With UK Covid cases falling rapidly and vaccination numbers rising, there is growing optimism amongst business owners about an imminent return to some degree of normality. This optimism is reinforced by the prediction from many financial experts that the second half of 2021 will bring economic upturn.
Whilst some businesses prepare to return to their premises, others are making decisions over longer-term home-working. In either scenario there is a need to gear up for a potentially busy period and thoughts are returning to routine operational issues.
Reviewing office equipment will be on the agenda for many – for use in the business premises or by employees at home. If your printing, copying and scanning solutions have not changed for some time, these could form part of that review and here are some points to consider:
- Age of your machines. Has reliability / down time become a problem? Are the devices now of an age where they can no longer be serviced under a support contract?
- Financial efficiency. If you have a support contract on your printers / scanners / copiers, are you paying more per page than you would with a newer device? If you don’t have a support contract, how much are you paying for parts and toners?
- Security. Business owners tend to focus on the security of computers without considering that their printers might be the weak link in their network. Older printers, weak printer passwords and a lack of firmware updates all contribute to making them vulnerable to hackers. Newer devices come with inbuilt protection that their predecessors didn’t have, and can also include secure print options such as PIN codes or swipe cards.
- Lease term. If current machines were financed on a lease, the end of the lease term often tends to be the natural trigger for replacement. However if you’re looking to upgrade sooner, it may be possible to renew the lease early.
- Desktop devices. If your team is now more spread out than pre-Covid (either in different areas of the business premises, or with part of the workforce based at home), is there a need to print or scan documents in different locations, rather than relying on one large multi-function printer in an office? The latest small desktop machines are efficient, capable and cost-effective.
- Energy efficiency. Newer devices not only reduce the carbon footprint of your business, but also reduce electricity costs as machines power themselves down when not active.
To find out more about suitable printing, copying and scanning solutions for your business, please contact us or enter your details here.