This time of year the abundant ads for junk removal and cheap storage units remind us that it’s time for spring cleaning, an annual pastime that has perhaps been bolstered by the need to unlock extra space in the home during the pandemic. Businesses, too, have managed to find space to accommodate safe distancing, either by pushing unneeded items to dark corners or back-lot containers, or, occasionally, by chucking them. It’s the typical 5S lament: sorting and setting in order, but not sustaining the improvement. Which, of course, is why spring cleaning is an annual thing.  

Removing clutter from our lives is a good thing, be it personal or professional. But there’s a huge, often missed opportunity that is unique to business: inventory. We buy it, machine it, fabricate it, assemble it, paint it, or process it in some other way, and then we store it for eventual use (or obsolescence). According to Zipinventory.com, the ideal inventory turnover for a company is three to six times per year. Wow! The things we can learn from the internet.

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