Maintaining an seamless workspace, whether a retail store or an office includes making sure that everyone has access to the resources they require.
While it’s difficult to figure out which resources benefit the most, it’s quite obvious that every workplace requires office stationery supplies.
Post-it notes, markers, duct tape — every business requires stationery to assist in day-to-day operations.
But how can you make sure that your stationery supplies are used judiciously? Let’s take a walk.
Prioritising Stationery & Office Supplies Management
Office supplies are simple to use and simple to run out of.
Paper, pens, inks, toners, staples, tape, paper clips, and other supplies are necessary, but they can be inconvenient if not regulated.
Furthermore, your staff may take too many stationery supplies at once, resulting in over-ordering and overspending.
Workplace flexibility can exacerbate these problems. How do you manage supply usage when some workers work remotely for part of or the entire week?
Do you want to improve the way you handle your bulk stationery? See the following strategies:
Restriction on supply access
How do you now manage your supplies?
While open supply rooms are fantastic in principle, they are frequently ineffective in practice since they do not regulate which or how much supplies staff may take.
Start by improving your current organisational system.
First, designate someone as the gatekeeper. This individual is in charge of the supply room; if employees want office supplies, they must go via the gatekeeper.
This is the most effective way for inventory management, but it may be inefficient for offices that do not have someone who can take on the tasks of a gatekeeper.
Second, you may restrict access to a subset of employees. You may still manage the flow of office supplies by adding a keypad or locking the supply room door.
The person you choose should be the only one who knows the keypad code or has a duplicate of the supply room key.
They can then provide office supplies as needed to staff.
Finally, you can maintain a journal in an open supply room for staff to utilise.
Every time an employee leaves the supply room, they should write down the supplies they take, how many they take, and when they take them.
While this is the simplest of the three choices, it is also the least successful because it is based on trust.
Employees may neglect to fill it out, causing confusion and returning the office to square one.
Choose the best choice for your office based on how frequently you use up office supplies and whether or not your store is currently experiencing supply mismanagement.
Sort through what you already have.
It’s time to organise your supply room after you’ve selected how to restrict access to office materials.
Group similar things together to make it easier for employees to find the supplies they want (for example, place paper clips and thumbtacks on the same shelf).
Place the most commonly used things at eye level on shelves and less popular ones further up. If something isn’t being utilised, throw it away and make a mental point not to order it again in the future.
Maintain as much order as possible in the supply room. Encourage staff to return any surplus goods they find.
If you have a bigger supply room, you might wish to provide a list of where various supplies can be obtained.
Organising your supply room in this manner can also make inventory management much easier.
Use it up first before purchasing more.
While having sufficient quantity of office stationery is an ideal situation, hoarding it can become a problem.
It’s best to use up what your store already has before ordering new stationery to avoid over-ordering.
Paper will yellow over time, inks and toners will dry out, and pens will cease functioning, so use up what you currently have first.
This also saves the office money by not dumping out items that were never opened but became too old to use.
You’ll cut waste and the carbon footprint of the office or store, and this impacts the environment in a positive way.
Plan when to restock supplies.
Many bulk stationery providers offer discounts for large orders.
To get the most bang for your buck, acquire as many supplies as your workplace will require precisely when you run out.
The ultimate objective is to avoid placing an excessive order (see the above suggestion) but to place one large enough to qualify for a bulk discount.
Keep note of the supplies your workplace utilises the most and how long it takes for those goods to arrive.
You should add these figures together to determine a period when the office will be short on supplies but not so short that it will run out before the next shipment comes.
It can be quite meticulous,, but it will pay off in the long term. You can also consider automating your reordering process with some or all of your supplier companies.
This way, you’ll always receive your products on time, and you will never forget to place an order again.
Maintain an inventory log.
The easiest technique to guarantee that you always know how many goods the workplace has is to keep an inventory journal.
If you’re not sure where to begin, consider downloading one of the numerous free office supplies inventory templates accessible online.
This one is a good starting point, and you may modify it to meet the demands of your office.
However, an inventory journal is only useful if it is kept up to date.
Make sure to undertake inventory checks on a regular basis so you can amend your log and stay on top of which goods are getting short. A decent rule of thumb is to maintain enough stationery in bulk on hand to run your business for one week.
These suggestions will help you make the most of your supply room and avoid the dreaded office supply shortages. Organise your office materials today to save difficulties later.
