The access frequency: A measure for ABC analysis
The way a warehouse is structured essentially determines the efficiency and performance of operational logistics. After all, key aspects such as the efficiency of the warehouse depend on this, which in turn influences the proportionate logistics costs per item. One factor in this context is access frequency by time: it indicates how often a specific article is accessed within a clearly defined unit of time.
Access frequency is part of an ABC analysis based on the fact that articles in an assortment are defined in advance according to clear criteria. What is the sales volume? What does the turnover rate look like? What is the access frequency? The higher the individual values, the more likely it is to be an A-item - while C-items denote goods that are handled less frequently.
What is the importance of access frequency?
In the course of ABC analysis, the aim is to segment a population - on the basis of predefined targets. A classic example of this is the article sales statistics. This shows the percentage share of an A, B or C segment in total procurement sales. Thus basically between important and unimportant parts within the procurement one differentiates, so that the ABC analysis represents an essential instrument of controlling. The access frequency thus indicates which goods tend to be "slow sellers" and therefore require less storage capacity.
