ABCanalyysejä

ABCanalyysejä are the Finnish plural form of ABC analysis, a family of techniques used in inventory management and procurement to categorize items by their relative importance to the organization. The central principle is to focus control and resources on the small subset of items that account for the majority of value or consumption, often reflecting the Pareto principle.

The analysis typically starts with calculating an annual consumption value for each item (units used per period multiplied by unit cost), then ranking items from highest to lowest value and computing a cumulative share. Based on this, items are grouped into three classes: A, B and C. A items are the most valuable or critical, representing a large portion of total value but a relatively small number of items; B items are of moderate importance; C items are numerous but contribute a smaller share of value. The exact thresholds vary by organization and industry.

ABCanalyysejä are widely applied in inventory management and purchasing to determine policy decisions such as stock levels, review frequency, and ordering thresholds. The approach can also be used for other domains, including supplier management or prioritizing non-stock items. Variants and extensions include adjusting category thresholds, combining with demand-variability analyses (XYZ), or integrating with multi-criteria decision frameworks.

Limitations include dependence on accurate historical data, subjectivity in threshold selection, and the need for periodic re-evaluation as value and demand patterns change. When updated regularly, ABCanalyysejä can help align resources with item criticality and improve overall operational efficiency.