Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency has modified its office supply ordering and inventory system, resulting in monetary savings and reduced waste.
The agency made the change during the transition to its new headquarters.
“We recognized the need to streamline our office supply system, and the transition to our new building was the ideal time to inventory our equipment and supplies to reduce overstock and ensure that we have what we need, when we need it, rather than storing quantities of supplies that could go unused for an extended period of time,” said Richard D. Flinn Jr., Director of PEMA.
Previously, office supplies were purchased by multiple bureaus and kept in stock rooms throughout the building. This resulted in duplicate inventory stockpiles and products that became expired or obsolete before they could be used. Today, all office supplies are consolidated in a central location under the control of one bureau.
PEMA has realized savings through the initiative by assessing its use of toner, paper, and other office supplies to determine the rate of use and availability of replacement stock. Office personnel can request supplies on an as-needed basis, with a goal of delivering those supplies within 24 hours.
PEMA reported savings of $13,000 for fiscal year 2015-2016, and projected savings of more than $144,000 over the next five years.
