HP Small & Medium Business: articles & tips

Sometimes small businesses keep using older office equipment because they don't want to spend money on new equipment when the old stuff works just fine. Unfortunately, hanging on to older printers, copiers, and fax machines may actually cost more than upgrading to a new multifunction product (MFP) that combines all of those functions into one device.

Here are seven signs that you may be able to save money and boost productivity by upgrading to MFPs.

1. You have almost as many pieces of office equipment as you do employees. Add up the number of printers, copiers, and fax machines in your office. If the total is more than one for every ten employees, you probably aren't as efficient and productive as you could be. In a 2004 study, IDC found that companies implementing this 10:1 ratio by strategically deploying MFPs lowered costs an average of 23 percent while improving their productivity and workflow. A dedicated fax line costs $30 to $50 per month, per device. Replacing dedicated fax machines with MFPs that can scan-to e-mail and LANFAX will save money and improve user productivity.

2. Some of your printers are older than your intern. Older devices cost more to maintain, take up more space, use more energy, and are slower than new models. That's why experts recommend that no more than 25 percent of an organization's devices should be more than five years old.

3. You're running out of room. MFPs take up significantly less space than the separate copiers, printers, scanners, and fax machines they replace. For example, the HP LaserJet 4345mfp measures just 2.5 feet wide by 1.6 feet deep--small enough to fit on a desktop. By replacing a floor-model copier with the HP LaserJet 4345mfp, you free up valuable real estate that can be put to a more productive use.

4. You ' re on a first-name basis with the copier/fax repairperson. If your office equipment breaks down frequently, it's only going to get worse as it continues to age. Today's MFPs use digital technology, so they have fewer moving parts and shorter paper paths than older copiers and printers. HP LaserJets and LaserJet MFPs are easily networked and managed with HP's Web Jetadmin software. As a result, device up time is improved and user productivity is increased.

5. No one uses the copier. Research from IDC shows that more than 70 percent of all paper output is printed. That change in workflow lowers the need for centralized copiers with expensive monthly contracts. And today's MFPs are fast. The new HP LaserJet 4345mfp prints and copies up to 45 pages per minute.

6. Your copies look like … copies. Digital technology produces documents that just plain look better than those produced by analog copiers. Plus, the scan-once, print-many feature means that all of your copies will look exactly the same. When you use an MFP, each copy is an original.

7. Your document production costs are out of control. Installing MFPs reduce your overall document production costs thanks to lower equipment purchase/lease costs, lower consumable costs (toner, ink, and paper), lower maintenance and repair costs, lower IT costs, and improved worker productivity.