How to Manage Office Supplies and Maintain an Inventory
Managing your office supply inventory may not be the most important aspect of running a business, but it is nonetheless an important endeavor. If taking and managing inventory of business supplies is not one of your strengths, POS Paper has some important tips to help you never run out of receipt paper or other important supplies.
Audit Your Office Supply Inventory
Most businesses will set aside time for a comprehensive inventory audit. The majority of companies tend to do this once per year; however, others may do it monthly or weekly for more used items. Ensure that you physically count and note how many items you have periodically. This can help you identify items that are at risk of running out, allowing time to reorder.
Pay Attention to Supplier Performance
Managing your office supply inventory is only as useful as the reliability of suppliers. If you have a long delay getting an important item, you can still run the risk of running out of critical business supplies. Ensure that you work with suppliers who have strong track records of delivering items in a timely manner. Companies like POS Paper can provide affordable prices and reliable service to ensure you always have everything you need.
Employ a Good Organizational Strategy
There are a number of ways that you can organize your business supplies. Of course, this will somewhat depend on your space as well. Consider placing most used items at eye level while grouping similar items together. Less popular items can be placed higher or lower. Take some time now and then to straighten up your supply room as well.
Consider a Gatekeeping Approach
Open supply rooms where anyone can take whatever they need sounds like great practice in theory. However, it can wreak havoc on your ability to keep track of inventory. Shortfalls in business supplies can often sneak up on you when you take this approach. If you find yourself often running out of supplies in between inventory audits, consider using a gatekeeper approach where supplies are accessed through a specific person. This will allow for more accurate record-keeping and allow you to notice when the stock of an item is running low.
Schedule Days to Reorder
An effective practice for office supply inventory is to schedule days to reorder supplies. This can help prompt you to check and see what supplies are needed and place organized orders. This can also reduce the frequency with which you scramble to place last-minute orders. It can also help to streamline deliveries.