Safety Stock Calculator
Calculate buffer inventory needed to prevent stockouts.
Inputs
units
units
days
days
%
$
Results
Safety Stock (Combined Method)
345 units
Safety Stock (Simple Method)104 units
Safety Stock Value$5,175.87
Days of Safety Coverage3.5 days
Annual Holding Cost$1,293.97
Z-Score1.65
How to Use This Calculator
- Enter the average daily demand and the standard deviation of daily demand.
- Input the average lead time in days and the standard deviation of lead time.
- Set the service level (e.g., 95%) to determine the Z-score.
- Review the recommended safety stock quantity.
- Higher service levels require proportionally more safety stock — balance fill rate against holding cost.
How the result changes with Average Daily Demand
| Average Daily Demand | Safety Stock (Combined Method) |
|---|---|
| 100,000 | 329,000 units |
| 350,000 | 1,151,500 units |
| 650,000 | 2,138,500 units |
| 900,000 | 2,961,000 units |
What each input means
- Average Daily Demand
- Average daily demand in units.
- Demand Std Deviation (daily)
- Standard deviation of daily demand.
- Average Lead Time
- Average supplier lead time in days.
- Lead Time Std Deviation
- Standard deviation of lead time in days.
- Service Level
- Target service level (90, 95, 97, or 99%).
- Unit Cost
- Cost per unit for value calculation.
How this is calculated
Worked example, using the default values
- Identify Input Parameters4 parametersAverage Daily Demand = 100, Demand Std Deviation (daily) = 20, Average Lead Time = 10, Lead Time Std Deviation = 2 = 6 input(s) provided
- Calculate Safety StockSafety Stock345 = 345
- Calculate Safety StockSafety Stock104 = 104
- Calculate Safety Stock ValueSafety Stock Value5175.87 = $5,175.87
Engine last updated . Checked against 1 independently-derived test — how we verify calculators.
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