In busy orthodontic offices where supplies are constantly arrivingand being used, inventory costs can quickly spiral out of control. Hereare some best practices that will help you track and minimize theseexpenses.
Create a repeatable system that computerizes all of the supplymanagement information in a database that is accessible to all andcontrolled solely by the practice.
Why: In many practices, one person does all the ordering.Vendor reps often place orders for only their company’s supplies, andreps come and go. If the ordering team member gets ill or quits,everyone has to scramble to determine which supplies, quantities, and/orwhich vendors to order from. With a computerized system, supplyinformation only needs to be entered once and is legible to all, anddepartments can manage their own supplies. Paper systems are too easy tomisplace or have disappear. Repeatable computerized systems saveemployee training time.
How: Set up records for each supply with its supplier, catalognumber, fully stocked and reorder levels, and order frequency. Considertracking units per package, price, category, department, storagelocation, and chart of accounts. Train alternate employees in theordering procedures you create, including e-mailing a purchase orderrequisition to the doctor or office manager for approval prior toordering.
To read the rest of this article from the March issue of Orthodontic Products, click here.
