Every office requires some type of maintenance each month. Supplies start to run low, papers accumulate and desks become disorganized. Workers need to perform different errands from time to time in order to keep the office working efficiently. These errands help to improve productivity, lower errors and create a more comfortable work environment. Employees should remember to do five specific office errands each month.
5. Restock Supplies
The basic supplies necessary to support work in the office should be restocked once every month. This is easy to forget. Basic supplies include pens, notebooks or paper and items like paperclips or report binders. Anyone in charge of a supply closet will want to purchase everything at once and in bulk in order to take advantage of any discounts.
4. Thoroughly Clean the Desk or Workstation
A desk or workstation can quickly become overrun with reports, updates and scraps of paper used as reminders. Most desks also accumulate dust every day. It is important to set aside some time once a month to thoroughly clean a desk. This should include organizing papers, making sure electronics are clean and wiping down every surface. This will create a healthier and more organized place to work.
3. Purge or Organize Emails
An office errand many people put off or forget is to manage emails. A good policy is to go through emails once a month and delete anything old, outdated or unneeded. This will prevent an inbox from holding thousands of useless messages. Older emails that are still needed can be organized into different folders to make an inbox more organized and easier to search.
2. Purchase Refills for Ink Cartridges
The ability to print documents is essential in most offices. Running out of toner or ink can stop or delay work. This affects productivity. It is important to keep at least one ink cartridge refill on hand to make certain documents can always be printed. Anyone buying for the whole office will want to buy more ink refills than necessary so that large unexpected print jobs can be handled without a problem.
1. Shred Old Reports
Businesses in certain industries need to shred documents and reports containing sensitive information in order to remain compliant with guidelines and standards. An errand to remember to do at least once a month is to shred the old reports or documents that have been replaced with updated versions. This might have to be done manually with a shredder. It might also require calling a mobile shredding service and scheduling a time to shred all the documents held in locked receptacles.