Playbook · Electrical Distribution
How to run autonomous inventory and procurement operations in Electrical Distribution (2026)
Last updated September 2026
Let the system decide the routine; your team owns the exceptions. 4 steps, in order, for a electrical distribution operation.
What you are working against in Electrical
- Project leftovers become branch dead stock
- Counter stockouts lose walk-in sales
- Reorder points set once and never revisited
Before you start: where Electrical usually sits
| Metric | Typical for Electrical | What good looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Inventory Turnover Ratio | 4–6 turns | Faster-moving mix; above 6 is excellent |
| Fill Rate | 94–99% | Counter sales demand high availability |
| Days Sales of Inventory | 55–100 days | Faster mix; under 55 is strong |
| Inventory Carrying Cost | 22–32% / yr | Faster mix eases holding cost |
Published ranges, not targets. Take your own baseline before step one.
The steps
- 1Automate routine replenishment, sourcing, and disposition decisions
- 2Escalate only exceptions and value calls to a person
- 3Codify tribal knowledge into always-on decisioning
- 4Scale operations without adding headcount
Why it pays off
Frequently asked questions
How do you tell whether this is working in electrical distribution?
Recompute the same way each period. Inventory Turnover Ratio: Inventory Turns = Cost of Goods Sold ÷ Average Inventory. Quote Turnaround Time: Quote Turnaround = Time(quote sent) − Time(RFQ received). Fill Rate: Fill Rate = Units Shipped from Stock ÷ Units Ordered.
What does Electrical start from?
Inventory Turnover Ratio of 4–6 turns is the published band for electrical distribution — faster-moving mix; above 6 is excellent. The 4 steps above are the same in any sector; the band you start from is not.
See what your inventory is really costing you.
Tell us where the cash is trapped — excess stock, idle surplus, slow RFQs — and we'll show you the outcome Maintained can unlock.