A low IPI tightens FBA capacity limits just when a seller wants to grow. The score moves on four levers, and the recovery requires sustained weekly action, not a one- time push. This skill identifies the binding lever and builds the 30-60-90 plan.
When to use this
- IPI dropped 30-100 points overnight after the mid-2025 tightening.
- Capacity limits are now restrictive and the seller cannot send in enough inventory.
- Routine quarterly IPI check.
- Preparing for Q4 and need IPI strong enough to support the seasonal restock.
The framework. The Four Levers
IPI is driven by four levers. Diagnose which is binding before any plan.
| Lever | What it measures | Quick lift |
|---|---|---|
| Excess inventory | Units beyond 90-day demand | Remove or destroy aging stock |
| Sell-through rate | Units sold / units in inventory | Promote slow movers or cut them |
| Stranded inventory | Units that exist but cannot sell (suppressed listings, no offer) | Fix listing or relist |
| In-stock rate | % of time the active SKUs are in stock | Restock the right SKUs on schedule |
A single binding lever usually accounts for most of the drop. fix that first.
The 30-60-90
- Days 1-7. Diagnose the binding lever from the inventory dashboard. Open the Manage Excess Inventory and Stranded Inventory tools. Build the action list.
- Days 8-30. Execute on the binding lever. Remove or liquidate excess. Fix stranded listings. The IPI score typically responds within 2 to 3 weeks.
- Days 31-60. Sell-through improvements (promotions, ad pushes on the slow movers) and in-stock improvements (reorder schedule).
- Days 61-90. Stabilize. Weekly review. Confirm the score holds and the capacity limit lifted.
Step by step
-
Collect inputs. Current IPI score, the four-lever breakdown if available, excess inventory units and SKUs, stranded inventory units and reasons, in-stock rate per top SKU.
-
Identify the binding lever. Where the most points are being lost.
-
Build the 30-60-90 plan. Specific actions tied to the binding lever first.
-
Compute the inventory implications. Removing excess costs removal fees but frees capacity. liquidating loses some margin but recovers some cash and lifts IPI. Weigh per SKU.
-
Set the score-watch cadence. IPI updates weekly. plan a weekly review during the 90 days.
-
Tie to next steps. A recovered IPI lifts capacity. Plan the restock that uses the new room.
-
Run the quality check, then deliver.
Output format
## IPI Recovery Plan. [account]
Current IPI: [score] Binding lever: [which]
### 30 days
[binding-lever actions, weekly]
### 60 days
[secondary-lever actions]
### 90 days
[stabilization + capacity utilization]
### Watch
IPI weekly. capacity limit weekly. flag if either moves the wrong way.
Worked example
IPI at 380, binding lever is excess inventory (220 units across 8 SKUs aged past 180
days). Plan: days 1-7 review removal vs liquidate per SKU through
amz-removal-vs-storage-calculator, file removals for the 5 SKUs with no recoverable
value and run liquidation deals on the other 3. Days 8-30: execute, watch the IPI
weekly. Days 31-60: address sell-through on the next-slowest tier with promotions and
ad pushes. Days 61-90: stabilize and use the recovered capacity to restock the top
movers for Q4. Score typically lifts to the 450-500 range and the capacity limit
loosens by week 6.
Quality check
- The binding lever is identified before any plan is written.
- The plan addresses the binding lever in the first 30 days, not later.
- Removal vs liquidation is weighed per SKU, not flat.
- A weekly review cadence is set.
- The plan ends with using the recovered capacity, not just hitting the score.
Common mistakes
- Cutting blindly. Mass-removing all aging stock without weighing recovery value.
- Ignoring stranded. Stranded inventory is often the cheapest lever to fix because it just needs a listing or offer fix.
- Restocking before recovery. Adding more inventory while the score is low worsens the excess metric and tightens the limit further.
- No weekly review. IPI updates weekly. monthly checks miss the trajectory.
Built by Jay GPT Pro
Part of Amazon Pro Skills. Production-grade skills for serious Amazon sellers. Free and open. Built by Jay Margaliot.
I share a new AI play for Amazon sellers every week, free, in my WhatsApp group. Join here: https://chat.whatsapp.com/ILX65p1yWcaIG3c9WGHpTY