Manage premature exchange alerts for printer supplies
The analysis of premature exchanges is an essential step in supply management. More than just identifying replacements made before the appropriate time, it allows for investigating the causes of the occurrence, defining corrective actions, and preventing the problem from recurring.
By following a standardized analysis process, the operation can evaluate each occurrence using consistent criteria, identify failures related to supply usage, equipment, customer guidance, or the operational process itself, and turn this information into opportunities for continuous improvement.
Who can use this feature
Users with the Admin or Supply settings management and Demand planning permissions
Instructions
View premature exchanges
Go to Supplies > Premature exchanges
The grid contains all the necessary data about the supply: when the exchange took place, what the supply's level was when it was inserted and when it was exchanged, what capacity, yield and coverage the supply had and which customer and printer it belonged to.
Analyze a premature exchange
When a premature exchange is identified, the goal should not be merely to confirm that waste occurred, but to understand why the replacement took place and prevent the situation from recurring.
Confirm whether the exchange was truly premature
Before concluding that an unnecessary exchange occurred, verify whether the supply still had usable capacity. Some questions can help with this analysis:
Did the supply still have ink?
Did the equipment actually need a supply replacement?
Was print quality compromised due to a lack of supply or for another reason?
Was the replacement based on technical criteria or merely as a precaution?
Not every premature exchange necessarily involves improper processing. In some cases, there may be a valid justification for the exchange.
Check the context of the incident
The exchange should be analyzed within the context in which it occurred. Consider, for example:
Who performed the exchange?
What was the reason for the decision?
Was there an alert on the equipment?
Had the user reported any problems?
Was there a risk of printing interruption?
Was the printer experiencing failures?
Was the printer undergoing technical service?
Was the printer located in a critical area where a shortage of supplies would cause a major impact?
Understanding the context prevents hasty conclusions and facilitates identifying the root cause.
Verify whether the problem was actually the supply
Not every printing failure is related to the supply running out. Assess whether the problem may have been caused by:
equipment failure;
dirt or the need for cleaning;
a defective part or cylinder;
a defective supply.
This analysis prevents blaming the supply for problems stemming from other origins.
Review the available data
The analysis should be based on information, not just the user’s perception.
On the NDD Orbix portal, you can view information such as:
initial and final supply levels;
supply capacity;
date of the last supply exchange;
pages printed since the supply was installed;
expected supply efficiency;
supply check-in and check-out dates;
date of the last supply reading;
coverage rate;
printer meter;
supply level variations;
whether the printer was offline for a period.
Information
To view the supply details, click on the supply in the desired alert to open its properties.
It is also recommended to consult the ERP and other internal tools to analyze information such as:
service or ticket records;
check the most recent service calls related to the printer that generated the exchange;
cross-reference supply request dates with the supply’s arrival/shipment dates;
validate supply request records;
history of the most recent supplies sent to the printer;
email history regarding defective or failed supplies.
This data helps determine whether the exchange was performed correctly or if it was indeed carried out prematurely.
Once the situation is understood, the best approach is to look beyond the visible problem and search for the root cause. The key question is: “What led the customer to believe they needed to replace the supply at that moment?”. The answer to this question usually reveals the origin of the problem.
Document the incident
Every premature exchange identified must be recorded to maintain a history, generate data for analysis, and help turn an isolated incident into a learning opportunity for the operation. The record may contain information such as:
customer/sector;
customer contact;
equipment;
serial number;
supply type;
date of exchange/last reading;
reason given for the exchange;
analysis performed;
identified cause;
corrective action defined;
final destination of the supply;
supply recovered/lost;
status of the processing;
observations regarding the incident.
This history facilitates the identification of patterns and recurrences.
To assist with record-keeping, the NDD Orbix portal offers predefined and customized reports on exchanged supplies.
Define improvement actions
The analysis should not focus on highlighting a problem, but rather on improvement. After identifying the cause of the incident, define actions to prevent future premature exchanges, such as:
reinforce training;
review the process;
improve communication;
review the feasibility/quality of the supply and the supplier;
The goal of the analysis is to promote continuous improvements in operations.
Keep track of incidents
To track, take notes, record, and document each premature exchange analyzed, you must use a spreadsheet or tool to maintain records and history, as indicated in the section above.
The operational team will need to organize itself internally to carry out this type of tracking. Without tracking in a spreadsheet or tool, the team will not know the status of which premature exchanges are already being tracked, in contact with the customer, pending, resolved, etc. Without this tracking, the operation will leave room for errors and rework, making the activity unproductive.
The method of organization is at the provider’s discretion.
Finalize a premature exchange
Upon completing the follow-up for a premature exchange, you must perform the corresponding action in the portal. This procedure closes the alert, removing it from the list of pending alerts.
Go to Supplies > Premature exchanges
Select the desired alert
Click on the Finish button in the top right-hand corner
Select the reason for closing the alert
Enter a comment with the details of the alert closure, if desired
Click on the Finish button
Após a confirmação, não será possível desfazer essa ação.
When the action is completed, the premature exchange alert will be closed with the selected reason and can be viewed via the predefined or customized reports of exchanged supplies.
Establish a monitoring routine
For best results, it is recommended to establish a routine for analyzing premature exchanges.
Based on studies conducted by NDD on outsourcing operations, the most efficient operations perform this monitoring daily, typically once in the morning and once in the afternoon.
It is also recommended that this activity be conducted by an employee dedicated to the process.
With this specialization, analyses become more accurate, processing is faster, and customer guidance is more consistent.
In this way, managing premature exchanges ceases to be merely an operational activity and begins to contribute to reducing waste, increasing operational efficiency, and continuously improving supply management.
