Your system says the stock is there. The warehouse says otherwise. A small inventory discrepancy might seem insignificant, but it can ripple through the entire supply chain, creating lost sales, unexpected demand spikes, excess stock, production pressure, and unnecessary cost.KEY CONCEPTS COVERED:Why inventory accuracy has become a critical supply chain capabilityHow stock errors create ripple effects from retailers back to manufacturersWhy ERP systems, AI, and other technology cannot compensate for poor data and broken processesIn this episode of Chain Reaction, Michael Ostroumov is joined by Martin Chisholm, Managing Director of Last Link, an operations specialist with experience across manufacturing, retail, logistics, and interim management. Martin shares lessons from more than two decades of working inside businesses and advising them from the outside, including why companies need to continually reassess their operations rather than relying on the way things have always been done.The conversation explores why inventory accuracy matters, what happens when physical stock does not match system data, and how those errors can ripple upstream through retailers, manufacturers, and smaller suppliers. Michael and Martin also discuss ERP and MRP systems, Excel workarounds, AI forecasting, the bullwhip effect, CPFR, and why putting sophisticated technology on top of inaccurate data rarely solves the underlying problem.Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/jRE3GnGy0d8 TIMESTAMPS:(0:00) - Introduction and guest overview(1:38) - Martin's journey from engineering into operations(4:11) - Why businesses struggle to see their real operational problems(7:43) - The right operating model constantly changes(11:06) - Why inventory accuracy became a business priority(12:47) - Customer demand, productivity, and the cost of stock(18:11) - What does stock accuracy actually mean?(20:00) - Why inventory accuracy gets worse closer to the shelf(24:51) - Inventory errors and the bullwhip effect(28:00) - Why bad data undermines ERP and AI(31:52) - Why technology alone cannot solve operational problems(33:10) - Why collaborative forecasting still struggles(36:12) - Magic wand question: achieving 100% stock accuracyCONNECT WITH THE HOST & GUEST:Michael Ostroumov - https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelostroumov/Martin Chisholm - https://www.linkedin.com/in/martin-chisholm-fmm-miim-71800b3/ CONNECT WITH FLOX:Website: https://www.flox.is/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/flox-logistics-services/ABOUT THIS EPISODE:In this episode, Chain Reaction explores inventory accuracy and its impact across modern supply chains. Martin and Michael discuss stock visibility, retail availability, inventory costs, the bullwhip effect, ERP and MRP systems, AI forecasting, CPFR, and why reliable data, people, and processes must come before technology. The conversation highlights how seemingly small stock errors can create significant consequences across manufacturers, suppliers, retailers, and ultimately customers.#ChainReactionPodcast #SupplyChain #InventoryManagement #StockAccuracy #Logistics #Manufacturing

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