How Much Paper Should an Office Keep?

Zero inventory is not efficiency

An office with no spare paper has not optimized inventory. It has created a paper emergency and scheduled it for an unknown future date.

Start with normal consumption. If your office uses twenty cases per month, that is the baseline. Then consider delivery frequency, usage variation and the cost of running out. A law office preparing a filing has a different risk profile from a team that prints only internal drafts.

Use three levels

Working stock covers normal use until the next planned delivery. Reserve stock protects against ordinary variation. Emergency stock is for items that would stop important work if unavailable. Not every product deserves all three.

Do not hide reserve paper in seven closets. That creates the illusion of shortage while inventory quietly reproduces in forgotten rooms. Store it in known locations and count open cases.

Watch the triggers

Repeated rush orders mean the reorder point is wrong, usage has changed, or somebody is not following the process. All three are management problems. Buying extra cases without fixing the cause is not preparedness. It is simply heavier preparedness.

For recurring customers, Dunder Mifflin can help set a delivery pattern based on actual usage. The goal is enough paper to operate confidently, not enough paper to construct defensive walls.