Posts filed under ‘Print Repair’
Ten Things to Consider When Buying a Multifunction Printer: Article 3
Know What Third Parties Have to Say
It pays to look beneath the hood before you purchase a multifunction device. The easiest way is to check on-line ratings.
Manufacturers will always paint their products in the best possible light. That means their published speed, duty cycle, supply costs etc… will always feature best-case scenarios that rarely reflect real-world use. So the easiest way to get another opinion is to see what the product users have to say.
Try looking the device up on-line at retrevo.com. This site aggregates consumer and technical reviews. PCworld.com, Cnet.com and zdnet.com are other sites having product reviews as well. Look for information regarding the actual device speed and user comments on ease of use etc.
Understand what the experienced people in the industry are saying about the product you are researching, and you’ll make a more informed decision.
Previous articles:
1. Know your requirements
2. Know the Total Cost of Ownership
Upcoming articles:
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
How to do a cost per page calculation
In order to discover your approximate cost per page, you’ll need to know the cost of each supply and its anticipated yield. The anticipated yield of supplies is usually based on 5% print coverage (5% print coverage is equal to about one page with 20 sentences in 12 point type). If you typically print more than 5% coverage, your yield for each toner will be less and your supplies cost per page will be higher. Want to find out how much coverage one of your own documents has? Go to Free Coverage Calculator to download a 30-day trial version of software that will show you the % coverage for any of your documents. You can also go to Page Coverage for more information on determining page yields. Don’t forget to add maintenance kits, fusers etc.., divided by their yields. Generally, the lower the aquisition cost for the device, the higher the cost per page for supplies. For service, take the cost of a service contract and divide it by the number of anticipated prints/copies for the period of coverage. Total all of the supplies and service costs per page and you’ll have a total estimated service/supply cost per page.
Acquisition cost per page is determined by taking the purchase price divided by the number of months of estimated service divided by the estimated pages you will copy/print per month. Add the acquisition and service/supply cost per page to get total cost per page for the device. Or, call DocuSense and we’ll help you do the calculation.
DocuSense can help with all your questions. 1-800-422-0080 we supply MFD service and solutions.
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
Ten Things To Consider When Buying A Multifunction Printer: Article 1
You need to ask yourself the right questions to make an informed decision about what multifunction printer is right for your company. Here is the first of ten considerations you should make before putting a new machine in your office.
1. Know your requirements.
You need to really understand what you will need the device to do before you buy it. Many times, requirements aren’t well understood or, worse, are dictated by the device salesperson. Here are some questions you could ask yourself before diving in and buying.
A) Will you need color? Not just today but perhaps in the coming months or years that you will use the device. Thinking about this question before you buy will make a big difference in how your office functions and the way you will use the device in months and years that follow.
B) What size prints or copies will you need to make? Many devices can print/copy up to tabloid but this feature adds acquisition cost. If you can do without printing or copying 11×17 size, you’ll save money.
C) How fast does it need to print/copy? Don’t be fooled into thinking that the device’s manufacturer rated speed is the speed it will print/copy. Most manufacturers overstate this speed significantly. Test it yourself or ask your device’s sales rep how many pages per minute the device is typically capable of outputting. If you take the published speed for granted, you’ll pay a premium for equipment that won’t live up to your expectations.
D) How many people will use the device? Try to understand who will be using the device, how often they’ll need to use it and how far you will want them to walk. In most corporations, having to walk more than 50 feet will create complaints from users.
Next topic. Know the total cost of ownership
Have any questions or comments about this article? Visit us at DocuSense or post a reply.
Upcoming articles:
2. Know the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and Cost/Value benefits
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
Simplified Ordering using the DocuSense Customer Portal
DocuSense Customer Portal Makes it Easy to Order Supplies!
One time-saving function of the Customer Portal at DocuSense is the ability to order supplies without knowing the part number of the item you need. Customers can enter an order just by looking up the device they need to supply. Here’s how it works.
Once logged in to your account, click “Enter Sales Order”. Then click “List Equipment” The DocuSense Customer portal looks at all the items you might need to purchase for the selected device and displays them on the screen along with their yield and your negotiated price. This is valuable for a couple of reasons.
First, you might not know that a higher capacity supply is available for the equipment. If you are looking for Hewlett Packard supply items, these supply numbers typically end in “X” or “XX” and they can sometimes double the yield of the supply item while adding only a little to the cost. Other manufacturers like Xerox and Lexmark etc have similar higher-yielding supplies and you’ll easily see the choices listed for those items as well. Buying increased capacity supplies is a great way to save money.
Second, you’ll eliminate guess-work. We’ve done all the work for you and as long as you’ve picked the right equipment or model, you can’t make a mistake in ordering the wrong item.
The DocuSense Customer Portal is up and running 24/7 and it’s very easy to use. All you need to do is click here to get a login and password or call us at 1-800-422-0080.
The Customer Portal at DocuSense: That’s Complexity Simplified!
Docusense launches their exclusive blog!!!
West Chester, PA, December 22, 2009– DocuSense today announced the launch of their exclusive blog, Cost Per Page Solutions, located at www.costperpage.com. This strategic internet marketing initiative follows the re-launch of their website, www.docusense.com, last month. The blog was created and launched in response to the growing industry demand for paper-reduction strategies and insight into better print cost management. The blog will be used as a new information channel for current clients and partners as well as a resource for the latest and most comprehensive information on print solution best practices. “DocuSense prides itself on customer service excellence and so we wanted to find a way to pass along the latest information on our educational events and fleet management solutions to our clients and web community, having a dedicated blog will allow us to do that,” said Donna Melso, President of DocuSense.
With the integration of the blog RSS feed onto the new website, it is now easier than ever for clients and partners to stay current, with the ability to subscribe to the feed and automatically receive updates. DocuSense has begun to proactively host business best practice seminars and will use the blog to announce dates and times for upcoming events. “The inclusion of the blog feed on our website will allow subscribers to come into the site [www.docusense.com] via the blog, and easily register for seminars, webinars, etc.,” commented Donna Melso, “we have great educational programs and resources available – we just needed a better way to get the word out there, and now we have it.”
About DocuSense, Inc.
DocuSense, Inc., has been a leader in innovative document management solutions since 1989. A Hewlett Packard Partner, and a Xerox Peak Elite Partner since 2002, DocuSense focuses on helping customers create a document strategy for improving cost and efficiency. Today, DocuSense continues to serve thousands of customers of all sizes. With so many solutions implemented and millions of pages under annual contract, DocuSense has the experience and methodology necessary to achieve manageable bottom-line savings. DocuSense is a certified HP and Xerox service and repair provider with service centers nationwide. Find out more about DocuSense 24 hours a day, at www.docusense.com
DocuSense pitches in to help the World Champion Philadelphia Phillies
No, DocuSense did not score the winning run to clinch the World Series but technician Ben of DocuSense scored a personal home run when he went to Citizen’s Park. On a routine equipment service call to the offices of the Philadelphia Phillies , Ben got a glimpse of the winning trophy and was full of pride to know that his field work helps keep the team in the game!
Using the DocuSense Customer Login Portal for Service Calls
Some of our customers don’t realize that they can access their account information 24/7 thru the DocuSense Customer Login. It is absolutely free and very easy to use. To get started just submit a contact form with the Subject line “Customer Login” – and a service professional will respond with your account login information
One of the features current users like best about the portal is their ability to see the equipment they own. Each piece of equipment is listed by location for that customer. By clicking on the equipment you can see its contract status, warranty status, and completed service calls.
So let’s say the user needs service on a particular equipment. Before placing the service call on-line they are able to see the manufacturer’s warranty expiration date and if it is covered under contract. They can look at the history of the machine and, if it isn’t under contract and has needed service frequently, might decide to purchase a service contract on it. If the equipment is older, they could choose not to get it serviced and just replace it with something new.
Whatever the customer decides, it’ll be because they’re more informed and they can relax knowing they made the right decision. That’s complexity simplified!
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