Often
technology’s little problems or hassles are ‘put up with’,
instead of being given the attention needed to resolve or improve them.
Let’s start the New Year by dealing with a few areas that can be
easily and inexpensively solved. Watch out for part 2 of this article
next month.
Having
trouble finding things? If your collection of electronic
files continues to grow, think about archiving any historical
information. This will remove old files from being listed
amongst files that you currently need, but can be done so
they are easy to access again if you ever need to refer to
them. Archiving can also be applied to historical emails.
Your
current files may benefit from some re-organizing too but
ensure that all of your team members are aware of the new
structure so they don’t wonder where everything went.
You will also need to check your backup regime – moving
files to a new location may cause the backup to think they
are new files, which will increase your backup storage requirements.
This can be avoided with some careful planning.
Overloaded
with emails? Review any mailing lists or offers that you
subscribe to. If you find you are too busy to read them and
are just deleting them, considering unsubscribing instead.
Use ‘rules’ in your email program to sort incoming
messages into folders, moving non-urgent items (like mailing
lists) out of your Inbox automatically but still being available
to read. If you receive many emails from your team with attachments
(e.g. documents for you to review etc), consider using a
centralized storage place instead, like a ‘network
file share/drive letter’. Saving and sharing files
from one place reduces the amount of storage needed, compared
to multiple copies of the same file in email Sent folders
and Inboxes.
Running
out of consumables? Why does it also seem that the printer
runs out of paper (or ink!) when you are urgently waiting
for a document? Has your cordless mouse battery ever died
when you’ve been updating an important PowerPoint presentation?
Consider adding a few things to the standard tasks you perform
when you open or close your office for the day, such as filling
the printer with paper. Placing cordless mice on their charging
stands and checking printer ink levels could be done weekly.
This reduces the risk of this running out at an inconvenient
time.
Could
a few extras make life easier? If there is always a queue
at the printer, compare the cost of an extra printer to the
frustration and the wasted time that you spend waiting. Remember
too to invest in components like an extra monitor, keyboard
and mouse for staff that use laptops, to reduce the risk
of overuse injuries.
Call ITensure today to talk about how a few small tweaks to your office technology
could make the world of difference.
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