Optimum koste vir voorraadhouding van 'n moderne kunsmisfabriek

Abstract

South Africa is a large consumer and exporter of inorganic fertiliser, of which the production and raw material costs represent approximately 70% of the selling price. Because of these two factors substantial finance is involved in the carrying of inventories. Hence there is a substantial incentive for the optimisation of fertilizer inventories. This incentive has recently become more pronounced due to the upward trend of finance charges and inflation which tend to reduce profits. A method of forecasting the sales of the principal fertiliser components, namely nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, is described. Because of the large volume of data involved, a computer application has been selected. Historical, geographical and seasonal information is analysed by mathematical techniques to produce a best-fit curve which is then projected to indicate future sales requirements. Having obtained a projection of expected nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium sales, the likely sales of individual products, each of which contains varying amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, can then be manipulated to correspond with the total nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium projections.