Dynamic WOS: Optimizing Inventory Through Adaptive Weeks of Supply

Imagine this: it’s early in the season, and your distribution center (DC) is packed with fresh inventory. You’re feeling confident. But as the weeks go on, you notice some stores are overstocked. Others are empty. Meanwhile, the DC is still sitting on excess product.

You followed the plan. So what went wrong?

Most retailers still rely on a fixed Weeks of Supply (WOS) model, setting a static inventory target for all stores — no matter how much product is available or how demand is shifting. It’s easy to apply, but it’s fundamentally disconnected from reality.

In high-stakes, ever-changing environments like fashion retail, that gap between planning and availability can cost you in missed sales, markdowns, and lost trust across teams.

Why Fixed WOS Just Doesn’t Cut It

Fixed WOS assumes the world stands still, treating all allocations the same way regardless of current inventory levels.

Traditional models set a static inventory target for stores, regardless of what’s happening in the distribution center. This creates a mismatch between supply and demand in the real world. The result?

• When stock is scarce, fixed WOS can push too much inventory into stores too soon, causing some locations to run out while others are stuck with excess stock.
• When stock is abundant, fixed WOS might play it safe, holding back inventory in the DC. That can leave sales opportunities on the table while useful product gathers dust.

It’s a rigid system in a volatile environment — and it breaks down quickly when availability, timing, or demand patterns shift. Teams are left scrambling to course-correct, wasting time, dollars, and margin.

We knew there had to be a better way.

Dynamic WOS: Inventory Allocation that Adapts in Real Time

What if your inventory targets could change alongside your stock levels — getting smarter, more responsive, and truly reflective of what’s happening in your distribution center and the market?

That’s exactly what Syrup’s Dynamic Weeks of Supply (dWOS) model does.

By adjusting allocation recommendations based on real-time inventory data, dWOS creates a flexible, optimized system that balances your supply network — protecting reserve stock when needed and pushing inventory into stores confidently when the opportunity is ripe.

How Does Dynamic Weeks of Supply Work?

At its core, Dynamic WOS adapts to real-time supply and demand signals, helping retailers make smarter allocation decisions as conditions shift.

Here’s the process, step-by-step:

1. Measure Current Inventory Position

The system starts by assessing your current inventory position using our dynamic forecast, not static demand assumptions. That means it’s always working with the most up-to-date view of expected sales — factoring in trends, seasonality, and real-time shifts. This gives a clear picture of your distribution center’s inventory health.

2. Balance Risk with Real-Time Data

Next, the optimizer weighs two risks:

• Allocating too much too early can trap stock in stores that won’t sell through, especially if forecasts miss the mark.
• Allocating too little risks stockouts later in the season when demand is high.

Early in the season, the risk of trapped stock is low — so the dWOS encourages more generous allocation to stores. Later in the season, that risk spikes, so dWOS pulls back, protecting your DC inventory and avoiding markdowns.

3. Apply Smart Boundaries

To keep recommendations practical and aligned with your business rules, dWOS respects configured minimum and maximum WOS limits that you can set yourself to guide allocation decisions. These limits can be customized by store, region, or product category, giving each brand the flexibility to reflect their unique strategies and operational realities. It’s a built-in safeguard that ensures AI-driven recommendations stay grounded in your business logic.

4. Honor Manual Overrides

If your team sets specific WOS targets for certain stores or SKUs, dWOS respects those overrides, letting you keep control where it matters most. It’s designed to work alongside your team’s expertise, not override it. When human context meets machine intelligence, you get faster decisions and better outcomes.

Unlocking Value with Dynamic WOS

Adopting Dynamic WOS unlocks several powerful benefits for your brand:

• Smarter, data-driven allocation decisions built on mathematical optimization, replacing guesswork and opinion.
• Better alignment with actual inventory conditions, so stock goes where it’s needed — not where outdated targets say it should.
• Improved root-cause analysis of stock-outs between forecast accuracy and recommendation logic

Plus, you get tangible operational wins like:

• More efficient inventory use across your network
• Faster response to changing supply and demand conditions
• Lower markdown risk thanks to optimized stock placement
• Reduced manual adjustments, freeing up planner time for higher-value work

Dynamic WOS isn’t a rigid system. It’s highly configurable, allowing you to set minimum and maximum WOS levels per location and SKU, with precise decimal calculations for fine-tuned accuracy.

The model also takes a holistic view of your inventory, considering stock across all eligible sources and routes — making sure every decision is grounded in your full network picture.

Start Allocating Smarter Today

If you’re still relying on fixed Weeks of Supply targets, you’re likely leaving money on the table and putting unnecessary pressure on your teams to make up for it. Dynamic Weeks of Supply offers a smarter, more responsive way forward — one that adapts to the realities of your inventory and demand conditions, reduces risk, and helps your team win the season with confidence.

Ready to make the switch to Dynamic WOS? Book a demo and see it in action!

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