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ABC Analysis

Classify items by usage value.

When to use it

Use it to decide how tightly to control each stock item. Paste items with annual usage and unit cost, and it ranks them by value and splits them into A, B and C classes.

What you enter

  • One item per line: item, annual units, unit cost

Class A is the items making up the first 80% of value, B the next 15%, C the last 5%.

What you get

  • Result
  • Cumulative value by item
  • Ranking

How it works

Value = annual units × unit cost. Class A gets tight control and frequent counts, class C simple rules such as two-bin.

How to use the ABC Analysis

ABC analysis ranks stock items by annual usage value (annual quantity × unit cost) so you can focus control where the money is.

  1. Paste item, annual usage and unit cost.
  2. The tool sorts by value and calculates the cumulative percentage.
  3. A items are typically the top 70–80% of value, B the next 15–25%, and C the rest.

Worked example

Of 1,200 stock items, 140 (12%) make up 78% of usage value and become class A: counted monthly and reviewed weekly. 700 class C items move to two-bin kanban with a quarterly count.

Common mistakes to avoid

Frequently asked questions

What is ABC analysis in inventory management?

A method of ranking items by annual usage value into A (high), B (medium) and C (low) classes to set different control policies.

What percentages are used for ABC classes?

Common cut-offs are 80/15/5 of value, but you can set your own limits in the tool.

How does ABC analysis relate to cycle counting?

A items are usually counted most often, C items least. The cycle count planner uses ABC classes.

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