AGR Team

Randi W. Stebbins

Randi W. Stebbins is a seasoned writer, editor, coach, and facilitator with over 15 years of experience crafting clear, compelling communication for startups, nonprofits, higher education, and international initiatives.
Critical analysis, communication, writing, coaching

More from Randi W. Stebbins

April 21, 2026
7 min read
Inventory management problems can quietly drain profitability through excess stock, stockouts, and poor decision-making. These challenges often stem from the same root causes: inaccurate forecasting, limited visibility, and inefficient processes. By addressing these issues with data-driven strategies, businesses can improve stock control, reduce waste, and increase service levels. This guide explores the most common inventory problems and outlines practical ways to solve them.
April 15, 2026
9 min read
GMROI reveals how effectively your inventory is generating profit by connecting margin performance with stock investment. It helps businesses understand which products drive returns and which tie up capital without delivering value. By improving forecasting, optimising inventory levels, and focusing on high-performing SKUs, companies can strengthen profitability and cash flow. This guide explains how GMROI works and how to use it to make smarter inventory decisions.
March 30, 2026
9 min read
Assortment planning in retail determines which products you sell, where you sell them, and how well your inventory performs. This guide explains how retailers balance product variety, demand, and profitability through structured assortment strategies. It covers key components such as SKU selection, localisation, and seasonality, alongside a step-by-step planning process. You will also learn how assortment decisions connect to forecasting and replenishment, and how modern software improves accuracy and efficiency. The result is a clearer approach to reducing excess stock, avoiding stockouts, and driving stronger retail performance.
March 23, 2026
9 min read
Retail metrics provide a clear view of how your business performs across sales, operations, customers, and inventory. This guide explains the key KPIs retailers rely on to measure efficiency, profitability, and demand alignment. It places particular focus on inventory metrics such as turnover, sell-through rate, GMROI, and days inventory outstanding, which directly impact cash flow and stock performance. You will also learn how to prioritise the right metrics, overcome common tracking challenges, and turn insights into better planning decisions. By understanding these metrics, retailers can improve availability, reduce excess stock, and drive more profitable growth.
March 18, 2026
9 min read
Retail demand prediction using machine learning enables businesses to analyse large volumes of data, identify complex demand patterns, and generate accurate forecasts at SKU, store, and channel level. By incorporating factors such as promotions, pricing, seasonality, and external signals, machine learning models continuously improve over time and adapt to changing conditions. This approach supports more precise replenishment planning, reduces stock imbalances, and helps align inventory with real customer demand across increasingly complex retail environments.
February 17, 2026
7 min read
Discover five retail inventory management best practices that help you improve availability, reduce risk, and protect margins at scale. From inventory visibility and automated replenishment to smarter forecasting and structured review processes, this guide explains how to move from reactive firefighting to data-driven control. Learn how to turn inventory into a strategic asset that supports profitability and customer satisfaction.
February 5, 2026
8 min read
Retail replenishment is the process of keeping the right products available across stores and channels without tying up unnecessary capital. It sits at the core of effective retail inventory management, helping businesses balance availability, cost control, and customer expectations. By applying the right replenishment strategies, retailers can reduce stockouts, limit excess inventory, and improve cash flow while responding to demand volatility, promotions, and short product lifecycles. Modern retail replenishment combines data-driven planning, automation, and inventory visibility to support consistent decision-making across locations and channels.
February 4, 2026
8 min read
Dual sourcing is a practical strategy for reducing supply chain risk without adding unnecessary complexity. By working with more than one supplier for critical products or materials, businesses can protect availability, respond faster to disruption, and reduce dependence on single points of failure. This guide explains how dual sourcing works, when it makes sense, the benefits and trade-offs to consider, and the best practices that help organisations strengthen resilience while maintaining cost control.
January 19, 2026
9 min read
On time in full (OTIF) is a core supply chain metric that shows whether orders are delivered exactly as promised, both on time and in the correct quantity. This guide explains how OTIF is calculated, why it matters across retail, manufacturing, and distribution, and how different industries apply it in practice. It also covers common OTIF challenges, performance benchmarks, and proven ways to improve service levels through better forecasting, inventory policies, and supply chain visibility.
January 15, 2026
10 min read
Safety stock is the buffer inventory that protects availability when demand or supply does not go to plan. It absorbs forecast errors, supplier delays, and demand spikes while helping businesses maintain service levels without tying up unnecessary working capital. Understanding how to calculate and manage safety stock is essential for balancing risk, cost, and customer satisfaction in modern inventory planning.
January 12, 2026
8 min read
AI inventory optimisation helps businesses manage stock more intelligently by connecting demand forecasting, inventory policies, and replenishment decisions in one adaptive system. Instead of relying on static rules, AI continuously learns from demand signals, supplier performance, and real-time inventory data. The result is fewer stockouts, less excess inventory, and more confident decision-making under uncertainty. This guide explains how AI inventory optimisation works today and why it has become a practical capability for modern supply chain teams.
December 15, 2025
9 min read
Finance in supply chain is often reduced to cost control, but its real impact runs much deeper. Procurement, inventory, and service level decisions directly shape revenue, margins, and cash flow. In this Chain Reactions episode, Elva and Keith explain why supply chain sits at the centre of financial performance, not on the sidelines. They explore how shared data, clear metrics, and cross-functional collaboration help teams move beyond silos. The result is a supply chain that supports smarter financial decisions and stronger business outcomes.