The Datamax Thinking Blog

Leasing allows your organization to fully leverage the latest in business technology. But what kind of leverage do you have with a lease partner?

Replacing an aging fleet? Setting up a new office? Leasing can be a positive option. The value of technology lies in the ability to leverage it to its fullest – not simply by owning it. The decision to lease a copier can have a major impact on your day-to-day workflow, your team’s productivity, and even your bottom line.  But not all copier leases — or providers — are created equal.

With new imaging technology, upgraded security features, and expanded media support, these devices cater to businesses that require reliable, high-performance printing solutions.

In today’s workforce, top level productivity is of premium value. And when it comes to your printing needs, the stakes for high-precision results continue to get higher. Enter Canon’s newest line of Multifunction Printers, which forces the issue when it comes to your productivity, print precision, and security peace of mind.

These issues not only impact your day-to-day operations but also strain your working relationship with your vendor. 

It’s pretty simple. If it ain’t right, it ain’t right.

How can something standard and central to an ongoing copier partner relationship go terribly awry?Do you find sorting through invoices, with more questions than answers? Is your account manager fielding more issues with mystery charges than your actual fleet performance?  Inaccurate copier invoices are more than just a minor inconvenience: They cause headaches, waste time (YOUR time), and can disrupt budgets.

From hybrid and remote work environments to various cloud printing risks, insufficient monitoring, and simple lack of device-level security, there are many reasons why print environments fail to keep up with today’s fast-paced secure protocols.

In your observations of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, how often (if at all) have you considered your print devices? 

It’s no surprise that secure printing remains a big deal for organizations to consider in 2024. Dubbed time and again as “just another endpoint device on your network” by those preaching the security protocols message, it's important to remember:  Your copier or Multi-Function Printer (MFP) processes any number of sensitive documents every single day (all potentially vulnerable to attack. Among them:

Here are five major hurdles that - if they haven't already - should be cleared with a copier and business technology partner to continue the race with sustainable results. 

The point is this: Purchasing a copier for the first time (and the proceeding times) can be a daunting task. We're here to help you avoid venturing down the copier procurement process with your proverbial shoes untied. 

First-game jitters are a real thing. So are the nerves of first-time buyers.

Be it a house, a vehicle, or a long-term technology acquisition, it's natural to anxiously stew over every possible angle and worry about what you might have missed... and how your decision affects the road ahead for you or your organization.

Section 179 Deduction of the IRS Tax Code is an immediate expense deduction that business owners can take for purchases of depreciable business equipment. 

Continuing to invest in new technology equipment to maximize efficiency is a valuable endeavor for organizations looking for a competitive edge. It's even better when you can maximize tax deductions as well.

Section 179 and Bonus Depreciation are two components of the 2017 TCJA (Tax Cuts and Jobs Act) that present potential tax savings for your organization if you're in the market for copiers, printers, or other related technology hardware or software. To maximize the current incentive, qualifying equipment must be financed or purchased before January 1, 2024. Also of note: Beginning Jan. 1 of this year, bonus depreciation has begun to phase out over the next four years.

In-plants are facing heightened competition for filling press capacity, keeping work in-house, and adapting to a changing landscape. There’s little room for leaning on “the way we’ve always done it.”

There’s this old joke about plants and generational groups. “What did the young plant say to the old plant? OK, bloomer.” Jokes aside, there’s relevance to that pun here... plant or in-plant. As the COVID era wanes and parent organizations get back to full speed, and as print/buyer demands continue to evolve, there’s no denying the fact that, for in-plant printers, the times are changing.

Under the right circumstances, with a relevant solution, and with the right partner, you can set your own turnaround times, control volume to meet current demand, and potentially save on costs along the way.

Your mission is what really matters.

Membership retention, fundraising, volunteerism, and ongoing outreach: These are all elements of delivering on your vision for your congregation and the community at large. The materials produced to help support that mission – flyers, banners, graphics, etc. – go a long way in communicating the heart and soul of it.

There likely won’t be an obvious indicator that it’s time to replace your trusted copier or printer. However, there will be signs.

If your office had one essential worker, it would be your Multifunction Printer/copier.

It works diligently and consistently, without much of a break. It also multi-tasks in unique ways, printing, copying, scanning, faxing, and finishing to help you complete workflows and custom print jobs every single day. Of course, from its initial unboxing to its final resting place in the boneyard (the area of a copier dealer's warehouse where it is eventually stripped for parts), your copier has a  certain life span.