More LineNow procurement articles for supplier communication, purchase orders, inventory math, accounting handoff, and software selection.
Showing 18 of 217 articles
How SMBs reduce supplier concentration risk through dual sourcing: volume allocation math, qualifying a secondary supplier with scorecard metrics, how dual sourcing changes safety stock, and tracking both supplier streams through living POs.
Read article ->Dual sourcing maintains two approved suppliers for the same item with an 80/20 volume split. How to qualify a second source, set rebalancing triggers using fill rate, OTIF, and PPV data, and structure geographic diversification against tariff and supply chain risk.
Read article ->The seven procurement KPIs every SMB operator should track: Purchase Price Variance, OTIF, lead-time accuracy, inventory turnover, days of inventory on hand, cash conversion cycle, and GMROI — with formulas, benchmarks, and action thresholds.
Read article ->Apicbase is a back-of-house F&B platform whose defining specialty is central kitchen production planning. LineNow is closed-loop procurement — living POs, supplier replies, receiving, and accounting handoff — with every location included in one flat plan.
Read article ->Vendor managed inventory (VMI) is a replenishment arrangement where the supplier monitors and replenishes stock without a buyer-generated purchase order. How VMI works, when it makes sense, why it breaks for most SMBs, and why buyer-managed closed-loop procurement delivers the same automation with full buyer control.
Read article ->Weighted average cost (WAC / AVCO) is the inventory costing method that assigns a single blended per-unit cost to COGS and ending inventory. Formula: WAC = total cost of goods available ÷ total units available. Periodic vs. moving average, worked example vs. FIFO, when WAC fits fungible goods, how landed cost distorts a WAC that uses invoice price only, and why receiving accuracy is cost accuracy in a perpetual WAC system.
Read article ->The eight operational metrics that belong on an SMB procurement dashboard — days of inventory on hand, inventory turnover, stockout rate, fill rate, OTIF, lead-time accuracy, purchase price variance, and GMROI — grouped by inventory health, supplier follow-up, and capital efficiency.
Read article ->A practical supplier negotiation playbook: how to prepare with scorecard data, what to negotiate (MOQ, payment terms, lead time, pricing), how to structure the conversation, and how closed-loop procurement tracks whether promises stick.
Read article ->How SMBs can build structural resilience against tariff-driven cost increases through dual sourcing, supplier geography diversification, and closed-loop procurement that makes multi-supplier management tractable without dedicated procurement staff.
Read article ->OTIF (On-Time In-Full) is the supplier performance metric that checks delivery timing and order completeness simultaneously. Formula: (orders on-time AND in-full / total orders) × 100. Why OTIF is stricter than fill rate or lead-time accuracy alone, buyer-side vs seller-side contexts, industry benchmarks, and how closed-loop procurement makes it measurable.
Read article ->EDI is the structured protocol for exchanging business documents — purchase orders (850), acknowledgments (855), ship notices (856), and invoices (810) — between trading partners without email or manual entry. How X12 and EDIFACT work, when SMBs need EDI, and how EDI fits into closed-loop procurement.
Read article ->Slow-moving inventory is stock that moves below a defined velocity threshold. Dead stock is inventory with no movement for 180+ days. Together they form SLOB — Slow-moving and Obsolete inventory. The SLOB rate formula, aging thresholds by category, industry benchmarks, the procurement decisions that create SLOB, and how closed-loop procurement surfaces it before carrying cost compounds.
Read article ->A blanket purchase order is a standing agreement with a supplier to purchase a defined total quantity or dollar amount over a period, drawn down through individual releases. How blanket POs differ from regular POs, the release mechanism, price-lock benefits, volume commitment risk, and how closed-loop procurement tracks open blankets against actual spend.
Read article ->Restaurant365 is a full back-office suite bought with an implementation. LineNow is restaurant purchasing intelligence — living POs, supplier replies, receiving, recipe cost, and accounting handoff at any location count.
Read article ->How small restaurant groups can centralize purchasing, supplier replies, messy vendor item data, and receiving before adopting a full restaurant back-office suite.
Read article ->What to do when a supplier raises prices: how to detect price changes before the invoice arrives, the three operational responses (absorb, substitute, renegotiate), dual sourcing as a structural defense, and how closed-loop procurement tracks price discipline over time.
Read article ->A practical supplier scorecard: how to measure fill rate, lead-time accuracy, purchase price variance, and substitution rate by supplier — and how closed-loop procurement captures these metrics automatically as a byproduct of the buying workflow.
Read article ->How to identify which items need a second supplier, structure the 80/20 volume split, calculate safety stock for two lead-time distributions, track OTIF and PPV per supplier, and make dual sourcing operationally feasible with closed-loop procurement.
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