Reference no: EM133170224

Re-ordering cycles

Investigate the systems in place within your workplace to re-order stock. The system will link to required stock levels that you investigated in Activity 1. Use the following questions to guide your investigation and record your responses after each question. Retain these responses to show your assessor when you are ready to be assessed: 

• What is the cycle for ordering stock for a number of stock items (pick examples that are different and are supplied by various companies)? 
• What arrangements are in place to order stock outside of the set or predetermined re-ordering cycles? When these alternative arrangements are used, does this cost more than ordering stock through the standard cycle for ordering (pick examples that are different and are supplied by various companies)?
• In your investigations, have you come across a situation where production or sales were lost because stock was depleted? What actions were taken in these examples and what changes or improvements resulted from these actions (pick examples that are different and are supplied by various companies)? 
• Summarise the links between required stock levels and re-ordering cycles (pick examples that are different and are supplied by various companies). 

Activity 4: Users' responsibilities

Investigate the strategies used within your workplace to inform users of their responsibilities in relation to stock storage and movement. Use the checklist below to record the results of your investigations. Space is allowed to comment on the effectiveness of the strategies and any improvements you can identify to make in this area. The last two rows are for you to add any other strategies you have in your workplace or think would be good to introduce. 

Strategy	Used or not used in your workplace	Effectiveness	Possible improvement
Documenting policies and procedures
Including information in induction programs
Providing a 'users guide' for the store
Designing and delivering training programs or courses for users
Providing a 'help desk' function for users
Facilitating reviews of the system through questionnaires and focus groups
Using company internal communications to provide reminders or inform users of changes in the system

Activity 5: Stock performance

Analyse stock usage records and identify three examples of a slow-moving item and three examples of a fast-moving item. Talk to others in the workplace (users of these items) and get responses to the questions above. 

Summarise what you find out about each item using the table below:

Item description	Slow or fast moving	How identified as slow moving	Findings from research and actions recommended in relation to these items

Activity 6: Stocktaking schedules

Talk to other team members who have been involved in stocktaking and whoever is responsible for setting the schedule for stocktaking. Find answers to the following questions and record your answers in the space provided: 

• How often are stocktakes conducted? 
• How long does a stocktake take?
• How many people are involved in a stocktake? 
• What activities can be carried out while the enterprise is still operating? 
• What activities have to be carried out when the enterprise is closed or stops business operations? 
• What is the variance between actual stock and stock records? 
• What processes or aids are used to undertake the stocktake ( see examples given in the learning guide above)? 
• What changes or improvements have been made in stocktaking over the past few years?
• How are other team members selected for stocktaking?
• Can you identify areas of the stocktaking process that need to be improved or made more efficient?
• How is human error eliminated from the process of stocktaking or minimised?