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Reducing Your Workplace Stationery Expenses

It is easy to overlook the expense of workplace stationery in favour of other more considerable costs. Office stationery includes paper (copier and printer), fax paper, business cards, folders, envelopes, and other paper-based office supplies. The larger the company, the more significant the amount of paper-based office supplies they use and throw away annually. Unless there is a recycling plan in place, most employees do not think about wasting office supplies, which contributes to the organisation’s overhead costs.

Ways to reduce expenses on stationery supplies in the workplace

Many companies today care for the environment and look for ways and means to minimise the use of natural resources, especially paper, which comes from trees. Aside from the fact that it takes several years for trees to grow and be ready for harvesting, it is still vital for organisations to minimise what they spend on stationery supplies and reduce overhead expenses.

  • Have a centralised purchase department to procure stationery in bulk, based on the different departments’ requisitions. The head of the purchasing department or head of the organisation should approve each purchase order.
  • Choose a trustworthy vendor of stationery supplies. Base your choice on the quality and nature of the stationery, product range, pricing, delivery time, and active after-sales support.
  • Within each department, encourage the staff to store most of the company records on secure servers to reduce paper use. Use computer databases to store paper-filed documents such as correspondence, tax records, and human resources records. Store two or more additional copies on other computers within the department and ensure that only authorised staff has access to the files. Use cloud computing to store backup data. Your files will still be accessible, and you can easily print a copy of a particular file.
  • Some businesses and organisations need paper-based files, such as law firms and healthcare institutions. But for some, it is advisable to use electronic communications whenever possible. You can save emails, and the platform has features to search for particular messages, separate emails by sender or category, and provide security.
  • Print test documents in draft form, so you can save on printer ink. You can use recycled paper for printing test documents and print the document back-to-back. Review the content and look for errors. Even if several people need to edit the text, you can use that copy to circulate among them to consolidate their inputs and suggestions.
  • Request job applicants to submit their resumes online instead of sending printed copies. Job applications consume a lot of paper, and companies, especially the larger ones that regularly accept resumes, the number of written resumes can be a problem. Since they have to keep them for a few years, they consume a large number of file folders and storage space.
  • Ensure that your storage room for stationery supplies is clean and dry. Install a lock on the door to prevent unauthorised access and secure your inventory. Stationery supplies and other office supplies should only be released after the presentation of a requisition form signed by the department head.

Setting internal controls for the proper use of stationery supplies and choosing the best stationery supply vendor will ensure that you save money and minimise wastage.

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