Some office products can be purchased once and last for many years until they are damaged, lost, or obsolete. Others will require regular replenishment to maintain your stock and ensure your office can run professionally and efficiently. Here are 10 such items you might want to include when you place your next office products order.
1. Duct tape may not be used as often in offices, but when it is required, it tends to be of some urgency, such as 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 don’t. 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 stock, 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 an internal memo, could lead to an embarrassing situation. Therefore, it is very important to make sure you have enough printer paper. You may also want to order something other than your standard A4 paper. Important documents going to customers and vendors 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 regular checks aren’t made, so it’s worth keeping a few spares in your office supply cupboard. However, be sure to keep an eye on what you have in store.
6. Printers aren’t 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 multiple levels.
7. If your office sends a lot of mail, such as checks or bills, you’ll need a good supply of envelopes to make sure your finance and administration departments run smoothly.
8. If you run out of coffee at the office, you’ll soon know. 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 stock is running low, rather than leaving it until your staff complains.
9. The pens disappear. Much. And you never want to be in the embarrassing position of having nothing to write with. It’s a good idea to order lots of blue or black ink pens, as well as a few red ones (as they always come in handy).
10. You’ll also need to make sure your staff have access to new notebooks to take notes, brainstorm, and store important information.
