Toimintasäihin
Toimintasäihin, a Finnish term, translates to "action stocks" or "operational reserves." It refers to the readily available inventory of raw materials, components, or finished goods that a company keeps on hand to ensure uninterrupted production and to meet immediate customer demand. The primary purpose of toimintasäihin is to buffer against variations in supply, demand, and production lead times. Maintaining adequate toimintasäihin is a critical aspect of inventory management. Too little toimintasäihin can lead to stockouts, lost sales, and production delays, while too much can tie up capital, increase storage costs, and risk obsolescence. Companies often use forecasting techniques and analyze historical data to determine optimal levels of toimintasäihin. The management of toimintasäihin involves balancing the costs of holding inventory against the costs of not having it available when needed. Different industries and companies will have varying strategies for managing their toimintasäihin based on factors such as product shelf life, demand predictability, and supplier reliability. The concept is closely related to just-in-time (JIT) inventory systems, although toimintasäihin typically implies a slightly higher buffer than a strict JIT approach.