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Remember those emails or assignments given to you by a boss or teacher that would start off about one topic and then towards the bottom of the document it would include a statement like, “If you read this far, email me saying you got it in the subject line” and then you would receive either a passing grade or some kind of reward? I feel like that resonates here. Though I can’t afford the cost of giving out prizes to everyone who reads until the end, what I can ensure is that if you are genuinely interested in what a copier contract should cost, reading the full context of this article will provide you a clearer picture than just a price on a screen that may or may not apply to your situation.

As with most hardware, the price of a copier depends on several factors. Copiers have come a long way since the days of opening up the platen cover to place a document on the glass to make a copy, though that option is still available. Now, you can scan documents directly to a subfolder within your cloud storage platform or print in pantone matching color, all with a commercial copier. There are many elements to consider in the cost equation as you will see moving forward.

Assessment

An office with three employees periodically needing to print throughout the day will require different capabilities than say a 20-person office sharing a common copy room copier. Some situations call for multiple devices or a blend of copiers and printers. It is very important to understand the layout of your office and what kind of printing initiatives you are wanting to implement before investing in a copier.

Ledger or Legal?

Do you know the difference in ledger and legal paper? Ledger sized paper is 11×17 inches, while legal is 8.5×14 inches. Ledger paper has phased out in popularity over the years but still serves a purpose and is ideal for excel spreadsheets that may need to be printed or creating workbooks. The reasoning behind why you need to know whether you need ledger or legal is because it can help define the type of device you require. A3 devices allow you the capability to print up to 12×18 sized paper while newer devices termed A4, scale down the paper output capability to legal size and achieve a smaller footprint in size and usually cost.

Paper Output & Speed

Much like before with the comparison of the three-person office to the 20-person, knowing the amount of prints/copies your office does in a day or month helps identify which device is right for you. Say you are a 10-person office and on average each person prints to the copier between 100-200 times a month. With this volume, the speed of the device is lesser of an issue though it would be a question worth asking by the vendor. Suppose you printed 20% of your volume each month in casual one or two-page jobs but the other 80% were large jobs of 30 or more pages. It would then make sense to at least consider a device that could get the jobs done quicker so employees were not spending prolonged time periods waiting for their jobs to finish.

Accessories

The copier is useless without accessories like the paper tray, paper feeder and even the stand it sits on (if not a desktop model). Usually a base model copier consists of at least one paper tray, either a reversing paper feeder or automatic paper feeder (scans 2-sided documents in a single pass), and a stand. These features alone may give you all you need, but it is important to address the needs of your user group and not just take the word of the salesperson selling you a particular device. Do you need faxing capabilities? Would having multiple paper trays be beneficial so you don’t have to load proposal paper or checks into the tray each time you need to print them? Would you like to have stapling, hole punching or booklet making capabilities? Knowing the finishing options available and what you need or desire, is a key factor in determining the cost of your copier because it is additional equipment that must be attached and properly setup therefore adding more cost.

Software & Applications

Copiers these days are for all intents and purposes, computers that print. Being connected and integrated with technology is more important than ever before. The ability to scan directly into your ERM or CRM, or the ability to sign into Microsoft SharePoint at the device with a pin code or ID badge are just a few of the options copiers in today’s age afford you. But every good thing comes with a cost and often times these are hard to know without understanding the scope of your organization. Implementing tailored software solutions is a level of professional services that should be considered outside of the “equipment” cost of the contract but should still be considered in the totality of your investment.

Service & Supplies

This price is probably the most important, or at least we think it is. Ensuring that you have a device that works for your needs is great, until it starts not working. Making sure you are covered by a reputable and qualified company to keep your equipment operational provides an insurance of sorts to make sure you are not liable for expenses such as drum replacements, preventative maintenance, board repair or replacements, fusers or any other expensive unforeseen problem that may come up due to no fault of your users. In addition, most service contracts will cover the consumables such as toner and waste toner in their costs. That means that you no longer have to spend time or money ordering ink or toner on Amazon, it’s already taken care of. Many dealers will also monitor your devices remotely and know whether the toner is getting low or if other problems may be on the horizon. It is not uncommon for us to send toner directly to a customer prior to them being alerted by their copier because of the monitoring and reporting available through our service plans.

Color vs. B/W

Color printing is very popular and for some, a necessity. Though it comes at a steeper cost both on the equipment cost and service side. With a color copier there are more moving parts and consumables that have to be accounted for. With the addition of cyan, magenta, and yellow toner cartridges, the color devices will have exponentially higher ink costs than that of a pure black & white device. While color copiers are more expensive, there are ways to utilize economical printing practices to help offset some of the maintenance and supplies costs of the devices. Before diving into a device, it is important to decipher your office needs in relation to color output.

Overage

Most service agreements are structured with a contracted amount of volume for a set period (monthly, quarterly, etc.). If you go over these set amounts, you are billed for overage. These rates vary and are based on per-copy pricing for the machine you have. Color overage is more expensive in the same way that it is more expensive when you run a color copy versus a black and white copy. While overages are something to consider, they are not necessarily a bad thing. If you over contract yourself in terms of allowances and end up not using nearly what your contract was based on, that is a sunk cost. But if you end up paying overages, at least you are paying for something you actually used. Either way, when considering the investment required, spend time on how much, or little, you want to contract in terms of allowances.

Additional Obligations

If you have already invested in a commercial copier before, there may be obligations you must adhere to that will affect your costs. Leasing is a very popular avenue for companies investing in copiers. It provides a monthly payment and the flexibility to stay more up to date with technology by allowing organizations to upgrade to a newer model without an upfront lump sum. Buyouts occur when you are trying to end your current lease agreement and offer different avenues you can take. If you are leaving your current vendor, the buyout will be more expensive, although it can be rolled into a new lease with your new vendor. If you choose to stay with your current vendor, you can utilize the upgrade option with the same leasing company, which will allow you to have a lesser amount due for cutting your obligation short since you are staying with the same leasing company. While buyouts can get confusing and have contractual language and timelines you must be aware of, the most important thing to note is that they will increase the cost of your investment until you completely pay it off.

The Costs

While this will not be an exact science, it is a transparent approach to show you how to plan for and better understand a copier contract. There are many different factors to consider when addressing pricing, many of which I have mentioned above. With that being said, I have broken down the devices into subgroups of base, intermediate and advanced. The base group is devices in the 20 page per minute (ppm) to 40ppm range. The intermediate group is 41ppm-60ppm and the advanced will run 61ppm-80ppm (90ppm for B/W).

The following prices are ranges based on our experience and findings. It is important to note that we are a North Carolina business and that prices may vary from state to state. These are models that are equipped with a document feeder, stand and two paper trays. Additional accessories were not added for the sake of pricing since they are costs that are not necessary for all users.

Scenario 1: Black & White copier contract that is allotted 3,000 B/W copies a month. Based on 60-month lease pricing. **No Buyout Included**

B/W Copier	Base	Intermediate	Advanced
A3	$146.43	$157.20	$300
A4	$96.80	$101.50	N/A

Scenario 2: Color copier contract that is allotted 3,000 B/W copies and 1,000 color copies a month. Based on 60-month lease pricing. **No Buyout Included**

Color Copier	Base	Intermediate	Advanced
A3	$242.93	$304.70	$359
A4	$217.80	$221.50	N/A

For the following charts the following data was used. They are represented as part of a 60-month lease amount:

• B/W Service allowances ranged from 1,000 to 17,000 a month
• Color Service allowances ranged from 1,000 to 10,000 a month

Average Prices	Base	Intermediate	Advanced
A3 – B/W Service	$103.54	$84.17	$77.38
A4 – B/W Service	$108.18	$85.03	N/A
A3 – Color Service	$338.75	$316.75	$278.50
A4 – Color Service	$349.75	$316.75	N/A
A3 – B/W Equipment	$108.33	$120	$270
A4 – B/W Equipment	$57.50	$70	N/A
A3 – Color Equipment	$133.3	$200	$360
A4 – Color Equipment	$105	$122.50	N/A

For additional subgroups and detailed breakdowns, download our pricing guide. In this guide, you will explore scenarios such as A3 vs. A4 devices, B/W vs. color, service pricing based on monthly usage, and average prices of the subcategories of base, intermediate and advanced.

At Copiers Plus, we help you prioritize your organization’s goals and work alongside you to put an office solution strategy in place that can help propel your productivity while maintaining harmony with your budget. If you would like to further examine your current copier contract or investigate next steps towards what one could look like for your organization, we would love to help you. Reach out to us at 800-648-7081 or click the button below to request an appointment.

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With cases of COVID-19 increasing across North Carolina—and indeed throughout many regions of our nation and the world—businesses large and small are seeking ways to safely re-open offices. Bringing employees back into the workplace amidst a pandemic requires, at minimum, a plan for infectious disease preparedness and response. And while guidance from governmental entities like the CDC and OSHA have provided guidelines, these are neither standards or regulations governed by federal law.

“The bottom line,” said Kevin Oberman, V.P. of sales at Copiers Plus, “is that, no matter the sector, management is responsible for developing policies and procedures that align with state and municipal regulations; that’s going to look very different from one office environment to another, depending on lots of variables.”

Communication is Key

According to the World Economic Forum, the communications that employers deliver to their staff will be “among the most important information they get about this epidemic.” The Edelman Trust Barometer confirms “a person’s own employer is the most trusted of all social messengers… the tone, accuracy and relevance of employers’ advice can make all the difference between calm and panic.” Communications should be clear and concise with transparency serving as the guiding principle. For example, management should outline all policies and procedures regarding:

• Temperature checks/front door screening
• Use of masks
• Transportation
• Indoor spaces including elevators, stairwells, break rooms (especially fridges and coffee machines), and bathrooms

Cost-Effective Measures

When it comes to preventing the spread of COVID-19, experts agree the most cost-effective measures are often the simplest and most successful. Before offices reopen, management should:

• Determine where, how, and to what sources of COVID-19 workers may be exposed.
• Determine who needs to come back, and how they will be grouped.
• Outline policies and procedures in the event an employee becomes infected:
  • Implement contact tracing plan
  • Implement alternative (remote) work procedures if intermittent quarantining is necessary
• Install hand sanitizing stations in every room.
• Eliminate physical mail within the building to reduce close contact between employees
• Provide single-use paper placemats for desks
• Arrange for daily cleanings of all office space. (Yes, this is a must!)

Please, Don’t Touch

“We’re seeing lots of creativity in the way managers are addressing office layout and shared equipment such as multi-function printers with high-touch surfaces,” said Oberman. “Many of our customers are re-designing office space that embraces collaboration technology and remote work.” This includes investing in Blue tooth technology for in-person conferencing, personal tablets, laptops, and phones for employees so they aren’t sharing keyboards. Occupancy sensors, voice recognition software, and touchless, app-controlled elevators are also increasingly in demand.

Walk this Way

Global real estate company Cushman & Wakefield has designed and implemented the Six Feet Office, in compliance with the six feet distance rule mandated by many governments. Central to the plan are a plethora of signs including circles around desks; directional arrows in corridors; and those encouraging workers to walk clockwise.

Technology to the Rescue

From the outset of the pandemic, technology has played a crucial role in enabling businesses to pivot efficiently. Collaboration suites like Microsoft Teams and OneDrive, that allow employees to work in real-time, as well as secure, remote access with multi-factor authentication, will continue to be essential. “There’s no going back to the old ‘normal’ anytime soon,” said Oberman, but at Copiers Plus our goal remains the same: to provide excellence in sales and service, supporting our customers, especially in these challenging times.”

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As Covid-19 cases spike in many states across the U.S., small- to mid-size businesses are finding it especially tough to keep pace with the shifting tide of public health recommendations and regulations. Among the first business sectors to re-open, restaurants are on the front line of the pandemic. With each passing week, restaurant owners must balance concern for the health of their employees and patrons, along with the economic feasibility of new business models and—increasingly—the possibility of additional closures and restrictions.

Staying Nimble

“Despite these unprecedented challenges, we’ve seen remarkable examples of ingenuity here in Wilmington and the beaches,” said Kevin Oberman, V.P. of Sales at Copiers Plus. “Some restaurants that were primarily dine-in have shifted exclusively to curbside pick-up and delivery. That might sound simple but there are lots of moving parts to this transition, a lot of changes in operations, communications, and technology.”

This may involve creating around-the-clock shifts to accommodate social distancing for employees prepping food and to meet the increased demands and quick turn-around on carry-out orders. While many restaurants streamlined their ordering processes with apps like GrubHub, DoorDash, and Seamless, long before the pandemic, contactless ordering and payment has taken on much greater significance now.

Paper Please

For restaurants offering outdoor seating, a transition from laminated to disposable menus is a safer option. Desk-top printers are being pressed into service for this application, along with on-the-fly communications with staff about changing protocols. In the Kyocera ECOSYS series, mobile printing gives restaurant owners the flexibility of wireless/remote access in an affordable, compact product line.

Communications is Key

According to a recent post on Eater: “Broadly, restaurants are encouraged—or ordered—to reduce capacity and space out tables, but the exact rules vary from state to state, and with no universal guidance, restaurants are left to design their own protocols for creating safe spaces for their employees and customers.” This makes communications one of the most important aspects of operating a restaurant through the Covid-19 crisis.

The marketing platform Constant Contact recommends frequent, clearly articulated messaging for both employees and patrons.

These updates should contain basic information like:

• Changes to your restaurant’s hours
• Updated service availability (likely takeout and/or delivery only)
• Precautions you’re taking to keep customers safe

Keeping it Local

One restaurant staple in Wilmington has embraced this robust communications strategy by using an app for no-contact customer ordering and by having employees post daily updates to the restaurant’s Facebook and Instagram pages.

National Sources

Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommend on-site signs and messaging in highly visible locations like entrances and restrooms, promoting protective measures like hand-washing and the proper use of face coverings. Restaurant owners can access free CDC print and digital resources at the bars and restaurant page, as well as on CDC’s communications resources main page.

“While the dynamics change from day to day,” said Oberman, “our goal is to support our customers through this challenging time. We see Copiers Plus as a resource for organizations large and small. Keeping employees and customers safe and healthy while promoting smart business practices—that’s the bottom line.”

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With the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic, businesses the world over are traveling uncharted territory as they struggle to remain economically viable and—equally important—keep their employees and customers safe and healthy. In the U.S., we’ve seen an aggressive shift to electronic payment systems such as Apple Pay, Venmo, and PayPal, a direct response to the unprecedented spread of infection and virus-related deaths. And while cash has been at the heart of the American economy for over 200 years, seemingly overnight, this has changed for businesses and individuals alike.

Enterprising retailers, restaurants, and service providers are deploying strategies for contact-free (or limited contact) transactions, all anchored by electronic payment systems with no cash changing hands. Simultaneously, technologies like PIN pads at grocery stores for credit card payments and Square—that staple of craft fair vendors and other micro-business owners—are suddenly suspect. Who wants to touch a surface that so many others have touched? This April, the regional grocery chain Publix Supermarkets, Inc., and its GreenWise Markets, rolled out contactless payment via Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, and Google Pay, for all of its 1,243 stores across the Southeast. Publix CEO Todd Jones cited safety and efficiency for this major shift in operations after resisting the move for years.

New Opportunities

Touting digital payments as quick, clean, and easy, Fintech (financial technology) firms view the current crisis as an opportunity to promote and implement faster and safer financial transactions. And while banishing cash altogether may not yet be feasible (or necessarily prudent), Fintech thought leaders envision electronic payment systems accelerating across all sectors of commerce. With innovative technologies already in the pipeline, this transition seems imminent.

Business Process Automation (BPA)

“We see this segue to electronic payments systems as a natural progression in business process automation,” said Tim Smith, General Manager at Copiers Plus. “So many of our customers are already using technology to automate repeatable, day-to-day tasks. Accounts payable and receivable are prime examples. Anytime a business can streamline a process, particularly when it comes to reducing or eliminating paper and bolstering best practices, efficiency is going to improve.”

Three Key Elements for business process automation include:

• The process requires consistency across the organization
• The process is repeatable
• The process needs to be free from error, every time

“But it’s not just about replacing paper with PDFs,” said Smith. “The goal with process automation is to produce a system that’s transparent, error-proof, and cost-efficient.”

Laserfiche, a multi-national leader in intelligent content management and business process automation, provides an exceptional case study for transforming the paper-intensive accounts payable method for the city of Boca Raton, Florida.

As the U.S. Treasury Department and the IRS continue to distribute urgently needed stimulus funds to Americans under the CARES Act, direct deposit and pre-paid debit cards will be favored over paper checks. At this time of uncertainty, these modes are undoubtably both faster and safer.

“On a macro level, it’s easy to see how electronic payment systems can make a huge impact,” said Smith. “But even on a local level, we see how nimble the professional, retail, and service sectors have been in this public health crisis. Copiers Plus stands ready to partner with these innovators as we face the ongoing business and human impacts of Covid-19.”

If you would like to learn more about how your organization can implement innovative business process automation we would love to help! Reach out to us at 800-648-7081 or via the button below.

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With the onslaught of the COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic, workforces around the globe are deploying new technologies to accommodate quarantined employees in efforts to deliver vital services and—when possible—keep people working. As U.S. health care professionals fight to save lives and reduce the spread of this deadly virus, IT professionals also play a crucial role, helping every sector of American commerce to reshape and retool operations. Now, more than ever, personnel need to collaborate efficiently as they work from multiple locations and “meet” in virtual spaces to deliver cohesive messaging.

In recent times—with the U.S. job market booming—HR staff rushed to distribute handbooks of company policies for onboarding new employees. Now, it’s far more likely employers are delivering messages heralding layoffs or limited hours.

“In this unprecedented public health emergency, generating updated policies and procedures is the first step for any organization,” said Kevin Oberman, Vice President of Sales at Copiers Plus. “Document management (DM) software provides a seamless transition from a print-driven task like this into a much more streamlined process.”

As the COVID-19 epidemic progresses, information continues to arrive via federal, state, and local authorities, seemingly daily. “Business leaders have to respond quickly and accurately,” said Oberman. “This applies to internal and external communications, alike. Document management is a powerful tool in this context. Like all over the country, our customers—many of them small to midsize businesses (SMBs)—have been suddenly forced to revamp policies and procedures to incorporate all the new COVID-19 regulations. At the same time, they still have to ensure they’re meeting the operational needs for the company, and staying in compliance with industry regulations.”

Guiding the Way

DM software encompasses a wide range of features and functionalities. Automating processes for generating and disseminating new policies and procedures is only one. The professionals at Copiers Plus are available now to help you evaluate your current paper-based process and deploy a DM solution that best meets your needs.

Big Benefits

DM systems for paperless policies and procedures like Ademero’s deliver capabilities to:

• Disseminate critical information to an unlimited number of recipients
• Centralize policy and procedure documentation
• Review and approve workflow processes online
• Maintain a full audit trail of your documents
• Securely transfer files of unlimited sizes
• Generate deadline notifications and E-mail reminders
• Simplify and facilitate collaboration
• Eliminate physical documents
• Eliminate human error

In addition to improved efficiency, DM systems can also act as collaboration tools, enabling business to:

• Access on-site and cloud-based solutions to keep you in compliance when storing, retrieving, managing, and sharing critical business documents
• Seamlessly integrate with programs such as: OneDrive, OnBase, Google Drive, DropBox, QuickBooks, Evernote, SharePoint, among others

While DM software has been trending across all sectors in recent years, the current COVID-19 crisis highlights the importance of pivoting toward paperless systems that prove more efficient, secure, and cost effective. Security features like data encryption, system event logging, and customizable permissions and access make DM an excellent future-facing investment for any business.

At Copiers Plus, we’re confident our nation and community will weather this storm. In the meantime, we’re here to help businesses through, positioning them for a return to prosperity and good health. If you would like to learn more about how you can foster an environment of collaboration across your organization, reach out to us at 800-648-7081 or via the button below to schedule your free assessment.

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