If you feel that no matter how much office supplies you buy, they are never enough, then it's time to review your inventory management. Indeed, it is not uncommon for pencils, pens, markers and notebooks to disappear from the shelves, without really knowing where they are and what uses they serve. Here are some suggestions to help you ensure that office supplies are used efficiently.
Find the right supplier
Before even reviewing the management of office supplies, it is necessary to ask a question: are we getting our items from the right supplier? This is of great importance for a company, especially if it has a large number of employees. In fact, the costs related to office supplies can add up quickly. It is therefore important to look for a leader in the field, with a wide range of products, such as JPG and its 30,000 references. The prices at the big players in the sector will generally be lower, which will allow you to save a good sum over the year. Once the right supplier has been chosen, you can focus on the solutions below.
Appoint a manager
The best solution for managing office supplies is to appoint a responsible person. It can be you, if you wish, but this task is easily delegated, which will allow you to use your time wisely. The designated person will thus be solely responsible for reporting on the use of office supplies. You can decide for yourself how to manage it, or let it choose. But one way or another, he will have to be able to inform you of the use of the material, at all times. That said, it is still suggested to limit access to supplies, allowing access only to the manager in charge.
Place the order once the stock is fully used
One of the problems with managing office supplies is that those in charge are often too willing to order everything in one go. Although this saves time, it creates an open door to over-ordering certain products. This is often the case for secondary objects, such as erasers or paper clips, while primary objects, such as pens and pencils tend to be missing.
Keep an inventory log
If this is not yet the case, in the company, it is necessary at all costs to set up an inventory journal. This is the only way that will allow us to understand the problems of lack of office supplies. Indeed, if we know to whom each object was given, we can better see who is abusing them. However, you have to be careful not to become abusive in this area. If you have to fight with an employee for an extra pen during the year, it's definitely not worth it. A working relationship can quickly become complicated when one becomes too picky about minor details.
