Second, you can limit access to a select group of employees. This is the most effective method for maintaining inventory, but it may be inefficient for offices that don’t have someone who can absorb a gatekeeper’s responsibilities. This person is in charge of the supply room if employees need office supplies, then they must go through the gatekeeper to get them. First, you can appoint someone to be the gatekeeper. How do you currently keep track of supplies? Open supply rooms, while great in theory, are often poor in practice because they don’t limit which or how many supplies employees can take. Start by improving the organization system you already have. Looking for better ways to manage your office supplies? See our strategies below: How should you regulate supply use when some employees work remotely for some or all of the week?
Workplace flexibility can increase these issues. Also, your employees may take too many office supplies at once, which can lead to over-ordering and overspending. Paper, pens, inks, toners, staples, tape, paper clips, and more are all important, but can become a hassle if they aren’t monitored. Office supplies are easy to use and easier to run out of. But when everyone needs access to the same supply room, how do you prevent it from being abused? While it can be difficult to decide which tools an office can most benefit from, one resource that the entire office uses is office supplies. Part of maintaining an efficient office is ensuring that everyone has access to the tools they need.