Are there advantages in productivity for dual monitors? Is more than one screen the key to getting more out of your staff?
There are a number of studies out there (most notably, a University of Utah study in 2003) that show that having more than one screen helps people do more work or be more efficient with the work they have.
The study’s numbers showed that a second monitor could save 2.5 hours per day. Even at minimum wage, a 30 –person office could save upwards of $130K per year.
In all practicality, there are real advantages to using more than one screen on a work station:
- Data entry from multiple sources
- Drafting an email using source material
- Side-by-side comparisons
- Leaving multiple windows open during a work session
- Using multiple monitors to view large spreadsheets in their entirety
- Comparing an original image to a finished graphic design
There is also something to be said for creating an office environment that your employees are both comfortable in and feel that they had a hand in designing.
However you might feel, having more real estate on which to view content does have its advantages. And numbers bear it out: tech firms note that they typically sell 40% more monitors than computers in any given year. Some of the professions using multiple monitors to manage their workload at their stations:
- Graphic designers
- CPAs
- Writers
- Engineers
- Office administrators
- Stock traders
- Video producers
Whichever path you choose, consider that the best choice is some combination of hardware, budget, office environment and employee happiness.