The workplace is constantly changing evolving. We’ve seen a rapid state of change over the last year due to the global pandemic and despite all of the changes we’ve seen, one integral part of the workplace that is often overlooked is office equipment – more specifically, printers and copiers. While upgrading and replacing aging office equipment such as print devices is often looked at as an unnecessary and costly endeavor, it is truly a worthwhile investment that can bring many amazing benefits to your organization.

Here’s a look at six important reasons to consider upgrading your small business printer and the potential benefits they offer.

businesswoman using her printer in the office

1. Printing Needs Have Changed

The global pandemic has brought many changes over the last year including changes to the traditional workplace. While some businesses have begun to transition back to the offices, others are opting to move to a hybrid workplace or a full-time virtual workplace. Looking at how your business will be moving forward, it’s important to evaluate how your printing needs have changed. With more people working virtually, it’s very possible your printing volumes have decreased; on the other hand, if employees have been using personal print devices at home, they may have gotten used to printing more and your overall print volumes may have increased. Consider how your printing has changed overall as a company and whether it makes sense to upgrade to a larger device or one that can handle more volume, or scale down to a smaller device to match up with decreased printing.

Whether working from home or from the office, you may find that you now need a device with more functionality. Upgrading your single-function printer to a multifunction printer (MFP) gives you the function of a copier, network printer, scanner, and fax machine all in one device. MFPs range from small, affordable desktop models to larger, more robust models to accommodate any need or print environment. Another way your printing needs may have changed – perhaps you were previously outsourcing print jobs and projects that you are now considering bringing in-house to complete, whether for cost or other reasons. In order to bring these jobs in-house, you may need to upgrade to a device with additional finishing capabilities, such as stapling, hole punch, or booklet making, if you’re current device can’t handle those types of jobs.

2. Improve Quality

Streaking on pages, warped lines, and less than crisp images are all indicators that your printer is either in need of some serious maintenance or it’s time to upgrade your printer. Today’s next-generation office color printers and MFPs offer exceptional color quality at an affordable price that matches that of specialized print shops.

3. Improve Productivity, Efficiency, and Sustainability

Along with improving quality, upgrading your printer to a modern office printer or all-in-one printer will allow you to print copy, and scan more pages per minute which means better performance and higher productivity from your device (check out the video below).

Newer printer models are also designed to be much more efficient, with toner yielding more pages per cartridge and drum units, waste cartridges, and maintenance kits built to last for more printed pages. Upgrading your office printer or MFP also has many sustainability advantages. For example, 100% of Xerox printers and multifunction printers have earned ENERGY STAR certification since 2010. Additionally, managed print services help organizations to become more productive, improve energy efficiency, and reduce material use and related waste by streamlining their print environment and processes.

4. Increased Security

Not only does performance suffer with aging technology, but you can also be at risk for a security breach. Upgrading your print devices means enhanced security – for example, every Xerox ConnectKey Technology-enabled printer or MFP is armed with a holistic four-point approach to print device security, ensuring comprehensive, all-encompassing protection for all system components and points of vulnerability.

5. Lower Costs

Aging technology not only means possible issues with device performance, security, and print quality, but also higher costs. As technology ages, machines become more expensive to run as supplies such as toner and drums become more costly. Additionally, when maintenance is needed, that becomes more costly as well as parts become more scarce and harder to find for older machines. Upgrading your technology to a next-generation small business printer or MFP, which are designed to operate more efficiently than their predecessors, typically translates into a lower cost per page.  You may also be able to put your new device under a supplies and service contract, also known as a managed print services contract, which can help you to save a lot of money on supplies and service for your print device(s), among other benefits.

6. New Features

Much like you update your smartphone to have access to the newest features, the same goes for your printer. Many of today’s printers and MFPs are Wi-Fi capable and can connect to your mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets, and laptops so you can have access to mobile print features and print from anywhere. Also much like our smartphones, today’s printers and MFPs are equipped with printer apps, that allow you to print from or scan to your favorite cloud-based services such as Google Drive, Dropbox, or Office 365, translate documents into different languages, convert hard copy documents to audio files, and much, much more!

Upgrading Your Printer: Is It Time?

So, while upgrading office equipment such as printers and copiers may seem like an unnecessary task, such an investment has the potential to bring many benefits to the organization and help you save money while positively impacting your overall performance, productivity, and efficiency.

Considering upgrading your print technology? Check out our latest promotions on home and office printers and MFPs or connect with us today to get started!