Did you know that the average American uses around 700 pounds of paper each year? If you work in an office, odds are your yearly average is at or above that number, which isn’t good for the planet or for your office supply budget.

While office supplies are a must-have, you can do some things to prevent your staff members from wasting things like paper each day. Not sure how to do that? We’ve got you covered!

In this article, we’ll give you some tips and tricks you can use to inventory your office supplies better. That way, you can cut down on waste and reduce your office supply budget for good.

Organize Your Supply Closet

Whether it’s a closet, a room, or a space in an office somewhere, odds are you have a particular area designated for storing office supplies. No matter how much space you have to work with, make sure that your supply area is organized, so you can get a better idea of what you have at all times.

Having an organized supply area is especially important if you aren’t working with much space. That way you can ensure you’re storing everything as efficiently as possible.

Track Your Supplies Daily

If your office is like most, supplies are going to be going out almost daily. Because of this, you’re going to need to track what items are being used each day to prevent running out of them without notice.

A pro tip? Make it mandatory for people to ask for supplies. That way you can make note of what is being grabbed by your employees in real-time, as well as track who is using the most stuff.

Order New Supplies on Time

Once you notice you’re getting low on a particular item, go ahead and place an order for some more office supplies. Be sure to keep in mind shipping dates, and what you might need in a few days when making your order.

If you can, consider making a list and going to pick up office supplies yourself in person. This will help you get things back into the office a bit faster, and can even save you some money, too.

Survey Employees for Ideas

Nobody knows your office, and how it functions, better than your employees. Because of this, we recommend that you survey them often for new ideas, including those related to the way you stock your office supplies.

Someone on your team may have a good idea of how to better store supplies that will allow you to keep more items in stock. Or perhaps someone will have a suggestion on how you can eliminate a particular item from the office for good.

Regardless, it’s never a bad idea to ask around and see if anyone has an idea or two that can make things better.

How to Manage Your Office Supplies: A Guide

Well, there you have it! Those are some tips and tricks you can use to ensure that you and your team never run out of office supplies again!

Remember, having a solid inventory system that you track daily is key to keeping your office supply closet stocked up. So, if you don’t have a system in place already, sit down with a few people on your staff and make one today.

Are you looking for more ways to improve workflow in the office? Check out our website.