Supply Chain with Mary Kay Business

I have a business which is located in a small area in my home. This is where I keep my inventory, supplies, and binders of information. I am a Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant, and this is how I apply supply chain management concepts to my business.

I store my supplies and products on shelves, placing them in order as listed on my consultant order form. My first products received are my first products I sell, because of most products having a three year shelf life. Due to being in this business for a short time, I keep my inventory low by having skin care products, two or three of each item, readily available for customers needs every three months. I keep track of this inventory every week by calculating the sales receipts, which allows me to see the number of products sold. I also label each product with my name and phone number and track the products I use for myself, supplies used on facials and skin care parties, and products I give away.

I primarily like to order my supplies and products once a month. This seems to keep my inventory lower and my production higher. It also saves cost on shipping, due to Mary Kay having one straight fee for any order amount. Orders are placed on-line through the Mary Kay website, making this very convenient and fast by calculating everything for you. A credit card and pro pay is the use of payment for efficiency.

The order is shipped out of Texas using UPS as the form of delivery. The order arrives at my house in three business days from the time it was placed. Immediately, I review the order invoice, label products, gather customer orders, and stock my shelves. I proceed to call each customer to schedule a day and time for me to deliver their order, tracking mileage by documenting the trip to and from the delivery.

I try to use Mary Kay's philosophy of keeping it simple and being organized.