Inventory Turnover Ratio: Definition, Formula, Working, And More
If the inventory turnover ratio of your business is high, it means that your business is able to manage its stock in an effective manner. The measurement gives you an idea of how many times the inventory of your business is sold or used in a given period of time. If you compare the cost of sold goods of your company against your business’s average inventory, you will get the inventory turnover ratio of your business.
In this article, you will learn what inventory turnover ratio means in business and how it works. Apart from that, we will also discuss the formula of inventory turnover ratio so that you are able to measure your business’s inventory. Additionally, you will also learn about what is a good inventory turnover ratio for a business. Finally, we will share with you a simple example by calculating the inventory turnover ratio.
What Is Inventory Turnover Ratio? – Definition
According to Investopedia,
“Inventory turnover is a financial ratio showing how many times a company turned over its inventory relative to its cost of goods sold (COGS) in a given period. A company can then divide the days in the period, typically a fiscal year, by the inventory turnover ratio to calculate how many days it takes, on average, to sell its inventory.”
With the help of the inventory turnover ratio, you will be able to make better business decisions related to various factors in the business. Some of these factors include pricing, marketing, manufacturing, and purchasing. Calculating this ratio will allow you to measure how well your business is making use of its assets.
Read More: What Is Continuity In Business, And Why Is It Important?
How Does Inventory Turnover Work?
The inventory turnover ratio of your business will help you evaluate how efficiently your business has been using its inventory within a time period against the cost of goods sold in the same period of time. This will give you a clear picture of how the business is making use of its inventory. This further helps in making informed decisions in the future and helps in assessing factors like pricing, production, and manufacturing.
Two factors help in determining the inventory turnover ratio –
Cost of Goods Sold (COGS):
This is the cost associated with the production of the business or the purchasing of the products that the business later sells to the customers.
Average Inventory:
This is the average of the costs of the inventory that the business pays over multiple time periods.
Basically, the inventory turnover ratio helps the business to improve its inventory management process. If the inventory turnover ratio is high, then it indicates that the business has strong sales or the inventory is not up to the mark. On the other hand, a low inventory turnover ratio indicates that the business is stocking too much inventory and is not selling enough.
According to the Forbes Advisor,
“Knowing how often you need to replenish inventory, you can plan orders or manufacturing lead times accordingly. When inventory isn’t moving quickly, the business must analyze why. Possible reasons could be that you have a product that people don’t want. You may not be doing enough marketing for that product. Or, you can simply buy too much stock that is well beyond the demand for the product.”
What Is The Formula For Inventory Turnover Ratio?
You can calculate the inventory turnover ratio by dividing the cost of goods sold in a particular time period by the average inventory cost in the same time period. Here is the formula for the inventory turnover ratio:
| Inventory Turnover Ratio = Cost of Goods Sold / Average Inventory |
What Is A Good Inventory Turnover Ratio?
According to Nerdwallet.com,
“The higher your inventory turnover ratio, the better — within reason. […] If your inventory turnover is low, your stock might be spending too much time sitting on your shelves, not being sold. That translates into money being wasted on inefficiently used storage space, plus the possibility that the longer the inventory sits around, the more likely it’ll get damaged or depreciate in value.”
In general, the higher the inventory turnover ratio, the better it is for businesses. However, if you are the owner of a small business, you must consider the types of products you deal with, as well as the inventory turnover range that is common for your industry.
For example, businesses that deal with perishable goods, like groceries, bakeries, and related businesses, mostly have a very high inventory turnover ratio. This is because of the fact that the products of these businesses expire soon and lose value much faster. On the other hand, businesses that deal with non-perishable goods like shoes generally do not have a high inventory turnover.
Explaining Inventory Turnover Ratio With An Example
Let’s find the inventory turnover ratio of a company named XYZ.
As per the income statement of XYZ, the cost of goods sold amounted to $2 million.
The cost of inventory of XYZ for the start of the year was $250,000, and at the end of the year, the inventory amounted to $750,000.
Therefore, the average inventory price of XYZ = ($250,000 + $750,000)/ 2 = $500,000.
Now, since Inventory Turnover Ratio = Cost of Goods Sold / Average Inventory
Therefore, the Inventory Turnover Ratio for XYZ = $2 million / $500,000 = 3.
This means that the business sold its inventory three times over throughout the entire fiscal year. Hence, it takes an average of 122 days (365/3) to fully sell out its inventory.
Read More: Business Continuity Plan – What Is It, And How Does It Work?
Final Thoughts
Calculating the inventory turnover ratio of the business will allow you to get a good idea of how efficiently the business is managing its assets. You can calculate the inventory turnover ratio for your business by finding out the cost of goods sold and dividing it by the average value of the inventory within a given period.
A higher inventory turnover ratio shows that the business has strong sales. However, in some cases, it also indicates that the inventory stocking of the business is inadequate. Do you have any recommendations regarding how to manage inventory better? Share your ideas with us in the comments section below.
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Employees Facing Skill Gaps Another big challenge that companies will face is talent shock. Even now, companies are facing massive skill gaps for vital future skills. Hence, small businesses are left with employees with outdated skills. Hence, they need to invest heavily in upskilling and training their employees sometimes. According to Paychex.com, “New performance management techniques are transforming the way businesses prioritize their retention efforts. For instance, investing in learning management can help employees further develop key skill areas and better immerse themselves in the company culture. ” Hence, it is extremely important for companies to upskill, reskill, and train employees to deal with AI systems and new technology. 6. Security Issues In Data And Devices As the use of the internet increases with time, security issues are keeping up as well. With rising digitization, businesses are accumulating more data. These data are highly attractive to cybercriminals. This is evident from the number of cyberattacks individuals and businesses face sometimes. Furthermore, phishing scams and ransomware attacks are also on the rise. Hence, it has become hard for businesses to keep up. Mobile and IoT devices are facing cybersecurity threats as well. Furthermore, with the rise of quantum computing, existing security systems are also becoming obsolete. Hence, there is a high need for the inclusion of AI and proactive measures from businesses. 7. Slowing Down Of Sustainability Practices With rising environmental and sustainability concerns, consumers are also looking for companies that are transparent with their sustainability practices. Companies that produce more environment-friendly products and services seem to have a better future. Consumers want their companies to respond by being transparent about their business practices. To do this, companies also need to continuously perform audits of their supply chains. Also, companies must switch to renewable energy, move to sustainable packaging, and allow employees to work remotely. How Do You Deal With Upcoming Business Challenges In USA? The following are some of the major steps small businesses can take to deal with challenges in 2024: 1. To deal with inflation, companies need to ensure that there is end-to-end visibility of business functions, operations, units, and cost categories. This will lead to better accountability and reduced spending. 2. If companies want to deal with supply chain disruptions and security issues, they must resist the urge to order more than what is required. Companies do that to compensate for their backlogs. However, over-ordering can worsen the situation for companies. In such cases, companies need to focus on long-term recovery. Furthermore, restructuring the needs will help prevent shortages in the future. 3. To deal with customer experience and demand, online retailers can add extended reality (EX) features to their websites. This way, customers can try out clothing and makeup without even leaving their homes. 4. Fast technological developments require companies to redesign their processes. Furthermore, companies also need to ensure that they have skilled employees in their companies. This is because these employees need to work alongside intelligent AI systems. 5. To deal with talent shock, companies must start upskilling, reskilling, and training employees. Furthermore, companies must also offer a good working environment for employees that is also appropriate for the new world of work. 6. To ensure better cybersecurity systems, companies must take proactive measures for the same. To do the same, they must evaluate their data backup and recovery processes. Other measures include penetration testing, vulnerability scanning, and more. 7. Companies also need to demonstrate their sustainable practices to consumers. This will help satisfy consumers' needs and ensure they are indirectly contributing to sustainable practices. Small Businesses And Upcoming Business Challenges In USA No matter what the obstacle is, it is important for small businesses to focus on creativity and find new ways to solve the problem at hand. This will ensure that the company is on the verge of growth even in tumultuous times. Forbes.com adds - “A key finding from one of our recent small business owner surveys found that half of the companies surveyed agreed that cash flow management tool consolidation positively impacts profitability, and 71% said it positively impacts efficiency. Small business owners are now prioritizing their digital financial toolkits to improve their businesses.” Hence, whatever the challenge is, it is essential for small businesses to focus more on cash flow management. This will ensure that the business is running effectively. Wrapping Up Hope this article was helpful for you in forming about the upcoming business challenges in USA. The problems will be of paramount importance in 2024 and the next few years. However, as a small business owner, you will also need to update yourself with current problems and prepare for change. Do you have further solutions to add? Consider sharing your ideas and opinions in the comments section below. For More Business Related Article: ERTC Qualification Step-By-Step Guide What Is Safe Harbor 401K? Benefits And Types Sabbatical Leave: What Is It, And How Does It Work?
February, 02 2024