Meaning of office machines:
An office machine is a device that improve efficiency, lowers cost, and enhance quality of work. Machine performs office works more accurately, in more speed, and more efficiently, saves time, labor , and cost. For eg a photocopier is an office machine which produces high quality copies of documents at a high speed at low cost. Computer, photocopy machine, printer, calculator, fax machine, cheque writer etc. On the other hand, they maximize the degree of accuracy, productivity and profitability.
Importance of office machine
Saves time: Office machine saves time. The work that takes hours can be done in few moments (say no time) with machines. For eg, calculator can do calculation faster than manual calculation.
a. Saves Cost: Office machine saves cost. Office machine saves cost by saving labor and time costs. It also lowers overall cost of operations.
b. Save labor: Office machine saves labor too. Office machine reduces the total labor cost. It replaces labor forces.
c. Ensures accuracy: Office machine ensure accuracy. The work done by machine is more accurate. It reduces chance of possibility of errors.
d. Increases efficiency: Office machine increase efficiency in office work, which can enhance productivity and reduce overall costs of operations.
e. Facilities control: Office machine facilitates control function of the office. Actual performance can be compared with standard, with the help of suitable office machine. Computer facilitates in controlling functions.
f. Increase goodwill: Office machine increase goodwill and image of the office. Uses of modern office machines such as computer, photocopy machine, fax machine, email gives a positive impression to customers or visitors.
g. Reduce monotonous: Employees feel monotonous in repetition of manual work. Office machine reduces such monotonous at work.
h. Eliminate frauds : Office machine eliminates the chance of frauds and irregularities in office work. For example, Cheque writing machine reduce the chances of unauthorized signature
i. Ensure quality of work: Office machine ensure the quality by office work. Office machine is essential for neat, accurate and uniform performance.
j. Data storage: Machine or computer stores millions of important data for future reference. Such data can be obtained at the time of requirement without any delay and difficultly.
k. Reduce fatigue: Fatigue is the feeling tiredness. Appropriate machine reduce fatigue in the employees. It ensures huge performance in short time and enhances organizational effectiveness, Employee can work longer hours without feeling tired and monotony of work decreases.
Factors to be considered for selecting office machine.
a. Need of machine: Before purchasing a machine, the need of machine for particular operation or a set of operations should be properly determined. Alternatives of the machine should also be assessed in detail. Machine should not be purchased without need assessment. Machine must fulfill the need of an office.
b. Cost of machine: Cost of machine should be minimum. The cost of machine has two aspects, the initial cost and the cost of operation. Office machines, having lower operating cost should be chosen than initial or installation cost. But quality of a machine should not be sacrificed in the name of its cost.
c. Quality of machine: Quality of office machine must be higher. They should be branded and ISO certified. For example Samsung, HP, Brother etc. Quality of machine should not be sacrificed for cost.
d. Suitability of machine: Office machine should be suitable for Office work. Size, design, capacity, model etc. should he suitable as per nature of office work . They are not show pieces. They should work properly.
e. Durability of machine: Office machine must be durable. They Should be have long life and they should be free from frequent breakdown. Branded and ISO certified machine are durable.
f. Least space occupancy: Heavy machine occupy large space. If possible machine should be small, which occupy the least space. Such machine reduces cost of office.
g. Adequacy machine: Office machine should he adequate in number. Shortage of office machine creates many problems. Thus, the machine must be bought in adequate number.
h. Flexibility of machine: Office machine should be flexible. A flexible machine can be used in different situation for different purposes. It reduce idle time of machine.
i. Benefits of machine: Potential benefit is another considering factor for selecting office machine. It should provide benefits to the organizations at least as per its value. It should be comfortable to use and outputs should be higher quality.
j. Multiple use of machine: If possible, buyer should purchase such a machine which has features of multiple uses. For example, one machine can be used for printing, photocopy, scanning and so on. Machine should be usable for numerous purposes in the office.
Meaning of office furniture
Furniture the mass noun for the movable object intended for use in an office. Every office needs furniture as basic facility. Office furniture is an important element of office environment. It is needed to conduct office work efficiently and comfortably. Chairs, tables, racks, sofas, cabinet, cupboard, shelves, lockers, trays etc are office furniture. They should be comfortable, durable and attractive.
Office Furniture can be of four types:
a. General furniture: General furniture is movable and ordinary in nature and designs. For example, ordinary chairs, tables, sofas, cabin etc.
b. Built In furnitureL Built in furniture is fixed on floor or walls. For eg, Racks, shelves, cupboard, lockers etc.
c. Special purpose furniture: Special purpose furniture is used for doing special jobs. For eg, Computer tables and chairs, special sofa sets, etc
d. Executive furniture: Executive furniture is specially designed for use by chief executive officer and other manages. They are expensive, durable, and attractive, sophisticated chairs, tables, Sofa sets etc.
Importance of office furniture.
a. Saves labor cost: Specially designed furniture reduces unnecessary movement of employees and facilitates in the smooth operation office work. It reduces repetition and duplication. Comparatively, few employees can do office work effectively and efficiently, Which lowers the sum of all wages paid to
employees. Thus, office furniture saves labor cost.
b. Increase efficiency: Suitable office furniture helps to increase the efficiency of employees. Office furniture provides maximum comfort to the employees and make them fully satisfied.
c. Increase goodwill and image: Good appearance and artistic designed furniture gives impressive looks at the office. It creates favorable impression on guest or visitors. This increase the goodwill and image of the organizations.
d. Reduces fatigue: Specially designed furniture help to reduce fatigue in employees. Employees feel pleasant ant comfortable. They can work for longer time without being bored and tired.
e. Increases satisfaction: Specially designed and attractive furniture helps to increase employees satisfaction. Employees feel pleasant and comfortable.
f. Reduce monotony: Appropriate office furniture gives comfort and reduce fatigue to employees. Employees can work longer hours without feeling tired and monotony of work decreases.
g. Increase in attraction: Attractive furniture provides positive impression to visitors. This improves the images of office and hence, customers are attracted.
h. Ensures supervision: Office furniture increases efficiency and provides comfortable working environment. Employees work in a disciplined manner. It ensures effective supervision.
i. Keeps safety and secrecy: Proper layout of office furniture ensures safety and secrecy in office. records can be safely and secretly kept in cabinets and drawers. The risk of damage from rats, insect, fire, water and rust decreases.
Factors to be considered for selecting office furniture are
a. Budgets for furniture: Budget obviously affects the selection furniture. Quality and price of furniture largely depend on the amount of budgets available for furniture title. Perhaps it is the most important factor to be considered for selecting office furniture.
b. Durability of furniture: furniture must be durable or long lasting. The durability to furniture should he considered in selecting office furniture. Steel furniture is more durable than wooden, plastic or fiber-glass furniture. Thus, steel furniture is becoming quite popular in modern offices. Branded and ISO certified furniture are durable.
c. Space saving: Selection of furniture is also greatly affected by space saving. Office rent in urban areas is very high and space is limited. Thus, office furniture should be compact and space saving.
d. Portability of furniture: Office furniture should be portable. Light weight furnitures are portable. Thus, furniture should be light enough to move around in the office where frequent changes are to be made in the placement of furniture – Heavy furniture cannot be moved easily.
e. Design of furniture: Design of office furniture is related to the size of top, height, number of racks, number of drawers and so on. Design should facilitate the office work. It should also be artistic and attractive.
f. Safety of furniture: Office furniture should be safe to use. Relatively wooden and steel furniture are safe to use than other. Size, design etc should also consider to evaluate safety measures
g. Multiple use of furniture: Multiple uses ls another important factor to be considered in selecting office furniture. As far as possible, furniture should be adaptable to different uses in the office.
h. Comfort of furniture: Comfort adds to speed in performance and reduces fatigue and it also enhance the morale of employees. Thus, office furniture should be comfortable.
i. Attractiveness of furniture: Attractive furniture gives impressive looks to the office. Thus, furniture should be attractive. Well designed and artistic furniture is more attractive than general furniture.
j. Labor Saving: Specially designed furniture reduces unnecessary movement of employs. Such furniture also facilitates in the smooth operation of office work. Such furniture saves labor cost. Thus, labor cost saving furniture should be chosen.
k. Minimum risk of fire: Office furniture should be safe from fire. Furniture shouldn’t be made material which catches fire quickly. There Should be use of fire proof materials in furniture if possible.
l. Clean: Office furniture should be easy to clean. Difficult to clean furniture makes dirty to the office environment. It reduces image of the office.
m. Portable or less weights: Portable or less weight furniture can be easily shifted from one room to another, one building to another and form one location to another. Thus furniture should be portable: