subject: The Role of the Office Supplies Manager [print this page] For the SME the role of office supply manager is likely to fall within the remit of another job, whether the office manager or the personal assistant. The employee will have many other tasks to undertake and it is therefore not going to be practical for office supplies to take a large percentage of time. For that key business reason purchasing office supplies online makes good business sense, the ability to browse hundreds of products with a few clicks of the mouse is far simpler than having to trawl catalogues and fill out order forms. One of the benefits of online shopping is the exponential speed that goods can be dispatched to customers. Should an item run out of stock, it can normally be delivered within the next business day, certainly the day after, and because there is no actual store front to support the prices can be that bit more competitive; saving both money and the valuable time of the employee. Good supply management should form part of a top rate customer service policy. It dates right back to youth when the Guides and Scouts had the motto be prepared, how right they were. If a company is disorganised even at an office management level the service standards can easily slip, and in the current cut throat world of every business for itself poor customer care can see the competition triumph.