Photocopiers and MFD’s have so many variables what should you consider?

So many company directors delegate finding the “best deal” on their photocopier acquisition to an inexperienced member of staff, this can be very risky. In this article we will try give you some essential tips, advise and help.

1. Use a Company That You Can Trust.

Whilst this may sound obvious it is not as easy as it sounds; for decades photocopier companies have relied on inexperienced buyers ignorance of contract law, Caveat Emptor – Buyer Beware; it matters not the size or type of company large PLC’s or smaller businesses. Photocopier OEM’s (Original Equipment Manufacturers) or independents many have onerous contracts with costly terms in the small print and even quotes can be misleading.

Businesses aggressively market machines, often with a service agreement. Suppliers may hire transient, ruthless, successful salespeople for 6-12 months, and once departed, you could be stuck with a problematic agreement.

We are a medium sized and honest company. We have a great reputation and fair agreements.

2. Work Out What You Need

If you are an established companies start with the current machine and supplier, does your printer or copier have all the functions that you need?

Do you need to make any changes, a faster print speed, adding a staple finisher or even booklet finishing with a fold facility?

Is the machine reliable and give you good quality prints?

Are you happy with the current supplier, do they offer the service response that you need?

3. Copy Volume & Speed

How much will you use the machine, have you an estimate of the number of pages per month it will print each month or possibly if usage fluctuates during peak usage times?

Each photocopier has limitations on how much volume (how many prints it is needed to do) this is usually broken down to a monthly amount; do not underestimate or indeed overestimate the amount of pages per month your photocopier, printer or multifunctional device has been designed to process. If you have entered say a 3 year lease you can rarely change without incurring costs, if in doubt call us and ask our advise.

Copiers, MFPs, and printers designed for lower copy speeds handle lower monthly volumes of printed pages and/or copies. The machine speed typically increases with higher monthly usage.

Therefore, you should consider what business or use class you may be in: SOHO (small office or home office), Mid Volume Office sometimes with multiple machines, High Volume & Corporate Users.

For advise call or email us 

4. Network Capability & Scanning

Whilst this was once an impossibility when analogue technology was the only choice with all machines now being digital the only technology in use your machine is likely to have a “scan and print capability” as standard. Today, you can benefit from features like scanning digital documents, allowing you to directly email and archive them, in addition to printing. Many companies are moving IT requirements to the cloud which has benefits in itself but also risks particularly when it comes to access and release of your prints or copies you should ask are we GDPR compliant or are we running a risk?

When thinking of your scanning needs you may want to maximise the benefits of your MFD copier printer and consider how scanning to current software that you use can improve your workflow efficiency.

5. Manufacturer and New or Refurbished

Great, you now have a start to what to consider for your office.

Manufacturers all offer the same promises and are usually competitive with prices but some colour machines offer better copy quality than others. That being said do not forget these are merely digital photocopiers and printers using RGB (Red Green Blue) print technology. Therefore, that means they are limited and cannot compete with a professional printers Litho machines which can offer a much more accurate pantone colour matching.

We believe approximately 18 photocopier printer manufacturers exist, including Ricoh, Canon, Toshiba, Samsung, Konica Minolta (branded as Develop), and, of course, XEROX.

Here at Interactive Systems for A3 capable small to large volume office solutions we love Canon and Toshiba with in some instances Konica Minolta, it really is a case of matching your requirements to the best equipment and current offers.

Of course you may want to know about  Environmental Policies and issues such as Corporate Social Responsibility, how you identify who is better than any other we do not know as most make similar promises and commitments.

New or Refurbished

What a subject and its probably best that we summarise this as easily as possible covering the main points!

Savings from choosing a Refurbished machine should be approx. 30-50% cheaper than a new machine.

Some photocopier suppliers avoid investing in a quality workshop refurbishment due to its expense. Consequently, a “cheap” refurbished machine might undergo minimal work, essentially receiving just a cleanup, with any future problems addressed after installation.

We believe that this is a false economy and would prefer to carry out an extensive but not excessive amount of work which ensures that we are not attending unnecessary service calls. Our reburbished machines offer the same copy quality and guarantees as new.

6. Purchasing Options Buy or Lease

Your choice here depends on many factors – cashflow, credit worthiness, tax efficiency and personal preferences, we advise you to ask your accountant what is best for you.

Choosing to purchase grants outright ownership but lacks flexibility for changes if needs evolve. Typically, the purchase price (Capital Allowances) is tax-deductible over 3 years. For instance, on a £3,000.00 machine, you can claim £1,000.00 per year against your tax bill. Consequently, the additional £2,000.00, unclaimable for 2 years, may impact your decision.

Annually claiming lease payments incurs no significant initial purchase cost. Currently, lease prices are low, but buying proves more cost-effective as the interest adds to the overall expense. For instance:

Current at May 2022 £3,000.00 = £94.50 per month = £1,134.00 per year 3 year total £3,402.00 and interest charge of 402.00 over buying outright.

Lease rates change for a precise proposal suited to your needs please contact us.

7.  Service Support

We provide all our machines with a service support agreement, reducing the machine cost as part of this arrangement.

The photocopier service agreement ranges from 12 to 60 months. It typically aligns with a lease. If the printer is bought, the client can choose the agreement length that suits them best.

Our service includes engineer callouts, providing consumables like toners and inks (excluding paper), supplying spare parts, and, in the rare event of a machine being unrepairable in the field, installing a replacement machine.

8. Price

Entering a long-term contracted partnership requires caution. Not all companies you encounter can be trusted.

The price must be fair; if it seems too good to be true, it likely is. There may be omissions or hidden charges, indicating an issue.

You should be looking for a fair price on both the equipment and service agreement. We sell our machines as low as cost price and our service rates and agreements are fair and competitive.