Are you looking for a convenient way to keep track of those office supplies at work?

Do you unexpectedly run out of printer toner, paper, and pens in your workspace at critical moments?

In this post, you’ll find some tips to help you track and keep on top of your office supplies.

Whether you work in an office building or work from home, you’ll be able to keep tabs on existing supplies and soon-to-be ordered supplies.

Make a detailed master list of supplies.

This list is more than just a simple shopping list of paper, pens and notebooks — it could be considered the ultimate office supply list!

Create a detailed list of all your regularly used office supplies.

Be sure to include the product brand, name, number, color and other key details.

Having all the details in place will make it easier to order or restock items, especially when it’s necessary to purchase a particular brand or type of product.

For example, you could make a note in your list of the specific brand and type of toner your large printer needs so you won’t have to keep checking the details each and every time you need a replacement cartridge.

Store items in a central location.

It’s much easier to keep track of your office supplies when they are stored in the same area.

If you don’t have a centralized office supply area, you might want to consider creating one on a shelf, inside of a closet, or on top of an unused desk or counter in the office.

After you’ve carved out an area, you can organize items by frequency and use.

What items are more likely to be used on a daily or weekly basis than a monthly or quarterly basis?

Consider labeling storage shelves, baskets and containers so everyone knows where to find the materials they need.

Schedule a routine supply check.

Don’t wait for your supplies to run out on you the night before you have to print up a giant presentation for a client!

Schedule regular supply checks for your office.

This can be weekly, bi-weekly, or a monthly basis. Make sure to note which items thneed to be restocked.

You could also keep track of which supplies move the fastest, as well as the lowest level of supplies on which you can function before you need to order more items.

For example, you might find that once you get down to half a case of printing paper, it’s time to order several more cases.

Take advantage of office supply rewards programs.

Lastly, consider taking advantage of online ordering of office supplies.

There’s several good reasons behind this: you can often save orders so it’s easy to reorder supplies in future.

Plus, you can sign up to receive points or rewards for your purchase and apply them towards future purchases.

I have a Work Notebook Workshop that could help you organize ideas, notes, and information at work. Click here to find out more.

If you want to organize your office or workspace so you can work more productively, let’s talk. Click here to schedule a strategy session with me.

How about you? Which of these tips are you going to follow to effectively track office supplies in your space? Join in the conversation and leave a comment below!