01
Step 1
Gather demand estimates with the basis of each, sellable stock, open purchase orders with expected arrival dates, supplier lead times and minimums, and the stated service target per SKU.
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Spark playbook scenarios · Spark: AI Store Assistant
Plan inventory purchases against expected demand
Purchase decisions are made SKU by SKU in a spreadsheet, with no ranking and no supplier minimums applied. In this case, the immediate task is to plan inventory purchases against expected demand. The workflow should produce a replenishment plan with timing and quantity rationale, using the merchant's demand estimates, stock, open orders and service target.
Topic
Replenishment and Inventory Planning
Target keyword
shopify inventory planning software
Copyable AI prompt
A prompt you can drop directly into Spark
First replace every [bracketed] placeholder with real store scope and constraints, then add any actual records or data you have, and paste it into your preferred AI assistant or Spark agent. Spark will follow this page's workflow to produce structured output and verification steps.
ai-prompt.txt
Act as a Shopify operations specialist.
Help me plan inventory purchases against expected demand.
My store context is [describe the business, products and target audience].
My scope is [specify the affected products, pages, customers or reporting period]. Use these inputs: [demand estimates with their basis, sellable stock, open purchase orders with expected arrival dates, supplier lead times and minimums, and the stated service target per SKU]. Project coverage per SKU across the lead time plus the stated buffer, rank the resulting gaps by the value or risk measure the merchant defines, and apply supplier minimums to each proposed quantity while marking minimum-driven increases.
Return a replenishment plan with timing and quantity rationale for the specified task.
Show the relevant evidence or before-and-after examples and explain how I can verify the result.
If essential data is missing, ask for it and mark unsupported conclusions as unknown.
Do not invent metrics, product claims or customer facts.
For any publication, message, account or store change, use only connected tools within my explicitly authorized scope and report success only after verification; otherwise provide the draft or proposed steps.How to solve
A recommended resolution workflow
Split the work into input, judgment, and deliverable phases. Verify each step's output before moving to the next.
02
Step 2
Project coverage per SKU across the lead time plus the stated buffer, rank the resulting gaps by the value or risk measure the merchant defines, and apply supplier minimums to each proposed quantity while marking minimum-driven increases.
03
Step 3
Deliver the ranked purchase plan with quantity rationale per line, then verify that confirmed inbound quantities were subtracted, that assumed demand estimates carry the assumed label, and that every recommendation traces to the supplied records.
FAQ
Common questions when running this scenario
Cover decision rules, frequent misunderstandings, and required inputs so the team aligns on prerequisites before execution.
How are gaps ranked for review?
Each SKU's projected coverage across the lead time plus the stated buffer is compared with expected demand, and the resulting gaps are ranked by the value or risk measure the merchant defines. Assumed demand estimates are ranked but labelled, so an assumed gap never outranks silently. The ranking drives review order, not automatic commitment.
How are assumed demand estimates labelled in the plan?
Estimates without observed history carry the merchant's stated assumption or a named comparable product's history, and the line is marked as assumed rather than observed. The label survives into the ranked list, so reviewers know which gaps rest on estimates. Observed demand is never mixed into the assumed label.
Why does a supplier minimum inflate a proposed quantity?
When the calculated need sits below the supplier's minimum, the order is lifted to the minimum and the increase is marked as minimum-driven, because a smaller order cannot be placed at all. The extra units are noted in the coverage rationale. SKUs whose minimum exceeds need are candidates for a later consolidated order instead.
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