Glossary
What is a short end?
A short end is the remainder of a roll after cutting, usually too small to fill a normal order but still real inventory.
Also called: remnant, odd lot, roll end.
Short ends accumulate quietly. Every cut that leaves twelve yards on a roll creates one, and because they are individually small they rarely get counted or sold — while collectively representing serious tied-up capital.
The fix is at allocation rather than at stocktake: cutting from the roll that leaves the most useful remainder, rather than the first roll to hand, is what stops the rack of odd pieces growing.