As the name implies, this index measures new business coming into the firm and signifies business improvement, or business decline.  When this index is positive for an extended period, it implies that the firm or organization will soon need to purchase more raw materials and services, hire more people, or possibly expand facilities.  Since new orders are often received weeks or even months before any money is actually paid, this index is our best view of the future.

As new orders come in and materials arrive at the loading dock, production schedules are posted to meet the customer's needs.  Although production schedules respond to demand, they also respond to seasonal factors such as holidays as well as bad weather, materials shortages, or other external influences.   

The employment index measures the expansion and contraction of the firm's entire workforce, including office and production personnel.  Many firms will remain stable for long periods until significant economic events result in new hires or layoffs. 

This index reflects the dollar amount of the goods and services purchased by a firm or organization, as well as the level of activity in the purchasing office itself. 

As the name implies, this index measures industrial inflation and depicts the direction of the prices for major commodities and services purchased by the firm or organization. 

When the demand for commodities exceeds current supplies, lead times grow longer.  Longer lead times may also lead to price increases, and falling lead times may lead to price cuts.  Longer lead times also add to the stress on the supply chain, as well as the stress on supply chain personnel.   

Although on-site inventory has become a dirty word in recent years, at least some quantity of raw material and MRO supplies must still be kept on hand.  When shortages or price increases are anticipated, inventories may be increased to protect the firm or organization from shutting down because of lack of materials. For some firms and for some commodities, inventories are accumulated for seasonal usage.

Although some firms and organizations maintain no inventory of finished goods, some firms "build to stock" in anticipation of future sales.  It is obviously a bad sign if a firm's sales are falling and finished goods inventories are rising.   

This index focuses on current business conditions as well as perceived business conditions for the next 3-6 months. For obvious reasons, the index is generally more positive when the SALES, PRODUCTION, and EMPLOYMENT indices are positive. This index is also heavily influenced by the current news cycle, and can sometimes vary widely from month to month.

This index provides a glimpse at the future attitudes of the business community over the next 3-5 years. Traditionally, most businesses are more optimistic about the long term, although current events can result in perceptions changing very rapidly. Although many monthly responses may be neutral, few, if any, participants will be negative about the firm’s outlook for the longer term.