Quick Summary: The Review Period determines how often you review and action order recommendations. It defines the operational ordering rhythm and must align with product importance, supplier requirements, and the replenishment cycle to prevent unnecessary stock depletion.
What Is the Order Review Period?
The Order Review Period (RP), or simply Review Period, defines how frequently an order schedule will be created, reviewed, and downloaded to your ERP for action.
For example, a Review Period of 7 days means you plan to review and possibly place an order with that supplier once a week.
While reviewing every supplier daily is the safest approach, it is often not practical or time-efficient, especially when managing thousands of items.
Defining a sensible review period is therefore a key part of an efficient replenishment process.
Factors to Consider When Setting a Review Period
Several factors influence how frequently a supplier’s orders should be reviewed:
Product Importance
High-priority items (e.g., AH items) usually require shorter Review Periods to ensure availability. Low-priority items (CL items) can be reviewed less frequently.
Supplier Constraints
External rules may dictate your schedule. For example, if a supplier requires all orders to be placed by the 25th of the month, your Review Period must align with this date.
Replenishment Cycle (RC)
There is a limit to your Review Period.
Rule: Your Review Period (RP) cannot be longer than your Replenishment Cycle (RC).
The Logic: The RC determines how much stock you buy (e.g., 7 days' worth). If your RC is 7 days, but you only review orders every 14 days (RP), you will miss an entire cycle of ordering. To prevent shortages, you must review orders at least as often as the stock you buy is expected to last.
The Risk of Infrequent Reviews
The risk of a long Review Period is timing. The app only recommends an order if Net Stock ≤ Reorder Point.
Consider an item with a 14-day Review Period:
Day 1: You review the item. The Net Stock is slightly above the Reorder Point. Therefore, no order is recommended today.
Day 2–13: You do not look at the item. Demand continues, and the Net Stock drops below the Reorder Point.
Day 14: You review the item again. By now, the Net Stock has dropped dangerously low, potentially dipping into Safety Stock. Even if you order now, the Lead Time might cause a stock-out before the goods arrive.
Preventing Missed Orders Between Reviews
The risk associated with infrequent review can be mitigated using two key app features:
Look Forward Days
This parameter allows the system to scan ahead for future orders and bring them forward to today’s order schedule.
By doing this, you avoid missing orders that would otherwise fall between review periods.
➜ For more on this topic, read: Look Forward Days Explained
Top-Up Orders
This functionality allows you to add items to an existing order even if they have not yet dropped below their Reorder Point.
The system calculates just enough to return stock to the Order Up To Level, preventing late replenishment.
➜ For more on this topic, read: Top-Up Orders Explained
⚠️ Watchouts
Review Period longer than RC: Setting a Review Period longer than the Replenishment Cycle (RP > RC) almost always results in stockouts.
Overly short Review Periods: Very short intervals can overwhelm planners when supplier volumes are large, so review frequency must balance safety and workload.
💡 Tips
Align review frequency with item classification: Review A items most frequently, B items less often, and C items least often to focus planning effort effectively.
Use Look Forward Days and Top-Ups to bridge review gaps: These features ensure you do not miss an order that would fall between planned review cycles.
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