What does single-echelon characteristics include in inventory management?

In inventory management, single-echelon characteristics focus on the analysis and management of individual inventory items rather than considering the entire supply chain or multiple levels of inventory at once. Generating recommended safety-stock levels for individual parts falls directly within this scope as it emphasizes the need to ensure that each specific part is adequately stocked based on its demand variability and lead time considerations.

This characteristic allows businesses to tailor their inventory management strategies to each part's unique requirements, helping to improve service levels and reduce stockouts without overstocking items. By handling parts individually, a company can adopt a more granular approach that aligns more closely with actual usage patterns and risk levels associated with each part.

The other choices, while relevant to broader inventory strategies, address aspects that go beyond the single-echelon focus. They involve multiple items or levels of inventory or integrate supplier metrics, which do not pertain specifically to the management of individual parts in isolation.