What kind of office equipment do you want need?
The time you put into assessing your equipment needs was well spent. It will
help shorten the search for the right product for your office.
Digital copiers--An important fact about the digital copier is that it scans an original image
once, records it in memory, then prints as many copies as you need without having
to scan again. When the image comes directly from a PC, every copy is an original.
Contrast this with a light-lens copier, which must "photograph" the original every
time for every copy you want.
This "scan once/print many" technology means that jobs are copied faster and
easier. Fewer moving parts and a short paper path also mean better reliability,
less required maintenance and fewer service calls. Other benefits include:
- Copies look better with digitally enhanced laser-sharp text and graphics
- Connectivity also lets you print, edit, collate, staple and fax right from your
PC
- Multifunctional capabilities save valuable office space
- Some models are modular, enabling you to add features and functions as needed
Digital technology is fast becoming the new standard in office equipment. Not
just simpler, more versatile and dependable, digital provides new dimensions in
reliability and image quality. Look for the new digital copiers to save you time
and money, while also adding productivity.
Color copiers--Research shows that people not only prefer color, they rate communications 60 percent better when they are in color. Many businesses already are using color to make reports
more powerful, proposals clearer, and to give documents a better chance of getting
real by highlighting important text and amplifying key messages. More and more
businesses are creating even greater audience interest via full-color copies.
The significantly faster high-end color copiers apply the four basic colors (cyan,
magenta, yellow, and black) in a single application. Low-end copiers take four
steps, rolling the paper around the image drum four times to apply each color.
Along with reproducing four-color originals, most digital color copiers can also
be connected to a color server to become, full-color printers. Whether your interest
is in a high- or low-end color copier, key attributes to look for include accurate,
easy-to-calibrate, consistent colors and high image quality.
Light-lens copiers--From small jobs to big ones, today's light-lens copiers are light years away
from those introduced in years past. Easier to use, far more compact and more
reliable, their user-friendly interfaces put a wide variety of functions and features
right at your fingertips. Many are now environmentally friendly, and some even
provide customer-replaceable copy and toner cartridges.
Look for the one most suitable for your needs from the following Office Copier
categories:
- Convenience copiers (12 to 30 cpm and volume to 20,000 copies per month)
On a desk or as a stand-alone unit for walk-up users, convenience copiers make
it easy for individual users to take care of business.
- Workgroup copiers (31 to 59 cpm and volume to 75,000 copies per month)
These copiers are designed to accommodate employee groups of a few to many people.
Productivity-enhancing features might include reducing and enlarging. two-sided
copying, automatic stapling, collating, and so on. Depending on the model, they
may also be networked.
- Departmental and production copiers (60 + cpm and volume over 75,000 copies per month)
These models are capable of handling a multitude of tasks up to and including
production of booklets with staple-stitching and thermal binding.
An office runs on more than copiers.
The same effort that goes into searching for the right copier applies to other
office equipment as well. Before purchasing or leasing one of the following machines,
assess your needs, know who you are dealing with, and carefully consider the level
of product and service quality you expect to receive.
Printers-- Sooner or later, almost every document created on a computer is printed. The
type preferred for most office applications is the laser printer, which is also
the fastest. Critical specifications to look for are the number of dots per inch
(dpi), speed and memory. A high dpi setting applies more ink dots per square inch,
making text and images clearer. Speed for some printers can range as high as 40
pages per minute (ppm) in a relatively small package. The more memory your printer
has, the faster it can receive and store data from your computer.
Multifunction machines-- These ultimate convenience machines offer combinations of functions such as
copying, printing, faxing, PC faxing and scanning. Integrating these functions
in seamless, automated work processes can save time, space and overhead.
Fax machines-- If yours is a busy office, you will want a fast plain-paper laser facsimile machine
that can receive faxes at the same time documents are being scanned or copied.
Fast scanning into memory is an important feature when time is a consideration
or you need to transmit many faxes.
Does the company come with its product?
Even the best, most reliable office equipment needs ongoing maintenance and occasional
service. So, regardless of the model or type of product you buy, you have every
right to expect your vendor's involvement to continue long after the sale.
You'll want to look for the fullest, most comprehensive range of service and
warranty plans to ensure that your investment is maximized to your complete satisfaction.
Service-- How much downtime for regular servicing is acceptable to you? How long are you
willing to wait for a technician to visit after you call for service? What about
after-hours service?
One way to ensure service that meets your expectations is to get your office
equipment from a company with its own service organization and widespread geographic
coverage. The company's technicians should be specifically trained to maintain
and repair your model.
To facilitate service, some copiers have diagnostics that can be accessed via
phone lines to a service technician's computer. The benefit is that you don't
have to wait for an on-site visit from the technician. If a problem can't be handled
over the phone, some companies even guarantee the scheduled arrival of the technician.
Warranties-- The best warranty is one that lets you be the one who decides if you're satisfied
or not. Another thing to look for is how long the warranty remains in effect.
How long a manufacturer is willing to provide service at no additional cost is
also an indirect way of gauging the projected reliability of a copier.
Beware of warranties that require you to endure a complex and drawn-out process
for exercising your warranty rights.
How much should your money buy?
As important as the sticker price on a piece of office equipment is, the more
important price is its total cost of ownership. To arrive at this measurement, project the cost of purchase or lease, plus the
cost of service and supplies over the useful life of the equipment. This enables
you to compare true costs among whatever models you are considering. In the case
of copiers, you want to arrive at the ongoing cost-per-copy.
Buy vs. Lease-- When choosing between these two means of acquisition, figure the total price
for each method for the projected life of the copier, including any tax benefits.
Although buying provides the lowest price, you'll want to consider it it's the
best use of your working capital. In general, leasing can be more economical because
you preserve working capital.
Supplies and support-- Copiers, printers and fax machines tend to eat up a lot of supplies. How easy
will it be for you to get the supplies you need, when you need them? Being able
to depend on one source for product, service, supplies and support will provide
you more than just convenience. There's also the peace of mind in knowing that
the supplies you use were manufactured to work within your machine's exact specifications
and tolerances, thereby lowering service and maintenance costs.
Who do you plan to call?
We hope this information helps with your search for the precise piece of office
equipment you need. Certainly, we at Four Star Business Systems also hope you
put us on your short list of potential providers.
Since introducing xerography over 50 years ago, and subsequently inventing the
first laser printer, Xerox has become synonymous with office product technology.
Whatever size your business, whatever equipment your business needs, you can rely
on Xerox and Four Star Business Systems to make sure you get solutions that work.
If you have questions about office equipment or would like additional information,
please call us at (570) 824-4177. | 
