[Office Reality Survey] Approximately 40% Find Ordering Supplies "Troublesome." The #1 Concern for Staff is "Difficulty in Product Selection."

■ How are office supplies and consumables primarily ordered in the workplace? Ballpoint pens, copy paper, toner cartridges used daily in the office. Such ordering is one of the "invisible tasks" that someone is responsible for in many workplaces. So, in reality, how do on-site staff purchase supplies, and what kind of problems do they face? This time, in collaboration with Triumph21 (hereinafter Triumph21), which operates the procurement management system OffSide, we conducted a survey on "Workplace Supply and Consumable Purchases" targeting 208 men and women nationwide who had previously responded that they "have been involved in purchasing or ordering supplies and consumables for their company." *When quoting the content of this press release, please take the following actions: ・State that the source is "a survey by NEXER Co., Ltd. and Triumph21." ・Set a link to Triumph21 (https://www.tryumph21.co.jp/). "Survey on Workplace Supply and Consumable Purchases" Survey Overview Survey method: Online questionnaire Survey period: January 22, 2026 - February 3, 2026 Target respondents: Men and women nationwide who responded in a preliminary survey that they "have been involved in purchasing or ordering supplies and consumables for their company." Valid responses: 208 samples Questions: Question 1: When purchasing necessary supplies and consumables for work in the workplace, what method do you primarily use to place orders? Question 2: Please tell us the reason. Question 3: Do you find purchasing supplies and consumables troublesome? Question 4: What specifically do you find troublesome? (Multiple answers allowed) Question 5: Please tell us in detail what aspects you find troublesome. Question 6: Do you ever think, "I wish it were easier to purchase supplies"? Question 7: What kind of improvements would help? *As a general rule, numbers are rounded to the first decimal place, so the total may not always be 100%. ■ 31.3% responded that they order via "online shopping (EC sites)" First, we asked how they primarily order necessary supplies and consumables for work in the workplace. The most common response was "online shopping (EC sites)" at 31.3%. This was followed by "ordering by phone/FAX" at 24.5%, and "direct purchase by staff at a store" at 15.4%. While online shopping was the most frequent, methods like phone and FAX still account for about a quarter. It seems that traditional analog methods remain in many workplaces. We asked for the reasons for choosing their ordering method, and here are some of the responses: "Online shopping (EC sites)" ・Because I can quickly search for what I need and place orders promptly. (30s, Male) ・Almost everything I need can be found online, so it's easy and convenient. (70s, Male) ・I can order at my preferred time, shipping is fast, and there are no mistakes, which is good. (50s, Female) "Ordering by phone/FAX" ・Because that's how it's always been done. (40s, Female) ・If it's a vendor with whom we have a transaction history, they respond immediately to product requests by phone or FAX. (50s, Male) ・In those days, there was no online ordering, so we ordered by phone or FAX. (70s, Male) "Direct purchase by staff at a store" ・The quantity is small, and I can check the items by hand. (70s, Male) ・It's often needed urgently. (50s, Female) ・There's a dedicated purchasing staff, so I tell them what I need, and they buy it for me. (20s, Female) "In-house dedicated ordering system" ・Because the purchasing method is determined internally. (70s, Male) ・Online has fewer errors. (60s, Male) ・That system is the most efficient and connects us with our partners. (40s, Female) ・For centralized billing by headquarters. (40s, Female) ・The budget can only be used through the designated ordering system. (60s, Male) As seen, while online shopping is the most common, many who continue to use phone and FAX cite reasons like "long-standing custom" and "company rules." Some workplaces also order through a procurement system according to company regulations. Analog ordering methods such as phone, FAX, or direct store purchases tend to lead to individualized management of order history and approval processes, increasing workload and the potential for errors. ■ 42.8% find purchasing supplies "troublesome" Next, we asked if they ever find purchasing supplies and consumables troublesome. "Often" was 9.6%, and "sometimes" was 33.2%, totaling 42.8% who find it troublesome. On the other hand, "rarely" was 33.2%, and "never" was 24.0%. This suggests that while it is one of the daily tasks, it is not uncommon for it to be a burden on the staff. ■ Over 30% find "the ordering process itself" troublesome Furthermore, we asked those who find it troublesome what specifically they find troublesome. The most common response was "difficulty in product selection" at 39.3%. This was followed by "the ordering process itself" at 31.5%, "time-consuming price comparison" at 29.2%, and "complicated inventory management" at 22.5%. We asked for specific reasons why they find it troublesome, and here are some of the responses: "Difficulty in product selection" ・I can't find the product I want. (40s, Female) "The ordering process itself" ・It takes time to look up items in catalogs. (60s, Female) ・Items not covered by unit price contracts require various attached documents. (60s, Male) ・It's troublesome to consider inventory status to get free shipping when busy. (40s, Female) ・It just takes a lot of effort. (40s, Male) ・It's troublesome to search for products without a purchase history. (50s, Male) "Time-consuming price comparison" ・If it's the same item, I want to buy it as cheaply as possible. Sometimes I access a site thinking it's cheaper, only to find the relevant size is out of stock, which is disappointing. (30s, Female) ・It takes time to compare prices by looking at various sites. (40s, Female) ・Getting multiple quotes is troublesome. (60s, Male) "Complicated inventory management" ・If inventory fluctuates daily, checking stock is troublesome. It takes time, and if the inventory doesn't match, it's even more time lost. (40s, Female) ・There are many types, so checking the depletion rate and stock level is troublesome. (30s, Female) ・It's troublesome to check how much is left. (50s, Female) The reason "the ordering process itself" ranked high seems to be due to the time required for creating necessary documents during ordering and navigating catalogs or websites to find the desired product. Also, the reason "difficulty in product selection" topped the list appears to be due to the difficulty in distinguishing between similar products and the time it takes to find the desired product in catalogs or on websites. In addition to the complexity of the ordering process itself, the entire workflow before and after ordering, such as approval procedures by superiors and management departments, confirmation of delivery status, and payment processing/expense settlement, seems to be a burden on the staff. ■ 33.2% responded that they "have" thoughts like "I wish it were easier to purchase supplies" Finally, we asked if they ever feel, "I wish it were easier to purchase supplies." The result was 33.2% for "yes" and 66.8% for "no." This means about one in three people feel there is room for improvement in the current methods. We asked what kind of improvements would help, and here are some of the responses: What kind of improvements would help? ・A system that automatically orders what's missing and only notifies about price changes or modifications. (30s, Female) ・I want a system that can quickly check inventory. (60s, Male) ・Since it's often hard to know the usability without actually trying it, it would be convenient to have samples to try. (60s, Male) ・It would be good if quotes, invoices, and delivery notes could be simplified for speedy settlement. (60s, Male) ・Price comparison that also handles out-of-stock items. Also, comparison that considers arrival dates, especially when in a hurry. It's troublesome to check shipping fees for each site, so it would be great if it was immediately clear. (30s, Female) Among the calls for improvement, particular attention is paid to the need to reduce the burden of the entire business process, such as streamlining approval procedures and ordering tasks, making delivery status confirmation easier, and simplifying payment processing and expense settlement. In workplaces where operations still rely on phone, FAX, and paper documents, these challenges tend to accumulate. ■ Summary This survey revealed that while online shopping (EC sites) is the most common method for purchasing office supplies and consumables, analog methods like phone and FAX still account for about a quarter. Furthermore, approximately 40% of staff find purchasing tasks "troublesome," with top concerns including "the ordering process itself is cumbersome," "approval procedures by superiors and management departments are complicated," "confirming delivery status is troublesome," and "payment processing and expense settlement are burdensome." Especially, ordering via phone, FAX, or paper documents tends to lead to individualized history management and approval flows, becoming a breeding ground for such issues. To lighten the burden of supply ordering, it is crucial to digitize the entire series of procurement operations, from ordering to approval, delivery confirmation, and payment processing, and implement mechanisms that can improve efficiency. Triumph21's procurement management system "OffSide" supports the DX of this entire procurement business workflow. It allows customization of the procurement flow from quotation to ordering and inspection according to conventional in-house purchasing rules, and supports rapid decision-making and stress-free procurement management in R&D sites through appropriate centralized management. ・State that the source is "a survey by NEXER Co., Ltd. and Triumph21." ・Set a link to Triumph21 (https://www.tryumph21.co.jp/).