Which of the following is a goal of inventory management?

Inventory management primarily aims to minimize waste and optimize stock levels, making this the correct answer. Effective inventory management ensures that a company has the right amount of stock on hand to meet customer demand without overstocking or understocking. This goal involves maintaining the balance between having sufficient inventory to avoid stockouts, which can lead to customer dissatisfaction and loss of sales, and not holding excess stock, which can tie up capital and lead to increased costs due to storage, deterioration, or obsolescence.

Minimizing waste relates directly to reducing the amount of unsold and expired products in inventory, while optimizing stock levels ensures that resources are effectively utilized. This balance not only promotes efficiency but also contributes to overall operational effectiveness and profitability.

The other options, while important for various aspects of business operations, do not specifically align with the primary goals of inventory management. For instance, maximizing employee output focuses on workforce productivity rather than inventory control, implementing strict customer return policies pertains to customer service and product returns, and enhancing supplier negotiation tactics is about procurement and relationship management rather than the management of inventory itself.