If you were to think about all of the equipment in your office, do you believe you have everything you need to do business effectively? Sure, it would be nice to have a margarita machine in the staff room but let’s focus on office equipment. It’s essential to have computers, chairs, desks, and keyboards but there are a number of pieces of office equipment that often go overlooked.
In fact, many businesses find out about essential pieces of office equipment after they need them. This leads to delays in projects, scrambling to make a purchase, and even damage or loss of information. Overlooking some essential pieces of office equipment can make for a very bad day at the office. Luckily, we have compiled a list of the essential pieces of office equipment every company must have.
1. UPS Battery Backup
Chances are, if you have been working in an office environment for some time, you have encountered a situation where the power goes out. Everything goes dark, computers shut down, and the workflow of every employee in the office is disrupted. However, those initial issues are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the damage that power outages and surges can cause.
While situations like lightning storms seem like the obvious culprit for surges and outages, that occurrence is relatively uncommon. The actual cause of most surges that damage electronics is other pieces of equipment creating a surge like an air conditioner, for example.
A power outage and power surge can be annoying but it can also be incredibly damaging. Sensitive computer parts can be completely destroyed. Not only is this costly to businesses but it can lead to valuable data being lost. UPS battery backups are used to protect valuable electronics from being damaged and some backups even allow for extended operation in a power outage.
A small UPS battery backup is enough to give you time to properly save your work, shut down electronics and avoid data loss. In situations where you have a lot of equipment or you need equipment like servers to continue running in an outage, a larger UPS backup is needed.
2. Multifunction Printer
Everyone knows the purpose of having a printer. A multifunction printer does so much more than just print photos and documents. For businesses that also need to fax, scan, and copy; a multifunction printer provides the ability to do a number of essential tasks in one simple form factor.
One great reason to consider a multifunction printer is for the scanning feature. As more and more businesses move to cloud storage for documents, scanning will become much more common. As vendors, clients, or partners deliver documents, employees can quickly scan and save those documents to cloud storage for easy organization and access. This means less clutter and less opportunity for important documents to be lost and misplaced.
3. A POS System
Like it or not, the days of paying by cash or check are quickly coming to an end. In fact, in some industries, only 8% of transactions are done by cash today with the trend expected to continue. How can your business adapt to changing trends while ensuring that no revenue opportunities are missed? A POS system can help with that.
“POS” stands for “point of sale” and you likely use these every single day when out shopping, getting gas, or ordering lunch. These systems allow businesses to easily receive payment for goods and services using the method of payment that the customer prefers. Some POS systems also integrate with your inventory to help you keep track of and manage stock.
As more and more people begin to embrace cashless life, there will be more and more of a need for businesses to have a POS system. For some businesses, this may be a simple payment terminal accept debit or credit cards. For other businesses, more advanced solutions like mobile terminals or large touchscreen displays may be needed. However, every business that wants to quickly and easily receive payment needs to consider having a POS system as part of their office equipment solution.
Need More Advice About Office Equipment?
We’ve only scratched the surface regarding important pieces of office equipment. Each unique operation will have very different needs when it comes to office equipment.
Wondering what kind of equipment can help you take your business to the next level? Contact us today at AISInk for an expert consultation and needs analysis!
