Ten Things to Consider When Buying a Multifunction Printer: Article 2

Know the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and Cost/Value Benefits

Understanding how much the device will cost is only a small part of truly understanding expense.  Supplies and service costs will sometimes far outpace initial acquisition expense over the life of the equipment.  For example, inkjet all-in-ones are usually very inexpensive to purchase but can cost more to supply.   That can be alright if you print/copy less than 30 pages a day.  However, large amounts of pages printed on this type of device can be expensive.

For most office multifunction or printing devices, if you are buying supplies and service separately, you can check the manufacturer’s stated cost per page.  Some manufacturers understate this cost so, if you want to verify cost per page, you’ll have some math to do.  DocuSense is  known for simplying the complex and we will do this calculation at no cost for anyone interested so contact us if you want it done for you before you purchase.  Otherwise, click here to learn how you can do the calculation

Traditional leased devices sold with per-print service/supply plans can have a low service/supply cost per page.  But don’t forget to divide the anticipated monthly pages into the monthly lease to understand your acquisition cost per page.  Because they have high acquisition costs, underutilizing this type of device can be very expensive. 

TCO (total cost of ownership) encompasses more than the cost of acquisition, supplies, service etc.  TCO can also increase significantly for devices that are hard to use and maintain, are unreliable, or lack the features and capability to efficiently produce the results you need.  Quantifying the cost of unreliability or lack of features is hard to do but most experts agree that reliability, ease of use and features must be met first, then you can compare costs.  Significantly sacrificing your needs for a lower cost per page is usually a bad idea and will result in a higher TCO.

Your multifunction printer can become a useful asset in managing and controlling costs for printing and imaging, and can also add new capabilities to your organization if you choose wisely.  Making the right choice will help you move documents easily though your organization, and improve business process efficiency.

Previous articles:
1. Know your requirements

Upcoming articles: 
 
 3. Know what third parties have to say
 4. Know how easy it is to connect to an existing network
 5. Know how easy it is to use
 6. Know its multitasking abilities
 7. Know its bi-directional communication capabilities
 8. Know the available device management, remote intelligence, and support
 9. Know whether it provides the level of security and confidentiality you need
10. Know what software and solutions are available

Multifunction printers can help you streamline duplicate and cumbersome document processes and electronically organize, edit and archive your paper documents. With an MFP and a simple software application you can turn paper documents into electronic format and send to multiple destinations – email, document repositories, network folders, even remote printers – with a single scan.

Once you’re armed with the knowledge you’ve gathered by asking these questions, you’ll be prepared to make the right decision for your business.

Please contact us with any questions. Docusense 1-800-422-0080

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