Decision Guides Overview
Strategic frameworks to make better inventory planning decisions.
Quick Answer
Decision Guides help you answer the "when" and "why" questions about your inventory strategy.
What they cover: ├─ When should you forecast demand differently? ├─ When should you prioritize demand vs. supply planning? ├─ When should you use multi-channel buffer strategies? ├─ When should you operate multiple locations? └─ How do business factors affect your strategy?
Why they matter:
- ✅ Better forecasting = fewer stockouts and overstock situations
- ✅ Right strategy for your business = lower costs
- ✅ Understanding trade-offs = smarter decisions
- ✅ Strategic clarity = confident planning
Decision Guides vs. Settings
These are DIFFERENT: the Settings section: SETTINGS (Configuration) ├─ Question: "How do I configure the system?" ├─ Answer: "Set lead time to 15 days, safety stock to 20 days" ├─ Focus: System mechanics ├─ When: Setup phase (done once) └─ Audience: Everyone (uses results)
Decision Guides: DECISION GUIDES (Strategy) ├─ Question: "When/why should I use 15 vs 30 days?" ├─ Answer: "Use 30 for critical items, 15 for commodity items" ├─ Focus: Business decision-making ├─ When: Ongoing (referenced repeatedly) └─ Audience: Planners and managers (make decisions)
Relationship: Decision Guides (Why/When) ↓ inform ↓ Settings (How) ↓ enable ↓ Operations (What you see)
Which Guide Do I Need?
Start here: What's your situation? I need to forecast demand accurately ├─ Seasonal products? ├─ Promotional planning? ├─ Multiple sales channels? └─ → Read: Demand Planning Fundamentals
I'm not sure when to focus on demand vs. supply ├─ Which should I prioritize? ├─ How do they affect each other? ├─ When do I shift focus? └─ → Read: Demand vs Supply Planning
I sell through multiple channels (Shopify, Amazon, wholesale) ├─ How much buffer per channel? ├─ How do I allocate inventory? ├─ Different strategies per channel? └─ → Read: Channel Buffer Strategy
I operate multiple locations or warehouses ├─ Should I centralize or distribute inventory? ├─ When does multi-location make sense? ├─ What are the trade-offs? └─ → Read: Multi-Location Inventory Strategy
My business has tariffs or special accounting needs ├─ How do tariffs affect my ordering? ├─ What's the business impact? ├─ When should I order differently? └─ → Read: Accounting & Tariff Strategy
Reading Guide: Recommended Order
For All Users (Foundational)
Start here: Step 1: Demand Planning Fundamentals ├─ Why: Demand forecasting is the foundation of everything ├─ Length: 5–6 minutes ├─ Goal: Understand how to forecast demand └─ Key takeaway: Your forecast drives your inventory
Step 2: Demand vs Supply Planning ├─ Why: Core strategic framework for inventory decisions ├─ Length: 7–8 minutes ├─ Goal: Understand when to prioritize each └─ Key takeaway: Different situations call for different approaches
Total: 12–14 minutes | Foundational knowledge
For Multi-Channel Businesses (Recommended)
After foundational, add: Step 3: Channel Buffer Strategy ├─ Why: Different channels have different risk profiles ├─ Length: 8–9 minutes ├─ Goal: Allocate inventory wisely across channels └─ Key takeaway: One-size-fits-all buffers are inefficient
Total so far: 20–23 minutes | Ready to plan intelligently
For Multi-Location Businesses (Recommended)
After foundational, add: Step 3: Multi-Location Inventory Strategy ├─ Why: Location strategy affects efficiency and cost ├─ Length: 5–6 minutes ├─ Goal: Understand when to distribute vs. centralize └─ Key takeaway: Structure affects your supply chain
Total so far: 17–20 minutes | Ready to structure locations
For Tariff/Accounting Considerations (Optional)
After other relevant guides, add: Step 4: Accounting & Tariff Strategy ├─ Why: Non-inventory factors affect ordering decisions ├─ Length: 4–5 minutes ├─ Goal: Understand business impact of timing └─ Key takeaway: Multiple factors influence "optimal" order
Total: 24–28 minutes | Comprehensive strategy
Decision Guide Map
| Guide | Purpose | When to Read | Complexity | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Demand Planning | Forecast demand accurately | First | Beginner | 5–6 min |
| Demand vs Supply | Strategic framework | After demand | Beginner | 7–8 min |
| Channel Buffer | Multi-channel allocation | If multi-channel | Intermediate | 8–9 min |
| Multi-Location | Location strategy | If multi-location | Intermediate | 5–6 min |
| Accounting & Tariff | Business impact of timing | Optional | Intermediate | 4–5 min |
How to Use Decision Guides
Scenario 1: You're New to Synplex
Week 1: ├─ Read: Demand Planning Fundamentals ├─ Read: Demand vs Supply Planning └─ Goal: Understand strategic framework
Week 2: ├─ If multi-channel: Read Channel Buffer Strategy ├─ If multi-location: Read Multi-Location Strategy └─ Goal: Understand your specific situation
Week 3: ├─ Go to: the Settings section ├─ Configure: Thresholds based on guides └─ Goal: Apply strategy to system
Scenario 2: You're Troubleshooting Problems
Problem: Too many stockouts ├─ Read: Demand Planning (improve forecast?) ├─ Read: Demand vs Supply (prioritize demand?) └─ Check: Are your buffers too low?
Problem: Too much excess inventory ├─ Read: Demand vs Supply (over-ordering?) ├─ Check: Are your buffers too high? └─ Fix: Adjust in the Settings section
Problem: Channel profitability varies ├─ Read: Channel Buffer Strategy └─ Fix: Allocate inventory more wisely
Problem: Location coordination is complex ├─ Read: Multi-Location Inventory Strategy └─ Redesign: Centralize or distribute?
Scenario 3: You're Optimizing Decisions
Quarterly review: ├─ Ask: Is our demand forecast still accurate? ├─ Ask: Are we prioritizing demand/supply correctly? ├─ Ask: Is our channel buffer strategy working? ├─ Ask: Is our location structure optimal? └─ Read: Relevant guides again for new perspective
Annual strategy: ├─ Revisit: All decision guides ├─ Update: Business model changes? ├─ Reconsider: New channels or locations? └─ Refine: Thresholds in Settings
Quick Links to All Guides
| Read First | Then Read | Advanced |
|---|---|---|
| Demand Planning | Demand vs Supply | Channel Buffer |
| 5–6 min | 7–8 min | 8–9 min |
| Forecasting foundation | Core strategic framework | Multi-channel allocation |
| Multi-Location | Accounting & Tariff | Settings |
| 5–6 min | 4–5 min | Apply decisions |
| If multi-location | If tariffs matter | Configure system |
FAQ
Q: Should I read all guides?
A: Minimum (everyone): ├─ Demand Planning Fundamentals └─ Demand vs Supply Planning └─ Time: 12–14 minutes
Recommended: ├─ + relevant for your business (channel/location) └─ Time: 17–23 minutes
Optional: ├─ + Accounting & Tariff (if applicable) └─ Time: 24–28 minutes
Q: How often should I re-read these?
A: Initial: ├─ Read: Once (foundational) ├─ Goal: Understand concepts └─ Time: One sitting
Quarterly: ├─ Skim: Relevant guides ├─ Ask: Is strategy still right? └─ Time: 30 minutes
Annual: ├─ Full review: All guides ├─ Update: If business changed └─ Time: 1–2 hours
Q: How do these relate to the Settings section?
A: Decision Guides: ├─ WHY you need certain thresholds ├─ WHEN to increase/decrease └─ Help you DECIDE what to configure
Settings: ├─ HOW to configure thresholds ├─ WHERE to set values in system └─ Help you IMPLEMENT decisions
Flow: Read Decision Guides (decide) → Use Settings (configure) → See results
Q: Are these Synplex-specific?
A: No, they're universal: ├─ Apply to any inventory system ├─ Apply to any business model ├─ Apply to any sales channel └─ Specific examples reference Synplex, but concepts are broad
Use them with: ├─ Synplex (references this system) ├─ Spreadsheets (universal concepts) ├─ Other software (translate to your system) └─ Excel models (pure strategy, no system dependency)
Q: Can I skip any guides?
A: Core (Don't skip): ├─ Demand Planning Fundamentals └─ Demand vs Supply Planning └─ These inform everything else
Optional (Only if applicable): ├─ Channel Buffer Strategy (if multi-channel) ├─ Multi-Location Inventory Strategy (if multi-location) └─ Accounting & Tariff Strategy (if tariffs matter)
Result: Guides are modular, read what applies to you
Next Steps
- Identify your situation – Multi-channel? Multi-location? Tariffs?
- Read relevant guides – Start with core, add specific to you
- Answer key questions – What's your strategy?
- Go to the Settings section – Configure based on decisions
- Monitor results – See if strategy is working
- Revisit guides – Quarterly to refine strategy
Related
- Settings Overview — Configure system based on decisions
- Inventory Table — See decisions in action