Before you reorder stationery, check seven lines: pens, notebooks, filing, labels, paper, desk accessories and printer consumables. On each one, look for the same item bought under two codes, near-identical substitutes, urgent top-ups between orders and the one standard product the team should agree on. That is where repeat orders tend to drift.
Each line below has what to look for, three checks to tick and one example from our range. If you would rather have a second opinion, email us your last order, an invoice or a typed list and our team will review the range and pricing with you. The details of what to send are in Send us your list.
Q4 is a sensible time to do it, before budgets reset and the first orders of the new year go in.
Pull your last three stationery orders before you start. The lines that appear on all three are your real standard. Anything that appears once, ordered in a hurry, is worth a second look.
From our team in Tweed Heads
Seven lines to check before you reorder
Work down the list with your last order or invoice beside you. Tick the checks, then write down the standard you agree for each line.
Prefer paper? Print this page (Ctrl + P or ⌘ + P) and only the audit will print. Ticks are not saved once you leave the page.
Pens
Look for: several brands of the same everyday pen
Pens are the line most likely to drift, because everyone has a favourite and small top-ups get added to other orders. Count how many different ballpoints appear across your recent orders. Many offices can settle on one everyday pen in a box, plus a red for marking up, and keep specialty pens for the people who actually use them.
Example: the BIC Cristal Ballpoint Pens come in a box of 50 with a medium 1.0mm tip and a clear barrel that shows the ink level, which suits a shared stationery cupboard.
Notebooks
Look for: near-identical books from different brands
Notebooks multiply quietly. An A5 ruled book from one brand, a similar one from another and a third picked up locally can all be doing the same job. Compare size, ruling and binding across what you have bought, and where two books do the same job, keep the one people prefer.
Example: the Cumberland Red and Black Notebook A5 Indexed is a casebound A5 ruled book with 100 leaves and alphabetical index tabs, which suits a register of contacts or suppliers.
Filing
Look for: folders and files that do not match the cabinet
Filing mistakes are usually size mistakes. Foolscap manilla folders and A4 lever arch files do different jobs, and a box of the wrong size tends to sit unopened in the cupboard. Check what your cabinets and shelves actually hold, then match the folders and files to that.
Example: the Avery Manilla Folders Foolscap Buff come in a box of 100. Avery list them at 355 x 241mm in 163gsm manilla board, pre-scored to hold up to 25mm of paper.
Labels
Look for: labels that do not suit the machine you own
Label orders go wrong when the size or format does not match the machine. A roll made for a Dymo LabelWriter is a thermal label, while sheet labels are made for laser or inkjet printers, and neither swaps for the other. Write down every printer and labeller that uses labels, then match each one to a single product code.
Example: the Dymo LabelWriter Standard Address Labels carton holds 24 rolls of 130 labels at 28 x 89mm. They print by direct thermal on any Dymo LabelWriter, so there is no ink or toner to buy.
Paper
Look for: two or three copy papers doing the same job
Copy paper is often bought by the ream when the stack runs low, sometimes in a different brand or weight each time. For everyday printing, many offices only need one 80gsm A4 sheet bought by the carton or box, with a heavier paper kept for presentations and client documents.
Example: the Double A Clever Box holds 2,500 sheets of 80gsm A4 as one unwrapped stack. The lid lifts off and the front folds down, so sheets go straight from the box to the tray.
Desk accessories
Look for: staplers, refills and organisers that do not match
Desk accessories are bought less often, which is why their refills get missed. Staples are the clearest case. A stapler takes a specific staple size, and a box of the wrong size cannot be used. List the staplers on site and match the staples to them before ordering more of either.
Example: the Marbig No 10 Full Strip Stapler is rated by ACCO for 16 sheets of 80gsm paper with No.10 staples, and has a low staple indicator and a built-in staple remover.
Printer consumables
Look for: cartridges for printers you no longer have
Toner and ink are printer-specific, so this line needs a printer list rather than a product list. Cartridges for a retired printer can sit in a cupboard for years, while the busiest printer runs out and gets a rushed order. Note the model of every printer on site and the cartridge code it takes, then check the cupboard against that list.
Example: the Brother TN2450 is a high yield black toner rated for up to 3,000 pages under ISO/IEC 19752. Brother list it for seven compact mono laser printers, including the HL-L2350DW and MFC-L2750DW, so check your model first.
Send us your list
If you would like a second opinion on the seven lines, send us what you currently buy and our team will go through it with you.
- What to send. Your last stationery order, a recent invoice or a typed list with product names and quantities. A note on how often you reorder each line helps.
- What we look at. Duplicates, near-identical substitutes and lines bought urgently, along with the range and pricing on what you buy regularly.
- What comes back. A range and price review, with suggestions for lines that could be standardised. What you change, if anything, is up to you.
Email it to team@megaofficesupplies.com.au with the subject Stationery audit, or use our contact page. For a single product in volume, the Add to Quote and Bulk Enquiry buttons on the product page work too.
Nine examples, sorted by line
These show what a sensible standard can look like on each line, not the whole range. Details come from each product's own description.
Pens
BIC Cristal Ballpoint Pens Medium Blue Box of 50
Fifty blue ballpoints with a medium 1.0mm tip and a clear hexagonal barrel, so the ink level shows at a glance and the pen does not roll off the desk.
A box of 50 is an easy unit to set as the office standard. Black and red come in the same box size.
View product
Notebooks
Cumberland Red and Black Notebook Gloss Cover A5 100 Leaf Indexed
An A5 casebound notebook in the red and black design, with 100 ruled leaves and alphabetical index tabs for quick reference.
Sold individually, so it suits a register kept at reception or in the office rather than a book for every desk.
View product
Filing
Avery Manilla Folders Foolscap Buff Box of 100
100 foolscap folders at 355 x 241mm in 163gsm buff manilla board, pre-scored to take up to 25mm of paper.
Check your cabinet takes foolscap before ordering a box. Avery also make this folder in colours.
View product
Filing
Marbig Lever Arch File PE Linen A4 Grey Pack of 10
Ten grey A4 lever arch files with a linen-finish PE cover. ACCO give a 75mm capacity of up to 375 sheets, and the spine has a label and a thumbhole.
Grey works as the neutral base of a shelf, with brighter files kept for the exceptions.
View product
Labels
Dymo LabelWriter Standard Address Labels 28 x 89mm Carton of 24 Rolls
24 rolls of 130 labels, 3,120 in total, at 28 x 89mm. They print by direct thermal, so there is no ink, toner or ribbon to buy.
On the LabelWriter 550 series, the printer reads each authentic Dymo roll and shows the count remaining.
View product
Paper
Double A A4 Copy Paper 80gsm White Clever Box 2500 Sheets
2,500 sheets of 80gsm A4 in one unwrapped stack. Double A publish an opacity above 94 per cent for this range, which matters for double-sided printing.
No ream wrappers to open, so refilling the tray is one step.
View product
Desk
Marbig No 10 Full Strip Stapler Black
A full strip No.10 stapler rated for 16 sheets of 80gsm paper, with rubber feet, top loading and a low staple indicator.
ACCO list the same No.10 staples for their 975426 mini stapler, so one refill size can cover both.
View product
Printing
Brother TN2450 High Yield Toner Cartridge 3000 Pages Black
Genuine Brother black toner rated for up to 3,000 pages under ISO/IEC 19752, listed for seven compact mono laser printers.
Check the model code on the cartridge you are replacing before you order.
View product
Printing
Toner cartridges for every printer on your list
Toner is printer-specific, so start with the printer models you noted in the audit and search by the cartridge code printed on the old cartridge.
If you run several printers, send us the list of models and we will match the codes.
Find your tonerOnce the audit is done
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Order the agreed lines together
Put the standard lines from all seven areas into one order rather than several small ones. Free standard delivery applies to eligible orders over $149.95 to most ACT, NSW, QLD and VIC metro areas.*
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Keep the list with whoever orders
Save the agreed product codes where the order is placed, so the next reorder repeats the standard rather than the last urgent buy.
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Ask for a quote on volume
For larger quantities of one line, use Add to Quote or Bulk Enquiry on the product page. For the whole list, email it to us or contact our team.
*Bulky items, hardware, regional and remote deliveries are excluded. See shipping and delivery information for full details.
Frequently asked questions
What is a stationery audit?
A stationery audit is a check of what your workplace actually orders before the next reorder goes in. It covers seven lines: pens, notebooks, filing, labels, paper, desk accessories and printer consumables. For each line you look for duplicate buying, near-identical substitutes and urgent top-ups, then agree one standard product to reorder.
What do I need before I start a stationery audit?
Have your last few stationery orders or invoices, a list of the printers and labellers on site, and access to the stationery cupboard. The orders show what is being bought, and the cupboard shows what is not being used.
Can Mega Office Supplies review our stationery list?
Yes. Email your last order, an invoice or a typed list with quantities to team@megaofficesupplies.com.au with the subject Stationery audit, or use our contact page. Our team will review the range and pricing and suggest lines that could be standardised.
Why standardise office stationery?
When everyone reorders the same agreed products, orders are quicker to place and easier to check against an invoice, and the cupboard holds fewer near-duplicates. It also makes it easier to see what each line costs over a year.
Does free delivery apply to stationery orders?
Free standard delivery applies to eligible orders over $149.95 to most ACT, NSW, QLD and VIC metro areas. Bulky items, hardware, regional and remote deliveries are excluded. See our shipping and delivery information for full details.
Check the seven lines, then send us the list
Pens, notebooks, filing, labels, paper, desk accessories and printer consumables. Check each one against your last order and the cupboard, and agree the standard you want to reorder.
Mega Office Supplies is a family-owned Australian business. We supply workplaces across the country from our team in Tweed Heads and our suppliers' warehouse network nationwide. If you would like a second set of eyes on your stationery list, send it through and we will go through it with you.
Nadine and Marty, co-founders, Mega Office Supplies
