Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Inventory management in public sector undertaking assumes lot of significance. This is more
complex, when there are number of product divisions & less common items of inventory.
It is observed that, some PSU’s are loaded with high volumes of inventory leading to obsolescence
with consequent charging to profit/loss A/c liquidity while resulting in blockage of funds three by
drastically affecting the performance of the organization. In case of ECIL, there is variety of projects
of high tech nature not similar to each other. Inventory management, hence is challenge task.
In the backdrop of above, it is proposed to take a project study on inventory management in a leading
India). The above study is aimed at analyzing the inventory management practices prevalent in ECIL.
In this context it is proposed to take project study in reputed public sector undertaking covering
inventory management’s aspect and giving suggestions for implementing any. ECIL is chosen as it is
a central public sector unit of long standing having diversified product portfolio with variety of
material inventory having control complications. The project study aims to analyze, discuss, conclude
in ECIL. An attempt is made to explain about inventory management & various techniques.
Objectives of the study
CORPORATION OF INDIA LIMITED. The above study is aimed at analyzing the inventory
3. To analyze the performance, the focus is on application of standard measurement tool like
turnover ratios etc., to trend analysis and structural analysis of the company.
The investment in Inventory is very high in most of the under talking engaged in manufacturing
wholesale and retail trade. The amount of investment is sometimes more in inventory than in other
assets.
In India a study of 29 major industries has revealed that the average cost of materials is
64 paisa and the cost of labor and overheads is 36 paisa of a rupee. About 90% of working capital is
invested in inventories. The main reason attributed for loss making financial indiscipline in managing
the resources particularly in inventory management for an organization, the product profitability
considering standards and budgets is of paramount importance needless to say that in this context,
Inventory management determines and portrays the following factors like what to
purchase, where to purchase, how to purchase, from where to purchase, where to store etc. will be
critical factor hence it becomes a crucial factors to undergo a detailed analysis to find an efficient
system of inventory. As an attempt has been made to study the inventory management with reference
to ECIL.
Research Methodology
Any of the systematic and scientific research lies in its methodology giving a clear idea of the forms
of study and procedure adopted in conducting it and starting the purpose become essential parts of
every study.
So, in this study the information furnished has been collected in two ways one is primary source and
Primary source:
Primary data has been collected by interacting with the guide and other supportive through direct
personnel, oral investigation, seminars, classroom lectures delivered about Inventory management in
ECIL.
Secondary Data:
Secondary data is collected from Annual reports of the units, other reports of the unit, House
Project covers 2002-2003 to 2008-2009 financial years. Data/ information is collects for the
The project report on inventory management covers collections of data, analysis of data
interpretations and suggestions. Inventory statements are prepared on the basis of the financial
statements of ECIL.
As stated elsewhere, ECIL is under a strategic ministry of government of India dealing with
The very nature of the organization places certain limitations on the collection of the data &
analysis thereof.
“Let us work up the embers of national pride latest in all of us and build up our Morale so
increasing importance in the monitoring & control of production process of many industries like
engineering, chemical & metallurgical industries. In India, the electronics industry has been taken
In the field of industrial electronics, the government of India has taken initiations in 1960’s to
set up an industrial unit in public sector in order to produce industrial electronic systems with
It has vital role to play in the fields of atomic energy, communication, defense, education, space
technology & entertainment. Because of its dynamic character, its pervasive nature & its significant
impact on science, industry & society, electronics is the vanguard of the technological process.
Technological process & obsolescence are both very rapid in this field.
An intense promotional effort relating to both production & research development is an
important requisite. Therefore, it is essential to ensure a rapid growth in this field. In this direction,
government of India & its agencies with the aim of developing & promoting industrial electronics
system with indigenous know-how, to attain self-sufficiency in atomic energy programmers, started
ECIL was setup under the Department of Atomic Energy in the year 1967 with a view to
generating a strong indigenous capability in the field of professional grade electronics. The initial
accent was on total self-reliance and ECIL was engaged in the Design Development, Manufacture and
Marketing of several products emphasis on three technology lines viz. Computers, Control Systems
and Communications. Over the years, ECIL pioneered the development of various complex
electronics products without any external technological help and scored several 'firsts' in these fields
and managerial manpower especially in the fields of Computers and Information Technology.
Though the initial thrust was on meeting the Control & Instrumentation requirements of the Nuclear
Power Program, the expanded scope of self-reliance pursued by ECIL enabled the company to
develop various products to cater to the needs of Defense, Civil Aviation, Information &
Broadcasting, Telecommunications, Insurance, Banking, Police, and Para-Military Forces, Oil & Gas,
Power, Space Education, Health, Agriculture, Steel and Coal sectors and various user departments in
the Government domain. ECIL thus evolved as a multi-product company serving multiple sectors of
Indian economy with emphasis on import of country substitution and development of products &
CENTER (B.A.RC), was incorporated in 1987. The company is under the administrative control of
The main objective of ECIL was to support the DAE by manufacturing electronic instruments
& systems, components, control panels & equipment for country’s nuclear programme. The emphasis
has all along been in self-reliance & indigenization in the chosen technical fonts, supported by
collaboration with global players on selective based over the past three decades. The company has
diversified its operations into other fields, such as, computers, communication for other sectors such
current information, the company has taken up lots of changes as well as improvements in their
profits.
The year 1996-97 has been another difficult year for the company. Production of Rs. 292.12
Crores & income (gross) of Rs. 356.03 Crores could be achieved during the year as compared to the
production & income of Rs. 320.65 Crores & Rs. 360.55 Crores respectively for the previous year.
While the company could record profitable results throughout the 8 th plan period (92-97), the
same could not be sustained in the year 1997-98, which turned out to be difficult year both in terms of
The year 1998-99 has been an exceptionally difficult on for the company due to various
extraneous reasons beyond control. The company was confronted with constraints in procurement of
certain custom-built components from foreign sources which affected execution of order around Rs.
Consequently, the company could achieve a production of Rs. 237.86 Crores only as
against a target of Rs. 380 Crores & Rs. 310.53 Crores achieved in the previous year. Similarly, the
income for the year worked out to be Rs. 256.94 Crores as compared to Rs. 347.85 Crores achieved in
the previous year. This huge shortfall in unprecedented figures for production & income in the
initiated by the company resulted in consolidation of the turnover process, during the year 2000-01.
The performance shows 25% growth over the previous year in both production & income fronts. The
company recorded an impressive growth & crossed of Rs. 500 Crores mark by achieving a production
of Rs. 505.41 Crores, an achievement of 104% against the target of Rs. 485 Crores.
The financial results for the year indicate a Net Profit of Rs. 1209 Crores, which is the
highest ever posted by the company in its history. The turnaround achievement in 2000-01 was
further strengthened by a 20% growth achieved a turnover for the second year in succession. Against
a target of Rs. 580 Crores, the company achieved a turnover of Rs. 681 Crores. The company made
pre-tax profit of Rs. 79.34 Crores compared to 12.09 Crores achieved in 2000-2001. All the
Out of a reserve of Rs. 20.53 Crores is created. The company redeemed all its loans
During the year, the company registered an impressive growth by reaching a turnover
Rs. 1010 Crores against a target of Rs. 655 Crores, implying growth rate of 48% over the previous
year. The financial results indicate a pre-tax profit of Rs. 80.58 Crores after making a provision of 01-
01-1997 to 31-12-2000, as compared to Rs. 79.34 Crores, during the year 2001-2002.
The company is organized into the following business divisions & their principal
Nuclear Industrial & Analytical Instruments, Security System Comprising CCTV, Fire Alarm
& x ray baggage inspection system, electronic energy meters, special systems for defense,
needs of Army, Navy, Air Force & Air Traffic Control, Satellite TV Receiver only systems
6. Antenna Products Division (APD): Design, Manufacture & commissioning of various types of
The supervisory systems, supervisory control & automatic projects & industrial control.
8. Business System Division (BSD):
Various Time Fuses & other types for Army & Navy.
Simulators for thermal & nuclear power plant, data acquisition systems, control &
instrumentation equipment for nuclear & thermal power plant, operator information systems.
The business groups are supported by corporate facilities like standards & quality assurance,
corporate R&D, personnel & finance and accounts. Over the year, company has acquired &
All the businesses of ECIL have obtained ISO 9001 certification for design &
manufacture of thick film resistors & hybrid micro circuits in June 1995. Control Systems
group has achieved ISO 9001 certification for design, manufacture, supply, installation
instrumentation systems in August 1995. Other business groups have taken steps to apply
1. Computer & IT
Software Products
LAN Solutions
EDP Packages
Computer Hardware
2. Radio Communication
3. Instruments
Analytical Systems
Integrated Security
4. Antenna Products
V-SAT Products
6. Telecom
Special Tele-Equipment
7. Strategic Electronics
9. Others
ECIL BRANCHES
MISSION OF ECIL
ECIL’s mission is to consolidate its status as a valued national asset in the area of strategic
electronics with specific focus on atomic energy, defense, security & such critical sectors of national
importance.
In the context of inventory management, the firm is faced with the problem of meeting two
conflicting needs. To maintain a large size of inventory for efficient & smooth production & sales
Both excessive & inadequate inventories are not desirable. These are two danger points with
in which the firm should operate. The objective of inventory management should be to determine &
maintain optimum level of investment. The optimum level of inventory will lie between the two
The firm should always avoid a situation of over investment or under investment in
• Risk of Liquidity
The excessive level of inventories consumes funds of the firm, which cannot be used for any
other purpose & thus, it involves an opportunity cost. The carrying costs, such as the cost of
storage, handling, insurance, recording & inspection also increase in proportion to the volume
of inventory.
To continue services to the country’s needs for the peaceful uses, Atomic Energy, Special &
Strategic requirements of defense & space, electronics security systems & supports for civil
aviation sector.
To establish newer technology products such as container scanning systems & explosive
detectors.
To explore new avenues of business & work for growth in strategic sectors, in addition to
working for realizing technological solutions for the benefit of society in areas like
To strengthen the technology base, enhance skill base & ensure succession planning in the
company.
To consciously work for finding export markets for the company’s products.
ACHIEVEMENTS, AWARDS AND FELICITATIONS:
As a recognition of the incredible turn around achieved and for its pioneering contribution in the field
of R&D, the company received a number of awards, most prominent of them are:
personalities of great national stature, when he was then chairman and managing director of
Dr. A. S. Rao has been felicitated as “Electronics man of venture” in the year 2001.
SCOPE (Standard Conference of Public Enterprises) award for excellence and outstanding
Certificate of merit for “excellence in MOU” performance, from the ministry of heavy
industries.
INDUSTRY PROFILE
The ELECTRONIC INDUSTRY is supported by the supply of raw materials from the petrochemical
industry, without which it may grind to a halt. The petrochemical industry is an aid to many of the
end-use product industries. It is one of the major supplier of number of basic materials which is used
by different other industries to manufacture their products. It has become one of the major sources of
The fastest growing sector is the it and electronic industry sector. The hardware components
serve as an important support to this stupendous growth. The growth of this sector heavily depends on
the supply of various intermediary products. The electronic industry will not be able to perform
without the components from the petrochemical industry. The intermediary products assure better
electrical insulation and safety, feasibility in assembling, better design, and a superb capacity of data-
It is due to petrochemicals that the electronic industry has grown by leaps and bounds in the previous
decade. the progress in the communication technology is the result of the improvements in the
hardware devices such as radios, television sets, telephones, computers, CD players, DVD players,
digital cameras, mobile phones, laptops, palmtops, etc. the circuitry of every electronic device is its
most vital element. the circuitry mainly consists of micro processors, integrated circuits, printed
circuits, and connectors - all derived from base materials of petrochemical products. Even the
assembly and the housings are made out of styrene plastics. Many of the cleansers used for cleaning
the contact pins and lenses of the optical drives are based on petrochemical products.
The electronics industry in India took off around 1965 with an orientation towards space
and defense technologies. This was rigidly controlled and initiated by the government. This was
followed by developments in consumer electronics mainly with transistor radios, black & white TV,
calculators and other audio products. Color televisions soon followed. In 1982-a significant year in
the history of television in India - the government allowed thousands of color TV sets to be imported
into the country to coincide with the broadcast of Asian games in New Delhi. 1985 saw the advent of
computers and telephone exchanges, which were succeeded by digital exchanges in 1988. The period
between 1984 and 1990 was the golden period for electronics during which the industry witnessed
Current scenario
In recent years the electronic industry is growing at a brisk pace. It is currently worth $10 billion but
according to estimates, has the potential to reach $ 40 billion by 2010. The largest segment is the
“The term inventory refers to the stockpile of the products a firm is offering for sale and the
components that make up the product”. In other words, inventory management is composed of assets
Inventories are a component of the firm’s working capital & as such, represent a
1. Current Asset: It is assumed that inventories will be converted to cash in the current
2. Level of Liquidity: Inventories are viewed as a source of cash. For most products, this
description is accurate, at the same time most firms hold some slow moving items that may
not be sold for a long time. With economic slow-downs or changes in the markets for goods,
the prospects for sale of entire product lines diminished. In these cases, the liquidity aspects of
inventories become highly important to the manager of working capital. At the minimum, the
analyst must recognize that inventories are the least liquid of the current assets.
3. Liquidly Gases: Inventories are tied to the firm’s pool of the working capital in a process that
• Creation Lags: In most cases, inventories are purchased on credit, creating an account
payable. When the raw materials are processed in the factory, the case to pay
purchased, the firm’s will hold inventories for some period before payment is made.
• Storage Lags: Once goods are available for resale, they will not be immediately
converted into cash. First, the items must be sold evenly. When sales are moving
briskly, a firm will hold inventory as a backup. Thus the firm will pay suppliers,
workers & overhead expenses, before the goods are actually sold. This lag represents a
• Sale Lag: Once the goods have been sold, they normally do not create cash
immediately. Most sales occur on credit & become accounts receivable. This lag also
4. Circulating Activity: Inventories are in rotating pattern with other current asset. They get
converted into receivables which generate cash. Cash is invested again in inventory, to
Inventories are stocks of the product, a company is manufacturing for sale & components
that make up product. The various forms in which inventories exist in a manufacturing company are:
1. Raw Material Inventory: This consists of basic materials that have not yet been committed
to uncouple the production functions, so that, delay in shipment of raw materials do not cause
production delay.
2. Work-in-Progress Inventory: This category includes those materials that have been
committed to the production process but have not been completed. The quantity & the value
of work-in-progress depend on the length of the production cycle. In case, the production
cycle is lengthy, the firm will be having a large work-in-progress. The more complex &
lengthy, the production process, the larger the investment in work-in-progress inventory.
3. Finished Goods Inventory: These are the goods that are either being purchased by the firm
or produced or processed in the firm. These goods are just ready from sale to customers.
Inventories of finished goods arise because of the time involved in production process & the
Cycle of inventories:
NEED TO HOLD INVENTORY
storage & handling costs. There are three general motives for holding inventories:
1. Transactionary Motive: Every firm has to maintain some level of inventory to meet the day-
to-day requirements of sale, production process, customer demand etc. Transaction motive
makes the firm to keep the inventory will provide smoothness to the operations of the firm. A
business firm exists for business transactions that require stock of goods & raw materials.
2. Precautionary Motive: A firm should keep some inventory for unforeseen circumstances
also. The firm must have inventories of raw materials as well as finished goods, for meeting
any emergencies.
3. Speculative Motive : The firm may be tempted to keep some inventory in order to capitalize
an opportunity to make profit e.g., sufficient level of inventory may help the firm to earn extra
The purpose of holding inventory is to allow the firm to operate the processes of purchasing,
1. Avoiding Loss Sales: Without goods on hand that are ready to be sold most firms would lose
business. Some customers are ready to wait, particularly, when an item must be made on order
or is not widely available from competitors. A firm must be prepared to deliver goods on
demand. Shelf-Stock refers to items that are stored by the firm & sold with little or no
2. Gaining Quantity Discounts: In turn, for making bulk purchases, many suppliers will reduce
the price of supplies & component parts. These discounts will reduce cost of goods sold &
3. Reducing Order Cost: Each time a firm places an order, it incurs certain costs on goods that
arrive, must be accepted, inspected & counted. Later an invoice must be processed & payment
made. Each of these costs will vary, with the order placed. By placing fewer orders, the firm
4. Achieving Efficient Production Runs: Each time a firm sets-up workers & machines
produce an item, start-up costs are incurred. These are absorbed, as production begins. The
longer the run, the smaller the costs to begin producing the goods.
5. Reducing Risk of Producing Shortages: Manufacturing firms frequently produce goods with
hundreds or thousands of components. If any of these are missing, entire production operation
can be halted with heavy expenses. To avoid starting a production run & then discovering the
shortage of a vital raw material or other component, the firm can maintain larger inventories.
1. There should be proper co-operation & co-ordination among the departments involved in
5. There should be proper inspection of materials, when the receiving department receives them.
6. Standard form of requisitions, order, issue, transfer of material from one job to the other &
7. The storage of materials should be well planned to avoid losses from theft, carelessness,
8. A good method of issue of materials to various jobs, orders or processes should be followed,
so that, there is delivery of right type of materials to the jobs, orders or processes in the right
11. Minimum, maximum re-ordering levels for each type of material should be fixed, to ensure
12. Ordering quantity for each type of material should also be fixed, to reduce the ordering costs
13. A careful choice should be made of the method of valuing the materials issue, because it
affects the cost of the jobs or processes & the value of the closing stock of materials in the
stores.
14. Adequate records to control materials during the production process should be maintained, to
management, so that planning of production may be done keeping in view the inventory
balances in stores. Information about obsolete & defective stock should also be given to the
management from time to time, so that steps may be taken for the disposal of such stock.
Management of Inventory:
major element of total working capital & it is stated that good inventory management is good
management. Inventory management involves large numbers of issues, such as, fixing levels of
inventories, size of inventory to be carried on issue pricing policy, inspection procedure, economic
The basic objective of inventory management is to determine & maintain optimum level of
To contribute to profitability
The inventory policy of an organization has an impact on the whole system. There are number
of factors which can affect the inventory decisions. These can be broadly divided into the following
categories:
1. The nature of the production process: The product design, production planning & plant layout
Degree of changes in the nature of the product from raw material to final product at various
stages of transformation, viz., final assembly. Assembly & packaging determines the nature of
inventory control operation, e.g., if nature of product remains more or less same at various
stages of production, then production economies can be achieved, by keeping the right balance
various operations, e.g., the replenishment lead-time (length of delay in execution after
2. The nature of the production system: It is characterized by the number of manufacturing stages
& the inter-relationship between various production operations, e.g., in product-line system, inventory
control is simpler than in job-type system. Similarly when there are many operational stages, then the
inventory control system must provide smooth adjustment of early operating stages & inventories to
There is always variation in demand & supply of the product. The protection against such un-
predictable variations can be done by means of buffer stocks. The factors for such variations are:
Changes in size & frequency of orders: The amount of product sold in large number of
Un-predictability of sales: If there are too many fluctuations in demand of a product, then
these can be handled only by flexible & large capacity of inventory operations.
Physical & Economic Structure of distribution pattern: Longer the channel of distribution,
the more is the inventory requirement. Field inventories basically improve service to retailers
The accuracy, frequency & detail of demand forecasts: Fluctuation stock exists when
forecasts are not exact. The responsibility of forecasters for inventory needs should be clearly
recognized.
C. Organizational Factors:
There are certain factors which are related to the policies, traditions & environment of any
D. Other Factors:
These are related to the overall business environment of the region, viz., Inflation
Obtaining & recording correct specification for different items, from the production
department
Production deterioration due to storing for too long period or improper storing
Maintaining a sufficiently large size of efficient & smooth production & sales
The effective management of inventory involves a trade-off between having too little & too much
inventory. To examine inventory from the cost angle, five categories of costs can be identified,
three are direct costs – that are immediately connected to buying & holding goods and two are
indirect costs – which are losses of revenues that vary with differing inventory management
1. Material Costs: These are the costs of purchasing the goods including transportation &
handling costs.
2. Ordering Costs: The term ordering cost is used in the case of raw materials & includes the
entire costs of acquiring raw materials. They include costs incurred in the activities such as
3. Carrying Costs: These are the expenses of storing goods. Once the goods have been
accepted, they become a part of firm’s inventories. These costs include insurance,
rent/depreciation of warehouse, salaries of store keeper, his assistants & security personnel
etc. Carrying costs are considered to be a given percentage of the value of the inventory held
in the warehouse. Despite some of the fixed elements of costs which comprise only a small
portion of total carrying costs, are considered to be around 25% of the value of the inventory
held in storage.
4. Cost of funds tied up with inventory: When a firm commits its resources to inventory, it is
using the funds that otherwise might be available for other purposes. This is its opportunity
cost.
inventories. A proper inventory control not only helps him in solving the acute problem of liquidity
but also increases profits and causes substantial reduction in the working capital of the concern. The
following are the important tools and techniques of inventory management and control:
4. A.B.C.Analysis.
5. V.E.DAnalysis.
Carrying of too much and to little of inventories is detrimental to the firm. Therefore, an efficient
inventory management requires that firm should maintain an optimum level of inventory where
inventory costs are the minimum and at a same time there is no stock – out which may result in loss
of sale are stoppage of production. Various stock levels are discussed as such.
(A)Minimum level:
This represents the quantity which much be maintained in hand at all time. If stocks are less
than the minimum level then the work will stop due to shortage of materials. Following
factors are taken into account while fixing minimum stock level :( i) Lead time, (ii) Rate of
When the quantity of materials reaches at a certain figure then fresh order is sent to get
materials again. The order is sent before the material reaches the maximum stock level. The rate
consumption, number of days required to replenish the stocks, and maximum quantity of
materials requires on any day are taken into account while fixing reordering level. Reordering
(C)Maximum level:
It is the quantity of materials beyond which a firm should not exceed its stocks. If the
quantity exceeds maximum level limit then it will be over stocking. A firm should avoid over
stocking because it will result in high materials costs. The following formula uses for calculating
(D)Danger level:
It is the level beyond which material should not fall in any case. If the danger level arises
then immediate steps should be taken to replenish the stocks even if more cost is incurred in
arranging the materials. Danger level is determined with the following formula
Danger level = Average consumption * maximum Re –Order period for Emergency purchases.
Safety stock are the minimum additional inventory which serve as a safety
margin to meet an unanticipated increase in usage resulting from unusually high demand and/or an
uncontrollable late receipt of incoming inventory the basic problem is to determined the level of
quantity of safety stocks. To cost are involved in the determination of the stock i.e., opportunity cost
of stock/outs and the carrying costs. The stock outs of raw materials cause production disruption
resulting into higher cost of production. If a firm maintains low level of safety frequent stock outs
will occur resulting into a larger opportunity costs. On the other hand, the larger quantity of safety
inventory which order should be ordered. The economic order quantity is that level of inventory order
which minimizes the total cost associated with inventory management. Generally, economic order
quantity is the point at which inventory carrying costs are equal to the order costs. In determining
economic order quantity it is assumed that cost of managing inventory is made up solely of two parts
a. Ordering costs
These are the costs which are associated with the purchasing or ordering of
materials.
b. Carrying costs
These are the costs for holding the inventories. These costs will not be incurred if
Symbolically,
EOQ = 2 DS / C
Where,
D= Annual Demand.
Minimum
er
Total Annual
Stocking Costs
Total Annual
Stocking Costs
Annual
Carrying Costs
Low
Annual
er
Ordering Costs
Order Quantity
Smaller EOQ Larger
4. A-B-C Analysis:
The ABC system is a widely-used classification technique to identify various items of
inventory for purpose of inventory control. On the basis of the cost involved, the various items are
classified into three categories viz., A, B and C. (i) A, consisting of items with the large investment,
(ii) C, with relatively small investment but fairly large number of items and (iii) B, which stands mid-
way between category A and C. Category A needs the most rigorous control, C requires minimum
attention and B deserves less attention than A but more than C. The information shown in the
following diagram:
5. V.E.D Analysis: The VED analysis is used generally for spare parts. The requirements and
urgency of spare parts is different from that of materials. The demand for spare parts upon the
performance of the plant and machinery. Spare parts are classified as Vital (V), Essential (E) and
Desirable (D). The vital spare parts are a must for running the concern smoothly and these must be
stored adequately. The essential types of spares are also necessary but their stocks may be kept at low
figures. The stocking of desirable type of spares may be avoided at times. If the lead time of these
Inventory turnover ratios are calculated to indicate whether inventories have been used
efficiently or not. The Inventory Turnover Ratio also known as stock velocity is normally
conversion period may also be calculated to find the average time taken for clearing the stocks.
Symbolically,
(Or)
the stock taking continues throughout the year. A schedule is prepared for stop taking of various
bins. One bin is selected at random and the goods are checked as per shown in the bin card. Then
some other bin is selected at random and so on. The personnel associated with store keeping are
not told of stock taking programmed because store rooms are random. The perpetual Inventory
system refers to as “A system of records maintained by the controlling department, which reflects
Material cost report serve as means of communications usually in the written form of
facts relating to materials which should be the attention of various levels of management who
can use them to take suitable action for the purpose of materials control. Material control is
1. Purchase Control
2. Stores Control
3. Consumption Control
control is the efficiency of the stores department & consumption control, the efficiency of the
departmental foremen. Proper design of material cost reports is essential, to achieve these
Some of the important methods of pricing inventories, which are used in production, are:
First In First out (FIFO) Method: This method assumes that the order, in which materials
are received in the stores, is the order in which they are issued from the stores. The materials
that are issued first are priced on the basis of the cost of materials received earliest.
Last In Last Out (LIFO) Method: This method is the opposite of the FIFO method. It
assumes that materials that are purchased last are issued first. The materials issues are priced
Weighted Average Cost Method: In this method, material issues are priced at the weighted
average cost of materials in the stock. The weighted average price takes into account, the price
& quantity of the materials in store. It is better to issue the materials at weighted average price
method, because it recovers the cost price of the materials from production.
SUCCESSFUL INVENTORY MANAGEMENT
Successful inventory management involves balancing the costs of inventory with the
benefits of inventory. Many small business owners fail to appreciate fully, the true costs of carrying
inventory, which include not only direct costs of storage, insurance & taxes but also the cost of
money tied up in inventory. This fine line between keeping too much inventory & not enough is not
Maintaining a wide assortment of stock, but not spreading the rapidly moving ones too thin.
Obtaining lower process by making volume purchases, but not ending up with slow-moving
inventory; and having an adequate inventory on hand, but not getting caught with obsolete
items.
One of the most important aspects of inventory control is to have the items in
stock, at the moment they are needed. This includes going into the market to buy the goods early
enough, to ensure delivery at the proper time. Thus, buying requires advance planning to determine
inventory needs for each time period & then making the commitment, without procrastination. For
retailers, planning ahead is very crucial. In short, the purchasing plan details include:
When commitments should be placed
CONTROLLING INVENTORY
are several proven methods for inventory control. They are listed below, from the simplest to
Visual Control enables the manager to examine the inventory visually, to determine if
additional inventory is required. In very small business, where this method is used, records
may not be needed at all or only for slow moving or expensive items.
Tickler Control enables the manager to physically count a small portion of the inventory
each day, so that each segment of the inventory is counted every so many days, on a regular
basis.
Click Sheet control enables the manager to record the item, as it is used on a sheet of paper.
Stub Control (used by retailer) enables the manager to retain a portion of the price ticket
when the item is sold. The manager can then use the stub to record the item that was sold.
As a business grows, it may find a need for a more sophisticated & technical
form of inventory control. Today, the use of computer systems to control inventory is far more
feasible for small business than ever before, both through the widespread existence of computer
service organizations & the decreasing cost of small-sized computer. Often, the justification for such
a computer based system is enhanced by the fact that company accounting & billing procedures can
Point-of-sale terminals really provide information on each item used or sold. The manager
Off-line point-of-sale terminals relay information directly to the supplier’s computer who
uses the information to ship additional items automatically to the buyer/inventory manager.
The final method for inventory control is done by an outside agency. A manufacturer’s
representative visits the large retailer on a scheduled basis, takes the stock count & writes the
re-order. Unwanted merchandise is removed from stock & returned to the manufacturer
A principle goal for many of the methods described above is to determine the
minimum possible annual cost of ordering & stocking each item. Two major control values in use are:
2. The re-order point that is the minimum stock level at which additional quantities are ordered.
The economic order quantity (EOQ) formula is one widely used method of computing the
minimum annual cost of placing an order, the annual sales rate, the unit cost & the cost of
carrying inventory. Many books on management practices describe the EOQ model in detail.
DATA ANALYSIS:
A. Before an analysis is attempted for assessing inventory control measures at ECIL, it is proposed to
System Overview:
The following systems are being followed in ECIL & the main features of the system are as
follows:
3. All receipts, issues & returns are recorded in price stores ledger
4. Stock transfer voucher (STV) is used for recording transfer of raw materials from one
5. Finished goods delivery notes (FGDN) are used for transferring finished.
6. Physical verification is carried out at 6 regular intervals & discrepancies are reconciled &
rectified.
The material accounting & cost accounting system have been designed within frame work of
account codes & accounting policies, which would facilitate identifying direct elements of costs, such
as direct material, direct labor & directly allocable expenses (such as expenses of sub-contracting)
which are booked manually to the direct material. The following documentation & system is being
followed in ECIL:
Receipt Documents:
CSRV(Certified Stores Receipt Voucher) : Which is issued by the stores personnel to bills section
to financial accounting wing in order to classify the material into Raw Materials, Stores & Spares,
Consumable Tools, Packing Material, Sub-Contractors Services & other operational expenses, based
on the purchased order, the billing section does the provisional valuation by using fixed percentages
for freight, insurance & other incidentals & with regard to customs duty, the percentages as per tariff
Material
Inspection
By this entry, the priced stores ledger(PSL) of inventory is built up & as & when the issue of
materials takes place, an MIR is issued, comprising of job material code, quantity etc., that is fed to
EDP. EFP calculates the value based on monthly weighted average method.
Based on these, MIR data the WIP is brought out by collating material
analysis (accounting of material consumption job wise). The direct material is broken job wise in
WIP ledger & the same is reconciled with the financial records. Thus, the direct material job wise
may be traced from WIP ledger. In the similar fashion, some other receipt documents & issued
2. FGIN (Finished goods issue note), for the finished products particularly of CG like hybrids,
Networks & PCBs are consumed as RMs in other group, for which a credit is given in the
3. STV (Stock transfer Voucher), any stores useful for any group is taken from other group from
STV for which only stock accounts of the divisions are operated.
4. MRN (Material Return Note), the items lying unused at shop floor after production activity is
Based on the above documentation, EDP generates the following printouts for materials viz.,
1. Price stores ledger is brought out on monthly basis consisting on that month’s receipts, issues, and
balance stocks available values for RMs, stores & spares, consumable tools, packing materials.
2. Inventory is brought out on monthly basis comprising of material codes in seriatim along with
material, total value & also cumulative receipts & cumulative consumption are indicated.
3. Job wise material analysis is brought out on monthly basis for those jobs, for which materials
have been consumed along with value & description of the material in order to have monthly
record of materials used for each job. Non-moving material analysis are brought out on quarterly
basis. Items which are not moved from more than 6 months are reported regularly to the
management for identification & necessary action. Further A, B, C, D classified inventory report
is also being submitted to group management for their study & controlling purposes.
Inventory Control & its Impact on Costs
Value wise inventory & consumption analysis are brought out on quarterly basis
indicating RM; SS, CT, PM are value at cost. ‘A’ class items which are 70%, ‘B’ class items are
valuing 20% & ‘C’ class items which are valuing 10% - of the total inventory are brought out for
verification of internal audit. The stores verify ‘C’ class items & to that extent a certificate is issued at
the year end, regarding the correctness. Physical balances are verified with a carded & the difference
FAW of group verifies & gives the rectification of entries i.e., shortage item’s values are
charged off to physical inventory variation & the excess quantities are adjusted in the inventory
This system enables control on the inventories & at the same time costs on some are checked.
Materials issued to sub contractors are booked to consumption as and when issued through MIRS. A
record is being maintained at sub-contracts section, party-wise, job-wise & description of materials &
quantities issued.
FINANCIAL ANALYSIS
03
1. Raw Materials 4735 5630 5267 2304 1616 1878 1954
Consumed P.M 12
Consumption
3. No. of Months 1.74 1.37 1.34 0.66 0.50 0.47 0.49
Raw Material
Stock Available
w.r.t Monthly
consumption
( 1 / 2)
2
1.8
1.6
1.4
1.2
1
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0
2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09
Interpretation:
• In 2003-04, there was again a decrease in the stock levels. It was 1.37 when compared with 1.74
in 2002-03.
• In 2004-05 it was 1.34 which indicated a decrease, even in 2005-06 there was a decrease of 0.66
• In the year 2006-07, it is 0.49 indicating a further decrease in the stock levels.
• In the year 2007-08, it is 0.47 indicating a further decrease in the stock levels.
progress
Production(P.M)
Consumption
WIP held in
inventory = (1 / 2)
For arriving No. of Months, gross working capital & each components including RM, WIP, FGs are
co-related as follows:
Interpretation on ABC:
Raw Material: The Corporation held a maximum stock of Raw Material & improved year by year &
Work In Progress: The Corporation’s WIP was low during the year 2008-09 & was around 0.49
months.
Finished Goods: The average finished goods stock held during the period of study is 0.20 months
with peak – FGs of 0.30 months & lowest to the tune of 0.16 months per month.
In the similar way, the Inventory turnover ratio has increased from 7.57 in the year 2004-05 to
8.09 in the year 2005-06, which indicates that the inventory has been managed efficiently in the year
Components of Inventory
The components of inventory are:
Raw Material Inventory Turnover = Materials Consumed / Average Raw Material Inventory.
Consumed
Cl
Stock
Avg RM 2850 3885.5 4412 2963 1633 1747 1916
Inventory
Turnover
Interpretation:
• The Raw material inventory turnover ratio has increased from 11.48 to 12.69 from the year
• The Raw material inventory turnover ratio has decreased from 12.69 in the year 2003-04 to
10.71 in the year 2004-05 which indicates that RM is not properly managed.
• The Raw material inventory turnover ratio has increased from 10.71 in the year 2004-05 to
14.17 in the year 2005-06, which indicates that the RM has been managed to compensate to
• The Raw material inventory turnover ratio has increased from 14.17 in the year 2005-06 to
23.84 in the year 2006-07 which indicates that the RM has been managed to compensate the
• The Raw material inventory turnover ratio has decreased from 23.84 to 22.26 in the year
• The Raw material inventory turnover ratio was 22.52 in year 2008-09, which has increased
further.
(B) WIP Inventory Turnover:
WIP Inventory Turnover (WIPTR) = Cost of Production / Average work in progress inventory
Turnover
Interpretation:
• The WIP Turn Ratio has increased from 0.8579 to 13.2766 from the year 2002-03 to 2003-04,
which shows that the WIP is efficiently managed in order to compensate for the previous
declined.
• The WIP Turn Ratio has increased from 13.2766 to 18.1613 from the year 2003-2004 to
• The WIP Turn Ratio has decreased from 18.1613 to 17.7437 from the year 2004-05 to 2005-
• The WIP Turn Ratio has decreased from 17.7437 to 17.5267 from the year 2005-06 to 2006-
07, which shows that the WIP is not managed efficiently to the required level.
• The WIP Turn Ratio has decreased from 17.5267 to 16.1823 from the year 2006-07 to 2007-
08, which shows that the WIP is not managed efficiently to the required level.
• The WIP Turn Ratio has increased to 21.32 in the year 2007-09, which shows that WIP has
RATIO ANALYSIS
Inventory
Inventory 4.25 6.70 7.57 8.09 8.9211 10.99 8.3
Turn Over
Ratio
Interpretation:
The inventory turnover ratio has increased from 4.09 to 8.3 from the year 2002-03 to 2008-09,
Material
Consumed
(A)
Cost of 62381 81130 73880 67710 62842 56897 61894
production
(B)
% of A on B 52.42% 60.77% 63.94% 61.99% 61.92% 62.22% 69.72%
Interpretation:
From the above calculations it has been observed that the raw material consumption is low
in the year 2002-03, but it has been increasing percentage after 2002-03, which need to be monitored
FINDINGS:
technologies, the inventory procurement for various ranges of products is quite high.
Inventory Management is an important function which effects the reliability of stabilized
Inventory Procurement is also based on & does not conform to economic batch quantities,
It is also observed that there are frequent changes in specifications by the customer rendering
There is a regular physical verification for ‘A’ & ‘B’ class items, by internal audit department
As per the directions of the management, non-moving inventory of a particular business group
has to be listed & circulated to all the other divisions for any possible usage before action is
The % of raw material on cost of production is found to high in year 2008-2009 i.e., 69.72
In spite of the above constraints, there is reasonably a good control noticed as reflected in the
Suggestions
Suggestions must be taken from all departments of the organization for proper maintaining of
stock.
Once non-moving inventory is observed & declared, a quick disposal action has to be
procurement itself, whether there is a control exercised in purchasing materials in line with
A regular reporting system on inventory should be in place to highlight on carrying costs &
liquidity covering all the business groups & at the corporate level.
Inventory management is to keep the stock in such way that neither there is over-stocking or
under stocking.
Under-stocking will result in stoppage of work. So, the investment inventory management
Organization has to attention on the amount of % of raw material on cost of production, which
BOOKS:
1. CHARY, S.N, 2003, Production and Operation Management, Tata McGraw-Hill, 2nd Edition,
3. I.M.PANDAY, 2005, Financial Management, Vikas Publications, 9th Edition, Page no: 624.