The "bullwhip effect" is a term that refers to the buildup of inventory in a supply chain resulting from fluctuations in demand.

Bullwhip Effect

A phenomenon in supply chain management where small fluctuations in demand at the retail level cause progressively larger fluctuations in demand at the wholesale, distributor, and manufacturer levels.

Supply Chain

The supply chain is a system of organizations, people, activities, information, and resources involved in moving a product or service from supplier to customer.