The beginning of the pandemic showed how extremely limited both consumers and companies can be when it comes to supply acquisition. Essential supplies and consumables were scarce during this time – and some still are. Therefore, it is important to have a supply management service at your disposal. Otherwise, you will have to have multiple vendors lined up to ensure you have a steady supply of what you need. You also want to make sure you have several vendors to “shop around” with. One vendor might offer the same product at a lower price than your usual go-to.
Comparing prices and products offered from several different places is the ideal way to make sure you aren’t overpaying for what you need. However, doing so will require you to compare from many different vendors, which can be time-consuming. Allowing a company that can manage your inventory for you would be a major time-saver and a consistent money-saver. The inventory management service City Wide provides can mitigate any trouble you have procuring supplies. On top of this, you won’t have to worry about ever having to resupply. Your assigned Facility Solutions Manager (FSM) keeps tabs on your inventory to avoid an abundance or shortage, so you always have what you need.
Keep an inventory of what you have
If you aren’t keeping track of what you currently have in stock, you are going to run into problems. Without an inventory, you could purchase more products you already have plenty of, or not purchase enough products to cover a supply shortage. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown how quickly supplies can become scarce in times of crisis. You need to ensure you know you have enough supplies to weather difficult circumstances. You should also be regularly checking your items for their expiration date; not every item you stock will have an indefinite expiration or use by date. This also makes it important to track the dates of when supplies are procured, as well as rotating perishable supplies when they are about to reach their use-by dates.
Doing your own inventory management can be time-consuming
When creating an inventory, you should establish a par level for what you need for every item. For example, you may need two cases of toilet paper to get you through an entire month. Setting two cases as your par value shows you need a minimum of two cases to meet the monthly demand for customers and staff. You will have to constantly monitor your inventory to make sure it remains within par level. Otherwise, you may find yourself in a bind. Having too little of a product in your inventory means a premature resupply; while having too much of a product risks you running out of storage space or accumulating unnecessary inventory (if the item is perishable or has an expiration date, that is wasted inventory).
Let City Wide help you with your supplies and consumables needs
To avoid the hardships of managing your janitorial supplies, you will need to contract the services of inventory and supply management specialists. Thankfully, City Wide can manage this for you in addition to the other services we provide. We can help you:
- Remain stocked on janitorial supplies and consumables
- Better disinfect your facility
- Save money on inventory acquisition
Contact your FSM or fill out our contact form to simplify your supply management process today!
