If you're ordering paper towels more often, start by checking whether you're buying the same amount of paper. Then check what actually left your inventory and how the towel is dispensing. A lower-footage roll at an unchanged price is one possible explanation. More building traffic, stock moving between locations, dispensing problems and a refill that takes more paper to do the job are other things to investigate.
That sequence matters. Each explanation calls for a different fix, and another case on the next order won't tell you which one applies.
Pull the current carton label and invoice, along with the specifications for your previous refill. Compare the product number, feet per roll and rolls per case. Also note towel width, ply and the dispenser model it needs to fit.
Commercial rolls come in different lengths. Tork's specifications, for example, list an 800-foot roll and a 1,000-foot roll, both packed six to a case. Those are different products. To establish a change in your own supply, check your actual old and new specifications.
For roll towels, the basic quantity calculation is:
Feet per roll × rolls per case = total feet per case
Six 1,000-foot rolls provide 6,000 feet. Six 800-foot rolls provide 4,800 feet. The roll count matches; the paper quantity differs by 1,200 feet.
If you buy folded towels, use sheets per case and sheet dimensions instead. Keep those comparisons separate from roll footage.
Use the delivered case cost, with freight and discounts treated consistently:
Case cost ÷ total feet per case × 1,000 = cost per 1,000 feet
Consider an illustrative comparison where the two six-roll cases above cost exactly the same. The 4,800-foot case contains 20% less paper than the 6,000-foot case. Its cost per foot is 25% higher. The equal price is hypothetical. These figures don't establish a price change or a reduction in any actual product.
This calculation answers how much you're paying for paper length. Towel width, absorbency, strength and the amount needed for satisfactory drying still matter. A lower price per foot earns a closer look; it doesn't settle which refill works best in your building. Likewise, paying more for a higher-grade towel needs a practical reason that shows up in use.
A monthly invoice total tells you what you bought. To investigate what you used, compare stock at the beginning and end of the same period.
Track each refill separately, use one consistent unit, such as feet, and account for known movements:
Adjusted depletion = opening stock + deliveries + transfers in − closing stock − transfers out − supplier returns − unused stock discarded
Transfers in and out mean movements across the area you're measuring. Count each adjustment once. The discarded-stock adjustment covers recorded paper removed before use, such as damaged stock; keep it visible as a separate cost.
Include all supply cupboards in that area and account for partly used rolls in dispensers consistently. If you're estimating partial rolls, label the result an estimate. Tracking only what leaves the main stockroom measures issues to the building, including paper that may still be sitting in another cupboard.
Adjusted depletion can still include dispensing waste or unrecorded losses. It doesn't tell you how many people dried their hands. But it helps distinguish an extra inventory purchase from paper actually disappearing faster.
Alongside the count, note occupied days, shifts, visitors and unusual events. A busier period deserves a different interpretation from an otherwise comparable quiet one.
Once quantity and inventory are clear, inspect the refill in use. Is it the specified towel for that dispenser? Does it feed cleanly? Are jams, torn sheets or substantial leftover rolls being recorded?
Settings are model-specific. GP PRO's enMotion Flex Mini, for example, has sheet-length and delay options, along with different dispensing modes. Check your own model's instructions before assuming those controls are available.
The shortest setting should earn its place through observation. If people need a second pull to finish drying, compare the total paper taken rather than celebrating a shorter first sheet. Manufacturer feature lists establish which controls exist; they don't prove what those settings will save at your site.
If a setting or refill looks responsible, test one change in a suitable location. Keep notes on quantity used, refill frequency, feed problems and whether people can dry their hands satisfactorily. Compare periods with similar traffic, and avoid changing the paper and settings together when you're trying to identify the cause.
If the incoming quantity changed, revisit the product comparison and reorder quantity. If stock is accumulating elsewhere, correct the count and ordering process. If traffic increased, adjust the supply plan. If the dispenser is wasting paper, address fit, maintenance or settings before treating the case price as the whole problem.
For cost in use, consider the paper consumed and the work needed to keep it available. Measure refill or service time if it's material to the decision; don't assume a labor saving simply because a roll is longer.
Highbar's roll towels and restroom supplies are matched to the dispensers they're used in. If you'd like help reviewing yours, contact Highbar with the current product number, dispenser model and recent order history. Start with those facts, then decide what needs to change.