The last thing any business needs is a workflow bottleneck due to a supply shortage. With all of the money you have invested in your employees and equipment, falling short on supplies should never be the reason for operations to come to a halt. Unfortunately, for many companies, it happens far too often. However, there are several fail-safe practices that can be put into place to ensure that supply shortages never plague your office again.

Organize your supplies: The first step to protect yourself is to get organized. If you don’t know exactly what you have on hand, it’s difficult to properly place orders for needed supplies. Create a detailed inventory list, categorized by supply type. This list should be constantly updated as supplies are used and depleted.

It also helps to keep your supply room or cabinet organized. Everything should be categorized and labeled. With all of your supplies in their proper, labeled locations, you’ll be able to easily identify low inventories ahead of time, before it’s too late.

Plan for extra supplies: Buying extra supplies in bulk is cost-friendly. You often receive discount prices for bulk purchases that will reduce your spending costs in the long run. Buy supplies in quantity according to what your budget can afford, and store your surplus for future use. This bulk storage approach will put an end to those last minute supply runs to pick up items for a job sitting on hold.

Manage your inventory: Once your inventory system is in place and organized, it is simply a matter of staying on top of things. A designated inventory manager should check the inventory on at least a weekly basis to ensure everything is stocked up. There should also be tracking calculations in place to monitor all supplies that are coming in and being consumed on a daily basis. This will help your inventory manager forecast the timing of future supply orders.

The main key to a successful supply system is organization. With an organized system that is being managed on a regular basis, your workflows should never get interrupted again by a supply shortage. For more information and tips on supply management, contact Golden Gate Office Solutions today.