The shared pantry at the office or club: what belongs in it and who maintains it
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by Verpakkingdeals.nl
5 min reading time
Seven boxes of staples and zero rolls of tape: this is how you prevent it. A division into four groups, minimum stock levels to start with, and one fixed ordering moment per month.
In almost every shared supply cabinet, there are seven boxes of staples and zero rolls of tape. That's no coincidence. Someone buys staples because they looked like they were running low, while no one buys tape because the last roll is always on someone's desk. This results in a cabinet that's full but solves nothing.
Whether it's an office of six people, a sports canteen, an association, or a workshop: a shared cabinet only works if someone manages it and if you know when to reorder. This is not a big project. An afternoon of tidying up, a list on the inside of the door, and one fixed ordering moment per month.
One owner, otherwise it won't work
The most important decision is not about supplies but about people. As long as everyone is allowed to reorder, no one orders on time and everyone orders duplicates. Appoint one person to maintain the cabinet — preferably someone who passes by it daily anyway.
That person does three things: once a month, check what's below the minimum stock, place one order, and put new supplies at the back so that older ones are used first. The rest of the team only needs to know where the note is hung where they can write down what's out of stock.
What really belongs in it
Limit yourself to four groups. Anything outside of these categories belongs to a person or a project, not in the shared cabinet.
Fastening and sealing. A box of 3000 staples (€2.60) lasts a long time — you won't need to reorder these quickly. Tape, however, much more often: always keep a 50-meter roll of packaging tape (€3.00) on hand, and add a tape dispenser with 2 rolls (€9.95) so the roll doesn't disappear into someone's drawer.
You don't need to know exactly what you use. You only need to know at what quantity you reorder. Put that number on the shelf and you're done. The numbers below are rules of thumb to start with; adjust them after two months based on what you actually observe.
Item
Rule of thumb for ± 10 users
Reorder when
Ballpoint pens
1 set of 10 per quarter
fewer than 5 left
Packaging tape
1 roll per month with daily mail
last roll opened
Permanent markers
1 set per half year
fewer than 2 left
Envelopes per size
depending on your mail
below 10 pieces
AAA batteries
1 pack per year
below 4 pieces
Utility knives
1 set per half year
below 2 pieces
The point of this table is not that the numbers are correct for your situation — they almost certainly are not. The point is that there is a number somewhere, so that "it's almost gone" is no longer an opinion.
One ordering moment per month
Individual orders are expensive and time-consuming. Choose a fixed day — for example, the first Monday of the month — and order everything that is below the limit at once. Two things become easier then: you'll reach a free shipping threshold sooner, and you only have to think about the cabinet once a month.
For items you are sure to use up, it pays to buy a larger unit immediately. For items you're unsure about, buy small: a cabinet full of unused items is just as much wasted money.
The cabinet itself: layout and labels
Three rules suffice. One type per spot, so you can see at a glance what's missing. Frequently used at eye level, rarely used at the bottom or top. New stock at the back, old stock at the front.
Label the shelves, not the boxes — boxes move, shelves don't. A simple label with the name and reorder number is enough; for those who want it tidier, use white price tags for the pricing gun (5000 pieces, €9.95) or write on tape with a permanent marker. And hang a self-adhesive hook (10 pieces, €5.95) on the inside of the door for the list and a pen that stays there.
Set up in an afternoon
Take everything out and throw away what's empty, dried out, or broken.
Group what's left into the four categories above.
Write a reorder number on the shelf for each item.
Appoint one manager and set a fixed order day in the calendar.
Hang a list on the door where everyone can note what's out of stock.
Replenishing without hassle
Do you want to get the cabinet in order all at once? Then check out Office Supplies and Office Essentials for writing and fastening, Envelopes for your mail, Tape for sealing, and Storage for organizing the cabinet itself.
Are you ordering for an association, school, or team and want to know what packaging unit is convenient for your number of users? Email info@verpakkingdeals.nl — then we'll calculate it together before you buy a cabinet full of items you won't use up.
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