When it comes time for office decision-makers to decide on new equipment, copiers are among the most challenging choices. Of course, any office would love to select a copier to enhance productivity, but this is often easier said than done.
What are the copier features that are most important to a genuinely productive office? Which of these features are crucial to your specific needs?
That's where this article comes into play. After all, an office copier is supposed to make your day-to-day routine as simple as possible.
Let's take an exciting look at the best-advanced features that will make life easier for businesses, employees, and customers.
Related Article: How to Use a Copy Machine: Basic and Advanced Features.
Secure Print Release
This advanced feature must be addressed in a world where offices are always looking for better ways to enhance their security. An office can avoid all sorts of common pitfalls by choosing a printer with this feature.
Instead of being forced to send a print job from your computer to the machine itself and hoping it does not fall into the wrong hands, this feature addresses that concern directly.
With secure print release, the job is sent without being released, giving the employee in question greater control. The job is not released until you walk to the printer and press the button.
For businesses that regularly have more sensitive copying/printing jobs, a feature like this one will be worth its weight in gold.
A code must be entered, or a badge must be swiped so anyone else cannot release it. Private information is protected, and documents no longer vanish.
Restriction of Access
Access needs to be restricted to build upon the previous point, and this is a feature that forward-thinking offices will always choose to implement.
Having the power to restrict access can save an office all sorts of time and effort that would be spent cleaning up unforeseen issues caused by totally unfettered access to the copier.
With this feature, an administrator can choose who has access to the machine at all times. For example, several offices try to restrict employees from using the copier for colored ink jobs.
Color ink is more expensive to replace than typical black and white ink, making these restrictions imperative for offices trying to keep a lid on their budget. Countless funds are saved annually by restricting who can print in color.
Enhanced Connectivity Options
Plenty of newer copies have enhanced connectivity options. With wireless connectivity, we have more freedom than ever before.
However, office decision-makers will now have the chance to take things a bit further. If an office will benefit from installing a copier with Wi-Fi Direct or Near-Field Communication capabilities, this option has never been more readily available.
With Wi-Fi direct, the copier becomes a pivotal access point. This allows the employees to connect various items to the copier if the situation presents itself.
Instead of going through a network, a tablet, laptop, or smartphone can connect directly to the copier. With a feature like this, jobs can be handled on the fly far more quickly.
Near-field communication allows the copier and the device to remain in contact with each other when they are close together. Security and ease of use go hand in hand in these instances.
Related Article: Office Copier Upgrade: What Features and Functions Do I Need?
Automatic Document Feeding
Automatic document feeding is one of the most popular advanced features regarding office copiers, and it is easy to see why.
By obtaining a copier with this feature, the employee can load all of the papers that they need to copy directly into the machine. From there, it feeds all the pages into the copier without the employee having to set it up by hand.
Gone are the days of loading the papers into the copier individually. This is a time-consuming task, and by choosing this feature, an office is taking significant steps toward improving its own efficiency.
Employees can become far more productive when they do not have to do this type of legwork. Any increase in productivity will also drive a significant boost in profits, which always bears mentioning in an office-based context.
Two-Sided Printing
Also known as duplex printing, this is an advanced feature best used on documents that will not be leaving the office.
Two-sided printing may not be preferable for the customers, but there are many scenarios where it can benefit an employee, simplifying their day-to-day routine.
It also significantly reduces the costs that are associated with the printing of internal documents. Employees simply use both sides of the paper, as opposed to one.
Copier-related costs are slashed, and this feature is turned off when it is time to handle documents on the customers' behalf. In addition to being good for the company's bottom line, two-sided printing is excellent for the environment.
Using these types of features allows a company to go green without making any drastic changes. This is an excellent option whether the copier is being bought or leased.
Adding Page Numbers and Watermarks
This copier feature is only sometimes considered, but that does not make it any less exciting to use. Did you know this feature will add page numbers and watermarks without any additional effort on the employees' behalf?
Best of all, the copier can also be set up so that images and text stamps are added to the pages as needed. This saves a sizable amount of time and effort since it is handled automatically.
Anyone who has ever had to perform these tasks manually knows how arduous they can be. Instead of learning to edit documents on the computer, the employee easily sidesteps all of these annoyances.
Even the most skilled editors are going to make mistakes, and this is valuable time that could be spent on other activities. Professional results are just the press of a button away.
Finishing Assistance
When documents have to be presented in a professional setting, there are several things that often need to be added. In many instances, the process of finishing these documents and making them more presentable takes a great deal of time and energy.
With the finishing assistance features that the best copiers on the market have to offer, this is no longer a concern that the employee will be forced to experience.
Folding, stapling, hole punching, and booklet printing are some of the most useful advanced features that the best copiers have to offer. Having a machine that does all of this for you provides a sizable amount of stress relief.
Employees who were once forced to spend hours on these tedious tasks can now dedicate themselves to handling jobs that are far more beneficial to the long-term prognosis of the company.
Scanning Files to E-Mail
Any business that is looking for a new copier at the present moment would do well to consider one that offers the ability to scan files to email. There is no substitute for having the ability to scan documents to email accounts or files.
This significantly reduces the usage of toner and paper, which is a significant boon to any office's efficiency level.
This feature comes with an added bonus. All files are then stored on the computer, allowing the employee to access them more easily.
This is a hidden advantage that is not often discussed. Employees can remain organized without taking any extra time out of their day, and the employer can cut costs, a true win/win.
Increased Data Protection
Data protection is one of the most crucial copier features that is not often discussed in the manner that it should be. The newer the copier, the more likely it is to provide access to all sorts of helpful data protection features.
IP filtering, data encryption, and image overwriting are just a few of the features that are available to office administrators and employees. This is how hackers are kept at bay, and data remains secure.
Cloud Integration
In a collaborative workspace, sharing and accessing documents effortlessly is paramount. With cloud-integrated copiers, the era of emailing attachments back and forth has become a thing of the past.
Now, your team members can scan documents directly to the cloud and share access with colleagues, clients, or partners. This real-time collaboration minimizes delays, enhances communication, and keeps everyone on the same page, quite literally.
Your Next Steps: Further Education on Advanced Copier Features
By the way, there is so much more to learn about when it comes to your office copiers and their features! Be sure to discuss all of the available data protection with an authorized copier provider. They are able to walk the primary decision-makers through the process so that they can choose the best copier for their needs.
But what are your next steps? Read our article to learn more about leasing or purchasing an office copier for your business, Purchasing vs. Leasing a Copier: Which is Best for My Business? We’re here to give you peace of mind to help you win more business.
Topics:
