This study examines the application of Operations Research (OR) techniques to inventory management through a bibliometric analysis of Scopus-indexed literature. The search strategy used the query “inventory management AND operations research” across article titles, abstracts and keywords, producing 1,681 records for the 2000–2026 analytical period. The supplied bibliometric export contains 1,678 article occurrences across 749 source entries, and the distinction between the screened records and exported occurrences is retained transparently. Annual publication output increased from 13 articles in 2000 to 191 in 2025; the 2026 count of 158 is treated as provisional. Source, thematic and conceptual analyses identify inventory control, supply chain management, operations research, optimization and decision-making as central themes. Sustainability is a distinct developed theme, while machine learning and artificial intelligence are increasingly connected with inventory decision support. The paper reviews classical inventory models, mathematical programming, allocation and network methods, supply-chain coordination, and emerging analytics. It concludes with a research agenda focused on integrating prediction and optimization, adaptive control under uncertainty, sustainability, resilient supply chains, real-time data, and empirical model validation.