To become successful in your business, it is essential that you hire the best and the right people.
Always remember that most people have the right supplies, tools, and equipment at their disposal but they don’t have the right crowd.
It is essential to have office machines that is of high quality and that can help the office environment improve.
But of course, at the same time, they also have a few advantages and disadvantages. In this post, that is exactly what we are going to discuss.
Here you will learn their importance, what equipments you need at work and what are their advantages and disadvantages. So keep reading!
Importance of Office Machines and Equipment:
1. Labour saving machine:
Office machines and equipment can be used as labour saving devices.
Not only do they save human labour but also have the same volume of work which can be done by a much lesser number of people and employees.
The performance of the current employees will also become better when you use labour-saving machines.
2. Saves time:
A second reason why we need office machines is because they improve office work and helps you save up a whole lot of time.
An example can be used to explain this. If you are into calculating machines, you will be able to calculate them much faster.
Therefore it is highly important and essential to keep office machines at your workplace.
3. Hardly expensive:
Office machines don’t cost much. They save both time and labour effectively. The office operating system costs are also less at the same time.
These office machines need heavy investments when it comes to installation but they also tend to save costs so that they can provide all services which are needed at work. Most of them are economical.
4. Good in quality:
Office machines boost the quality of work inside your office. This also brings uniformity inside your workplace.
It will promote the standardization of work quality as well. The work that is done becomes very neat and accurate once you begin using office machines regularly.
5. Accurate:
Office machines are needed at work as they boost accuracy at the workplace. They can also reduce the chances of errors.
Machines are also good for working in a regular manner and has consistent speed as well.
Most offices these days tend to rely on machines nowadays because of how fast and efficient they are. The tools have definitely made life much easy for everyone.
6. Gets rid of monotony:
Another thing about machines is that it effectively reduces monotony. The manual jobs are good at creating a healthy environment and reducing monotony among the employees.
They reduce boredom and are of great help for those who get tired physically. Office machines are good for doing jobs repeatedly and reduce monotony effectively.
7. Reduces chances of frauds:
Office machines are also good when it comes to reducing the chances of having frauds at the workplace.
The cheque-writing machine reduces unauthorized signatures as well. Franking machines can also reduce the chances of having frauds when it comes to postage stamps.
The cash registers will also reduce the chances of cash manipulation in the future.
8. Very efficient:
Office machines are also good for boosting efficiency at the workplace. The performance of these employees also increases at the same time.
The cost of the office also tends to go down. All complex problems are handled with ease and computers that store important information safely will be able to provide it as speedily as possible.
9. Image:
Office machines are known for boosting prestige and the image of most office works. They also provide a very modern look to all offices.
The timely services which are efficient may also be used to boost satisfaction among the employees as well as the shareholders.
10. Control:
The good thing about office machines is that it boosts more control in the work environment.
The real performance of most employees could be compared with standardized performance. A few corrective actions could be taken for a few gaps during the performance.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Office Machines:
| S.no | Advantages of Office Machines | Disadvantages of Office Machines |
| 1 | Makes life simple and easy | Expensive machinery |
| 2 | Reduces burden at work easily | Can break down any minute |
| 3 | Cost savings | Makes people lazy |
| 4 | More availability | Makes people lazy |
| 5 | Machines used for dictation | Also tend to reduce productivity |
| 6 | Printers | Not recommended for startups |
| 7 | Label maker | Regular maintenance is a must |
| 8 | Laminating machines | Employee communication is lesser |
Advantages of Office Machines and Equipment:
Businesses nowadays have been looking for ways to boost more revenue and for more ways in which they can boost productivity inside the office.
Office equipment has always helped in facilitating the process by helping the employees in finishing their work in a very efficient manner.
Modern office equipment like fax machines, scanners, and copiers are used in businesses quite often and are a must indeed. Here are some reasons why they are so popular!
1. Makes life simple and easy!
The good thing about most office equipment is that it makes accommodation much simpler and important tasks that were time-consuming earlier, such as making copies or even archiving have become much easier.
Fast and improved technology has allowed people inside the office to manage their workflow, finish work on time, meet deadlines and boost efficiency. These emails, computers and copiers have definitely made life fun!
Most of the offices now use systems so that they can calculate the process and produce data that is required for their companies.
2. Reduces burden at work easily:
The best thing about office machines is that it will keep your workplace fresh and also helps to maintain the productivity of the business of the employees from burning out.
By using proper and good equipment, you will be able to reduce the workload of your employees easily.
It will also reduce the need for employees to do any monotonous or manual tasks and also allow you to focus on them as well as their jobs.
This could turn in much lesser errors from the workplace and will improve the quality of the employees.
3. Cost savings:
Modern office equipment also helps in reducing the workforce size in any business. Most officers in the past have relied on several employees for filing, categorizing, making copies of data and processing them.
Office technology today has alleviated the requirement to get a bigger workforce nowadays. Instead of that, most offices will leave all of their equipment and even rely on it entirely for the basic requirements of the business.
Therefore it reduces all expenses even more. Businesses of all kinds may boost profits and keeps the workforce costs low.
4. More availability:
Modern equipment at the office has helped businesses of all kinds in the past couple of years and continues to do so in many ways.
It also suits the needs of the workers and helps in creating an idyllic office environment. It has all basic items, gives you several options to choose from and is more efficient and manageable in that way.
Not just that, modern equipment are needed to keep your office sophisticated
5. Machines used for dictation:
A dictation machine is something we all need at the office. It helps in recognizing software and is essential in your workplace.
Executives at your office who must draft letters, reports, memos are always the best when it comes to recording, copying and dictating it since speaking is quite fast as compared to writing.
In that way, you can finish work in a much faster manner and within time. This kind of equipment also depends on the kind of preferences dictators have the number of users and the way in which it has been used along with the budget.
A few types of equipment under this category could also include cassette tapes, phone systems, etc.
However, the audio file that has been recorded should be processed by other employees who transcribe this audio into other documents, prints and emails.
6. Printers:
Any kind of office that has a personal computer will definitely require a printer.
It keeps all electronic documents and files and promises to keep your office safe in the future.
All kinds of business documents have to be printed on whether the business happens to be a product or even service-oriented.
Examples can be used to explain this. Parking slips, letters, flyers, and invoices are some.
Few modern printers could be used so that it can create better documents which contain scanned images as well as digital information.
7. Label maker:
Label makers, if you didn’t know, are essential at your workplace. They come with several benefits and make office life fun and easy.
Firstly it helps in creating a file folder label, second, it helps in labelling binders which are of three rings, it assigns the mail cubbies, provides important instructions, etc.
Creating name tags can also be done using this. If your office doesn’t have this one, we would definitely suggest you to get one soon.
8. Laminating machines:
Laminating machines are used nowadays in several offices. It is used for copying and printing documents and has been essential all this while.
Laminators can be used for creating signage, producing proper badges and labels, preserving photos, creating business cards that are long-lasting etc.
It reinforces pages in every flip in a chart and creates documents of all kinds very easily.
Offices that have laminating machines are able to do their work in a much faster, efficient and stylish manner.
Disadvantages of Office Machines and Equipment:
As every coin has two sides in the same way disadvantages of machines in human life is also a common thing, Unfortunately !!
Here are some disadvantages of office equipment which we have mentioned below.
1. Expensive machinery:
One of the worst points about having office machines is that the costs of machines are quite expensive.
They cost a lot of money nowadays and some don’t even come with enough guarantee. If you have just started a business, we would definitely recommend you to keep that for later.
2. Can break down any minute:
The second disadvantage of office equipment is that they can break down any minute. Now that is sad and could happen anytime.
You have to be careful before you buy any machine. See if they are giving you a decent warranty. It doesn’t take time for products to lose its charm these days.
3. Makes people lazy:
Experts have suggested that office machines also tend to reduce productivity. People now don’t have to work hard anymore.
They can simply send messages through mail and fax. The work environment has become quite simple because of this.
4. Fewer jobs for people:
A sad part of office equipment is that there are fewer jobs for people in general. It is quite sad knowing that the work that could be given to someone is now being done by a machine.
Someone could have been employed and would be able to make money out of it but now they cant.
Where can you Find Office Equipment?
Most stationers nowadays keep office equipment of all kinds. Office supply stores are also present for the same purpose.
Plenty of companies lease all kinds of equipment which are expensive. They have printers, scanner machines etc. You can also purchase a few on the net if you want.
Plenty of households at the same time can maintain a bargain discount and help you get more office equipment without spending much cash.
If it is a startup or a home office, you can find a few office machines easily on the internet. Plenty of websites can help.
Difference Between Machine and Equipment:
Most of the people categorize machines and equipment as the same. Though they come under the same segment, there is a slight differentiation between them.
Machines:
As per the Cambridge dictionary, machines are nothing but the equipment used in offices for performing work.
Example of machines: phones, computers, printer, scanners, fax machines etc
Equipment:
But when defining equipment, we need to look from a mechanical angle. Equipment are the machines which are needed to manufacture or create a product.
Example of equipment: filing cabinet, desk, stapler, a driller etc.
Though the difference between them is subtle, one need to understand that though “all the machines can be termed as equipment but not all equipment come under machines“.
Basic Office Equipment List:
Here is a list of necessary machines & consumables to keep your Staff Producing.
- Binding Machines
- Laminators
- Labelling Machines
- Shredders
- Guillotines
- Calculators
- Trimmers
- Folding Machines
- 3D Printers
- Telephones
- Air-Cooling & Heating
- Cash Registers
- Cleaning Machines
- Cleaning Products
- Computer Accessories
- Computer Hardware
- Dictation Machines
- Digital Cameras
- Electronic Reference
- Ergonomic Products
- Fax Machines
- Headsets
- Lamps
- Letter Openers
- Money Handling
- Paper Products
- Paper Punches
- Pencil Sharpeners
- Postal & Shipping Scales
- Printers
- Printing Consumables
- Projectors & Screens
- Safety & Security
- Scanners
- Sign Makers
- Staplers
- Tools & DIY
Conclusion:
This brings the post to an end. Always remember that just like everything, office equipment also has its plus and minus points. You need to do things in such a way so that it doesn’t hamper the rest.
We would definitely recommend you to keep office equipment since it helps people a lot, but at the same time, we would request you not to make things so easy for your colleagues.
Employ more people and make them work too. That would definitely be a better way to work things out at the office. If you have liked reading our post and would like to tell us about it, do let us know in the comment box below. We would love to hear from you. On that note, good luck!
