It is now very common to see office-based staff using two or more monitors while working on their PCs or laptops. This is called a dual or multi-monitor set up. It is a good way of improving the efficiency and productivity of staff without breaking the bank. In the past computers wouldn’t be built to support extra monitors. Fortunately, that is not the case today. How many extra monitors you can add will depend on the number of available slots on your PC, laptop or docking station. Many people worry that adding extra monitors will be very technical. Luckily this is not the case and it is usually very easy to set up an extra monitor.

Advantages

• Studies have suggested that staff productivity can increase by between 20% and 50%.

• They enable staff to multitask more efficiently e.g. email on one screen, work on the other screen.

• No need to switch between windows. This is particularly good for data entry type work. Information can be displayed on one screen and the form to be filled displayed on the other.

• Fewer errors when cutting and pasting from one document to another.

• More information can be visible at the same time

• Spreadsheets can be viewed across both screens.

• More flexible video conferencing. Participants can use one screen for the call and the second screen to lookup important files and data that are needed.

• Lots of information can be viewed on one screen and then summarized quickly on the other screen with fewer factual errors

If you are trying to improve productivity in your workplace, introducing dual monitors is worth considering. Prices of monitors have come down a lot in recent years making them an affordable option for many businesses.