How to Reduce the Cost of Photocopiers - 16.02.2009
One of the first things to investigate when looking for ways to reduce how much photocopiers can cost a business is to find out the functionality of the photocopiers used currently. 
 
New photocopiers often incorporate printing, scanning, faxing and are internet connected if used correctly these multifunctional devices can save on the amount of photocopies and prints that are done and often cost less when compared to running several devices separately. Once the capabilities of the current photocopiers have been noted it will be much easier to work out which steps to reduce photocopying costs can be followed. 
 
There are a number of tips that any business can follow, whether they own photocopiers that incorporate printing or separate devices.  
 
Making sure that everyone in the workplace only use photocopiers or printers when necessary is very important. This seems a very obvious tip, but wasteful photocopies are made frequently in most businesses and just getting everyone in the workplace to think before they photocopy could make a substantial difference in cost. Many new photocopiers could help with this as they can be networked, incorporating software to track any printing done and allow quotas to be set.  
 
Scan and send electronically : Numerous people use photocopiers to make a copy of a document they need to work on. Where possible employees should be encouraged to use photocopiers to scan documents and send them to themselves electronically, meaning any draft changes being made may be done on their computer rather than on a hard copy. Everybody in the work place should also take responsibility for switching photocopiers off properly every night to save energy. A number of photocopiers automatically switch into stand-by mode when not in use so energy can also be saved during the working day, potentially reducing energy bill costs.  
 
Get your service tech to set the best defaults : A large number of photocopiers have a duplex function for double sided printing. This should be set to default, greatly reducing the amount of paper used and thus reducing costs. Photocopiers made in the last five years are likely to incorporate printing, scanning, faxing and photocopying in one machine, which means, instead of making a photocopy, documents can be scanned into photocopiers and sent via email or fax. 
 
There are many options available that can really help to reduce the cost of photocopiers, but these will only be effective if everyone in the workplace is educated about how to use these devices properly. If all staff are knowledgeable about how to use photocopiers in the most cost effective way then the total expenditure could be reduced by a large margin.  
 
Consider updating to reduce costs: Businesses could also consider updating their photocopiers so that they include all the necessary functions to help reduce their running costs. www.sydneyoffice.com.au 

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