Essential Tips for Managing Front Office Supplies
Managing a successful dental practice goes beyond providing excellent patient care and strong leadership skills. A well-organized front office is crucial for ensuring the entire operation runs smoothly. This includes keeping track of non-dental supplies like paper products, cleaning essentials, and marketing materials that keep your office functional, organized, and welcoming. These often-overlooked items are key to the day-to-day efficiency of your practice.
What Are Front Office Supplies?
Front office supplies are the essentials that support the daily operations of your dental practice, but they don’t typically include the clinical items used during patient care. Here’s a breakdown of what these supplies might include:
Paper Products: Printer paper, ink cartridges, stamps, pens, sticky notes, and envelopes.
Cleaning Supplies: Paper towels, Lysol wipes, trash bags, hand sanitizer, and cleaning sprays.
Miscellaneous Supplies: Coffee pods, napkins, stir sticks, bottled water, snacks, and restroom essentials like toilet paper and hand soap.
Marketing Materials: Business cards, appointment cards, thank you cards, brochures, and branded stationery.
Who Manages These Supplies?
Unlike dental supplies, which are often managed by dental assistants, front office supplies are typically handled by a dedicated front office staff member. This person is responsible for ensuring that all necessary supplies are stocked and readily available to keep the office running smoothly. Because these items are not used as frequently as dental supplies, they are usually managed separately to streamline the ordering process.
The Ordering Process
Managing front office supplies effectively requires organization and foresight. Here’s how to keep your supplies in check:
Inventory Check Every Two Weeks: The front office staff member in charge of supplies should perform a thorough inventory check every two weeks. This involves going through each category of supplies, noting what’s running low, and making a list of what needs to be reordered.
Use an Ordering Template: To make the inventory process more efficient, consider using an ordering template. This template should list all the essential supplies your office needs regularly, allowing the person in charge to quickly check off items that need replenishing. Download your free Front Office ordering template here. This template can be customized to fit your office’s specific needs, ensuring nothing is forgotten.
Maintain a Reserve Stock: For critical items like ink, printer paper, and toilet paper, it’s wise to keep a reserve stock. This ensures that you’re never caught off guard and forced to make emergency trips to the store, which can be time-consuming and more expensive.
Budgeting for Front Office Supplies
Just like your dental supplies, front office supplies should be managed within a budget. A general guideline is to allocate between 0.5% to 1% of your monthly production or collections to front office supplies. For example, if your monthly collections are $100,000, your front office supply budget should be around $500 to $1000 per month.
Staying under budget is always a good practice, as it leaves room for unexpected expenses, such as replacing a broken printer or buying a new scanner. By keeping a close eye on your spending, you can ensure that your office runs smoothly without breaking the bank.
Shopping for the Best Prices
Price comparison is key when ordering front office supplies. While Amazon Business Prime often offers the fastest shipping and competitive prices, it’s worth checking other retailers like Walmart, Costco, and Target as well. Each retailer may have different promotions or bulk pricing options that could save your practice money.
Be mindful of shipping times, too. While Amazon Business Prime offers quick turnaround, other retailers like Costco might take 4-5 days to deliver. Planning ahead can help you avoid last-minute rush orders and unnecessary stress.
Ordo Can Help with Your Front Office Supplies
Ordo isn’t just for managing your dental supplies—it can also streamline the process of managing your front office supplies. With Ordo, you can keep your dental supplies and front office supplies budgets separate, thanks to a dedicated budgeting section. This makes it easier to track spending and stay within your allocated budget. Ordo is also linked with Amazon, allowing you to search for products at the best prices and manage everything in one place. Additionally, Ordo offers order approval settings, so you or your office manager can review and approve orders before they’re placed. This feature ensures that you remain in control of what gets ordered, helping to avoid unnecessary purchases and keeping your office running efficiently.
Conclusion
Managing front office supplies is a vital part of running a successful dental practice. By staying organized, using a consistent ordering process, and keeping a close eye on your budget, you can ensure that your office is always well-stocked with the essentials that keep things running smoothly. Remember, the key to efficiency is not just in managing your dental supplies but also in the non-dental items that support your practice every day. With careful planning, smart shopping, and tools like Ordo, you can keep your front office well-equipped and your budget intact.
By following these guidelines, your dental office can maintain a seamless operation that allows you to focus on what matters most—providing exceptional care to your patients.
