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OperationsThe economic order quantity

Formulas for this chapter

Economic order quantity

EOQ = sqrt( 2 D S / H )

Buying an independent-demand item under the six basic assumptions. Convert a percentage carrying charge into H first.

D
Annual demand in units
S
Ordering cost per order
H
Holding cost per unit per year

Total annual inventory cost

TC = (Q / 2) H + (D / Q) S At the EOQ: TC = sqrt( 2 D S H ) and the two halves are equal

Costing any order quantity, optimal or not. Use the equal-halves property to check an EOQ.

Q
Order quantity being costed
(Q/2)H
Annual holding cost
(D/Q)S
Annual ordering cost

Orders per year and cycle length

N = D / Q Cycle length = Q / D (in years) = Q / D x working days (in days) = working days / N

Immediately after computing EOQ. The exam almost always asks for at least one of these.

N
Optimum number of orders a year; may be fractional
working days
The year length the question gives, not 365

Reorder level under certainty

ROP = d x LT, where d = D / working days

When lead time and demand are both certain. The stock at ROP covers exactly one lead time.

d
Demand per day
LT
Lead time in days
Step 5 of 19
Quick checkTheory

At the economic order quantity, what is true of the two cost components?