orderkostnader

Orderkostnader, or ordering costs, are the fixed costs incurred to place and receive an order in inventory management. They arise every time an order is placed and do not depend on the size of the order. Typical components include administrative processing, creating and transmitting purchase orders, supplier communication, invoicing and payment processing, receiving and inspection, and any expediting costs if needed.

These costs are distinct from unit purchase costs and from holding (carrying) costs, which increase with the amount of inventory held. In inventory planning, ordering costs are balanced against holding costs to determine an efficient order quantity. The total annual cost can be decomposed into ordering costs, holding costs, and the purchase cost. A common expression for ordering costs is annual ordering costs = (D / Q) × S, where D is annual demand, Q is the order quantity, and S is the fixed cost per order. Annual holding costs are often expressed as (Q / 2) × H, with H being the annual holding cost per unit.

The Economic Order Quantity (EOQ) model uses these relationships to find the order quantity that minimizes total costs: Q* = sqrt((2 × D × S) / H). In practice, order costs depend on procurement processes, lead times, supplier integration, and the level of automation. Efficient ordering processes can reduce S and thus lower total inventory costs, while longer lead times or complex receiving procedures can increase them.