Inventory and Promotion Optimization
Driving 15% Enrollment Growth and 20% Fewer Cancellations Through Strategic Promotions and Demand-Based Scheduling
Client Overview
A global training organization offering courses wuth dozens of programs scheduled each quarter, enrollment patterns varied significantly — leading to both under-filled classes and unnecessary cancellations.
The Challenge
Course scheduling and promotions were aggressive but unfocused:
Too many courses posted at once, leading to decision fatigue for customers.
Discounts applied loosely across offerings, eroding margins without necessarily improving attendance.
Under-filled courses often led to last-minute cancellations, frustrating customers and disrupting delivery teams.
Leadership needed an approach that would improve fill rates, reduce cancellations, and ensure promotions worked with — not against — scheduling and inventory goals.
My Role & Approach
As Acting Director of Sales, I led a sales, scheduling, and promotions alignment initiative to:
Apply supply-demand principles to course scheduling.
Shift from blanket discounts to targeted, needs-based promotions.
Reduce decision fatigue by posting fewer courses at once and introducing backup sessions as needed.
Actions Taken
1. Inventory & Scheduling Redesign
Reduced the initial volume of posted courses, ensuring higher demand per session.
Created backup courses ready to open when initial sessions filled — maintaining flexibility while preserving urgency.
2. Strategic Promotions Model
Eliminated loose, across-the-board discounts.
Applied discounts only to courses with low enrollment, boosting fill rates without impacting programs already selling well.
Integrated promotions into sales and marketing planning for consistent messaging.
3. Psychology of Choice Optimization
Limited options at a given time to reduce decision fatigue and increase commitment.
Framed course availability to create healthy urgency, encouraging earlier enrollment.
4. Cross-Functional Coordination
Collaborated with sales, marketing, and operations to align inventory strategy with customer needs and sales cycles.
Created reporting to track fill rates, promotion performance, and cancellation trends.
Results
15% Increase in overall enrollment.
20% Reduction in course cancellations.
Higher customer satisfaction due to fewer disruptions and clearer scheduling.
Improved margins by removing unnecessary discounts while still filling under-enrolled courses.
Key Takeaway
A demand-based scheduling and promotions strategy benefits both customers and the business — increasing fill rates, reducing cancellations, and improving overall customer experience without sacrificing profitability.
Work With Us
If your programs are struggling with uneven demand, applying basic supply-demand principles can transform both the customer experience and your bottom line. Connect with Shayna to learn more.