.
- Stock cover: units on hand divided by average weekly unit sales over a stated history. On-hand cover does not automatically include incoming purchase orders, reserved units or future demand changes.
- Sell-through: units sold relative to the defined units available for sale in the same period. Receipts and stock movements must be reconciled before interpreting the percentage.
- Inventory turnover: cost of goods sold divided by average inventory at cost for a matching period, when both are available. Ending stock alone is not average inventory.
- Inventory exposure: the units or cost value held in items requiring attention. A review flag does not establish that inventory must be written off.
There is no universal healthy threshold for every category. Seasonality, lead times, minimum order quantities, availability history and strategic range all affect the decision.
Start with the files your business already has.
Useful inputs include dated sales lines, stable SKU identifiers, product and category attributes, an inventory snapshot with its as-of date, and relevant lead times. Purchase orders, stock movements, returns and product costs add context when available. Inventory aging and historic availability cannot be reliably reconstructed from an undated stock total.
The inventory data checklist explains how to prepare exports. Elarva reviews data quality and confirms scope before work begins; missing fields may narrow the conclusions rather than prevent all useful analysis.
Receive an inventory decision list, with conditions.
The analysis moves from reconciliation to SKU and category comparisons, exception review and prioritization. Findings identify the evidence, the business implication, a proposed action and the condition that would justify reassessment. For example, an item may warrant a purchasing pause while an incoming order is confirmed; a low-stock seller may warrant replenishment review after lead time and recent availability are checked.
The Product & Inventory Decision Audit includes prioritized findings, an executive decision report and a 30/60/90-day action plan within the agreed scope. The fictional Sample Decision Report makes this output inspectable. Compare engagement scope and pricing before submitting a project request.
Continue with the question that matters to you
Start with your decision
Clarify the next inventory commitment.
Submit the business question and a relevant file for scope review. No payment is required at the inquiry stage.