How to Manage Office Supplies and Maintain Inventory

Co-authored by Caitlin Jaymes and Amber Crain

Last Updated: February 27, 2022 References

Office supplies can be expensive, so keeping track of what your office has in stock and monitoring how quickly supplies are being used is really important. If you've never done inventory before, you might be feeling a little overwhelmed. Don't worry, we're going to walk you through the entire process so you can manage your inventory like a pro! We'll start with some basic setup tips and then move into specifics about the tracking and reordering process.

1

Appoint a supplies manager to oversee inventory.

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Assigning this responsibility to one person streamlines the process. A good office inventory manager organizes, monitors, and tracks inventory on a daily basis. If any questions about office supplies comes up, they’re the go-to and will be able to answer any supply-related questions immediately. ^{[1]
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- Office supplies can get expensive, so the supplies manager also acts as a gatekeeper to limit access to the area.

2

Keep supplies stored in a central location.

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Designate a specific area for supplies so you can keep track easily. You probably already have a special area for your office supplies, but if you don’t, set one up! Monitoring and tracking supplies is far simpler when everything is stored together in the same space. ^{[2]
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- If you’re short on space, a large shelf, storage closet, or unused office will do the trick. ^{[3]
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- You can even use drawers with dividers that expand to fit their width and length. ^{[4]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Caitlin Jaymes
  Closet Organizer & Fashion Stylist
  
  Expert Interview. 16 December 2019.}
- Divide the drawers into as many segments as you want and keep different items separately. ^{[5]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Caitlin Jaymes
  Closet Organizer & Fashion Stylist
  
  Expert Interview. 16 December 2019.}

3

Organize the supply area so it's easy to navigate.

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Group and label items so finding and tracking them is a breeze. Start by sorting through all of the supplies and putting like with like. Then, decide how you want to organize the supplies inside the space. ^{[6]
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Expert Source

Ashley Moon, MA
Professional Organizer

Expert Interview. 30 August 2019} Think about the items you need on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. Then, arrange them so the ones you need most often are easy to see and get to. After you do that, label the shelves, baskets, or containers with the name of each item. ^{[7]
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- For example, put frequently-needed supplies at eye level for easy access. Items like toners and printers can go on higher shelves since you won’t need to get them that often. ^{[8]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Caitlin Jaymes
  Closet Organizer & Fashion Stylist
  
  Expert Interview. 16 December 2019.}
- If you have a lot of supplies, organizing supplies alphabetically by name might make things easier to find.
- You could also group supplies according to departmental needs. ^{[9]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Caitlin Jaymes
  Closet Organizer & Fashion Stylist
  
  Expert Interview. 16 December 2019.} For example, put accounting supplies on one shelf and administrative supplies on a separate shelf.

4

Create a master list of office supplies.

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Making a master list is easy now that the supplies are organized! Grab a pen and some paper and start writing down every item you have in stock. Include the product brand, name, number, color, and any other details you’ll need to know when it's time to reorder an item. ^{[10]
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- For example, note the specific brand and type of toner the main office printer uses. That way, you don’t have to hunt down those details every time you need to order a replacement cartridge.

5

Transfer the list of supplies to a spreadsheet.

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You don’t need to buy special software to manage supplies for most offices! A spreadsheet, like Excel or Google Sheets, works great. Start with a column for the supplies and list the names of each one in individual cells. Then, set up additional columns so you can fill in details like brand, part number, color, etc. ^{[11]
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6

Count the items and add the totals to your spreadsheet.

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Create a final column to keep track of current stock levels. Plug the total number you have in stock for each item into the final column on your spreadsheet. Save this spreadsheet and keep it on your desktop so you can access and update it easily. ^{[12]
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- If you want to be more detailed, create a “trigger point” column and plug those numbers in, too. The trigger point is the recommended amount of each item to keep stocked at all times. Once stock drops below the trigger point, it’s time to re-up! This way, you’ll never run out of anything. ^{[13]
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7

Use inventory management software for bigger offices.

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Software simplifies the inventory process if you have a lot to track. For large offices with lots of supplies in storage, investing in inventory management software is worth the money! First, type in the supply names and how many you have of each in stock. Then, the inventory manager updates the stock totals each time they remove supplies from the area. ^{[14]
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- If updating the program isn't possible in real time, the manager can keep a written log of items as they're taken out and input the data later on.
- Set up the software to send desktop or text message alerts when items hit their trigger points so you never miss a beat!
- Each program works differently so be sure to get something that makes sense for your office. For example, some programs allow you to scan bar codes to record current stock levels. This is great for large offices with lots of supplies!

8

Do routine checks to keep up with your stock.

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Supply checks are important so you can update your spreadsheet. Depending on how quickly your office burns through supplies, you may need to do a routine supply check on a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly basis. On the designated day, go in and count how much you have of every item. Then, update the spreadsheet with the current stock levels and reorder what you need. ^{[15]
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- If you set up trigger points, remember to go by those numbers rather than the total number in stock.

9

Schedule your reorder days to help you stay on track.

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Schedule a specific day for placing orders to stay organized. Pinpointing a day for this helps keep your stock at the proper levels and prevents you from placing multiply supply orders at random times. You can just plan to order everything in one fell swoop on the appointed day and everything will be delivered together. ^{[16]
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- How often you need to reorder depends your supply turnover and how often you do routine checks.

10

Limit access to the office supply room.

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Secure the supply area so only the manager can access it. Allowing staff to grab supplies whenever they want makes it a lot harder to keep track of everything. It can also get costly because supplies tend to disappear at a much faster rate. To prevent these issues, lock or restrict the supply room so only the inventory manager (and possibly 1-2 other key employees) can get in. ^{[17]
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- This means that employees will have to go through the manager (or the approved helpers) whenever they need anything.

Expert Q&A

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Question

What can you use to keep office supplies?

Caitlin Jaymes
Closet Organizer & Fashion Stylist
Caitlin Jaymes is a Closet Organizer and Fashion Stylist based in Los Angeles, California. With a background in Fashion PR and Fashion Design, she specializes in creating wardrobes for her clients with pieces they already own. She has experience working with celebrities, editorial shoots, and men and women of all ages. Caitlin uses fashion and organization to help instill and influence confidence, ambition, and stress-free lifestyles for all her clients. She runs her business by two guiding principles: “fashion has no rules, only guidance on how to look and feel your best” and “life has too many stressors, don’t let clutter be one of them.” Caitlin’s work has been featured on HGTV, The Rachael Ray Show, VoyageLA, Liverpool Los Angeles, and the Brother Snapchat Channel.

Caitlin Jaymes

Closet Organizer & Fashion Stylist

Expert Answer

You can use drawers with dividers that expand to fit their width and length. Divide the drawers into as many segments as you want and keep different items separately.

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Question

How can I keep office supplies efficiently?

Caitlin Jaymes
Closet Organizer & Fashion Stylist
Caitlin Jaymes is a Closet Organizer and Fashion Stylist based in Los Angeles, California. With a background in Fashion PR and Fashion Design, she specializes in creating wardrobes for her clients with pieces they already own. She has experience working with celebrities, editorial shoots, and men and women of all ages. Caitlin uses fashion and organization to help instill and influence confidence, ambition, and stress-free lifestyles for all her clients. She runs her business by two guiding principles: “fashion has no rules, only guidance on how to look and feel your best” and “life has too many stressors, don’t let clutter be one of them.” Caitlin’s work has been featured on HGTV, The Rachael Ray Show, VoyageLA, Liverpool Los Angeles, and the Brother Snapchat Channel.

Caitlin Jaymes

Closet Organizer & Fashion Stylist

Expert Answer

Categorize the supplies. Then keep the items of frequent use on the top. You can keep the things you do not use at the bottom.

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Question

How do I declutter my office supplies?

Ashley Moon, MA
Professional Organizer
Ashley Moon is the Founder and CEO of Creatively Neat, a virtual organizing and life coaching business based in Los Angeles, California. In addition to helping people organize their best life, she has a fabulous team of organizers ready to de-clutter your home or business. Ashley hosts workshops and speaking engagements at various venues and festivals. She has trained with Coach Approach and Heart Core for organizing and business coaching respectively. She has an MA in Human Development and Social Change from Pacific Oaks College.

Ashley Moon, MA

Professional Organizer

Expert Answer

Follow the same steps you would for any other organization project: sort, purge, organize, and make a home for everything.

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Expert Source

Caitlin Jaymes
Closet Organizer & Fashion Stylist

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Ashley Moon, MA
Professional Organizer

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How to Manage Office Supplies and Maintain Inventory

Steps

Appoint a supplies manager to oversee inventory.

Keep supplies stored in a central location.

Organize the supply area so it's easy to navigate.

Create a master list of office supplies.

Transfer the list of supplies to a spreadsheet.

Count the items and add the totals to your spreadsheet.

Use inventory management software for bigger offices.

Do routine checks to keep up with your stock.

Schedule your reorder days to help you stay on track.

Limit access to the office supply room.

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