Managing Inventory and Material Availability

When it comes to running an efficient production shop, few things can derail your day faster than missing materials. It’s one of those areas that often gets minimized—but it’s also where a huge portion of your costs can hide.

Excerpt from CMA’s “The Calendar Challenge for Cabinetmakers” webinar

When Materials Don’t Arrive on Time

Imagine this: your production schedule is ready, your team is set, and then you realize you’re missing a key component. Suddenly, your perfectly planned day goes straight into chaos.
You’re no longer managing production, you’re firefighting. Rescheduling jobs, shifting priorities, and dealing with frustrated employees and customers.

All because the right material wasn’t available at the right time.

Building the Right Inventory Strategy

So, how do you make sure that never happens? It starts with setting minimums and maximums for the materials you use most often.

For example:

• Always keep at least two boxes of hinges on hand.
• Maintain at least one full bundle of white panels if that’s your most frequently used color.
• And for that odd shade you’ve only used once? Set your minimum quantity to zero.

This kind of smart inventory planning ensures you’re stocked where it counts and lean where it doesn’t.

Balancing Just-in-Time with Real-World Constraints

Of course, inventory management isn’t just about having enough, it’s about having it on time.
That’s where just-in-time purchasing comes in. You want to buy materials as close as possible to your production needs, without overstocking and tying up your cash flow.

Every shop has limits: space, budget, and storage capacity. The goal isn’t to buy everything in advance; it’s to buy strategically.

Smart Systems and Strong Partnerships

Technology can help automate this process. Modern ERP systems can track usage, predict demand, and alert you before you run out. But even the best systems depend on one key factor—your suppliers.

Building reliable partnerships often pays off more than chasing the lowest price. A supplier who delivers consistently and communicates well will save you far more in downtime and stress than one who’s a couple of dollars cheaper.

At the end of the day, consistency beats cost-cutting when it comes to keeping production moving smoothly.