Part 2/11:
On-Shelf Availability (OSA): The challenge of always having the product a customer seeks available on the shelf when they want to purchase it. For example, consumers might look for a popular skincare product like Neutrogena Hydro Boost and find it absent, leading to dissatisfaction or switching to a competitor.
Phantom Inventory: A more perplexing problem where the system indicates stock is available (say, five units), but in reality, the store has zero. Causes include theft, misplacement, inaccurate stock recording, or shrinkage. This discrepancy leads to automatic replenishment orders, which may be unnecessary, increasing costs and complicating supply chain management.