Inventory is an ongoing challenge for companies -- especially inventory that's considered outdated and over-stocked. The issue is caused by a series of unfortunate events, including lack of communication, not applying the true cost of inventory, poor end-of-life planning, lack of visibility, and underestimating the financial impact, as well as the misalignment between consumption and forecasting. Typically, this is a root cause for much of the excess and obsolete E & O inventory problems. E&O is often viewed as a mistake, landing it in the hands of the supply chain. Here are some important issues to consider when evaluating how to deal with E&O inventory.