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Glossary & Terminology

A comprehensive guide to key terms used throughout Synplex. Understanding these concepts will help you use the platform more effectively.

A​

Average Daily Sales (ADS)​

The average number of units sold per day, derived from the total forecasted demand over 365 days divided by 365. Used as the baseline rate for all metric computations.

Example: If a product's 12-month demand plan totals 3,650 units, the ADS is 10 units/day.

Used for: Calculating the reorder point, coverage date, recommended order quantity, and stockout date.

Related terms: Sales velocity, demand rate

B​

Bundle​

A collection of products sold together as a single item.

Example: A Sleep Set bundle contains socks, sweats, and a t-shirt.

Also called: Product bundle, bundle set, combo pack

Related terms: Bundle mapping

Bundle Mapping​

The process of linking bundled products so that sales are correctly attributed to each component product.

Why it matters: Ensures accurate inventory tracking and demand forecasting for individual items within bundles.

Related terms: Bundle, component product

C​

Cost Value​

The total cost of inventory on hand, calculated as: Units On Hand × Unit Cost

Example: 50 units × $20 = $1,000 cost value

Related metrics:

  • Total Cost Value — All inventory across all products
  • Cost Value in No Sales — Inventory of non-selling products
  • Cost Value in Overstocked — Excess inventory consuming capital

Related terms: Inventory value, on-hand cost

Coverage Date​

The date until which your current on-hand stock will last, assuming no new deliveries arrive.

How it is calculated: currentStock ÷ avgDailyDemand = days of coverage. Coverage date = today + that number of days. If there is no demand, coverage is treated as effectively infinite (999 days).

Computed at: Inventory level (per variant × location). The coverage date shown on the variant is the earliest coverage date across all locations — meaning the location that will run out first.

Related terms: Stockout date, days of cover

D​

Days of Cover​

How many days your current on-hand stock will last at the current demand rate, without accounting for any incoming deliveries.

Formula: Current stock ÷ Average daily sales

Example: 200 units ÷ 10 units/day = 20 days of cover

Related terms: Coverage date, stockout date

Days to Order​

The number of days remaining before your stock reaches the reorder point and an order should be placed.

How it is calculated: Synplex runs a 365-day day-by-day simulation. Each day, stock is reduced by demand and increased by any scheduled inbound deliveries. The first day that stock falls to or below the reorder point is the reorder date. Days to order = reorder date − today. If stock is already at or below the reorder point, days to order is 0 and an order is needed immediately.

Computed at: Inventory level (per variant × location). The reorder date shown on the variant is the earliest reorder date across all locations.

Related terms: Reorder date, reorder point, running low threshold

Demand Velocity​

How quickly your inventory is being sold (units per day).

Also called: Sales velocity, depletion rate

Related terms: Average daily sales, forecast

E​

ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning)​

A business management system that integrates various functions like inventory, accounting, and sales.

Why it matters: Synplex can sync with your ERP system to keep inventory data consistent across platforms.

Related terms: Integration, data sync

G​

Grading (ABC Classification)​

A method of categorising products based on their revenue contribution to your business.

Three grades:

  • Grade A — Top 80% of revenue (high-margin drivers)
  • Grade B — Middle 15% of revenue (steady sellers)
  • Grade C — Bottom 5% of revenue (slow movers)

Why it matters: Helps prioritise inventory management efforts where they have the most impact.

Related term: ABC Analysis

H​

HS Code (Harmonized System Code)​

An international classification code for products used for tariffs and international trade.

Example: HS Code for cotton t-shirts is 6204.6200

Why it matters: Needed to calculate tariffs on imported products.

Also called: Tariff code, trade classification code

I​

Inventory Table​

The main interface in Synplex where you view, filter, and manage your products and their inventory levels.

What it shows:

  • Product name and SKU
  • Current on-hand quantity
  • Status (Healthy, Running Low, Out of Stock, etc.)
  • Sales velocity
  • Reorder information

Related terms: Product list, inventory view

L​

Lead Time​

The number of days between when you place an order and when it arrives at your location.

Example: If you order today and products arrive in 14 days, the lead time is 14 days.

Why it matters: Used in the reorder point calculation — the longer your lead time, the more stock you need on hand before placing an order.

Related terms: Supplier lead time, reorder point

Landed Cost​

The total cost of a product including the purchase price, shipping, tariffs, and other fees.

Formula: Unit Cost + Shipping per Unit + Tariffs per Unit + Other Fees per Unit

Why it matters: Affects profitability analysis and purchasing decisions.

Related terms: Tariff, total cost of ownership

M​

Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ)​

The smallest quantity a supplier will allow you to order.

Example: If a supplier's MOQ is 100 units, you cannot order just 50 units.

Why it matters: Affects the recommended order quantity — Synplex rounds up to the nearest MOQ when calculating how much to order.

Related terms: Pack size, recommended order quantity

O​

On-Hand Quantity​

The amount of a product physically in stock right now at a given location.

Also called: On-hand inventory, current stock, available inventory

What's NOT included:

  • Incoming inventory (on order or in transit)
  • Inventory at other locations
  • Damaged or defective items

Related terms: Stock level, available inventory

Overstocked​

A status indicating you have more inventory than needed to meet demand. Assigned when the days until the reorder point exceeds the overstock threshold configured in Settings (default: 120 days).

Consequences:

  • Capital tied up in excess inventory
  • Risk of obsolescence
  • Higher storage costs

Action: Review demand forecast, reduce future orders, plan clearance.

P​

Product Status​

The current state of a product's inventory level. Synplex automatically assigns one of five statuses, evaluated in priority order:

  • Out of Stock — The reorder point has already been passed (days until reorder ≤ 0)
  • Running Low — Days until reorder is below the running low threshold (default: 40 days)
  • Dead Stock — No sales recorded within the dead stock threshold (default: 90 days)
  • Overstocked — Days until reorder exceeds the overstock threshold (default: 120 days)
  • Healthy — None of the above conditions apply

The status shown on a variant is the worst status across all its locations.

Why it matters: Helps you quickly identify which products need attention.

R​

The number of units Synplex recommends ordering immediately (today). It is only non-zero if your stock is already at or below the reorder point right now.

How it is calculated: If stock on day 0 is at or below the reorder point, Synplex orders enough to cover the current shortage plus avgDailyDemand × purchaseDaysOfInventoryReach, rounded up to MOQ and pack size. If stock is above the reorder point today, the recommended order quantity is 0.

Computed at: Inventory level (per variant × location).

Related terms: Reorder point, reorder date, MOQ, pack size

Reorder Date​

The date on which your stock is projected to reach the reorder point, triggering the need to place an order.

How it is calculated: Synplex runs a 365-day day-by-day inventory simulation per location. Each day, demand is deducted and scheduled inbound deliveries are added. The reorder point is (avgDailyDemand × leadTimeDays) + (avgDailyDemand × bufferStockDays). The first day the simulated stock falls to or below this threshold is the reorder date. If stock is already below the reorder point today, the reorder date is today.

Computed at: Inventory level (per variant × location). The reorder date shown on the variant is the earliest reorder date across all locations — the location that needs replenishment soonest determines the variant-level date.

Related terms: Reorder point, days to order, lead time, buffer stock

Reorder Point​

The stock level at which an order should be placed to avoid running out before the next delivery arrives.

Formula: (Average daily sales × lead time days) + (Average daily sales × buffer stock days)

Example: ADS = 10 units/day, lead time = 14 days, buffer = 5 days → reorder point = (10 × 14) + (10 × 5) = 190 units

Why it matters: This is the threshold the 365-day simulation checks against each day to determine the reorder date. It is not stored directly — it is recalculated fresh inside each simulation run.

Related terms: Reorder date, lead time, buffer stock days

Running Low​

A status indicating a product is approaching its reorder point. Assigned when the days until the reorder date falls below the running low threshold configured in Settings (default: 40 days).

What to do: Plan to create a purchase order soon. Check lead times to ensure stock arrives before the reorder point is breached.

Related terms: Reorder date, reorder point, running low threshold

S​

Safety Stock​

Extra inventory held as a buffer to protect against stockouts due to unexpected demand spikes or supplier delays. In Synplex this is configured as buffer stock days — the number of extra days of demand to keep in reserve on top of lead time coverage.

Formula: Average daily sales × buffer stock days

Example: ADS = 10 units/day, buffer = 5 days → safety stock = 50 units

Why it matters: Directly affects the reorder point — a higher buffer means you reorder earlier.

Related terms: Buffer stock days, reorder point

SKU (Stock Keeping Unit)​

A unique identifier code for each product variant you carry.

Example: "BLU-T-SHIRT-M-XL" for a blue t-shirt in size medium-extra large

Why it matters: Ensures accurate inventory tracking, especially for variants.

Stock Gap​

A status indicating temporary unavailability of inventory due to incoming supply delays. Assigned when the next scheduled inbound delivery is expected to arrive after the stock runs out — meaning there will be a gap of zero stock before the delivery lands.

How it is calculated: stockGapDays = max(0, daysUntilNextInbound − daysUntilStockout). If the next delivery arrives before or at the same time as stockout, stock gap days is 0.

Example: Stock runs out in 5 days, next delivery arrives in 8 days → stock gap = 3 days.

Action: Monitor the expected delivery date. If the gap is significant, consider expediting the shipment or sourcing from another supplier.

Stockout Date​

The projected date when stock at a location will reach zero, accounting for all scheduled inbound deliveries (POs and transfers) but not virtual/planned future orders.

How it is calculated: A second pass through the 365-day simulation using only real inbound deliveries. The first day that stock goes negative is the stockout day. stockoutDate = today + that day count.

Computed at: Inventory level (per variant × location).

Related terms: Coverage date, stock gap, reorder date

T​

Tariff​

A tax or duty charged on imported products by customs authorities.

Example: Importing clothing may have a 25% tariff, increasing costs.

Why it matters: Significantly affects the total cost of imported products and profitability.

Related terms: Import duty, landed cost, HS code

Time to Reorder (TTR)​

Another term for "Days to Order" — how many days until the reorder point is hit based on the 365-day simulation.

U​

Unit Cost​

The cost to purchase a single unit from your supplier.

Example: If you buy 100 shirts for $1,000, the unit cost is $10/shirt.

Used in: Inventory valuations, profitability analysis, purchase decisions.

Related terms: Cost, purchase price, supplier price

V​

Velocity​

See "Demand Velocity" — how fast your inventory is selling.

W​

Webhook​

An automated notification system that sends real-time updates from Shopify to Synplex.

Why it matters: Keeps your inventory data current without manual action. Synplex uses webhooks as its primary data sync method.

Related terms: Data sync, real-time update, automatic sync

Additional Resources​

Terms by Category​

Inventory Levels:

  • On-Hand Quantity
  • Running Low
  • Out of Stock
  • Overstocked
  • Stock Gap

Demand & Planning:

  • Average Daily Sales
  • Days of Cover
  • Days to Order
  • Reorder Point
  • Reorder Date
  • Stockout Date
  • Recommended Order Quantity

Costs:

  • Unit Cost
  • Cost Value
  • Landed Cost
  • Tariff

Operations:

  • SKU
  • Bundle
  • Safety Stock
  • MOQ

Questions?​

If you encounter a term not listed here or need clarification, contact support at support@synplex.dev.