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To be successful, a Sherwin Williams Retail Store Manager must monitor and maintain no more than 2-3 months of aged store inventory.  The just-in-time method is used to ensure that each retail location is stocked with the right amount of paint gallons and associated products at the right time.

In order to make the decision of which paint to order and when, a retail store manager uses a variety of Merchandise Management Information Systems.  The FACT FINDER system is a database of product sales records.  These records can be searched by month and provide historical data to be used in making current ordering product decisions.  For example, when placing orders during deck staining season, FACT FINDER can provide the preferred deck stain products as well as how many gallons of each deck stain were sold weekly during the Spring months last year.  The store manager can use this information to order an adequate amount of inventory this year.

The historical sales figures provided by the FACT FINDER system can be loaded into the MINMAX system to assist with maintaining current retail store inventory in real time.  The MINMAX system tracks the minimum and maximum amounts of products desired at any time in the store location.  For example, FACT FINDER reported that 200 gallons per week are sold of deck stain.  The store manager would load this information into the MINMAX system as a minimum level for that specific product during the month of April so that every time the inventory on stain drops below 200 gallons per week an order can be placed in the STAR system to replenish the needed product.

To decide which products are not selling in the store, the retail manager can use the SOURCE system to identify products that need to be rebalanced or transferred out of the store. For example, this report run in November will show that the store still has 200 gallons of deck stain on the shelf for nearing 3 months. The store manager can use this information in deciding to transfer the aged deck stain to another retail location in a warmer climate that is selling it at a higher rate.