How the Right Tools Can Improve Operations
By: Kelly Bingham
While it may be the centerpiece, there is more to a school than classrooms and whiteboards. Behind the scenes, the principal's and school offices are the nerve center of the operation. Office equipment and furniture are more than just pieces of gadgetry. Each piece of equipment should play an integral part in improving school operations by enhancing the dissemination of information pertaining to the school.
Display Racks
If your school's literature and printed information is arranged in stacks on a table, then listen up. The table is taking up too much space, and the disheveled papers are giving the office a cluttered appearance. The idea is for people to notice the information, not the clutter. Display racks offer a more effective way of exhibiting school tracts, brochures, newsletters, publications and other informational literature. Display racks near the office door of the school provide a functional, organized and unobtrusive appearance that messy tables can't provide. Racks also place the information at eye level, revealing the titles or cover art of the publications and catching the eyes of anyone passing by.
Just as there are various styles of schools, there are various styles of display racks. When shopping for display racks, assess the size and dimensions of the room where they will be placed. Space is always a concern when selecting furnishings. To conserve floor space, consider installing wall-mounted display racks. Wall-mounted racks generally have angled slots to keep media upright. This prevents a sloppy presentation, while providing optimum exposure.
If table displays are preferred, then a tabletop stand is a better alternative. Tabletop display stands are tiered, giving literature the visibility it previously lacked. The tiered design also enables more information to be displayed in limited space, and, more importantly, it eliminates the unsightly clutter.
Another important factor to consider is the size and style of literature that will be displayed. Some racks are designed to only hold brochure-size publications, while other racks feature adjustable slots that can be positioned to accommodate magazines and brochures along with other comparable media.
Don't forget the color schemes of the school. Bright, neon-colored plastic display racks would definitely catch people's attention, but they may not blend in as well as a nice wood rack with natural oak veneers. However, schools wanting a more contemporary ambience can choose from an assortment of colors and styles. Prices for display racks typically range from $56 to $300.
Paper Folders
If your school distributes newsletters, mailers or other correspondence, then you need a paper folder. Paper folders eliminate the tedious and time-consuming task of folding letters, brochures, newsletters, bulletins and other mailers by hand. Paper folding machines are simple to use and operate. There are models that have folding speeds ranging from 4,000 to 115,000 sheets per hour.
Fully automatic paper folders are the easiest to use. The operator just pushes a few buttons, and the machine self-adjusts the paper and fold settings. Manual folding machines require the operator to set the fold-plates to the paper size and fold style by hand. Most models perform four basic folds, and high-end models allow the user to program customized folds.
The paper itself is also an important consideration because of how it is fed through the machine. There are two types of paper folders: friction fed and air fed. Friction-fed folders use a rubber wheel to distribute the pages through the feeder. Friction folders are fine for most standard types of paper stock, but can damage documents printed on thick, thin or glossy paper. Air-fed folders use suction or slight bursts of air to advance the pages through the machine. An air-fed machine is recommended for folding magazine style or card stock paper.
As common sense would dictate, the more paper a folder can fold, the more it costs. The cost of a paper folder ranges from $100 for personal desk models to $50,000 for a heavy-volume folder with an automatic envelope stuffer.
Save money by selecting a folder that meets the school's workload. Don't waste money on a machine that can only handle a few hundred sheets per hour when a couple thousand sheets need to be folded. Overusing a machine will cause it to wear out quicker, which ends up costing the school more money than it would have on the front end. Inversely, there's no need spending $46,995 on a folder that can breeze through 30,000 sheets per hour when it only needs to fold 5,000. However, remember to keep future expansion in mind so that money isn't wasted upgrading machines every couple of years.
Paper Shredders
Identity theft is the fastest growing crime in the United States . The duties of a school clerk often require the collection of personal information of school staff, students and parents. The school therefore has the obligation to protect this information from fraud. Unfortunately, it is legal for miscreants and scoundrels to "dumpster dive," sorting through trash for information that can be used to assume a person's identity. Thieves don't always need credit card or bank account numbers to defraud. All they need is a document with a name, address, phone number and birth date, and then they can establish new credit accounts under the assumed names, leaving all the liability and financial devastation to their victim.
Paper shredders provide the best defense against identity fraud. It's not enough to just tear up and discard documents, since a little adhesive tape and patience will undo that precaution. Paper shredders will turn documents into unreadable, irreparable pieces that are useless to identity thieves.
When shopping for shredders, consider how sensitive the material being shred is. Paper shredders operate using one of two different cut patterns: strip cut and cross cut. Strip-cut shredders, as the name implies, slice pages into thin strips. Cross-cut shredders turn material into confetti-like bits. Documents containing information that is particularly sensitive should be disposed of with a cross-cut shredder that makes it virtually improbable to piece back together. Strip-cut shredders are recommended for general shredding.
Shredders are important for destroying more than just paper documents. If necessary, be sure to select a shredder that can destroy plastics such as CD-ROMS, computer floppy disks, ID cards or credit cards. CD-ROMs hold more information than whole filing cabinets, and expired office credit cards or employee ID cards can also be used to compromise the security of the school and its affiliates.
Also, take the office's daily shred volume into account. Desk-side shredders are designed for light, occasional use and can't handle the continual use that a heavy-duty departmental shredder can. Light-use shredders are generally able to shred one to five sheet stacks of paper. Some heavy-use shredders can shred stacks of 60 sheets at a time.
Like paper folders, shred capacity is related to price. Desk-side shredders can be purchased for around $30, while high-capacity shredders can cost $5,800. Determine which would be the more practical and economical choice between several desk-side shredders or a large departmental shredder.
Digital Duplicators
When people think of copying, they usually think of a photocopier. Photocopiers are fast and efficient for small print jobs, but they are also expensive to maintain and operate. Digital duplicators provide a low-cost alternative for schools that produce greater than 20 copies of a single document.
Digital duplicators, the new generation of mimeograph machine, use ink instead of costly toner. They take a bit longer to warm up, but produce more copies at a faster rate. Digital duplicators can be used to print tracts, leaflets, newsletters, flyers, announcements, letters and programs. They can also be used to print school letterhead on envelopes and documents for mass mailings. Think about the money saved by not having to outsource printing.
Digital duplicators operate by originals being placed on a glass plate, similar to a photocopier, or data being sent straight from a computer. The source document image is scanned and burned on to a wax master in a pattern of tiny pixels. The greater dots per square inch, or dpi, means the higher quality of the final copy. Once the master is produced, it wraps around an ink drum. Copies are rapidly produced as the drum spins, forcing ink through the pixels in the master on to the paper.
Schools, businesses and print shops use digital duplicators because of their higher output and lower production costs. Base model duplicators can cost around $6,200 and can produce 120 copies per minute compared to a photocopier's 90 sheets per minute. Black toner for photocopiers generally costs $99 per cartridge, but black ink for digital duplicators only costs $30. The cost effectiveness of a digital duplicator increases with the number of copies made.
Office Chairs
A school office is more than a place to put books, store files and make copies. Some of the most important work is done within the school office. It is therefore important for everyone to feel comfortable and welcome, not feeling like they're about to be given detention by the principal. The chairs in the office help set this tone.
Wood chairs give an office warmth and personality. It's tempting to furnish school offices with folding chairs, but resist the temptation. Folding chairs are fine for large school socials and functions, but not for the school office. The office should reflect what people want from the school - stability. Using wood chairs will help guests and employees feel a functional and aesthetic difference.
When shopping for chairs, note the cushion firmness. It's counter-intuitive, but the firmer the cushion, the more comfortable the chair will be. Firm padding on the seat and backrest provides additional support for leg and lower back muscles. Firm padding also gives the chair a longer life. Soft padding lacks durability and tends to wear out faster. Look for chairs that have at least three-inch seat padding and contoured backing. Costs for office chairs can range from $210 to $350 per chair.
Overall, school office furniture and equipment can be a resource for running school operations more efficiently while assisting in communicating and spreading its overall message.
Kelly Bingham is a member of the marketing team for Heavenly Office, supplier of affordable office equipment, www.heavenlyoffice.com .
