If you’re an office manager, one of your least favorite tasks may be keeping up with office supplies. This can be a real headache in a busy office and it can be difficult to order exactly what you need. You may find yourself caught between having too many supplies and running out of half an order. Hopefully, the following supply tips will help you cope much more effectively in the future.

It’s important to order regularly, but not too often. If you order supplies more often than once a month, you are probably doing something wrong. Use inventory sheets and be strict about sticking to them once a month. This will encourage your team to make the best use of the stock they do have and should minimize excess stock orders. When you order everything together, it should also mean that you pay less for delivery, especially if you order your supplies online.

If there are items that you use a lot, then consider buying them in bulk – a few months’ supply at a time. This should save you money. However, it is advisable that you do not make the entire stock available to your office immediately; This will encourage people to abuse it. Instead, keep most of this stock in storage.

Try not to allow anyone other than you, or someone you designate, to order stock. Provide a book where people can suggest things that need tidying up, but double check to make sure these things are really necessary.

Keep track of all previous orders and keep track of things over time. If you’re suddenly using a lot more than one item, you’ll want to know what’s going on. If there is no satisfactory explanation for the increase, it could be that people are squandering this asset or even taking it home. Once you get used to the amount you order on a regular basis, irregularities are much easier to spot.

Check regularly to see if any other vendor offers better deals on these items. Things change quickly and you may be paying a lot more than you need to. These days, few of us can afford to waste money on items that we could buy much cheaper elsewhere.

The internet gives you a comprehensive list of available providers at your fingertips, so take advantage of that.