The Datamax Thinking Blog

Specific print management solutions provide various levels of control and can help business owners of all-sized organizations better track usage, from features like Secure Print available directly on your MFP, up to robust enterprise, server-based solutions. 

My brother-in-law, the sales director for a newly-opened auto dealership, strives to find any way possible to keep costs low and minimize wasteful practices as the business gains momentum. We chatted about his recent challenges at a recent Sunday gathering, the buzz of March Madness games echoing from the tv in a nearby room.

Being in the industry I’m in, I naturally asked him about the set up of copiers and printers at the dealership. He struggled to recall the make and model of the machine that sits near his office.  And then he shook his head.

“But I can tell you this for sure: There’s a ton of waste,” he said. “Every day I see copies just sitting on or around the copier all the time. You wouldn’t believe it.”

Regular collaboration is a powerful tool in staying fresh within your organization and within your industry. After all, two – or more – heads are usually better than one.

My front yard flowerbed is perpetually on the brink of being overtaken by weeds.

Just as quickly as I can remove the Greenbrier vine, the pesky East Texas weed is already poking its way back through the soil, wrapping around my boxwood shrubs and Azaleas (whose blooms have me daydreaming about the upcoming Masters Tournament). Regular care and maintenance is a necessity if I want to achieve desired growth in my yard.

Providing Managed Services or even Copier Service can be a lot like my flowerbed.

The Unified Firmware Platform allows for version upgrades, including added functionality, to existing models in a same generation on a regular basis.

According to a recent report, the average new car loses 27 percent of its value after the first year.  It’s a course of action that commences the minute you drive it off the lot.  For decades, copiers shared in this vulnerability. As new models were introduced, previous versions were perpetually more obsolete with every new feature released by the manufacturer.

Canon's Unified Firmware Platform changed all that. 

It's no wonder that organizations are more active than ever in pursuing solutions to streamline traditional methods of managing documents. 

Every year, I learn more about copiers, document management, workflow, and, increasingly, managed IT topics than I did they year before.

I do my best to pass on what I learn to you.

Here are the 10 most popular posts in 2017. How to get the best service. Tips for HIPAA compliance. Scanning tips. How to track printing to keep costs down.

Read on for insights into those topics – and more – to get yourself ready for 2018!

Keeping your lease with the partner who delivered your IT solution or designed the structure and layout of your office print fleet is an excellent way to ensure you get the best service possible throughout the length of your contract.

You have multiple choices when it comes to leasing your copiers and other office equipment.

You already know many of the advantages of leasing (more on that below) – predictable budgeting and the ability to rapidly roll-out advanced technology at a fraction of what it would cost to buy that same technology.

While leasing is a great way to take advantage of technology, the wrong leasing partner can turn business nirvana into a nightmare of poor service, unexpected fees, and trapped into using technology that no longer meets your needs because of inflexible lease terms.

We believe that being a trusted partner is good for us and, more importantly, good for our customers.

There's a point of diminishing returns when it comes to using old office equipment – like copiers and printers – because they're still working.

Are you a “buy, don't lease, find a trusty mechanic because the car dealer will always rip you off” kind of a buyer? If so, I suspect you might also have a 10 year old copier sitting around that you have no plans to ever replace as long as it’s working. Why replace it until it breaks, right?

Maybe not.

The fact is that just because your trusty old office equipment might still be cranking out pages, you could be missing out on advancements in equipment technology that will not only make you say, “how did I ever live without this before,” but might also save you some money in the process!

Office equipment, like vehicles, can be an expensive investment to make. But the reality is that technology is moving at such a rapid pace that, just like your vehicle that immediately depreciates the second you drive it off the lot, office equipment has a point of diminishing returns.

Canon's third generation imageRUNNER ADVANCE Series multifunction printers are designed to focus on helping businesses become more effective by helping you get your jobs done quickly and with little confusion. 

What we know today is smart phone usability is a hot topic. Wherever you see a crowd, its nothing but a sea of faces looking down — indefinitely. We love these devices and utilize them to more freely consume information and quickly get things done like never before.  What we also know, is users WILL NOT hesitate in chunking a phone (regardless of contract status) if the user interface (UI) and operation thereof (pardon the French) “sucks.” 

If cost is your only consideration when buying a copier, you're probably hurting your business.

How much does a copier cost? Where can I buy a color laser printer? What's the cheaper copier near me? Cost and price often dominate how businesses think about their office equipment – how can I pay the least amount possible?

While being fiscally prudent is always a good idea, focusing on price – and ONLY price – gets businesses into trouble. 

Value is more important.

A digital copier is only a means to an end. When buying office equipment, think about how it will improve your ability to communicate.

This is going to sound odd coming from the marketing director of a company that sells and leases digital copiers and other office equipment (and other services).

You aren't buying a copier or a printer from us, what you're really buying is the ability to communicate with your customers, suppliers, and co-workers.

Let me explain.

Some things just naturally go together — bread and butter, Batman and Robin, milk and cookies. What doesn't always go together is the service behind a business investment such as a digital copier or production printer.

Everything sounds great before the sale, but buyers are often left high and dry. At Datamax, our technical support professionals work hard, together with our manufacturers, such as Canon, to train and anticipate problems to support our product lines – and YOU! – after the sale.