Running out mid-job is an avoidable failure, not bad luck
A print business running out of a core material mid-order is rarely a surprise in hindsight; it usually means there was no clear trigger point for reordering before stock ran critically low. A reorder point, calculated from how fast you actually use material and how long your supplier takes to deliver, turns "order when it feels low" into a specific number you can watch for.
How the reorder point works
Daily usage is computed from your weekly rate, then multiplied by supplier lead time to get the material you will use while waiting for a new order to arrive. A safety stock buffer, expressed as extra days of usage, is added on top to protect against a usage spike or a slower-than-expected delivery. The sum is your reorder point: order when stock reaches this level, not when it runs out.
Worked example
1,200 g/week usage (about 171 g/day), a 5-day supplier lead time, 3 days of safety stock, 2,000 g currently on hand: the reorder point comes out to about 1,371 g, meaning you should place an order once stock drops to that level, and at current stock you have roughly 3.7 days before you hit it.
A common mistake
A frequent error is calculating a reorder point once when the business is new and never updating it as volume grows. A usage rate that made sense at a slower pace understates real consumption once orders pick up, and a reorder point based on stale usage data arrives too late to prevent a stockout. Recalculate whenever your typical order volume shifts noticeably.
Limitations
This computes a reorder point from the usage rate, lead time, and safety stock you enter; it does not know your actual future usage or your supplier's real reliability. Revisit these numbers periodically against your actual experience rather than treating them as fixed.