Your Workstation (hardware)
This chapter will serve as an introduction to your workstation. As we have many different roles within Flashbay it will be possible that there will be slight variations between the details provided here and your own personal desktop setup, this is not a cause for concern as the basic principles will be the same.
The standard sales person workstation includes a PC, 2 screens and a wireless Bluetooth keyboard and mouse.
Your computer
The vast majority of our computer systems are provided by Dell™. The Operating system in most cases Microsoft Windows XP Professional Service Pack 2 (also known as Win XP Pro SP2). Some users may have Microsoft Windows Vista Business and this system will become more common in years to come as our computers are upgraded and replaced.
Performance
All staff computers are configured for high perfomance and are monitored to ensure that they are suitably fast to support the range of applications that you need to use to perform your daily tasks.
If you have any issues with the performance of your computer please contact a member of the IT team.
Power management and efficiency
As a Carbon Neutral company it is important that Flashbay manages the amount of electricity we use to power our IT hardware, you can help by doing the following things:
1) Configure your screens to go to 'sleep' after 10 minutes
- Right click on desktop and choose 'Properties' - In the 'Display Properties' box that pops up choose the 'Screen Saver' tab - At the bottom of the tab click on the 'Power...' button - In the 'Power Options Properties' set the following values: -- Turn off monitor = After 10 mins -- Turn off hard disks = Never -- System standby = Never -- System hibernates = Never
2) Shut down your computer when you finish work in the evening
- Click 'Start' menu and choose 'Turn Off Computer' or ' Shut down' - Click the 'Turn Off' icon or select 'Shut down' from the menu (If there is an option that mentions installing updates then please choose this as it will help ensure that your computer software is kept current and free from errors)
Your screens
You are provided with high quality screens that enable you to display a large number of applications at the same time. Sales people are provided with 2 screens, while other users may only be provided with a single screen.
Working with 2 screens
When you are provided with 2 screens there are a number of things you can do to ensure that this enhances your productivity key points to consider include:
- Try dedicating the right hand screen to your most used application, either Netsuite or Outlook, and then using the left hand screen for all your other tasks. This allows you to easily view and access your most used application and will save you wasting time switching through windows to get to the information that you need.
- Ensure that your screens are positioned correctly so that you can view them without straining your eyes and neck. Adjust the orientation and height of the screens to minimize reflections and ensure that you can comfortably view the image.
- Ensure that your start menu and task bar appear on the left hand screen as this should be your primary screen.
- Ensure that when you move your mouse off the right hand edge of the left hand screen it appears on the left hand edge of the right hand screen.
- Also consider using the time saving tips shown in the section below on working with 1 screen.
Contact a member of the technical team if you need assistance implementing any of these points.
Working with 1 screen
When you work with 1 screen it is important that you are able to quickly move between the applications that you are using to find the information that you need. Consider these tips:
- Only keep open applications that you are actively using. This reduces the amount of clutter on your screen and will also make your computer faster.
- To quickly switch between applications hold down the Alt key and press Tab. This can be used to cycle through all your open applications. Repeatedly pressing tab moves the selector to the next application. Releasing the Alt key brings the selected application to the front. (Advanced: Alt + Tab + Shift cycles the list in reverse)
- To quickly hide all applications and show your desktop press the Windows key + the letter D at the same time.
Your keyboard and mouse
You should have a keyboard that matches your primary communications language, if you do not then please raise this with a member of the technical team and one will be ordered for you. You should also have a mouse mat to ensure that your on-screen cursor moves in a predictable and accurate manner, if you do not then please raise this with a member of office support staff and one will be ordered for you.
If your keyboard and mouse are connected to your computer by a wire you should never experience a problem, if you do this can usually be fixed by unplugging the USB connector and plugging it back in.
If you have a Bluetooth wireless keyboard and / or mouse then there can sometimes be issues that you should know how to address:
1) Keyboard / mouse batteries are low
If the icon on the keyboard / mouse flashes red or you get a warning message on your screen you will need to change the batteries. Take care to insert the batteries in the correct orientation.
2) Keyboard / mouse does not respond
Plug in one of our backup wired keyboards / mice and ask a member of the technical team to reconnect your wireless keyboard / mouse when they become available.
