Guide
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Office supplies: These items should not be missing in the office
Office supplies include everything that is necessary for working in the office. This includes furnishings as well as technology and consumables. Anyone setting up a company and equipping an office for the first time has to work within a limited budget. In this case, it is crucial to differentiate between essential and non-essential products.
What you need for smooth workflows depends on the specific tasks and requirements. Do you hold meetings, presentations or training courses? Do you send a lot of letters and parcels? Do you receive customers and business partners in your office? These and other circumstances are not equally relevant for every company and require special office supplies.
Individual work organization also plays a role in the selection of items, especially the degree of digitization. If you create, send and archive many documents digitally, you need less paper and filing options. Nevertheless, it's hard to imagine doing without classic office items such as notepads, pens and folders completely.
Functional and ergonomic office furniture
Functionality, ergonomics and appearance are key decision-making criteria when selecting office furniture and furnishings. They influence the quality and efficiency of daily work. Make sure there is sufficient space and favorable lighting for the individual workstations.
Office desks come in different shapes and sizes. It is crucial that a desk offers enough space for everything that employees need. In addition to a free writing surface, this includes computer technology, a telephone and storage space for work equipment and office supplies. Useful additions include desk tops for more storage space, telephone holders and screen holders. The latter can be individually aligned by swiveling and tilting. There are also versions for two monitors. Ideally, office desks are height-adjustable. Some models make it easy to switch between sitting and standing positions, which relieves strain on the back and promotes concentration. Sometimes castors are available for flexible transportation.
Comfortable office chairs support sitting postures that allow you to concentrate on your work for longer periods of time and are easy on your back. You can also improve ergonomics with a footrest and an orthopaedic seat cushion. Space-saving stools are suitable for workstations that are only used occasionally.
Special IT furniture is available for the secure storage of computer technology and peripheral devices such as printers and scanners. They often take the form of mobile functional trolleys with storage options and compartments. Even complete workstations with storage space for technology and materials are offered in this mobile form. Mobile pedestals are also popular in offices, as they can be pushed under the office desk or anywhere else as required.
Office furnishings with a feel-good factor
Conrad has many other furnishings for the office in its range. These include cable holders, letterboxes, wall clocks and door signs. Coat racks, key boxes and pin boards are also typical office supplies.
Make sure you have a well thought-out lighting concept, as this affects both the quality of work and the long-term health of your employees.
Sufficient illuminance, an appropriate light color and freedom from glare are essential. There is a wide range of different office lamps that you can use to optimize individual lighting conditions. In addition to lighting for the entire room, table lamps and monitor lamps provide targeted light for individual workstations.
Don't forget the feel-good factor in the office, as this has a positive effect on performance. Plants and pictures contribute to this, as does equipping the office kitchen with a coffee machine, fridge and attractive crockery. A supply of coffee and tea is an advantage. For a pleasant working environment, a fan or heating element optimizes the temperature in the office and a filter improves the air quality.
Computer and telephone technology for efficient working
The key elements of office supplies are technical devices, primarily computer technology. This includes desktop PCs, notebooks, keyboards, mice and other computer accessories. Pay attention to appropriate performance features, available accessories and necessary connections. In addition to notebooks, tablets can also be used for mobile working. Office supplies include storage media such as USB sticks and external hard drives for data backup.
Which telephone technology is suitable for your office depends on the number of workstations and the specific tasks. You can choose between individual telephones or a complete telephone system with several connections. If groups of people frequently take part in a telephone call in the same room, it is worth buying a conference phone.
Technical accessories: indispensable aids in everyday working life
Office technology includes other items to support various tasks and activities. For example, headphones and headsets help employees to concentrate on their work. Employees who frequently make phone calls or take part in video calls benefit from a headset with functions such as volume control and noise suppression. Wireless headsets provide additional comfort. For appealing image and sound quality during online presentations, it is worth purchasing a separate webcam.
Dictation machines are a popular tool for text creation and offer more convenience than the corresponding smartphone function. Many workstations are equipped with a calculator, whether as a graphing calculator for solving complex tasks or for simple calculations. If you need printouts of the calculations, use a desktop calculator with a paper roll.
A shredder is essential for the secure destruction of documents and data carriers. If you regularly work with printed documents, for example for reports or presentations, you will benefit from binding and laminating technology. Labeling devices have proven their worth for labeling inventory and other items.
Confidential documents are stored securely in a safe. To store cash for smaller expenses, you need a cash box or cash register. Depending on the type of business, terminals for card payments or barcode scanners may also be part of the necessary office technology. You may also need an MDE device for mobile data collection or an access control system.
Work equipment and consumables for every office
A lot of office work can be organized digitally, but paper documents are still relevant for most companies. For this reason, paper for printers and copiers as well as toner or ink cartridges should always be in stock. A well-organized document filing system is a prerequisite for efficient work processes and fulfilling documentation obligations. To do this, you need materials such as registers, folders, binders and dividers.
You may need certain forms, for example for receipts or contracts. Plan which stamps the individual employees need. An agenda and wastepaper basket complete the office workstation.
Sufficient envelopes and packaging materials such as boxes and adhesive tape must be available for shipping letters, brochures or samples. A letter scale will help you with correct franking. A supply of various labels for mailing and labeling folders and items is recommended.
Office supplies also include items that are not directly related to work materials. A first aid kit is essential so that employees can help without delay in an emergency. The prescribed number of fire alarms and fire extinguishers must also be available. Think about cleaning utensils, whether for the room or specifically for the office equipment. Hygiene items such as soap dispensers and towels are also essential.
The equipment of the individual workstations with office supplies depends on the type of tasks. Almost every workstation is equipped with classic office supplies. These include the following items, for example:
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Writing utensils: ballpoint pen, highlighter, pencils, eraser and sharpener
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Punch
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Staplers
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Scissors
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Ruler
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Sticky notes
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Notebook or notepad
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Calculator
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Paper clips
Conclusion: Plan your office supplies individually
It is impossible to say in general terms which office supplies you need for your company. A certain amount of basic equipment is available in every office. Additional office supplies depend on the specific tasks to be performed and how the office work is organized.
Plan carefully before you buy furnishings and materials and involve your employees in the process. The Conrad range offers you ideas for office equipment. Here you will find a selection of products that will make your day-to-day work better and more efficient.