Copy and paste into your AI tool
You are a senior ecommerce inventory planner with experience managing
six- and seven-figure Amazon catalogs. You've seen sellers lose their
BSR overnight from a 3-day stockout and equally seen cash tied up for
months in overstock. Your job here is precise calculation, not
estimates.

I'm going to provide you with SKU-level aggregate sales data. For each
SKU, calculate:

1. Average daily sales velocity = total units sold ÷ period in days

2. Safety stock = average daily sales × (max lead time − average lead
   time)
   This buffers for lead time variability -- the extra stock you need
   if your supplier's slowest shipment arrives instead of their
   average. No daily sales breakdown is required.

3. Reorder point = (average daily sales × average lead time) +
   safety stock

4. Days of stock remaining = current units on hand ÷ average daily
   sales velocity

5. Reorder status: REORDER NOW, REORDER SOON, ADEQUATE, OVERSTOCKED

Think through each calculation step by step before producing your
final answer.

CLASSIFICATION THRESHOLDS:
- REORDER NOW: days remaining ≤ average lead time
- REORDER SOON: days remaining > average lead time but ≤ average lead
  time + 14 days
- ADEQUATE: days remaining > (average lead time + 14 days) AND ≤
  overstock threshold
- OVERSTOCKED: days remaining > overstock threshold

OVERSTOCK THRESHOLD: Use the custom threshold from the data if
provided. If not provided, default to 3× average lead time. Note
which threshold was used in the output.

Output format:

A table with columns:
SKU | Avg Daily Sales | Safety Stock | Reorder Point | Units on Hand |
Days Remaining | Overstock Threshold | Status

After the table, provide:
- A "Critical Actions" section listing only REORDER NOW and REORDER
  SOON SKUs, sorted by urgency (fewest days remaining first)
- A "Cash Tied Up in Overstock" section showing total excess units and
  estimated COGS value for OVERSTOCKED SKUs (excess units = units on
  hand minus (overstock threshold × avg daily sales))

BEFORE YOU EXECUTE:

1. If any required input is missing, unclear, or looks malformed,
   stop and ask me a specific clarifying question before proceeding.
   Do not guess or fill in plausible values.

2. If I haven't provided both average and maximum lead time, ask
   before proceeding -- without both, the safety stock calculation
   cannot be completed.

3. If you are less than 95% confident you understand what I'm asking
   for, ask me to clarify before executing the task.

4. Verify every arithmetic calculation by working it twice. Do not
   round intermediate calculations; round final figures to the nearest
   whole unit.

5. If a SKU shows negative days remaining, flag it as a probable
   stockout and note it prominently in the Critical Actions section.

6. After completing the task, flag any SKU where you had to make an
   assumption under a "Caveats" section.

=====

PASTE YOUR SKU DATA BELOW. Include for each SKU: units on hand, total
units sold and the period in days, average supplier lead time in days,
maximum supplier lead time in days, COGS per unit, and optionally a
custom overstock threshold in days.

[YOUR SKU DATA HERE]
What you'd paste after the divider
Period: 90 days

SKU: WIDGET-001
Units on hand: 180
Units sold (90 days): 270
Average lead time: 21 days
Max lead time: 28 days
COGS per unit: $6.50

SKU: WIDGET-002
Units on hand: 40
Units sold (90 days): 120
Average lead time: 18 days
Max lead time: 25 days
COGS per unit: $5.25

SKU: WIDGET-003
Units on hand: 600
Units sold (90 days): 90
Average lead time: 30 days
Max lead time: 45 days
COGS per unit: $12.00
Overstock threshold: 120 days
01

Pull units sold from Seller Central: Reports > Business Reports > Detail Page Sales and Traffic by ASIN. Use 60-90 days for a stable velocity baseline -- less than 30 days is too noisy unless it is a fast mover.

02

Get your lead time data from your last 3-5 purchase orders, not from what your supplier promises. Use the actual ship-to-receive date. Average and max lead time are both required -- without the gap between them, safety stock cannot be calculated.

03

The default overstock threshold is 3x your average lead time. Override it per SKU for slow movers where holding 90+ days of stock is normal -- otherwise those SKUs will always flag as overstocked and you will start ignoring the signal.

What does the Reorder Point Calculator prompt do?
Calculate the exact reorder point for each SKU so you never stockout or over-order. Factors in sales velocity, supplier lead time, and safety stock — and flags which SKUs are already below their threshold.
What data do I need to use this prompt?
An example of the exact input format is provided on this page under "Example Input." Generally you'll prepare your data in the structure shown, paste it after the prompt body, and the AI will return the analysis described above. If you're missing any inputs, the prompt will ask you what it needs.
How long does this take to set up?
Setup time for this prompt is < 30 mins. That includes pulling your data, formatting it to match the example, and running the prompt. Once your data pipeline is set up the first time, subsequent runs take only a few minutes.
Which AI tool should I use this with?
This prompt is designed to work with any major large language model — ChatGPT (GPT-4 or newer), Claude (Sonnet 4 or newer), or Gemini. For structured analysis, math, and tabular outputs, Claude and GPT-4 class models produce the most reliable results.
Does this prompt work for Shopify or other platforms?
This prompt is built for Amazon sellers and references Amazon-specific data points such as referral fees, FBA fulfillment fees, and ASIN-level metrics. The underlying methodology can be adapted to other platforms by substituting equivalent inputs, but the prompt as written is Amazon-first.
What skill level is required to use this prompt?
This prompt is rated intermediate. Some familiarity with your platform's data exports and basic AI prompting is helpful for getting the most out of it. Most ecommerce operators can use it productively within a single session.
Is this prompt free to use?
Yes. Every prompt in the SMB Advantage Prompt Library is free for any small business operator to use. The only cost is whatever you pay for your AI tool subscription (ChatGPT Plus, Claude Pro, etc.).
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