Technology has changed the way businesses work, and printers have come a long way since they first took hold of the modern office. Today’s business printers have modern features that you’d never consider even a decade ago, such as cloud computing, automation capabilities, and mobile applications. With these enhanced features, your printers can be customized to fit your business’s needs. If your office is looking for a new printer, here are some things that should be considered before you make your final purchase.
Why Business Printers?
Business printers are one of the most critical pieces of equipment for any modern company. There are several brand choices and different functionalities available today, which is why you have to be mindful when selecting the right printer for your business. With all of the options available, the biggest concern to any business owner is picking a printer that suits both your needs and budget.
It may be tempting for small businesses to think that their home printer can handle the business’s workload, but that simply isn’t the case. A home printer cannot execute business-related tasks because they aren’t built to handle the wear and tear that an office requires for daily work. So, when looking to lease or purchase your business’s next printer, it’s essential to consider one built to handle office workloads, no matter the size of your business.
The variety of printer models on the market today can inevitably confuse a decision-maker. Do you only want to see models at a particular price point? Or, are you looking for an expensive, state-of-the-art device because it guarantees high-quality performance? Are you brand-agnostic, or are you committed to a particular brand of printers?
As technology has advanced, more and more features have been added to conventional business printers, making them more dynamic. These modern updates are good news for SMBs because these modern printers include the latest technology at affordable rates, allowing them to compete with their larger business counterparts. From cloud technology to mobile applications and more, SMBs have access to the same tools as anyone else in their industry. It’s critical to examine your workflows to determine what new features make sense for your business.
Determining your budget and your workflow needs will help you narrow down your business printer options, while still leaving room for a variety of models from which to choose. If you don’t know exactly where to begin, turning to a trusted office technology provider can help you sort through the sea of devices and applications on the market to help you find the right business printer for your business.
If you want a little more insight into which device makes sense for your business before meeting with your office technology partner, consider the following five key points before your next office printer purchase or lease.
1. Connectivity
The connectivity aspect of a printer is a crucial component to consider. It’s no longer enough for your printer to connect via USB ports directly to your staff’s computers. Instead, modern printers must be able to be wirelessly networked to multiple workstations. This necessity isn’t just about convenience. It’s also to ensure your entire team has access to all of the applications required to run your business while considering your office’s budget.
Another thing to consider is the necessity for your mobile devices to connect with your networked printers. Printing on-the-go, from job sites, airports, your clients’ workspaces and more, can make your workflows more efficient.
2. Functionality
Thanks to today’s dramatic technological advancements, business printers can perform many functions. Modern multifunction printers (MFPs) can be used for printing, scanning, photocopying, and faxing, which offers versatility and convenience to users (consider your team learning one device, rather than four separate devices) while reducing costs (fewer consumables, repairs, and more). These capabilities, coupled with an affordable price, make a business printer a must-buy for many businesses.
Additionally, consider the plethora of modern applications available to modern printers. From integrations with the tools you already use, such as Google and Microsoft 365, to mobile printing, document management and more, your office printer is capable of maximizing your office workflows and productivity.
3. Paper handling
Whether you’re a small business or a large organization, you likely have to print out hundreds of business-related documents daily. This makes paper handling, or the capacity of outputs your printer can handle, an important factor that must be prioritized. Your next office printer should be able to handle your typical daily outputs easily.
If you’re able to determine the paper capacity of the printer you want to purchase or lease, then you’re on the right track. From knowing how many pages per minute your device can handle to how long the printer will work straight before it gets overheated, there are questions you need to ask before making a final purchase.
4. The Mobile-Friendly Aspect
It’s been mentioned before, but having access to a mobile-friendly printer to complete modern work deserves its own category when thinking about your next office printer purchase or lease. In the past, wireless printing was not evident and definitely not needed when purchasing a new business printer. But now, for most businesses, it’s a necessity. The ability to easily print documents using any mobile device provides efficiency and productivity boons to most offices.
Some printers now have a built-in ability to connect to Wi-Fi, which coincides with the rise in demand for mobile devices, i.e., smartphones, iPads, and tablets. Plus, some tech-savvy individuals prefer to use a mobile device app. These mobile apps can increase the efficiency and convenience of the operation in every office. Today, you can use cloud printing protocols such as Google Cloud Print, Apple AirPrint, and Mopria, to print on the go.
5. Innovations in Ink and Toner Technology
Modern improvements in ink and toner are also evident and should be considered. If a brand manufacturer has continuously paid attention to updating their ink and toner capabilities, then that brand of office printing machines might be a good option for your business. This is due to them placing value in modernizing not only their devices, but also the consumables that keep those devices working. Such innovations have helped ease the multi-step and intricate processes of changing out ink and toner, providing ease-of-use to your in-house staff. In the past, loading a new toner or ink could be difficult and messy, but these updated have been made to make this process easier and convenient.
For example, Toshiba, one of the popular brands, has a toner cartridge quick-refill process. Another brand that also has this as a feature is Lexmark.
Conclusion: Choose the One that Meets Your Needs
Choosing the printer that can best suit your office’s needs can be a challenge because it is an investment. Your small business deserves to have a high-quality printing machine. Once you’ve evaluated the factors you want most in your new printer or if you’d like some help sorting through all of the products available, contact Hart Office Solutions. We will help you pick the right printer for your business.