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Updating office equipment can be a daunting task. Never mind the hardships of choosing the machine that you think is the best fit for your workplace and all the big decisions (and expenses) that go along with that — once your device arrives, you have to take the time to train. Wasting hours upon hours of precious productivity time isn’t a necessity when your new printer, scanner or copier arrives. Choose a machine with technology that is familiar to you and your employees to make the transition to your new office equipment intuitive and seamless.
Familiarity is key
We now live in an age when home office equipment is abundant. It isn’t uncommon for households to have multiple computers, tablets and smart phones — not to mention all-in-one printers, wireless or otherwise. Consider the ease-of-use of these familiar technologies and opt for machines with features that operate in a similar way.
For example, people practically have the QWERTY keyboard ingrained in their mind’s eye. Many multifunctional printers now offer full QWERTY keyboards to make scanning and emailing and simpler task than it once was.
New doesn’t always mean different
If you have been working on an older model of printer or copier that just doesn’t have the innovations to keep up with your growing business, it’s probably time to upgrade. But new doesn’t always have to mean different. If you have been happy with the office equipment you have currently, but need a few of those extra features, find out if a newer model of what you already have is available.
As technology evolves, products are forced to change to keep up. Adding new features, updating old features and disposing of outdated and unnecessary ones does not always result in a time-consuming learning curve. If you already know the system, chances are you will have no problem with the learning curve associated with the new features.
Involve your employees in the decision
Office equipment is a shared office commodity. Talk to everyone who uses the printers, scanners, copiers and all-in-ones to find out their likes and dislikes with your current machines. Learn where their capabilities lie and take these into consideration when purchasing or leasing your new devices. Having all the bells and whistles may sound exciting but if it means having more functions than you’ll ever need on a machine that is too complicated for employees to effectively learn, you’ll end up regretting your decision in the long run.
After taking these factors into consideration, click below for your free office automation assessment. Brock Office Automation can help you find the equipment that will best suit your workplace.
