Some economists have argued that just-in-time methods of inventory control, which allow firms to adjust production more quickly to changes in sales, should help to prevent an unwanted build-up of stocks and so smooth out the economic cycle.

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The Defense Supply Center at Columbus, one of three inventory control points operated by the Defense Logistics Agency, employs 7, 000 civilians and contract personnel.

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At the same time, Sony is balancing cash inflows and outflows while working to improve its cash flow by carefully selecting investments, selling assets and strengthening control of working capital such as inventory.

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Inventory has spiraled out of control, quality has dropped and costs have soared.

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While Rent the Runway does exhaustive quality control to ensure the absolute perfection of their rental inventory, their product is as much an about self-empowerment as it is about a physical product.

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Most high-frequency trading is fundamentally a form of market making with very tight inventory control and very short-lived positions.

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For most sellers, RTB is a simple proposition: they get greater control over their inventory and the ability to generate higher eCPMs, driven by lots of bidders competing for the inventory.

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"Keeping things out of your head and managing a clear and complete inventory of your commitments brings a great increase in clarity, focus, and control, " Allen says.

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In 1985 I became VP of Sales for a start-up called Applied Control Systems (ACS) that made PC based inventory and accounting software for restaurants.

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