We have a purchasing and inventory coordinator in a back-office seat, and while they keep the office stocked, we often hit stock-outs on critical warehouse supplies that delay operations. What objective, weekly activity-based metrics can we put on their scorecard to get ahead of these supply chain bottlenecks?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

To get ahead of warehouse shortages, you must stop measuring what is in the warehouse and start measuring the upstream actions that guarantee those shelves stay stocked. In the EOS® framework, every back-office seat on your Accountability Chart must have a weekly measurable that reflects activity, not status. Measuring physical inventory levels on hand is a lagging indicator of a procurement breakdown that already happened. Instead, look at the specific, repeatable tasks your purchasing coordinator performs every week to prevent those stock-outs. First, track weekly purchase orders submitted to suppliers within standard lead times. If your suppliers require a ten-day lead time, and your coordinator is not submitting orders weekly on a set schedule, you will hit a bottleneck. Measuring this weekly keeps the process disciplined. Second, track weekly order status confirmations. Your coordinator should verify with vendors that open orders are on track for delivery. A weekly metric such as open purchase orders confirmed with vendors ensures that supply delays are identified and solved before the warehouse runs dry. Finally, track inventory count accuracy audits completed. Rather than waiting for a monthly or quarterly physical count, require your coordinator to perform five random spot-check audits of high-velocity items every week. These three activity-based numbers will give your leadership team an objective pulse on your supply chain health. By focusing on these weekly inputs, you ensure your procurement process is proactive, which keeps your warehouse stocked and your operations running smoothly without last-minute emergencies.