How to Do Inventory of Office Supplies

If you run an office that relies heavily on the use of office supplies, it's important to keep an inventory of the items. You should decide on a regular reorder date, such as monthly or quarterly depending on your needs, and make arrangements with your supplier. You also need to keep track of office supply usage when determining your total expenses for the year. Take a common sense approach to doing an inventory of your office supplies to make the reordering process simpler.

Instructions

1. Organize and label your office supplies in your supply closet if you have not done so already. Use shelving units or cabinets and plastic bins. Place the items you use the most toward the middle of your shelves. Create a classification system, with a number or code for each item listed on the label, so that you can reference the supplies quickly.

2. Decide on your levels when the office supply inventory is full. For example, you might consider 10 boxes of paper clips as the most clips you want in inventory at any time.

3. Set a minimum inventory level for each item in your office supplies. This is the lowest amount you want to have in inventory at any given time (for example, two boxes of paper clips). When the levels reach that amount as you're taking inventory you know it's time to reorder.

4. Create and print an office supply checklist that lists all of your items and each corresponding classification number along with the minimum and maximum levels you want to keep in stock. Provide an empty space where you can record the current inventory at each check.

5. Set a date that fits with your schedule to take inventory on the office supplies in your storage room. Bring your checklist and record the date at the top.

6. Go through each office supply item in the room and record the current level on your list. You can then take the list back to your desk to place orders on items that have reached the minimum levels.

References

• Unclutterer: Organizing an Office Supply Closet