Office Equipments – JSS2 Business Studies Lesson Note (Third Term)

Office equipment is any item operated manually, mechanically or electronically to help office workers do their duties faster, more neatly and more efficiently.

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. define office equipment;
2. distinguish between stationery and machines in the office;
3. describe the uses of printers, scanners, copiers, dictation machines, projectors and shredders;
4. explain why office equipment is important;
5. state ways of caring for office equipment.

What is office equipment?

Office equipment is any office item that helps workers perform their duties faster, more neatly and more efficiently.

• Includes: stationery, such as pens and staplers, and machines, such as printers, scanners and copiers.
• Depends on the business: every office needs equipment suited to the nature of its work.
• Purpose: to save time, reduce errors and improve the quality of office work.

What are the types of office equipment?

There are two main types of office equipment: stationery and machines.

• Stationery: small items that employees use daily, such as staplers, gum, notebooks, pins, pens, clips and markers.
• Machines: larger and costlier instruments that do office tasks, such as photocopiers (Xerox machines), printers, scanners and computers.

How is office equipment operated?

Office equipment is operated in three ways: manually, mechanically or electronically.

• Manual: worked by hand alone, such as a stapler or a hole punch.
• Mechanical: worked by moving parts that the user drives, such as a manual typewriter.
• Electronic: worked by electricity, such as a computer, printer or scanner.

What are examples of office equipment and their uses?

Common office equipment includes printers, scanners, copiers, dictation machines, projectors and shredders.

What is a printer?

A printer is a machine that turns electronic files into paper copies (hard copies).

• Need: an office with at least one computer should have a printer.
• Documents printed: product lists, financial records, invoices, letters and reports.
• Storage: business documents are often kept as hard copies.
• Composite documents: printers can also produce documents that contain scanned images and digital information.

What is a scanner?

A scanner is a machine that converts paper documents and images into digital format.

• Opposite of a printer: a printer goes from computer to paper, while a scanner goes from paper to computer.
• Items scanned: photographs, cash receipts, hand-filled forms, drawings, identification documents and pages from printed publications.
• Storage: scanned files can be saved on a computer.
• Sharing: scanned files can be sent by email.
• Before scanners: photocopying was widely used to copy paper documents, and it is still used in many places.

What is a copier?

A copier is a machine that makes duplicate copies of a document.

• Use: copying keeps a spare hard copy, especially of a handwritten document.
• Types today: Xerox (xerographic) copiers make black and white or colour copies.

Copying methods in offices changed over time in these steps:

1. Offices employed clerks called scribes to make a duplicate by typing or rewriting the document.
2. This was very difficult, and the printing press was not an easy, practical answer.
3. Some offices used small printing presses, while most gave the work to large printing presses.
4. Offices then began to use carbon paper, cyclostyling and similar methods.
5. Roller copiers, copy pads and xerographs came into use.
6. Xerography and copiers are still popular today.

What is a dictation machine?

A dictation machine is a device that records a person’s spoken words so that they can be typed out later.

• Use: drafting memos and letters by speaking instead of typing.
• Advantage: speaking is faster than typing every word.
• Convenience: a person can speak while doing other tasks.
• Types: cassette tapes were popular once, but modern digital recorders are now more common and easier to use.

The usual steps in an office are:

1. Someone records the audio.
2. An employee turns the recording into a file.
3. Another employee transcribes it (types it out).
4. The typed document is emailed or printed.

What is a projector?

A projector is a device that shows a presentation on a large screen for a group to see.

• Use: presentations for planning strategy, training employees or making a business proposal.
• Better than talking alone: simple lecturing can be confusing and boring.
• Better than chalk and board: notes are hard to make, and going back to a point to clear doubts is difficult.
• Records: a presentation is easier to keep as a record.
• Attention: a bigger screen holds everybody’s attention.
• Sharing: the presentation can be emailed to colleagues and attendees.

What is a shredder?

A shredder is a machine that cuts paper into tiny strips or pieces so that it cannot be read.

• Use: destroying documents that are no longer needed.
• Protects secrets: it guards confidential information and business and trade secrets.
• Better than hand tearing: tearing by hand is slow, tiring and ineffective.
• Hard to rebuild: shredded paper is almost impossible to piece together.
• Where needed: offices that keep confidential reports, such as human resources records.

Why is office equipment important?

Office equipment is important because it helps an office finish its tasks and projects successfully.

• Suits the work: an office that binds documents needs good binding equipment, because customers want perfect binding.
• Task completion: if the right equipment is missing, the task will not be completed successfully.
• Speed and neatness: machines do many tasks faster and more neatly than hand work.
• Record keeping: printers, scanners and copiers help workers store and share documents.
• Confidentiality: shredders protect private information.
• Differs by business: the equipment needed varies with the nature of the business and the needs of the office.
• Furniture: every office needs furniture too, but furniture is a general need, while equipment depends on the work done.

How do you care for office equipment?

Proper care keeps office equipment working well and keeps the business running smoothly.

• Regular cleaning: a good cleaning every few months stops keys from sticking and equipment from overheating.
• Regular maintenance: it may reduce breakdowns and repair calls for computers, printers and fax machines.
• Printer: open the removable parts and wipe the insides with a dry, clean cloth.
• Dry place: keep computers away from excessive heat and moisture.
• Away from heat: do not place a computer next to a heating source.
• Drinks: keep coffee and other drinks away from the computer.
• Screen and keyboard: wipe them regularly with a static-free cloth and a cleaner made for computers.
• Keyboard dust: use compressed air to clear debris from between the keys.
• Ventilation: keep the ventilation holes clear of dust and objects on the desk, to prevent overheating.

Evaluation

1. Define office equipment.
2. State the difference between stationery and machines, with two examples of each.
3. What is the difference between a printer and a scanner?
4. Why do offices need shredders?
5. List three ways of caring for a computer.

Assignment

1. Explain how a projector helps in an office presentation.
2. Describe how copying methods in offices changed over time.