There IS something all copiers have in common: they can kick start office-wide productivity boosts and allow you to get more done in less time.
“The copier’s down . . . Again!”
Not only can you hear the frustration, you can see it – since your co-worker is staring unhappily in your direction.
You’ve repaired and duct taped your copier to coax it along as long as possible. It’s unavoidable now – you have to get a new one into the office or risk an uprising from frustrated co-workers.
Your first instinct could be to visit an office supply store or do some online shopping and look for the least expensive option you can find. After all, a copier is a copier is a copier. It’s a commodity and one is going to do as good a job as the next one, right?
Granted, they’re generally “various colors” of beige, black, or off-white. They also will all scan, fax, print, and copy documents.
However, beyond those basics, it gets more complicated.
You Rely on Documents
Businesses run on documents and information (and caffeine, of course). Your copier is a multifunction powerhouse of productivity helping you to juggle the multiple jobs you have to handle:
- Printing documents and customer communications as needed
- Capturing paper documents for sharing, collaboration, and future retrieval
- The launch pad for automated workflows
- And, of course, making copies
So while on the surface a copier might appear to be a commodity and not much different from any other, that’s not entirely true. Manufacturers include different hardware and software in their devices that make some more reliable, extend the functionality of equipment with applications, easy to use device management portals, various levels of hardware security and access controls, and more.
When you begin to look under the hood of your various options, copiers aren’t really all alike. Depending on your business needs, some makes and models will be a better fit for you than others. It’s not always a simple matter to wade through the number of models, upgrades, software options, etc. and matching those with your business needs either.
The Multifunction Copier: Productivity Accelerator
There IS something all copiers have in common: they can kick start office-wide productivity boosts and allow you to get more done in less time.
Put your copier into a broader context in the flow of your office documents and business. You can use your copier to start getting paper out of your day-to-day business processes by using the scanning functionality and digitizing paper documents. Print paper as you want and need to for business reasons, not because you don’t have a choice. How? You can start by looking into how the following three software tools can help you do more:
- Workflow – software allows you to automatically route documents and files to the appropriate person for action and then into an online filing system for later retrieval
- Forms – digital or paper forms can be used to start workflows
- Document Management – retrieve the information you need quickly without having to find a document in a filing cabinet
You also should investigate the various applications compatible with different copier models (scan to email, mobile connectivity, etc.).
Copiers (not to mention printers, scanners, and fax machines) aren’t all the same. To fully take advantage of the functionality they can bring to your office (and how much easier they can make your life) you need to look under the covers to find the right equipment fit for your productivity needs.
We can help. You can begin by reading our free ebook, Your Guide to Printers, Copiers, and Scanners by clicking on the image below.
