The question of what consumables are can be confusing even for those who regularly use them. In fact, this is all that wears out, ends and requires regular replacement during operation and maintenance of various equipment. This category also includes items for personal use.
However, consumables require additional spending. We will figure out in which cases you can save on them, and when it is better not to take risks, acquiring inexpensive analogues.
When did this word appear
Previously, consumables were used mainly in industries. Therefore, there was no need to call them some general term. The word "consumables" appeared in our vocabulary along with the achievements of progress. And this has its own truth. In former times, both sausage in a deli and a dry-cleaned coat were wrapped in exactly the same paper, and this was the most common consumable. Of course, along with the newspaper.
With the invention of smart office equipment and printing devices, consumables for the printer appeared. The use of sophisticated instruments and tools, high hygiene requirements, for example, in the beauty industry, introduced this fashionable word and firmly fixed it in the vocabulary of sellers and consumers.
Today they have occupied a worthy niche in all spheres of human activity.
Common Consumables
Speaking about them, it is worth mentioning the most popular ones that you have to face by type of activity when providing and providing various services:
- in the office - paper, toners, optical units, cartridges;
- in construction - abrasive wheels, sandpaper, drills, polyurethane foam, PET film;
- in the automotive industry - filters, oils, pads, candles, belts;
- in medicine - personal protective equipment and hygiene, dressings, needles, blades, tweezers;
- supplies for beauty salons - disposable sheets, shoe covers, hats, gloves, napkins, towels.
Some enterprises and companies are not wasted on such things, if, for example, products and materials can be sterilized and reused. However, the savings here are dubious, because you have to buy autoclaves and pay for staff.
The builder can afford low-quality drills and, swearing, change them after each penetration. But service providers, who are well aware of what consumables are, are required to use only certified materials from reliable manufacturers in their activities.
In the beauty industry
Spas, massage, beauty parlors, hairdressers and fitness centers provide a wide range of services where you can not do without supplies. Self-respecting companies do not skimp on the purchase of high-quality disposable products from hypoallergenic materials.
The competent organization of the supply department of the cosmetic cabinet will not allow a situation when the master unexpectedly runs out of gloves or toe separators, and the client is left without a sheet or towel. Consumables for beauty salons are purchased in bulk from reliable suppliers guaranteeing the quality of goods and their timely delivery.
Beauty parlors do not save on personal use products. Customer complaints entail extraordinary inspections and fines, including the deprivation of a license.
Another thing is office. Here consumables do not play a significant role in the prosperity of the company, and saving in this case is a personal matter for each leader.
Ink rollers, cartridges, ribbons and more
Employees engaged in modern office work do not need to explain what consumables are. Each state or commercial office has printers, scanners, shredders, booklet makers, IFLs and MFPs. Some companies trust the purchase and replacement of consumables to specially trained people, while others do it for everyone who is not too lazy.
And both of them periodically have to buy a lot of necessary equipment for office equipment:
- inkjet and laser cartridges;
- drums and reels for cartridges;
- painting thermal transfer ribbons (ribbons);
- ink and toners;
- offset and photo paper;
- ink rollers.
In order to avoid the failure of expensive equipment, it is recommended to purchase original consumables for the office corresponding to the brand of the printing device. But who will refuse to save when the seller wholeheartedly offers to purchase, for example, compatible cartridges several times cheaper?
When saving pays off
If we are talking about office equipment, do not buy cheap analogues. Take, for example, cartridges of branded equipment Canon, Epson or HP. In this case, Fullmark and Cactus products are considered compatible.
They are inexpensive, and if you do not have to worry about who then buys the originals, you can take it with a clear conscience. But it is worth keeping in mind that for equipment that uses non-original consumables, the warranty does not apply in case of breakage.
In the beauty salon, do not hesitate to ask for a certificate for disposable towels, napkins and more. A person who has an idea of what consumables are and what they should be is respected even more and will be added to a secret or explicit list of VIPs. The same applies to visits to any medical facilities.
When it comes to after-sales service of a car, many owners purchase analogues of consumables, for example, brake pads. But you should not save on oils and other special liquids. Give preference to trusted brands: Mobil, Shell Helix or Castrol.
And, of course, whatever supplies you buy, beware of fakes.