Sheet 23
INTRODUCING NEW OFFICE EQUIPMENT
The following points should be considered when introducing new office equipment.
1 Clear Objective Should Exist for Introducing New Office Equipment.
The benefits of using modern office equipment are numerous. It may, for example, (1) save labor and time, (2) increase the accuracy of work and (3) enable more valuable work to be undertaken. Office equipment is sometimes introduced, however, without any considerations to whether or not there is any actual heed for it, or simply because other organizations have introduced it already.
It is more important to consider how advantage may be taken of the labor or time saved by using this particular device. It makes no sense if the introduction of a new piece of office equipment serves only to provide employees with more leisure time.
In recent years, a lot of organizations have introduced personal computer network systems but usually it is rare for this system to save on labor or reduce expenses. A computer network makes it possible to access, collect and analyze a lot of information quickly and easily. This often results in employees being forced to become busier. The purpose of a computer network is to enable employees to work on a more advanced level.
2 Points to be Careful with When Introducing and Using New Office Equipment.
When a new piece of office equipment is introduced and put to use, care must be taken with the following points.
(1) Users
A certain degree of skill is required to use modern office equipment. You must confirm in advance, who in the office has such skills, whether or not everybody can easily be trained to use it or indeed does everyone really wish to use it. Have you ever experienced any of the following ? When a new piece of office equipment was introduced, nobody used it, only a limited number of people used it or there was a slowdown in work operations in the absence of these people.
(2) Support System
You must ensure that there will be an effective support system before introducing any new piece of equipment. It is important to check beforehand whether maintenance and inspection services and good training programs for users are provided in the package.
(3) Estimates of Purchase and Operational Costs
Before you introduce a new piece of office equipment, it is important to make a realistic estimate of the total overall cost. Estimating the initial expenditure may be relatively straightforward but operational or maintenance costs are difficult to estimate in advance. Quite often, not enough attention is paid to these additional costs. Technology advances so rapidly that the present model is likely to be outdated in a few years. There is also the possibility that essential spare parts or supplies may become unavailable. Estimating the length of service expected from the equipment and how much it will cost to replace it is very important. Leasing might be an alternative.
