BENCHMARKS VS INDUSTRY PEERS INVENTORY POWER BI

Inventory Turnover Benchmarker

Compares internal inventory performance — ITR, DIO, GMROI, and dead stock % — against published industry benchmarks across Retail, FMCG, Industrial, and Automotive sectors with traffic-light RAG status.

Project Overview

⚑ Problem

Blind Benchmarking

Most companies track inventory metrics in isolation — monitoring turnover ratios and days-on-hand without context. No visibility into whether performance is competitive versus sector peers leads to misallocated working capital and missed optimisation opportunities.

⚙ Solution

Power BI Benchmark Model

A Power BI model combining internal inventory data with published sector benchmarks (Retail, FMCG, Industrial, Automotive). Traffic-light RAG status on ITR, DIO, GMROI, and dead stock % shows at a glance where performance lags or leads industry standards.

✓ Findings

Working Capital Unlocked

31% of SKUs rated RED — below benchmark ITR — representing €4.2M in trapped working capital. Automotive and Industrial categories show the largest gaps. Closing the benchmark gap by 1 ITR point across RED SKUs projects a €1.1M cash release over 12 months.

RAG Status Summary

Portfolio RAG Breakdown — Current vs Benchmark ITR

⚡ Live ITR Benchmark Calculator

SECTOR

COGS (€)

AVG INVENTORY (€)

DEAD STOCK (%)

Dataset Explorer

Benchmark Analysis Charts

ITR: Actual vs Benchmark (by Category)

Days Inventory Outstanding (DIO)

GMROI by Sector

Dead Stock % by Category

Working Capital Trapped (RED SKUs)

RAG Distribution by Sector

Product Category Data

CATEGORY	SECTOR	COGS (€K)	AVG INV (€K)	ACTUAL ITR	BENCHMARK ITR	DIO (DAYS)	BENCHMARK DIO	DEAD STOCK %	GMROI	RAG

Working Capital Forecast

Projected WC Release if ITR Reaches Benchmark (12-Month View)

Company Advice

💡 Recommendations for Inventory Leaders

A 1-point improvement in Inventory Turnover Ratio typically frees 8–12% of working capital — for this portfolio, that equals €320K–€480K per ITR point gained.
Prioritise RED-status categories in Automotive and Industrial first — they show the widest benchmark gaps and the highest trapped capital per SKU.
Attack dead stock above 10% immediately: markdowns, liquidation auctions, or supplier buy-back clauses are faster than slow sell-through and free cash faster.
GMROI below 2.0x signals margin compression on top of turnover lag — review pricing and supplier terms simultaneously with inventory reduction programmes.
FMCG categories are closest to benchmark; focus continuous improvement there on DIO tightening (target sub-25 days) rather than broad inventory cuts.
Implement rolling 13-week demand-based reorder reviews to prevent seasonal stock buildup that inflates DIO in Q3/Q4 peaks.

Key Takeaway: Benchmarking reveals the opportunity cost of inaction. Every quarter a RED-status SKU stays below benchmark ITR is a quarter of compounding working capital cost — funding competitor growth instead of your own.