Purpose: product portfolio optimization. Discussion: it is important to offer production demanded and to minimize «lie too long» positions. Numerous services of the enterprise are involved in this important (from the point of view of the firm) process. Stir successful work unresolved questions of their coordination, responsibility and an assessment of activity. The system of planning also can't be effective without providing plans (inquiries) with purchasing activity and without check of implementation of plans (without reporting information). Cases of inconsistency of purchasing and selling activity take place, there is no system of a material interest in efficiency of purchase, there are no indicators of evaluation of the work of purchasing managers. The best-selling goods often are absent in warehouses. Results: for elimination of these shortcomings, we present some measures for improvement of purchases. For example, it is necessary to introduce the major indicators: number of scarce days - number of days of lack of goods in a warehouse; service coefficient - the relation of not scarce days to number of days in the period. These indicators characterize work of purchasers in trading companies and plan, production services in the commodity producer organizations.