Ask the Experts: Office Supplies

Question: With the bottom line under more pressure than ever before, it’s critical to ensure our business is keeping control of operational expenditure while maintaining maximum value for money, how can I go about achieving this?

Many businesses in the current economic climate are consistently looking at ways to reduce their costs, and office supplies expenditure is often an easy target. There are some cost saving measures that could be explored today and delivered tomorrow and what’s more the work to produce them can be done for you.

Top Tips

1) Take note of what you use: List the items you have in your stationery cupboard. What are you using? What aren’t you using? Are you finding a lot of wastage from items that are re-ordered “just because” and are sitting in the cupboard never to be used?

2) Enforce the list: Don’t spend all this time and effort compiling your “core-list” only to find your team are tempted to buy more costly, premium products. Control the purchasing of these products, either over the phone or online, by speaking to your supplier to arrange for them to be taken off the list so they can’t be ordered.

3) Buy from a local or national supplier: Perhaps a controversial point but worth mentioning all the same. Be mindful of where your supplier buys from. Are they buying from a national supplier to sell to you? Or are they a national supplier buying and stocking directly from the manufacturer?

4) One supplier: This could be perceived as putting your eggs all in one basket but buying this way really does benefit you in the long run. Shopping around may look like you’re getting a ‘deal’ and often on some individual items you are, but what you’re not seeing is the total expenditure on your basket of products, let alone the time you’re spending searching for best prices.

5) Consolidate your orders: A good start is to look at your pattern of purchasing. Consider combining all office supplies requirements from the business into one order. Many companies will offer stationery, facilities management supplies, even printed items, and deliver all in one delivery.

6) How many times do you place an order? If you can place your orders less frequently (eg: once a month) it helps avoid dealing with multiple deliveries and invoices. If your supplier can reduce their expenditure in serving their customers, they can then pass these savings on to you. A customer with a low cost to serve is more valuable to a supplier and one they’d like to keep!

7) Find a supplier you love: There are so many reasons why you should find a supplier you love, not just for your office products but other suppliers too. Great suppliers make your life easier; go the extra mile even when you don’t need them to and rise to the challenge to help you keep your office running.

For more information on Accord Office Supplies call us on 01793 541500 or visit www.accordoffice.co.uk.