Seven ways to ensure your ordering process fits the bill
With stockroom space at a premium, staff stretched further than ever before, and sustainability on everyone’s agenda, there’s never been a better time to streamline your ordering process.
Practice Management Systems (PMS) make ordering a doddle, but if you ever find that you’ve more Flea Treatments than you can shake a stick at, read on for five top tips to order heaven.
Order what you need… when you need it
With NVS there’s no need to buy on a precautionary basis – our next day delivery service means that you only need to order what you need when you need it. This responsiveness and flexibility mean there is no need to stockpile, freeing up room in your store cupboards and streamlining your cashflow. Chat to your NVS Territory Manager (TM) about product usage and purchase history; a business review with our team can help you plan and maintain your stock levels, so you’re not caught short, and less money tied up in unnecessary stock must be a bonus.
Take deposits on products you sell to your clients
Sometimes you can be let down by your clients when they don’t pick up products that you have recommended to them. Maybe think about taking payment from your customer up front or take a deposit for the items you’ve ordered for them. That way if they don’t pick an item up and you need to return it, the cost has been covered.
Audit and check your inventory
Practice Management Systems are an essential business support tool, but they can’t count what’s in your dispensary or the back of your vet’s car. A regular audit and inventory review will ensure that your items are in stock, undamaged and within their expiry dates. Doing this gives you the opportunity to cross reference what you have, against what your PMS thinks you have. This enables you to resist ordering surplus products and helps you to keep a keen eye on the value of your stock. You can set-up batch tracking by speaking to your local territory manager. This can be received both daily and monthly via email, this way your PMS is always up to date with the latest expiry dates and provides a more efficient trace on batches of product in your practice. Tighter control also means you’re better prepared for inspections and gives you better product traceability. If you experience any issues with your PMS, think about reaching out to your provider for assistance.
Manage your products on back order
On occasion, products may be out of stock for a variety of reasons. When you order these products, we will identify that they are out of stock and unless you’ve told us otherwise, we will place them on back order for you. This means that when the products are back in stock, we will send them out to you. When you place your order, you will receive a notification directly to your PMS (if your PMS supports reply files from us) or via an email to let you know if we have been unable to fulfil your order. There are two reports we can automatically email to you that will help you manage your orders.
Our Order Exception report – provides an almost instant notification of exceptions that exist with your order to an email address of your choosing.
Our shortage report – provides you with a list of your back orders first thing every morning, highlighting the products and quantities.
You can have multiple email addresses included for both reports ensuring that someone always receives this critical information The reports will also provide you with potential timelines for the return of the product and potential alternative products (please check they are suitable with your Vet). Please keep an eye on this as we will refresh it once we are able to provide more information.
Assign Key Colleagues
It’s a good idea to restrict responsibility for ordering products to just a couple of key colleagues. Duplication of ordering can be costly and time-consuming, and if overall responsibility for ordering isn’t clear, stock levels can be difficult to manage and may impact your Practice Management System’s automatic reordering function. Did you know you can also set-up restricted users on NVS Online? That way you can ensure your colleagues only have ability to order from a set product list defined by yourself. Click here to find out on how to do this with our guides.
Have confidence that we’re on it
Ordering from NVS is simple. Once your order is placed you can sit back and relax. We’ll only get in touch if an item is out of stock or there’s an issue. Ensure you have our email exception report notifications set up, as this is the fastest way to understand the status of your order. This peace of mind enables you to have confidence that ordering once means ordering right.
Need more information?
NVS Online is your ally. Enhanced search features, detailed product information and clear, current stock status all help inform the process, making ordering a breeze. Similarly, your TM will have the latest info on new product developments and can help you to find solutions to the challenges you may be facing. If you’re still unsure, our Orderline team are happy to help with any questions you may have about a product, simply give them a call on 01782 775555.
If you know the product you want to order but don’t know the NVS Code or pack size, you can refer to the product and price guides which are available on NVS Online within the downloads section.
Fewer returns mean fewer forms to fill, less time spent on paperwork, and clearer balance sheets. And the reduction in unwanted items means fewer journeys, less emissions, and a greener planet.
