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COVID-19 has disrupted our work and family life like no other crisis in recent history. With many more parents working from home and a hodge-podge of school re-opening plans underway across the country, the concept of “Back to School” remains elusive. And whether schools opt for in-person, remote, or hybrid teaching models, parents are scrambling to keep work and school schedules on track amidst a pandemic.

“We’re all making hard choices,” said Keith Oberman, V.P. of sales at Copiers Plus. “Every decision involves a risk/benefits analysis. We’re used to applying this practice in business, but when it comes to the health and safety of our kids, of our teachers and families, it’s exceptionally complicated.”

State-Wide Choices

In North Carolina, state-wide guidance issued on October 5, 2020 provided elementary (K-5) schools a choice of three options:

Plan A.
Schools must implement important safety measures, including face coverings, social distancing, symptom screening, and cleaning. However, there is no requirement to reduce the number of children in the classroom.

Plan B.
A modified Plan B allows children to attend school in person but requires fewer children in the classroom. Both plans A and B allow local school districts to provide a remote-learning option for any child who chooses it.

Plan C.
Parents can also choose an all-remote learning option for their child if they feel this is best.

If this sounds stressful or confusing to you, you are not alone. Individual districts and even individual schools are making—and changing—plans in real time, depending upon case numbers in each community.

Expert Guidance

Still, even amidst a predominance of uncertainty, public health experts provide some simple mitigation strategies for safely bringing children and teachers back to brick-and-mortar schooling. The CDC has created a color-coded chart to simplify key indicators and thresholds for school openings.

Mitigation Strategies to Reduce Transmission Include:

• Masks
• Social distancing
• Hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette
• Cleaning and disinfecting
• Contact tracing
• Cohorts (pods) – where students and teachers remain exclusively with a small group
• Adequate supplies
• Staggered scheduling
• Ventilation
• Water systems
• Physical barriers and guides

In addition, the Strong Schools NC Public Health Toolkit outlines requirements for opening schools, including:

• Limiting nonessential visitors and activities involving outside organizations
• Creating one-way hallways and entrances
• Suspending activities that bring together large groups such as assemblies
• Creating a way to isolate students who have symptoms and ensuring they get home safely

Risks and Benefits in our Communities

A recent study from Brown University suggests that schools aren’t necessarily the super-spreader environments we fear. Further, some doctors and public health advocates believe there are “powerful arguments for in-person schooling wherever possible, particularly for younger students and those with special needs,” as discussed in the October 14, 2020 briefing by the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

“Copiers Plus is a third-generation family business,” said Oberman, “so we’re especially aware of the difficulties families are facing now. This is uncharted territory for all of us. The bottom line? We remain committed to providing the same product and service expertise our customers deserve. Especially now.”

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More than seven months into the COVID19 pandemic, American industry still faces a daunting dilemma: how to safely return employees to the workplace. Even while some (primarily white collar) business sectors have swiftly pivoted to remote work, others are hard pressed to resume or ramp up in-person services. Health experts are increasingly focused on preventing airborne transmission of COVID19 as more workers return to their offices.

“Believe me,” said Keith Oberman, V.P. of sales at Copiers Plus, “this is not a concern that any of our customers can afford to take lightly. There’s a lot of strategy that goes into reconfiguring indoor space and deploying safety protocols. And it’s not a one-size-fits-all proposition either.”

Just Breathe

Harvard Medical professor, Edward Nardell, warns that inside buildings, social distancing may not be enough to prevent the spread of COVID19. While increasing ventilation inside can be effective in slowing transmission, Nardell stresses that ventilation systems in many corporate settings limit how much fresh air can be brought in. New studies show links between HVAC systems and the spread of COVID19.

Two Solutions

To counter spreading virus particles via heating and air conditioning systems, Nardell recommends two scientifically-proven methods.

Commercial germicidal lamps, first developed by Westinghouse in the 1930s for hospitals, employ ultraviolet light (UVC) to kill floating pathogens. Researchers at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, using far (overhead) UVC light, have demonstrated effectiveness in killing airborne particles of COVID19. This technology is ideal for indoor spaces like offices, gyms, and schools, where germicidal lights should be placed high overhead. Here, air in the “upper-room,” carried by natural convection flow, is constantly disinfected by UVC irradiation.

Air Filters

Reconfiguring HVAC systems to increase the exchange rate to bring in more fresh air to recirculate is part of the second solution. High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters play an important role in trapping harmful particles. HEPA captures 99% or more of viruses that are .3 microns or larger according to Qingyan Chen, professor of mechanical engineering at Purdue University.

There is a growing body of evidence that COVID19 is spread by both large and small particles. The average size of a coronavirus particle is .3 microns. Breathing and talking generate particles around 1 micron in size. The smaller the particle, the further it is able to drift.

In many buildings, HVAC systems use lower-quality air filters, which might catch just 20% to 40% of viruses passing through, said Chen. In fighting COVID19, it’s especially important to install air filters with an improved Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) between 13 and 15. MERV ratings range from one to sixteen, with sixteen being the best.

Indoor humidity is an additional piece of the puzzle. Stephanie Taylor, infection control consultant at Harvard Medical School, is advancing regulatory standards for humidity levels in commercial buildings to improve indoor air quality. Current recommendations are between 40% and 60%.

“We understand that our customers are under enormous pressure to bring their employees back into a safe and efficient workplace,” said Oberman at Copiers Plus. “Facilities managers are making big—and often expensive—changes. As always, our goal is to provide targeted solutions for document management and managed print services. We strive to provide ongoing services and consultation–not just a one-time fix.”

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Below is an article written by Drew and shared on the GWBJ Insights page.

Many offices are accustomed to having copiers, printers and scanners as tools to stay productive and streamline both hardcopy and digital processes. Though, only a few offices take advantage of large format printing through wide format printers. Many times, businesses will rely on print shops to serve their oversized print needs even though the cost comes at a premium and is subject to the timetable of the printer. In this article, we will take a look at some of the possibilities your organization could bring in house through a wide format printer.

Generate Brainstorming & Collaboration

Are there ever times when you are in a brainstorming meeting and wish you could just draw your idea out or not have to wait for the note taker to type everything? Sometimes the most organic and stimulating meetings are when everyone is able to write their ideas out. Having the ability to print diagrams, charts or calendars could assist in this process by giving structure to your conversations. Another good fit would be analyzing large graphics, models or blueprints. It is one thing to see them on a small piece of paper or screen but imagine 36 inches of details at your team’s fingertips.

Scanning

A key feature of some wide format printers is the ability to scan documents. Scanning can be invaluable for helping archive meeting notes or on-site changes/notes to a blueprint. The devices are even adapted to a variety of file types that include: DWF, DWG, CAD, PDF, TIFF and more. Some models even feature a USB port to make printing and scanning possible without a network connection.

Advertising

Whether you have a storefront business or just a need to share your products, large format printing can help. No longer will you have to wait to change your signs, you can do them on the fly. Maybe you are a brewery or restaurant and could have signage advertising your beer selections, food truck schedules, or live music schedules. While indoor signage is most popular, you can also create temporary outdoor signage via the specialized ink available in certain models.

Products & Protocols

If you create products, then you most likely provide instructions or additional information in the packaging. Large format printing is perfect for creating the space you need to fully explain complex steps in a layout that can be folded and lightweight. You can also create stunning posters that display your products in a custom way in your showroom or around town. Additionally, in this time of dealing with COVID-19, there are plenty of protocols companies must take to operate safely. You can use signage and other large format outputs to more effectively communicate these policies and procedures to your employees and visitors.

Some Examples of Large Format Printing Opportunities

• Blueprints
• Posters
• Product Comparisons
• Indoor/Temporary Outdoor Signage
• House Listings
• Evacuation Plans
• Meeting Materials
• Photography/Artwork Prints
• Maps
• Product Instructions
• Facility Maps
• Organizational Charts
• Menus
• Schedules/Calendars
• Spreadsheets
• Charts
• Specials
• Custom Giftwrap
• Product Posters
• Mission Statement
• Social Distancing Protocols
• Safety Protocols

How Would You Use Large Format Printing?

Sometimes bigger is better! If you are outsourcing large format jobs or just haven’t thought about how you can maximize your messaging both internally and externally through this technology, we would love to help you. We can brainstorm and craft a plan that works best for your organization’s needs and budget. Give us a call today at 800-648-7081 or click the link below to request an appointment.

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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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