Your copier is on its very last leg, and now you’re stuck with a big decision to make: how to choose the best office copier for your business. Your business is probably different than others, and you know you need an office copier unique to your business needs.
Buying or leasing an office copier is a big decision, and it's probably one of the reasons you’ve waited so long to make the plunge.
- “Where do I start?”
- “How do I make sure I won’t get ripped off?”
- “What features do my employees use and need the most?”
- “What new pieces of copier technology should I be interested in?”
- “Is there a prime time of year to buy or lease a copier?”
- “Is my copy machine broken, or is it just old?”
If you’ve asked yourself any of these questions, know you’re not alone, and it’s good you’re doing so! You are in good company, especially when you ask the right questions.
But before you can adequately answer any of them, you must answer this one first:
What Do You Use Your Office Copier For?
To choose the best office copier for your business, you must first assess your office printing needs. Your office employees' needs are most likely very diverse and unique to the particular tasks they perform every day.
It’s important that before you start researching, you first educate yourself on the essential functions your employees need in an office copier and the different aspects you look for in a copier company.
Below are some points to consider that will help you choose the best copier for your business by assessing and identifying exactly what your business needs to continue its growth and success.
Office Copier Features: Your Specific Business Needs
Are you looking for good or great service?
The preference for quality of service from an office copier company depends very much on the person and the business. Some businesses prefer to keep their budgets lower when it comes to services, even if that means the service isn’t all that great.
Others feel strongly about paying more for better service and don’t cut corners when it comes to the companies that serve them. It all depends on your expectations and the peace of mind you need.
Just remember, like most things in life, you get what you pay for. Typically, the more you spend on a product or service, the more pleased you’ll be. Now, this doesn’t apply to everything, but certainly something to keep in mind.
If your business prints and copies at lower volumes, you might not need to spend a lot of money on a copy machine service provider. Checking how many copies you typically print or copy a month will give you a better idea of your office copier usage
What types of documents are you printing and copying?
Knowing the kind of documents you print and copy and how you assemble them is a great way to identify certain types of office copiers that will not benefit your business.
Do you mostly print reports in black and white? Are you copying high-resolution graphics and designs? The type of industry your business is in has a lot to do with the type of office copier that best suits your company’s needs.
If you’re a small business that doesn’t utilize color printing and copying on a day-to-day basis, you might not need the latest and greatest.
Choosing a smaller, black-and-white office copier is a much better option for your business than an office copier that has all the bells and whistles needed for high-quality color and image resolution.
If your business utilizes color copying and printing, read our article, Top 10 Color Copiers for SMBs: Cost, Quality, Features Explained, to learn which color copiers we’ve ranked the highest for your business.
What new-age office copier features and apps should you be interested in?
Office copiers' technology has advanced greatly, and you’d be impressed (and surprised) to learn what it can do.
Do you have some employees working remotely? How do your employees access your server? Check out some of these cool features and apps that all of your employees can use and benefit from, even if they aren’t physically present at your office.
- Scan to Cloud Email: Scanning to Cloud Email allows you to scan something on your printer or copier, and instead of sending it to an email address, it will send it to your business cloud network. This makes it easy to share documents with multiple recipients and keeps important files archived on your company’s server.
- Print to Cloud: Much like scanning to Cloud Email, Cloud printing is the technology that enables access to printers over a network through cloud computing.
- Remote Control Panel: The Remote Control Panel on an office printer is an excellent tool for anyone who needs to access the machine from a remote location. It is accessed from CentreWare Internet Services and is simple to use.
- Office 365: Office 365 is a web-based version of Microsoft Office Suite (Microsoft Word, Excel, Access, Publisher, PowerPoint, and Outlook). It requires a subscription to use; however, your company might already have one. If so, you can incorporate the app on your printer or copier for even more ways to share, copy, and print your spreadsheets, reports, and presentations.
- Voice Recognition: Voice Recognition technology allows the user to interact with its printer or copier by simply using their voice. This eliminates the hassle of going to the machine by touching the user interface and allows you to control the device by voice command.
- Translation: Xerox created a pretty neat app that lets the user translate the language of the document (over 25 languages) before the document is delivered. If you do work with international clients or employees, and language is a barrier, this is the app for you.
Choosing The Best Tools For Your Business
Selecting the best office copier for your business is a big decision and can undoubtedly increase productivity and reduce the amount of time your employees spend assembling projects and presentations.
Take your time and do your research. The best office copier for your business is out there; it just takes a little time and effort to find the right resources.
To learn more about the right office copier for you, read our article Best Affordable Copiers and Multifunction Printers.
