Supplier Intelligence Toolkit: Are Your Shortages Trying to Tell You Something? If you see a shortage deduction just once, it may be a fluke. But if shortages keep happening, it probably means there is a process issue that deserves more attention. Use this five-step checklist to help you find patterns in your shortage deductions. Review the last 90 days to see if the same products, purchase orders, or distribution centers appear often in your shortage reports. Look at your sh