Everyday Waste: Stamps

I realize that I’m not doing well on personal inventory management when I’m sending out Mothers Day cards with Christmas stamps! At least that’s just a few bucks worth of inventory the drawer. I don’t send “snail mail” much anymore, at least with online bill payment. I guess that’s lean, as long as I dont’ repeat this mistake.

Whenever I have to mail a package, though, thank goodness for the USPS online shipping website. I can pay and print my postage label at home, which helps avoid the huge queue at the physical Post Office. I could avoid keeping stamp inventory altogether by using an “e-Stamp” service like my dad does, but again I don’t mail much.

What good or bad inventory practices do you have in your own home? Here’s a reminder about our “Everyday Lean” contest that continues through the end of the month.

About LeanBlog.org: Mark Graban is a consultant, author, and speaker in the “lean healthcare” methodology, focused on improving quality and patient safety, improving access, reducing costs, and fully engaging healthcare professionals. He is also the Chief Improvement Officer for KaiNexus.