Business Photocopiers Simplifying The Choice

Budget cuts have been felt all through the industry as photocopiers are replaced by newer models with increased productivity and lower costs. No longer the expensive technology of older times, photocopiers entered the mainstream and descended from corporate office to smaller enterprises. Thanks to centralised printing and the introduction of document management solutions, photocopiers are now the paramount piece of technology around which all office life revolves. In an effort to accommodate dwindling budgets, let’s explore both needs and limitations through popular photocopier metrics.

Mono versus colour photocopiers
Photocopiers have the ability to print mono as standard, given the fact that most office printing is done in black and white. Regular office use can see anywhere between 90% and 70% black and white printing, with the rest going the colour route. Unless print volume is large enough to use separate dedicated photocopy machines, chances are your office uses a colour photocopier. Remember that colour copiers can be set to monochrome printing to save on colour toner should the need arise. High profile photocopier manufacturers also provide professional grade software to limit the number of colour copies per user, another good way to reduce costs.

Sharp MX-2310U

23

£1895.00ex VAT

Ricoh MPC2030AD

25

£1898.00ex VAT

A3 and non standard printing

Additional print sizes vary with a wide range of photocopier accessories. Most office printing takes place in A4 format, including formal letters, presentations and regular written document outputs. In this line of thought, there is no need to go the A3 route unless your company has a history of such requirements.  Most photocopiers on the market support the addition of an A3 tray as an optional extra.

The importance of pages per minute

Photocopiers are easily split into speed categories, with anything above 17 prints per minute being the norm. However, this particular metric can be misleading because most offices never expect to run the photocopier for every minute during working hours. Unless you are running a professional print company and print jobs run overnight, chances are the photocopier will only be used for up to one hour each day.

Buy or lease?

Most resellers will present you with two options. You can either purchase the photocopier outright, or opt in for a 3 to 5 year lease contract. Both options are valid and present different pros and cons. Leasing allows small companies to keep a better cash flow while also making good use of a photocopier at reasonable prices. Upfront payment may be suitable for larger organisations yet the clear winner is photocopier leasing, with costs being fully deductable at the end of the fiscal year. Paying no asset tax on the photocopier is also a bonus, while upgrade options throughout the contract make sure your technology is up to date.

Beware the hidden costs

Few people would argue against keeping photocopier costs on a leash, but how exactly can this be achieved? It all starts with creating user accounts and limiting the number of colour copies per person. This is not only a good move towards owning a green business, but also eliminates unnecessary printing costs. Once this policy is in place, some calculations can be made, as to how many black and colour toners are used each year, along with paper usage. The reason you need to estimate an average print volume has to do with the overall photocopier cost. Chances are the photocopier needs servicing and repairs at least once per year, depending on machine quality and usage. All these add up and generally speaking increase the product price to unexpected proportions.

Canon iR Advance 4025i

£1815.00ex VAT

Toshiba e-STUDIO 256SE

£1995.00ex VAT

Why service contracts are a good idea

Support options need to be clarified in advance. Upon closer examination, the contract fine print might reveal details regarding shipping, the install process and staff training. Setting up and operating a multifunction networked device is difficult enough for professionals and most IT departments want nothing to do with this. A good alternative is running a service contract through your photocopier dealer. Such arrangements take care of all your toner and servicing needs but you have to pay extra for each copy. There is a good chance that you get a good deal on servicing, especially with photocopier leases where you do not directly own the machine.

Enjoy a new unified printing platform with full service coverage, lower printing costs and increased productivity. Savings increase with the size of the organisation, making document management solutions mandatory for large office spaces. Should you require assistance, please feel free to call our specialist team on 0800 808 7788 for an ongoing, proven and measureable success story.