Are your copiers and printers in the most optimal locations in your office?
Just as a designated workspace is needed to increase focus and productivity in the home, an actual office space functions better with a deliberately placed printer or copier. In this piece, we’re going to look at where your printers should be located within your office in order to maintain optimal workplace performance.
Mapping Your Office To Determine Printer Location
The best place for any printer is closest to those who use it most. Not only does this save employee time by reducing the time spent walking to the printer, but it also reduces distractions to other employees who may not use the printers as frequently.
How to Determine and Establish Printer & Copier Zones
- Ask. Send out a request to each employee, asking them how frequently their job requires that they print. Also, ask them what kind of printing they do the most.
- Map. Make a map of your office layout, labeling each employee’s workspace. You can either do this physically on a whiteboard or a piece of paper or using an office layout mapping software program.
- Determine use. After you’ve listed each employee’s workspace, determine a time span and print quantity to use as an index for each workspace. This can either be how many pages they print a day on average or how many trips they take to the printer in a day, week, or month.
- Update map. While this listing of print quantity should give you an idea of where most of the printing need is in the office, you may consider color-coding the desks on the map – lowest being cooler colors and higher numbers increasing the warmth of the color. Use the color-coding to locate printing hotspots.
Designated Printer Areas
There is a temptation to make an office printer highly visible in order to optimize its use. While doing so seems to make a certain amount of sense, multifunction printing devices and copiers should ideally have a designated location away from workspaces. If possible, printers kept in their own room or corner will reduce any distracting sounds and foot traffic of those collecting prints. This designated space will also help prevent potential damage to the devices from those moving about the office as well as reduce the convenience of unnecessary printing to save costs.
A designated printing area is also a good way to reduce any office distractions in the event that the printer requires repair. Keeping a copier or printer device away from open windows is also recommended so as to reduce the humidity that can affect paper curl and result in paper jams.
Printer Locations To Avoid
- High traffic areas
- Work areas that require higher levels of worker focus
- Near climate control elements such as heaters, air conditioners, and vents
- Areas that collect dirt, dust, or debris
- Break areas where fluids are dispensed or consumed
