Data Communications and Calculations
The VMI process starts with the customer sending a Product Activity Report (1). This report contains demand information such as sales and transfers, along with inventory position information such as on-hand, on-order and in-transit for the items that changed since the last report.
The VMI software analyzes the data and creates recommended replenishment orders (2). The recommendations are based on algorithms which use factors such as forecasts, frequency of sale, and dollar velocity of sales. Ideally, these processes include:
Periodic (e.g. weekly) review and calculation of order points and order quantities based on movement data and special information such as promotions, seasonality, etc.
Frequent (e.g. daily) comparison of on-hand inventory to order point and generation of recommended replenishment orders
The supplier's planner reviews the recommended orders and any exception conditions before approving appropriate orders (3). The VMI system then sends:
A Purchase Order to the supplier (4)
A Purchase Order Acknowledgment to the customer (5)