Some office products can be purchased once and last for many years until they are damaged, lost, or out of date. Others will require regular restocking to maintain their stock and ensure their office can run professionally and efficiently. Here are 10 such items that you might want to include when you place your next office supply order.
1. Duct tape may not be used as often in offices, but when it is required, it tends to be with some urgency, like reinforcing packaging that needs to be shipped to a customer. For that reason, it’s always a good idea to do a regular check to make sure someone hasn’t used the last reel.
2. Sticky notes also tend to sell out quickly, largely due to their overwhelming popularity with office staff. They’re great for messages, reminders, and other notes, so make sure your staff have access to them when needed.
3. A stapler can last a lifetime, but staples cannot. They are used to keep important files together, both for internal and external use. If it’s been a while since you last checked your commodity stocks, please do so before placing your next order.
4. Running out of paper when you need to print an important document, such as a proposal or internal note, could create an embarrassment. Therefore, it is very important to make sure you have enough printer paper. You may also want to order more than just your standard A4 paper. Important documents going to customers and suppliers may need to be printed on high-quality printer paper.
5. You will also need to make sure your printers have enough ink. This one can hit unexpectedly if you don’t get regular checks done, so it’s worth keeping a few spares in your office supply closet. However, be sure to keep an eye on what you have in store.
6. Printers are not the only machines that require ink. You should also check your copier to make sure you have enough cartridges for it. The need to run multiple copies of important documents when the copier is out of ink can cause problems on several levels.
7. If your office sends a lot of postal correspondence, such as checks or invoices, you will need a good supply of envelopes to ensure that the finance and administration departments are working properly.
8. If you run out of coffee at the office, you will soon find out. The staff will require the kitchen to be well stocked with tea, coffee, and milk, so when something like this runs out, placing a replacement order will be a priority. Ideally, you’ll want to place your order when supplies are running low, rather than leaving it until your staff complains.
9. Think about disappearing. Much. And you never want to be in the embarrassing position of having nothing to write with. It’s a good idea to order plenty of blue or black ink pens, as well as a few red ones (as they always come in handy).
10. You will also need to ensure that your staff have access to new notebooks to take notes, brainstorm, and store important information.