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Intermittent demand where demand occurs sporadically with many periods of zero sales, presents a unique challenge for forecasters and supply chain planners. Traditional metrics for forecast accuracy can be misleading when applied to slow-moving items, and focusing solely on these can lead to suboptimal inventory decisions. This article explores which metrics to use for evaluating forecasts of intermittent demand, including accuracy measures (and their limitations) and invento

You forecast demand for 1,000 SKUs, and half are slow movers with lots of zeros. Your MAPE looks great, but your warehouse is still full, cash is tied up in inventory, and planners are losing trust in the numbers. Sound familiar? Intermittent demand is one of the most persistent and costly challenges in supply chain forecasting. It shows up in spare parts, seasonal or niche SKUs, luxury and slow-moving goods, and increasingly, in long-tail assortments in retail and e-commerce