The Smart Way to Invest in Computers

How to make technology work for you. Keeping current with office technology is expensive. Right? Faster, smarter computers and software just keep rolling out, and even though the upgrades are expensive, accountants have no choice but to keep making the investments. Right? And not only are their budgets severely dented but also there's the huge amount of wasted time as staffers fumble about trying to decipher the latest software upgrade. Right again? Well, if you answered yes to the above questions, it's likely you're not getting the most out of technology. The fact is, keeping current with office technology doesn't have to be overly expensive; nor does it have to be a time waster. This article guides you through the steps needed to make your investment in office technology more productive, less expensive and far less painful. THE RIGHT COMPUTER Does every person in your organization who needs a computer have one--and is it the right computer for the work the person does? It's common in some organizations for workers to share a computer, which in most cases means neither person is able to work at full efficiency. Or, equally bad, some organizations keep computers that are so old and underpowered that they cannot run much of the software the rest of the office uses or they lose or corrupt data. Let's see how--if you invest in the right equipment for everyone who needs it--it's possible for your investment in both people and equipment to generate an ample return. Many organizations shop for their computers at the nearest discount store when it has a special of the month. One month it's a Packard Bell; the next month it's an AST. In all likelihood, if you buy computers strictly on price, none of the machines are fully compatible. Each requires different settings and maybe even different connection hardware to work with a network, printers and modems. For an experienced technical person on your staff, this incompatibility is an irritant and a time waster. And if you don't have a technical person on your staff, the lack of compatibility is likely to be a very expensive headache that could result in frequent crashes and lost data. To solve this shortcoming, change your buying habits. You'll find that even if you pay a bit more for each computer, in the long run you'll save both money and time. Develop a long-term relationship with one vendor in your area that can provide you with technical support and then purchase all your equipment there. But be wary; for every computer novice there is a salesperson waiting to authenticate the P. T. Barnum claim about a sucker born every minute. If you have any doubts about the vendor, bring in a consultant to guide you in selecting the right equipment. A good consultant will question such things as the need for a laser vs. an inkjet printer or an active matrix laptop screen vs. dual-scan. If your organization has an inhouse technical person or has developed a good relationship with a consultant, you could even buy your equipment by mail order; the prices are very competitive. SETTING GROUP STANDARDS Develop a standard computer configuration for each group of workers. Begin by dividing your staff into groups based on computing needs. For example, give the most powerful computers to those with the heaviest computing chores-- the power users who do programming and heavy database work or use mission-critical or heavy client-server applications. Give regular configurations to the majority of users. And give those who do not use their computers much the least powerful machines. As you can see, those in the highest-paid jobs would not necessarily receive the newest, most powerful computers. In many organizations it's normal for a senior manager to receive a new, power-packed machine even though he or she spends only two days in the office--and then only rarely uses the computer to do anything other than get e-mail-- spending the rest of the week visiting clients or customers. …