Question involves possible increases in Productivity by utilizing existing technologies in new ways, and re-training Staff to benefit from these new ways, rather than constantly increasing the yearly I.T. Budget line item.
Specifically, the QWERTY vs Dvorak keyboard layout. A competent secretary can type anywhere between 60-120 WPM using the QWERTY keyboard. There is a high incidence of Repetitive Stress Disorder Workers Comp Claims.
A competent secretary using the Dvorak keyboard layout can type up to 300 WPM!
The Why: When mechanical typewriters were introduced to the world at the end of the 19th century, the QWERTY keyboard was introduced TO DELIBERATELY SLOW DOWN THE TYPISTS. Because of the moving parts involved, it was a necessity of the time.
The Now: The Dvorak keyboard was developed to put the keys most frequently used nearest the strongest fingers, and the least frequently used keys near the less strong digits. The result was the ability to type at exceptionally high rates with comparable accuracy.
The Question: Is it worth Budgeting the re-training to the Dvorak keyboard and bite it on the learning curve in order to achieve the increased productivity which should appear?