Should You Limit the Number of Employees Who Can Order Office Supplies?

Office supplies are necessities — and you'll want to make sure that all your employees have what they need to get their work done. It might seem that the best way to do that is to let each employee order what they need, but that approach could lead to some nasty surprises when you get the bill, and

The best way to keep your office supply cabinets fully stocked — and control your office supply costs — is to put one person in charge of ordering and tracking supplies. Appoint one employee — usually your office manager — as the "supply czar." Have that person take office supply requests from other employees, and place a single order every week or two.

Having one person in charge of office supplies has several advantages: a vendor may give you a break on the delivery charge for a single, large order; you're able to buy in bulk when several employees need the same supplies; and you can make sure that your employees are ordering supplies consistent with your budget and business needs.