Show the sales team not only the stock quantity, but also how much product can be delivered to the customer on what date.
In direct sales, product availability is more comprehensive than just physical quantity in the warehouse. Reservations, open orders, expected deliveries, production capacity, and customer priorities must all be considered together.
Providing realistic delivery forecasts during the proposal and opportunity phase reduces post-sales delays and loss of customer trust.
Availability components
Free stock
Reserved and blocked stock
Expected purchase inflows
Production orders
Transfers
Safety stock
Channel and customer allocations
Delivery promise methods
Immediate delivery from current stock.
Amount that can be promised on a specific date.
Date according to production capacity
Direct delivery from the supplier.
Alternative storage or facility
Partial delivery
Alternative product
Offer validity
Stock or capacity information may change during the offer period. It should be clearly stated whether the delivery commitment includes a reservation and until what date it is valid.
Change communication
Sales representatives should be alerted early when the delivery forecast changes; a new date, partial delivery, or alternative solution should be discussed with the customer.
Instead of simply stating that the product is in stock, provide your sales team with realistic and manageable delivery commitments based on specific quantities and dates.