Top Property Management Supplies Categories for Brands

Delivering a great experience at a hotel, coworking space, vacation rental, or managed residential property takes finesse, consistency — and a lot of supplies. Yet since the customer experience is central to success in the hospitality and property management space, creating the right environment with the right products and services is integral to growth and customer retention.

This means property managers must spend much of their time managing monthly orders across dozens of vendors, each delivering needed supplies in categories from cleaning and consumables to gym equipment and serveware.

But what are these companies' most frequently needed items, and what’s the best way to secure them consistently and quickly? This article covers these topics and shares how using a procurement solution for property management supplies can make the process easier and more cost-effective.

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How does property management supplies procurement work?

Properties like hotels, coworking spaces, vacation homes, and managed residential properties procure a lot of supplies to meet customer expectations and run back-office operations. The purchasing process includes identifying, sourcing, negotiating, and acquiring the goods and services required to effectively maintain and enhance the value of these real estate assets. It covers a broad spectrum of needs, from routine cleaning to specialty services and products.

Procurement becomes indispensable in achieving excellence through a robust p roperty management system, and effective management of supplies procurement involves:

Strategic sourcing of supplies
Supplier relationship management
Purchase order management
Purchase approvals and tracking
Invoice processing and payments
Inventory management to maintain supply levels
Financial reporting and spend management

By automating the procurement process, property managers can safeguard operational efficiency, maintain brand standards across all locations, and optimize expenses for long-term benefit.

The most common property management supplies needs

It takes a wide variety of supplies to keep a business running smoothly. From back-end administration supplies to customer-facing consumables, property managers may support dozens of locations and manage hundreds or thousands of invoices. Although supplies vary greatly depending on business model, price point, and industry, most companies need a constant flow of supplies in multiple categories.

Cleaning and maintenance

Multi-surface cleaners
Disinfectant sprays
Glass cleaner
Floor cleaner
Furniture polish
Carpet cleaners
Microfiber cloths
Sponges and scrubbers
Trash bags
Paper products
Toilet bowl cleaner
Air fresheners and deodorizers
Stainless steel polish
Wood furniture polish
Pool chemicals
Gym equipment disinfectant wipes
Hand soap
Hand sanitizer
Laundry detergent
Bleach
Grout cleaner
Drain cleaner
Upholstery cleaner for furniture
Protective gloves for cleaning staff
Vacuum cleaners
Steam cleaners
Mop systems
Light bulbs
Pest control
Maintenance forms
Maintenance door hangers
Pet waste stations, pet waste bags, and receptacles (for pet-friendly properties)
Dumpsters

Office supplies

Printer paper
Ink cartridges
Envelopes
Notepads
Pens and pencils
Highlighters
Staplers and staples
Paper clips and binder clips
Whiteboard markers and erasers
File folders and organizers
Sticky notes
Scissors
Tape dispensers and tape rolls
Desk organizers
Calculators
Shredders
Laminating machine and sheets
Postage
USB flash drives
External hard drives for backup
Business cards
Extension cords
Power strips
Greeting cards

Furniture and decor

Reception desks
Guest and staff seating
Lounge sofas and chairs
Coffee and end tables
Decorative lighting fixtures
Artwork and wall decor
Indoor plants and planters
Open-concept seating for co-working
Standing desks
Patio furniture
Mattresses
Pillows
Linens
Bathroom accessories
Bookshelves
Digital signage
Bar stools and counters
Floor rugs and mats
Waste receptacles
Wayfinding signs, bandit signs, and traffic signs

Safety and security

Surveillance cameras for common areas and entrances
Security alarms and motion detectors
Smoke detectors in all rooms and common areas
First aid kits
Automated external defibrillators (AEDs)
Room safes and deposit boxes
Key card access systems
Water safety equipment, including life rings and pool depth markers
Anti-slip mats
Flashlights
Personal protective equipment (PPE)
Carbon monoxide detectors
Safe chemical storage cabinets
Fire extinguishers
UV light sanitizers

IT and peripherals

Wi-Fi routers and extenders
Smart TVs for guest rooms and lounge areas
Conference equipment
Charging stations
Desktop computers and laptops
Point of sale (POS) systems
Digital key card systems
Room automation systems
Audio-visual equipment
Tablet devices

Fitness and treatment rooms

Treadmills
Elliptical machines
Stationary bikes
Free weights, including dumbbells and barbells
Yoga mats and blocks
Medicine balls
Foam rollers for muscle recovery
Sauna rooms supplies
Essential oils diffusers
Hot stones
Professional skin care products
Manicure and pedicure kits
Robes and slippers
Treatment room linens
Sterilization equipment for tools

Kitchen and dining

Serving consumables like cups, cutlery, and paper goods
Commercial-grade ovens and stoves
Refrigeration units
Dishwashers
Cookware
Knife sets with sharpening tools
Blenders and food processors
Coffee and espresso machines
Glassware, flatware, and dish sets
Bar equipment
Buffet serving ware
Food storage
Sneeze guards and food shields
Table linens

5 Ways to make property management supply purchasing easier

Although it’s a complex job, there are many ways to make property management and procurement easier on teams. Using best practices in your property management eprocurement activities can help create the right environment for optimal outcomes.

1. Source goods from high-quality vendors

Sourcing from trustworthy vendors is crucial for ensuring the goods and services acquired meet the highest standards of quality and reliability. This not only enhances the organization's operational efficiency by reducing the frequency of repairs and replacements but also safeguards the company's reputation by consistently delivering products or services that satisfy customer expectations.

2. Document the procurement process

Creating a well-communicated procurement process streamlines purchasing to ensure it’s smooth and efficient for everyone. A documented policy acts as a roadmap by outlining steps and systems, clarifying expectations, reducing errors, and facilitating decision-making. Property managers can use the policy to provide guidance on approved suppliers, budgetary constraints, and purchasing protocols.

A documented process also helps train and onboard staff members, providing them with a clear understanding of how to procure supplies in line with company policies. It helps everyone work together to optimize the purchasing cycle and empowers staff with the knowledge to perform their roles effectively.

3. Centralize and automate purchasing

Automation simplifies purchasing activities, reducing the complexity and time involved in managing orders. Consolidating procurement tasks into a single, integrated system gives you greater visibility into spending, streamlines supplier negotiations, and more effectively enforces compliance with purchasing policies.

Over half of AP teams spend more than 10 hours a month on processing invoices alone. Automation also eliminates manual tasks such as order processing and invoice matching. It helps AP teams reduce errors and accelerate the purchase cycle. Together, these improvements lead to significant cost and time savings.

4. Set up purchasing approval workflows

Establishing a purchasing approval workflow introduces a structure where every purchase gets reviewed and authorized by decision-makers. This process ensures all procurement activities align with the organization's budgets and strategic objectives. It helps companies curb maverick spend and fosters financial discipline.

An approval process also introduces transparency into procurement. A strong tracking process lets stakeholders know the status of their purchase requests and alerts them to provide more info if needed. By implementing such workflows, organizations mitigate risks like procurement fraud and ensure compliance with internal policies and external regulations.

5. Leverage volume purchasing

Leveraging volume purchasing can help companies optimize supply chain management and manage working capital. By buying in bulk, companies can negotiate the lowest price per unit and build stronger supplier relationships simultaneously. Bulk ordering also simplifies inventory management, as it helps ensure you always have what you need on hand, minimizing the risk of stockouts that disrupt operations.

Why top brands use technology to source property management supplies

World-class brands in the property management niche, like coworking space WeWork and property management company Clinton Management, use Order.co to streamline their properties' procurement and invoice payment processes. Order.co allows these high-growth companies to expand with confidence while delivering a consistent level of service for their guests.

Using a procurement platform to centralize the buying process simplifies purchasing by providing a unified view of all transactions. It enhances transparency and control over spending while making it easier to spot cost-saving opportunities. The automation possible with a platform like Order.co cuts down on manual tasks, which speeds up the procurement process and reduces errors.

Centralized purchasing: A platform provides a unified view of all procurement activities, making it easier to manage orders, review order history, track spending, and analyze real-time trends across various suppliers.

Automated order processing: Procurement software streamlines the purchasing process by automating routine tasks like purchase order creation and order processing with dynamic workflows that reduce manual errors and save time.

Customizable approval workflows: A dynamic platform enables tailored approval processes that fit the organizational structure and policies, ensuring compliance and control over purchasing activities.

Vendor management: Software facilitates stronger relationships with vendors by providing features that allow for easy communication, performance tracking, and supplier information management in one place.

Stockout support: A procurement platform quickly identifies exact replacements or high-quality similar items, ensuring uninterrupted operations by minimizing stockout impacts through efficient, automated sourcing systems.

Multi-property invoice and order management: A cloud-based platform centralizes ordering and payment tasks like invoice validation to ensure total visibility and procurement compliance. It also enables the review of spending and supply trends by user, department, or location.

Spend analytics and reporting: With centralized data, a platform can deliver comprehensive reporting tools that offer insights into spending patterns, cost-saving opportunities, and overall procurement efficiency to help property managers make informed decisions.

Streamline property management supplies purchasing with Order.co

Order.co makes the procurement process easier by automating the most important aspects of the purchasing process. This leaves more time for property managers to focus on improving the customer experience, building the brand, and expanding into new locations and markets.

With a procurement platform, property managers for all types of properties have access to a wide range of features to keep operations running smoothly, including:

A curated supply catalog that allows individual stakeholders to order preferred supplies quickly and centralize the data, even across locations
Budgeting and forecasting tools to ensure effective cash management and resource allocation
Payment options that reduce the burden of processing and paying invoices, including payment consolidation to pay multiple vendors with just a few clicks

To learn more about purchasing property management supplies with Order.co, request a demo today.

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