The Attivo Blog

A few weeks ago I attended a CPA Technology Seminar.  I know what you're thinking - he gets all the good assignments!  Actually, it was pretty interesting.  Lots of new announcements from Intuit regarding their QuickBooks Enterprise 9.0 software (not your small business software anymore!)  Great third party vendor showcases, and excellent, straight-talking seminars given by seasoned veterans.  The joke of the day was about people who still work with only one monitor on their desk.  I saw a few single-monitored people leaving before lunch.  They couldn't take the embarassment any longer.  One of them even dropped their slide rule on the way out. The point was made clear though, that using a single monitor requires a user to regularly minimize what they were working on and open other applications.  And people that regularly check their email every time one comes in (like me) consume even more time with clicking the mouse and opening and closing.  Having a second monitor to bring up an electronic document for viewing eliminates the need for printing certain types of documents, as well.  This is really important, since it is estimated that it takes an average of 7 minutes for a worker to get up and retrieve a document from a shared printer (given the usual distractions, loading more paper, etc.), Numerous studies have been done that prove that the majority of workers gain a significant increase in efficiency and productivity when working with two monitors instead of one (i.e. more work gets done each day).  The average seems to be about 15-20%, which translates into 1.2-1.6 hours per day!  I can tell you from my own experience that it is definitely true.  I perform a lot of tasks where I need to have source material up on one monitor, while I work on a spreadsheet or other document on the other.  At very least, I have my email up on the left monitor while making calls using my CRM system, or when writing a blog, for example.  It only took a day or two to get used to, and now I can really tell the differnce when I don't have the second monitor (while working on my laptop, for instance). A good document management system also helps a lot - Check out Exact Synergy as an option.  I'm gradually letting go of all paper, myself, but it can be a significant behavioral change.  Most CPA offices have gone paperless when it comes to client documents, for example.  A lot of attorneys have done the same thing.  They've learned what a huge cost savings that can be for them, and that they can actually find documents when they need them.  Most personal computers out there today are already capable of supporting two monitors, so get out to Best Buy and spend $179 for another 19" monitor already!  You'll probably be best served by two of the same kind and size on your desk, so you may need to mix and match in the office a little.