| Getting the right toner and not compromising
on quality, service, and price is what every organization strives for in
managing document costs. But equally as important is managing the toner
inventory and ordering to assure your operation is not disrupted due to
shortages and to assure you order at optimum levels to minimize your
costs.
Below are some guidelines and suggestions for
optimizing your toner ordering. The idea is simply to establish a
minimum inventory benchmark for each toner cartridge used by your
organization and monitoring your usage on a bi-weekly or monthly basis.
Note that these are only general guidelines they may not apply to all
situations. Organizations with heavy print demands may have to adjust
guidelines upward and organizations with light printer usage may wish to
adjust guidelines downward.
Step One:
Create an inventory worksheet of your laser
printers, copiers and fax machines. Be sure to note the manufacturer,
model number, and toner cartridge number. Compile this information to
note the number of different printers and different toner cartridges
that are used by your organization. Click here to download a free
worksheet to help you track the toner needs for your organization.
Step Two:
Determine the average monthly toner usage based on
your historical purchasing. Use this information in establishing
inventory benchmarks for the number of toner cartridges to be maintained
on-site to assure no shortages for a month. Place your first toner order
to bring inventory to the desired benchmark level.
Step Three:
Take bi-weekly inventory and place order for toner
as needed to bring inventory back to benchmark level. Continue to
monitor toner usage and make adjustments to benchmark levels as
necessary. Raise the benchmark level for toner cartridges that are
consumed quickly and lower the level for the lightly used cartridges. |
