SmartHelping / Inventory & Cash Planning / Excel
Inventory Forecasting Template: Up to 72 Months
Connect your sales forecast to inventory purchases, arrivals, and cash payments. Plan up to six years of stock and cash requirements using SKU-specific lead times, safety stock, payment terms, and seasonal demand.
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Video walkthrough & spreadsheet preview
See how sales assumptions drive inventory and cash requirements.
Review the walkthrough and screenshots to follow the forecast from SKU inputs through purchases, inventory balances, and supplier payments.
Assumptions for each SKU
Build the forecast around demand, stock levels, and supplier terms.
Define each product's sales pattern and purchasing assumptions to see how they affect stock availability and cash requirements over time.
Monthly sales & annual growth
Start with historical monthly sales, or projected sales if history is unavailable. Enter annual growth assumptions for years one through six to extend the monthly sales pattern and seasonality.
Lead time by SKU
Enter average lead time in months for each SKU so the model can distinguish when inventory is purchased from when it arrives.
Supplier payment terms
Define the percentage paid across up to three payments. Payment timing flows into the inventory cash requirements and accounts payable balance.
Starting inventory & safety stock
Enter the starting inventory and minimum inventory level for each SKU to support the stock depletion and reorder calculations.
Unit cost & selling price
Set the average cost per unit and average sales price per unit to connect unit activity with inventory value, revenue, cost of goods sold, and gross profit.
Reorder amount over time
The reorder amount changes with expected sales. Recommended order quantities use annual averages rather than an exact match to demand in a particular period.
From sales demand to cash payments
Account for the gap between ordering, receiving, and paying.
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Forecast unit sales
Use the monthly sales pattern and annual growth assumptions, or enter your own monthly unit forecast.
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Plan replenishment and arrivals
Apply SKU-specific stock levels, reorder assumptions, and lead times to forecast inventory purchases and arrivals.
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Review cash requirements
Use the supplier payment terms to see when inventory payments are due, then review the combined monthly cash requirement across all SKUs.
Monthly and annual visibility
Review inventory activity and its financial effect.
Follow the forecast for up to 72 months, with summaries and visuals that show the timing of stock movements and cash payments.
Cash payments & accounts payable
Review the cash required for inventory in each period and the running accounts payable balance based on supplier terms.
Units purchased & units arriving
See inventory purchased each month separately from units arriving, reflecting the lead times entered for each SKU.
Inventory quantities & value
Track the running inventory balance in both units and monetary value across the forecast.
Three-month average inventory value
Review the trailing three-month average inventory value alongside the period-by-period stock balances.
Revenue, COGS & gross profit
Connect forecast unit sales with selling prices and unit costs to review revenue, cost of goods sold, and gross profit.
Summaries & visuals
Use monthly and annual summaries and charts to review the combined inventory and cash plan.
Connect inventory planning to a broader forecast
Bring the combined monthly cash requirement into your other models.
The template aggregates SKU activity into a monthly inventory cash flow line. Use those totals with a broader financial model to reflect inventory purchasing and payment timing in its cash plan.
Custom sales forecasts & SKU expansion
Use your own projections and extend the SKU rows.
Enter a custom 72-month forecast
On the Historical Sales Count tab, enter your expected monthly unit sales for each SKU starting in column AZ. Replacing those forecast formulas overrides the annual growth assumptions for the cells you enter; the inventory depletion calculations continue to use the sales forecast.
Expand beyond the default 19 SKUs
Extend the last row of formulas down on every relevant tab to add more SKU rows. Include the Validation tab when expanding the model so its checks cover the additional SKUs.
Calculation areas are organized on separate tabs to support extending the SKU rows.
Google Sheets compatibility: the Excel file can also be uploaded to Google Sheets.
Included in bundles
Explore the collections that include this template.
Related inventory tools
Explore other inventory workflows and calculations.
Inventory Reordering Planner
Explore the separate inventory reorder planning template.
Explore the plannerFIFO-Based COGS Template
Review a separate template for inventory cost calculations using FIFO.
Explore the templateMulti-Location Inventory Tracker
Explore a tracking template for inventory across multiple locations.
Explore the trackerInventory for a 3-Statement Model
Review the separate inventory template designed for use within a three-statement financial model.
Explore the templateQuestions before you buy
A few useful details.
How long is the forecast?
The template supports up to 72 months, or six years, with monthly and annual summaries.
Do I need historical sales data?
No. You can use projected sales as the starting point when historical data is unavailable. You can also enter your own monthly unit forecast.
Are reorder quantities matched exactly to each period's demand?
No. The recommended order amount is estimated using annual averages. It is not an exact quantity matched to the demand for a particular period.
Can I replace the growth assumptions with my own sales forecast?
Yes. Enter your expected unit sales for up to 72 months on the Historical Sales Count tab starting in column AZ for each SKU. Replacing the formulas overrides the growth-driven forecast in those cells, while the depletion logic continues to use the entered sales values.
How do I add more than 19 SKUs?
Drag the last row of formulas down on every relevant tab, including the Validation tab. The template's separate calculation tabs allow you to extend the SKU rows.
Can each SKU have its own lead time and payment terms?
Yes. Lead time and payment terms are entered per SKU, with payment percentages split across up to three payments.
Can I use the file in Google Sheets?
Yes. The Excel file can be uploaded to Google Sheets.
How do I get the template?
The template is available to download immediately after the $45 one-time purchase. It is also included in the Inventory and Accounting bundles linked above.
Plan inventory before the cash is needed
Connect sales, replenishment, and supplier payments.
Get the Inventory Forecasting Template for up to 72 months. Have a question? Contact SmartHelping.
