To build and maintain a successful business, there are many factors for a business owner to consider. Along with the right employees and the right location, your office also needs to be stocked with the proper equipment to ensure that everything runs smoothly and you can focus on meeting the needs of your customers.
One of the most basic requirements for every successful business is selecting the right photocopier for the job. How often have you heard employees complaining that the copier isn’t working properly, or won’t do what they want? Quite often the problem is simply that the type of copier doesn’t suit the needs of the business. If you regularly need to print hundreds of colour, double-sided brochures then you need to make sure the copier you choose is capable of doing the job. Similarly, if you only copy a small amount of documents, you can save yourself a lot of money by selecting a more basic machine.
If you choose the right copier you won’t find employees lined up waiting for jobs to be completed, or wasting time doing tasks manually that could be automated. With the right copier, your employees spend less time copying or printing and more time working on things that can significantly affect your bottom line.
So how do you choose the perfect copier for your business?
First, make up two lists. One will be the “must haves” that you can’t live without in a photocopier and the other list will be “extra bits I’d really love my machine to have but can live without”. When making up your list, you need to make decisions on a few things - colour or black and white, volume, speed, image quality and then those added extras, which we’ll talk about later.
(And don’t be surprised if your printing volume increases by 25% or even 30% when you install a new copier, just because it is new and exciting.)
Volume
When you’re looking at purchasing a new machine, check the machine’s maximum number of copies it can handle each month while maintaining reliability. Keeping this in mind, you should choose a copier that allows for a more volume than you intend to use to guarantee reliability. It is important to consider your highest month’s volume as well as your average monthly volume to ensure that you decide upon the right copier for your business’ needs.
Speed
Speed is measured by the number of A4 copies a machine can produce in 60 seconds. A faster speed will reduce waiting times, meaning that your staff will not have to stand around and wait long periods while using the machine. If you have ever noticed a line forming at your copier, then you should consider upgrading to a copier with a greater speed to keep up with the demand in your workplace.
Quality
This is a measure of how many dots per inch (DPI) a copier can produce. A higher DPI number - or resolution - means higher quality of images. At higher resolutions images will be more crisp and precise. However, higher resolution printers don’t make a difference when it comes to printing simple text documents so we recommend assessing your intended use for the copier. Unless you intend on producing high quality images and flyers, a high DPI should probably stay on your “extra bits I’d really love my machine to have but can live without” list.
Colour or Black & White?
When choosing the right copier for your workplace, consider your intended use of the device. If you want to produce promotional materials, copy images and print brochures, then a colour copier is best suited to your needs. Black and white copying is less costly than colour, and machines with the capability to print colour cost more, simply because they are more expensive to buy, more complex to maintain and need extra toner.
Extra Features
There are a wide variety of extra features that copiers can have. Features such as duplexing and automatic document feeders are common to most devices. While other features like finishers, folding, stapling and automatic sorters are extras that you will need to decide whether or not you want or need. These features and their uses will be discussed in greater detail in another blog post, coming soon.
Budget
If you have written your “must have” list, you should be able to see how much of your budget you can spare to get some or all of the features on your “I wish” list. You will probably need to put together a spreadsheet for your current costs, listing every type of cost associated with your current copier solution. Click here for more information on understanding your business’ printing costs. On top of the cost of the machine, remember to consider the cost of supplies (toner, paper, etc.), repairs, and regular services.
The Final Decision
Answering all the questions posed in this article will undoubtedly help you make the correct business decision when it comes to purchasing a copier, but sometimes that’s easier said than done. Unless you have been paying close attention to your costs and print volume, for example, it may be difficult to get an accurate measurement without some help.
A trustworthy supplier can assist you in collecting this information. Once the data is gathered, together you can analyse the information and translate it into answers. For assistance in making your decision, contact us at Assett to organise a free assessment.
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