One can-not think of running an office without stationeries and office supplies. Office stationeries are those expendable items which are necessary for and consumed in the daily operations but do not generally enter into finished product. Office stationeries and supplies comprise of office forms, letter-heads pads, rough-work pads, envelopes, pencils, pens, erasers, pins, tags, files and folders.
Office stationeries occupy a key position in the office activity because proper and efficient use of stationeries and supplies brings the following advantages to the firm.
(a) It provides better service at lowest cost.
(b) It occupies 30-40% of the non-salary cost and therefore is viewed seriously by the management.
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(c) It facilitates smooth functioning of office work. The need for proper control of stationeries arise because it will cause the following difficulties. to the firm.
1. Excessive Investment
Unless there is a proper control of stationeries, it will cause excessive investment in stationeries. The work may be suspended or could be managed through local purchase, if there is no control over stationeries.
2. Wastage
A great deal of losses are caused due to careless handling, defective store-keeping, indifferent issuing and indiscrimate using of stationeries. A good system of stationery control enables proper use of stationeries and therefore avoid all possible wastages.
3. Inferior Quality and High Price
In the absence of systematic control of stationery a higher price is paid and products of inferior quality are purchased. So a proper and efficient control of stationeries enable to get fair price for stationery and better quality products.
4. Disorderly Arrangement
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The stock of stationery may not be arranged systematically if a proper method of stationery control is, followed. Such unsystematic arrangement of stationery puts a lot of difficulties in locating a particular stationery at the time of need. So a system of stationery control ensures proper arrangement of office supplies and stationeries.
5. Deterioration
Without proper stationery control there will be large quantity of stationery. The maintenance of large quantity of stationeries involve consumption of those stationeries over a long period of time. This long period consumption facilitate deterioration in the quality of stationery. Thus a systematic control over the stationery is needed.
6. Provision for Right Type of Stationery
Right type of stationery should be purchased because defective and improper quality of stationery decreases the quality of work.
The essentials of good system in the use of stationery involve :
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(a) Sufficient buying of stationery in right quantity.
(b) The issue system of stationery should be planned in such a manner that it should check wasteful consumption.
(c) The storing of stationery should be done in such a manner that it should make best possible use of space.
(d) Maintenance of as little stock as possible.