Office copiers and printers, while seemingly straightforward, come with a variety of features and nuances that can make a big difference in how effectively they meet the needs of your office environment and your workflow.
Understanding their nuances helps in choosing a machine that fits your office’s needs and budget, while ensuring smooth operation and minimal disruptions. There are more aspects to consider than one might imagine, so what are the most important elements to evaluate?
Most users are aware of the primary functions like scanning, printing, emailing, and document management. But there are several elements operating behind the sleek exterior cover that could have a big impact on your business. For example, understanding the speed and volume requirements to meet the needs of your business are critical elements to consider.
Different copiers are designed to handle different workloads. When you hear PPM, it means pages per minute, which essentially tells you how quickly the copier can produce copies. Organizations with only a few users or low volume needs may consider a 30-45 PPM machine while organizations with more employees or volume needs may look at a unit that can handle 60-75 PPM.
Understanding the volume needs can help specify the speed of the machine. That said, no one wants to sacrifice quality for speed. So, it is important to factor in the type of printing you primarily do and find a machine that can meet the color accuracy and resolution of the elements your team prints most frequently.
Many marketing teams prefer large production color machines that can produce high-level marketing material in-house. These machines produce images at a much higher resolution (measured in DPI – dots per square inch), which affects the sharpness of text and images. Likewise, color accuracy is critical to brand managers who must replicate corporate branding across multiple mediums.
Most office equipment available these days offers intuitive touchscreens that ease use and allow you to setup custom shortcuts and preferred settings to enable security features such as user authentication and data encryption that protect information from being transmitted or stored. Security features are especially important when integrating compatible equipment into your office network.
Finally, one element that everyone must consider is cost. Beyond the initial purchase price, organizations must understand the actual cost per page (CPP) when they run copies, which includes the cost of toner/ink and paper as well as the expense of maintenance and repairs.
Some models are also more complex due to their features and could have a higher repair cost. So, it can be difficult for even the most astute managers to understand the total cost ownership of their office technology. Considering a managed service provider to help control costs for printing can help optimize your infrastructure, streamline your workflow and help you manage your office technology environment.
Multi-function copiers and printers form the backbone of many office environments, helping with everything from document management to communication and organization. As such, each of these elements should be thoroughly considered before making a purchase decision as they can have a major impact on the efficiency of your office environment.
GFI Digital is a consultative print services and technology partner who is here to support your office technology needs. Contact us today to learn more about multi-function copiers and printers and managed print services to streamline your office workflow efficiency.
Since our inception in 1999, GFI Digital has evolved from a promising local business to a leading name in the office technology industry, marked by our local ownership and recognition as the Nation’s Leading Dealer of Office Equipment—Pros Elite.
This journey has been driven by our founder & president, Bruce Gibbs' unwavering commitment. By forging strategic partnerships with giants like Sharp, Ricoh, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, VMWARE, DELLEMC, and Cisco, we've ensured that our clients always have access to the latest and most reliable technology solutions.
Are you interested in working with us?
Contact us here or call (877) 434-0012.
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