EOQ Calculator - Economic Order Quantity Optimizer

Calculate the optimal Economic Order Quantity (EOQ) to minimize total inventory costs including ordering and holding costs. Free supply chain optimization tool for inventory management.

Inventory Parameters

Enter your demand, cost, and lead time data to calculate optimal order quantity.

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$

Optimization Results

Optimal EOQ

0

units per order

Number of Orders Per Year

0

orders annually

Order Cycle

0

days between orders

Total Annual Inventory Cost

$0

ordering + holding

Total Ordering Cost

$0

per year

Total Holding Cost

$0

per year

Reorder Point

0

units (based on lead time)

How EOQ Calculator - Economic Order Quantity Optimizer Works

Calculate optimal Economic Order Quantity (EOQ) to minimize inventory costs. Free inventory optimization tool for supply chain management.

Core Use Case Scenario

Calculate optimal Economic Order Quantity (EOQ) to minimize inventory costs. Free inventory optimization tool for supply chain management.

Troubleshooting & Edge-Case Failure Points

  • Verify all required fields are filled.
  • Ensure numeric inputs use valid formats.
  • Clear browser cache if values appear stale.
  • Use a modern browser for full compatibility.

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Open the tool and review default values.
  2. Enter your parameters in the input fields.
  3. Click calculate to see results.
  4. Review output and use Copy Result if needed.

How to Use the EOQ Calculator

Finds the order quantity that minimizes the total of ordering costs and holding costs — the century-old inventory formula that still runs supply chains.

  1. Enter annual demand in units.
  2. Enter the cost per order (admin + shipping + receiving labor).
  3. Enter annual holding cost per unit (capital, storage, insurance, spoilage — often 20–25% of unit cost).
  4. Read EOQ, orders per year, and days between orders.

The Economic Order Quantity

EOQ = √(2DS ÷ H)    D = annual demand, S = cost per order, H = holding cost per unit-year

EOQ = √(2DS ÷ H). Worked example: 10,000 units/year demand, $45 per order, $2.20 per unit/year to hold: EOQ = √(2 × 10,000 × 45 ÷ 2.2) = √409,091 ≈ 640 units per order, about 15.6 orders a year, one every ~3.3 weeks. The intuition: every doubling of order quantity halves ordering cost but doubles average inventory — EOQ is the exact balance point. Real-world caveats the formula ignores: quantity discounts (recompute total cost at the break), demand seasonality (use period EOQs), and shelf-life caps (order smaller than EOQ if product expires).

EOQ Calculator FAQ

What does EOQ actually minimize?

The sum of ordering costs and holding costs - the U-shaped total cost curve. Ordering more less often cuts order costs but raises storage and capital costs.

What holding cost should I assume?

Commonly 20-25% of unit value per year: cost of capital (10-12%) + storage + insurance + shrinkage/obsolescence.

Does EOQ work for perishables?

Only as an upper bound - shelf life caps order size below EOQ. Run EOQ, then cap by sell-through-before-expiry.

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