Safety Stock Calculator

Size the buffer that keeps normal variability from causing stockouts.

Safety stock is the cushion you hold against the days demand spikes or a shipment runs late. This calculator uses the max-minus-average method: the gap between your worst-case and your typical demand over the lead time.

Maximum units sold per day Maximum lead time (days) Average units sold per day Average lead time (days)

Results update when you click Calculate or change a value.

Safety stock —

Safety stock = (max daily sales x max lead time) - (avg daily sales x avg lead time)

How it works

The max-minus-average method sizes safety stock as the difference between your worst realistic case (peak daily sales over the longest lead time) and your normal case (average sales over average lead time). It's simple, transparent, and doesn't require a statistics background.

More sophisticated methods size safety stock from the statistical variability of demand and lead time at a chosen service level. Skuwell uses demand variability and lead-time reliability per SKU to balance service level against carrying cost -- but the intuition is the same: more uncertainty means more buffer.

Learn the terms

In the platform

Purchasing & Forecasting module

Next step

Skuwell does this math for every SKU, automatically.

Reorder points, safety stock, turnover, and GMROI — computed live and turned into purchase orders. See it on a 30-minute walkthrough.

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