More years ago that I care to admit, I was the service writer for a small three bay gas station/service center, back in the days when you would get repairs rather than donuts and coffee where you bought gas. A local parts supplier would stop by the station weekly to check the hardware bins and refill any parts we were running low on. This arrangement worked great until the station owners decided it was too expensive, and that THEY would monitor inventory and reorder when needed.

Within just a few weeks I had mechanics standing around waiting for an 8 cent nut to be delivered so they could finish the repair they were working on. The station had plenty of work coming through the doors, and the shortage of hardware became a significant bottleneck. The situation ended up costing far more than the money we had previously had "tied up" in hardware inventory or the investment we made in the restock service provided by the parts supplier.

This brings me to my point for a sanding blog…just how well you understand your inventory needs and timing? Which sanding discs do you have on hand? Do you have the right diameter discs and hole patterns for all your sanders? What is the age of your sanding belts? Remember that sanding belts are held together with tape and the adhesive has a limited shelf life. It is important to keep fresh sanding belts on hand, including wide sanding belts.

If you landed a big job for your shop today, would your team be waiting around for a simple, inexpensive tool, some hardware or sanding supplies, or do you have everything to hand? Truly knowing your inventory and reorder needs is one more way you can achieve low cost efficiency that will return to you in time and/or money. In this case, the rewards could truly outweigh the investment.

Don’t forget that your 2Sand.com account can help! It tracks your order history and helps to remind you on items you order regularly. And remember that we are always here to help. Call us at (800) 516-7621, email Service@2Sand.com, or reach out to us on our Facebook Page, on Instagram, or on Twitter. We'd love to hear from you!