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Computer Corner:
How to Work Faster, More Efficiently,
and with Lower Overhead
By Marjory Harris
In this series, we explore organizational
techniques, software and hardware that will
help you clear the mess from your desk, be
more productive, and cut office overhead.
In this article we explore hardware and an
efficient office setup that will help you work
faster and better.
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Computer Corner: With downloadable folder tree and icon" click here. > Send in your tips for office organization or requests for solutions to office problems.   "It's the Net that Counts" Law offices are rarely models of efficiency. Legal work tends to be labor intensive. Even with automation, it is not like running a bakery, for example, where bread machines can do much of the work.. The knee jerk reaction is to hire more staff as the workload increases, rather than to invest in better equipment and learning more efficient methods. More staff means a need for more space, which means higher operating costs. More cases mean more time away from the office. In the end, your net may decrease despite a higher gross. Years ago, when I started my own general practice, an opponent in a divorce case told me, "It's the net that counts." When people tell me what they gross, I deduct 65-75%, the usual office overhead. Only in small efficient practices can you reverse these figures. I hope you get some useful ideas from this article. Even instituting a few changes may save a good deal of money and frustration. The Basic Layout Borrowing an idea from kitchen design of a work triangle connecting the major equipment, I designed a space where I could swivel in my comfortable, high backed chair and reach printers, scanners, copier, fax machine and reference works.  The Cockpit: Behind the chair are stands with fax, printers, scanners and copier, and reference works. On the desk at the left on cantilevered shelves are a laser printer, notebook computer (with second monitor), phone with headset, etc. Below the left wing of the Biomorph desk are two computer towers. On the keyboard shelf are the ergonomic keyboard and mouse, USB tablet, the pocket computer, pens, pencils, etc. On the main section are the two monitors connected to the main computer, the monitor for the security camera, a lamp, and a card scanner. To my right are two small scanners, a two-drawer cart that holds action files, and the conference table. Under the desk are a foot massager and trash basket.  View from the other side.  Conference Table: The conference table has a 3-drawer cabinet under it, and a chair for the client to sit. When there is no one visiting, the table is covered with files and papers I am working on. Note the audio-visual cart and wall-mounted plasma TV across from the table, ideal for watching surveillance videos or "Law and Order" as I sort and scan and label mail at night.  Bookshelves and AV Cart.  Behind the Cockpit: Stand with laser fax, stationery and envelopes, rolling cart for filing, color laser printer, small color printer, reference books, Rolodex, copier, recycling receptacle. Some Productivity Equipment Biomorph Desk with Shelves and Conference Table: http://www.biomorphdesk.com/ Wheeled Carts and File Drawers: http://www.stacksandstacks.com/html/90235_stackable-metal-mesh-file-box--- wheeled-base-sold-separately.htm Wire Shelving: http://www.amazon.com/Commercial-Wire-Shelving-Shelves-Black/dp/B0006UXJA2/ sr=1-5/qid=1157955661/ref=sr_1_5/104-5115130-7461561?ie=UTF8&s= office-products and check on Google for best price Dual Monitors: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/setup/learnmore/ northrup_multimon.mspx Phone and Headset: Panasonic 4-line phone with Parrott VXI headset to switch between phone and computer (for use with voice recognition software): http://www.vxicorp.com/storefront/search_results.asp?txtsearchParamTxt=&txtsearch ParamCat=6&txtAltCat=Call+Center&btnSearch.x=15&btnSearch.y=13&txtsearch ParamType=ALL&iLevel=1&txtsearchParamMan=ALL&txtsearchParamVen=ALL&txt FromSearch=fromSearch&callcenter=yes&l2=callcenter&navsub=1 Ergonomic Keyboard & Mouse: http://www.kinesis-ergo.com/max-spec.htm and http://server.cirque.com/products/desktop_smartpro.htm Wacom Intuos3 4x5 USB Tablet (for use with OneNote) Printers: HP LaserJet and Dell Color Laser Fax: Brother IntelliFax-4750e Scanners: Current favorite is Fujitsu ScanSnap S500. It is small, fast, amazing OCR accuracy. One-button scanning to PDF format. AV Equipment: Panasonic plasma TV, DVD VCR Recorder Combo Making it Work No amount of equipment will increase efficiency and lower overhead if one does not learn how to use it and set up a productive work flow. Even then, without almost religious adherence to the new system, it is easy to slip back into letting things pile up, filling the desk with post-its and pads of easy to misplace notes and phone numbers, unsorted stacks of unfilled papers, etc. In the next issue we explore office software to promote efficiency and lower overhead. Coming In the next issue: Software for Office Productivity.  |
