Average daily usage
Units sold, consumed, installed, or issued per day.
Free calculator
Reorder point calculator
A reorder point calculator applies the reorder point formula (average daily usage × lead time in days + safety stock) to find the on-hand level that should trigger a reorder review before you stock out. Enter your average daily usage, supplier lead time, and safety stock to get a working reorder point per SKU or location.
Best for
Operators setting low-stock thresholds for fast-moving supplies, parts, ingredients, or ecommerce inventory.
Not for
Forecasting seasonal demand or optimizing order quantity. This calculator answers when to reorder, not how much to buy.
Calculator
Calculate the reorder point for one SKU or location.
Enter your daily usage, your supplier's lead time, and the safety stock you carry. The result is the level where you should review a reorder, not an order that sends itself.
Example
A part uses 12 units per day, takes 7 days to receive, and needs 36 units of safety stock. Reorder point = 12 x 7 + 36 = 120 units.
Not sure what safety stock number to use? Work it out first with the safety stock calculator.
Want the formula, a worked example, and how to set thresholds by location? Read the reorder points explained guide.
Reorder point
120
units on hand
Usage during lead time
84
units before receipt
Status
Reorder review needed
On-hand stock is 24 units below the reorder point.
Reorder point: 120 units. Lead-time demand: 84 units. Safety stock: 36 units. On-hand stock: 96 units.
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What you need
Keep the inputs practical. If the data is not trustworthy yet, use the tool to expose what needs cleanup before automation.
Lead time
Calendar days from deciding to reorder to stock being countable on the shelf.
Safety stock
Extra units kept for usage spikes, supplier delays, or approval lag.
Outputs
What you get
The useful output is a rule, template, or plan an operator can review with the team and later move into the inventory system.
Reorder point
The on-hand level where the next reorder should be reviewed.
Formula
Reorder point = average daily usage x lead time + safety stock.
Review note
A short explanation of which input is driving the threshold.
How to use it
Treat the number as a starting point.
Usage and supplier lead times move. Recheck the result after real movement, and change it when the floor disagrees with the math.
Step 01
Use measured usage, not instinct
Pull usage from the last 60 to 90 days when possible. A one-week snapshot is noisy. A full year can hide recent demand changes. For seasonal businesses, calculate a separate reorder point for the busy season instead of averaging the year into one misleading number.
Step 02
Measure lead time from decision to shelf
Lead time starts when your team decides to reorder and ends when the stock is usable. If a PO waits two days for approval, those two days count. If receiving takes a day before items are available, that day counts too.
Step 03
Set the rule per location
A busy store, a central warehouse, and a technician truck should not share one threshold. Each location has its own usage rate and effective lead time. Calculate the reorder point where the item actually runs out. The reorder points guide covers why thresholds should vary by location and how to set them.
Order3 fit
Turn this free tool into a live workflow.
Order3 stores the item records, locations, counts, thresholds, scans, reports, approvals, and purchasing drafts that sit behind this one calculation or template.
Frequently asked questions
What is the reorder point formula?
Reorder point = average daily usage x lead time in days + safety stock. The result is the stock level that should trigger a reorder review before the shelf runs empty.
Is reorder point the same as reorder quantity?
No. Reorder point tells you when to reorder. Reorder quantity tells you how many units to buy. Quantity depends on case packs, supplier minimums, freight breaks, budget, and storage capacity.
Should every SKU have a reorder point?
No. Start with the SKUs where stockouts hurt: high-velocity items, high-margin items, job-critical parts, clinical supplies, or items with long lead times. Add the long tail after the core list is stable.
Related
Keep going
Move from the free resource to the use cases, features, and guides that make the workflow operational.
Use case
Inventory Management
Use case
Parts Tracking
Use case
Supplies & Consumables Tracking
Feature
Low-stock alerts
Feature
Purchasing Agent
Guide
Reorder points explained: formula, examples, and how to set them
Guide
Inventory management for small business: the practical guide
Free calculator
Safety stock calculator
Definition
Reorder point
Definition
Safety stock
Definition