This One Small Hardware Purchase Can Increase Productivity Over 40%

This One Small Hardware Purchase Can Boost Productivity Over 40%

When you’re making office technology decisions, you want to get the best return on your investment. It’s also important for many small businesses in Brisbane to see a payback fairly soon so they can improve profitability and grow. This is why it’s crucial to choose the right hardware, as not only can it make work more efficient, but it can also increase productivity.

Cutting IT costs by spending less to get more is a core focus of ours and something we help companies with every day.

One of the most significant hardware upgrades you can make, which is also one of the least expensive, is purchasing a second monitor for your business computers. 

 

You may be surprised at just how much of a difference a dual-monitor workflow makes when it comes to productivity. Two recent reports show that additional screen space can increase productivity by over 40%.

We’ll go over the details of those reports and the benefits of switching to a two-monitor setup for your team.

Ways you can increase productivity

Studies of the Advantages of Using Two Monitors Instead of One

Dell White Paper

A white paper by Dell looked at studies on two-monitor setups by three universities. What was found was an overwhelming user attraction to the two-monitor experience.

This was due to several reasons, including:

  • Can have more windows fully open at the same time.
  • Easier to locate information.
  • Didn’t have to size down windows when using two side-by-side.
  • Less switching between different apps.

Findings of the Dell white paper included a 44% increase in productivity when doing text-based tasks and a 29% increase when doing spreadsheet-based tasks.

User quotes explaining what they liked better about using two monitors over one included:

  • “The two-screen layout made finding information easy and quick.”
  • “I felt that I had enough space to have all the windows I needed open.”

Three Studies by Jon Peddie Research

Jon Peddie Research (JPR) looked at 1-monitor vs 2-monitor setups in three separate studies held over a period of 15 years. More than 1,000 participants were surveyed in 2002, 2012, and 2017.

It found that it was possible to increase productivity by up to 42% when users added an additional monitor to their desktop or laptop computer.

The founder summed up the findings and logic behind why there is such a significant boost in productivity with a two-display set up by saying, “The more you can see, the more you can do.” -Jon Peddie

 

Another trend the studies found was that the use of a dual-monitor setup has been increasing. What may have begun as a technology trend, is now heading into the mainstream and becoming the norm.

Reasons to Consider Switching to a Two-Display Workflow

Low Spend, Big Payback

Monitors are one of the most inexpensive hardware purchases that you can make. They cost just a small fraction of the price of a new computer but can also boost productivity.

Seeing even just half of the average productivity improvement, a company could still get a payback on the cost of adding a monitor in less than a month.

Easy to Implement

Unlike adding a new cloud software that everyone had to learn, adding an additional monitor to employee workstations is easy to implement and has a very low learning curve. 

Monitors just take minutes to plugin and set up. Employees don’t change much in their workflow at all, they just get a lot more space to work with, leading to things being easier and taking less time.

Less Time Wasted on Window Switching

Employees have to switch between apps multiple times a day, and they use more apps than ever. 76% of knowledge workers report using more apps than they did five years ago.

All that switching between app windows can hurt productivity. 68% of users report that they spend 30 minutes per day switching from one app to another.

When users have an additional display to work with, there’s less need to switch apps because more windows can be open simultaneously.

Faster to Do Side-by-Side Work

The need to open two windows side by side is common. Someone might need to reference a website while working on a document in another program. Or a user may be referencing a draft with a final to ensure all changes were made properly.

When users must size down windows to fit them on the screen together, it greatly limits what they can see. Switching back and forth from one to another can cause a person to easily miss something important.

With an additional display, this type of side-by-side work is done much more easily because both windows can be fully open at the same time.

Looking to Reduce IT Costs and Boost Productivity?

We hope you enjoyed reading our article on hardware that can boost productivity. Connected Platforms can help your Brisbane area business explore “spend less, get more” solutions like dual-monitor setups and more to improve your profitability.

Contact us for a free consultation. Call (07) 3062 6932 or book a coffee meeting online.

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