The cost of not updating office equipment

Whether large or small, every office faces the same problem - old machinery gets older, but new machinery is deemed too expensive. The consequence is that the decision to replace is put off longer and longer.

But new machinery is quicker and easier to use. It is usually smaller than its predecessor and it often offers a screen-based alternative - even to paper filing. All these can lead to cost savings in terms of both time and space.

There are additional staff savings as well. Old or outdated office machinery can lead to frustration in your office. Instances arise when a vital document needs to be faxed to a number of different people, but the present fax machine only has a limited page memory, or a missing file cannot be located when the heat is really on.

Tension and frustration in the office environment reduces productivity and may ultimately be a factor when deciding whether to leave or stay in a job. Finding new personnel can be more expensive than replacing old machinery, particularly when the salary of a manager or executive secretary is being considered.

Companies want to forge ahead, and often focus on winning new business. But in their own offices they do not always carry out the necessary investment to help their workforce complete the new tasks and workload set.

Of course, there are budgetary constraints on all businesses. However, companies must reinvest in office equipment and the office environment if they are to develop other areas of their business. Labour and space saving alternatives should be investigated at all levels to enable every member of the workforce to contribute more and increase efficiency. Take filing, for example. Long the bane of most secretaries`, executive secretaries` and managers` lives, filing takes up time and space in every office. However, there are alternatives. New multi-functional products with a virtual filing capability are now available, at prices which are probably well below expectation.

The long-term time and cost savings of such a machine will far offset the initial purchase price. As an increasing number of office functions become screen-based, so the workplace can move on from being stuck in a paper `time-warp`. New office machinery, if chosen carefully, can only lead to long-term time and cost savings.