In Office System Setup and Training
“The System IS the Solution”
Regular Office Set Up and Custom In-Office Set Up
How To Organize Your Inventory And Supplies
For A Regular Office Set-Up
1. The first thing you need to do is make a list of all your inventory. As part of the list you need to include quantity on hand as well as the minimum quantity you want to have in your office. In other words, when to order more. You need the name of your supplier for each item as well as contact information (Phone Number, FAX and e-mail).
2. You then need to think how you want to store your supplies. Will they fit in Akro Bins, Plano Bins or Rubber Maid Tubs etc. Some items may be in large boxes like gloves, cases of 2×2′s or cases of saliva ejectors … in which case you may want to have the bulk items stored on shelves in a separate area.
3. Ideally you will have shelves that can be labeled in some way, shape or fashion. When you label your shelves, you want to put a number and name on the label. It is very important to put both a number and a name!!! The number should be before the item name. You want to start with the number 1 and go up from there. These numbers and names will coincide with the numbers and names on your Akro Bins and the Plano Bins on your workstation. Just look at the pictures on this web site and it should be clear. If not, call us at 800-357-9558!
The reason it is so important to have both a number and a name is so that anybody can quickly put things back in order when things get out of order. If your office gets busy or hectic, things may get out of order.
It is important to use some kind of container for your small items. We happen to like Akro Bins. It is possible to just set your small items on shelves, but don’t do it. Think of Home Depot. Think of their Hardware Department. What if they just set everything on shelves and did not use some kind of bin or container? It would be chaos!
Also, if you do not have both a number and a name on a shelf, I may put the crown and bridge cement on the top shelf. You may put it on the bottom shelf. Somebody else may even put it in another cabinet. You or your assistant will wind up spending time looking for things when ideally anybody should be able to walk into your office and find things instantaneously.
4. Place your supplies on shelves or in cabinets by category
- Disposables
- Prophy/Perio
- Surgery/Implants
- Crown & Bridge
- Restorative
- Endodontics
- Prosthetics
- X-Rays
- Impression Trays
- Drills, Burs and Handpieces
And any other categories you might like to include
5. Next you want to label the Plano Bins on your Workstations. Label any other little bins you will be using in your Workstations. The labels on your bins should coincide with the numbers and names in your supply area. This will make it quick and easy to restock your Bins.Label all your cabinets and drawers in your treatment rooms.
If you have done a good job organizing and labeling, then any dental assistant who walks into your office should say, “I have never seen anything like it!”
Label Everything!!!
For whatever reason, Dentists often do not think like larger businesses. I have 4 friends who have massive businesses (not dental businesses). Guess what? They have everything organized, systematized and labeled in their factories. One friend spent $19,000,000.00 (19 Million Dollars) organizing, systematizing and labeling their inventory. You read that right. You might say that’s crazy, but I can tell you my friends are making boat loads of money. And what’s even better is … they don’t even have to show up for work. That’s because, “The System is The Solution.”
Custom In Office Set-Up
5 Questions:
- Are you too busy to organize?
- Do you hate to organize?
- Do you find it hard to organize?
- Do you feel overwhelmed when it comes to organizing? (Picture of Sheryl Gibbs in front of a pile of instruments)
- Do you not know where to start?
If you answered yes to any of the above questions, call us. We can help. We can come directly to your office.
Some of the things we’ll need before we come to your office:
- Photos and videos of your supply area.
- Dimensions of your supply area.
- A list of all the supplies that you use grouped by category. If you are really pressed for time, read off your supplies, quantities, suppliers etc. into a voice recorder and send us the recording.
- The quantity of supplies you like to keep on hand.
- Where you purchase your supplies from with contact information including FAX and e-mail.
- The inventory item numbers for all your supplies.
- The name of the person who will be in charge of keeping things organized in your office.
If you really want to do this in a scientific way, there are a few tests that you can give your employees to make sure you have the right person handling your Inventory and Supplies. One test is called the DISC Test.
If you give the person in charge of Inventory and Supplies a DISC Test, you want somebody who is a “High C”. They should also have “High S” tendencies.
When you have the right person for the job … Life is Beautiful! When you have the right person for the job, it’s easier for them to be a success. When you have the right person doing the job … Everyone is Happier!
Call Us At 800-357-9558
