Denver Copier

Lexmark-X738de

Have you been looking for a color multifunction and think that it would be nice to spend less than $2,500 for something decent? It’s about time, but Lexmark has put together a machine or two worth taking a look at! A good one to start with is the higher end version, the Lexmark X738de

You get a rapid 35 page per minute device that will print, scan, copy and fax starting under $2,000 and going up to about $2,500 for the higher end base unit. The intuitive touch screen interface will make the standard office jobs like faxing and scanning a breeze for your workers!
Don’t get suckered into spending $7,000 or $8,000 on a huge device because you aren’t aware of some of these small and efficient devices. Please call us to have a personal assessment of your copier situation completed to ensure you are buying an appropriately sized device for your office!

So, here we are in a struggling economy and we are dealing with people who don’t seem to care about finances…  Which seems crazy to us.  I wanted to attach an example(century_21_ll) of how we do our TCO (Total Cost of Ownership)comparisons so you can see we take saving you money seriously.  I was asked to consult on a deal a few weeks ago where “they are going to gring you hard on cost…” was what we heard.  I put together a proposal which would save this real estate company about $75,000 over 3 years (down from $150,000).

One would think this would be compelling.  Not so.  We presented the case and the numbers of why a smaller solution would be a more sound financial decision, but this real estate company decided that our qoute recommended copiers and printers which were far too small.  Nevermind that we have 100’s of customers using these devices for the same exact function!

Now, I have to re-quote “something bigger”…  which I will do, reluctantly… However, it is frustrating when you know a customer you want to help is absolutely hell bent of pissing away thousands upon thousands of dollars.  It is absolutely their right, but I prefer to work with people who buy machines APPROPRIATE for their needs and volumes.  Customers who are not so entrenched in an old way of working (where the sales rep can pad his pocket), that they will actually listen to a proposal… even if there are ultimately reasons they decide against it.  Be careful to not be so married to your current way of doing things that you, like this real estate company, piss away thousands or hundreds of thousands of dollars because something is “too small.”

Yesterday I was talking to a customer who was looking at a Brother MFP 9440cn and they are a Bankruptcy Attorney in Denver.  They print about 200 menus a day with light coverage and they didn;t want to break the bank with a MFP.  I can’t blame them, times are hard, though not as much for a Bankruptcy Attorney!  Anyway, as I did an analysis, it revealed their plan to do 200 pages a day of color, even with light coverage, was going to cost $17,600 over 3 years!  We had a color device that costs 6 times more at first, but the total cost of ownership came in under $10,000 total!  How is this possible? 

There is an inverse relationship between the cost of toner and the cost of a device.  If a manufacturer makes an engine cheap, you’ll pay through the nose on supplies.  If you are only doing 5 pages a day, it’s not a big deal.  However, when you start doing over 1,000 a month, you have to look at the total cost of ownership closely.  What should be considered?

Cost of the Equipment + Cost of the Supples (per print) + Maintenance costs = TCO (Total  Cost of Ownership)

This should ALWAYS be considered, but it is even more crucial when print volumes go higher.  Like gas mileage in a car….  It doesn’t matter so much if you drive 5 miles a day, but if you drive 150 a day, you had better pay attention to mpg’s.

If you need help with an analysis of this important aspect of copier purchasing, give us a call for a free consultation.

It seems that more and more people are wanting to have their copier on the network, for the purpose of printing and scanning.  Of course they should because it makes perfect sense!  The problem we have from the copier side of the world is that no one ever wants to pay to have this done.  It should be “included” because set-up was included last time.  Last time, of course, scanning probably wasn’t set up…  and it can be included, but if it is, the pricing has to be inflated.  So, what is a company to do?  Here are some simple steps you can take to reduce your headaches…

1) Get the important network data and have it ready for the person installing.  What is important?

IP Address you want used, which desktops you want things scanned to, admin passwords, what versions of Windows or OS you use, what restrictions you want placed on the device (for security)…

If you have all of these things and an IT guy ready, it will generally speed us up 2 to 3 times…  Now a job that should take 2 hours can take 2 or 3 or 4 times that amount of time if your expection is that “they should be able to just figure this out.”  Installing a device on a network is not laying carpet…  but if it were, the analogy would still work in that jobs are done faster if you have everything in order (the room cleared) than if you don’t.  Expecting the installer to “just figure it out” is like expecting the carpet installer to “just get the job done” and then wonder why it costs more when he has to move the TV and all the furniture out of the room.  Make things easy for yourself and for the installer by having all of the necessary information ready before they even get there!!

Many customers have gone with the Free Color Printers program from Xerox.  The main reason is they don’t want to have to pay for the machine.  Real Estate Agents seem to be the most interested in this program, but is it always a great deal?  The short answer …  No…

If you are considering the Free Color Printers program, the first thing you’ll want to do is watch the informative 5 minute presentation on this site…  It goes over the importance of something called “coverage” in your color prints.

Let’s look at the Free Color Printer program to show you WHY Xerox is ok with doing it with you…

A Xerox Phaser 8560 printing 2,000 pages a month @ 20% Coverage would turn out like this against a Xerox Phaser 8860 doing the same amount of work…

So, essentially the “Free Color Printer” costs $2,782.80 more than if you had puchased the 8860 and purchased the consumables.  Now, if you are a realtor or a church…  then your “coverage” would be higher possibly doubling the Total cost of toner and maintenance line…   We have some cost per print programs that are $.06 or less regardless of coverage and this would be far better than paying $.20 or $.30 per print under the “Free Color Printer” program.

The idea of getting a color printer for free is definately appealing.  However, Xerox is a huge multi-national company for a reason.  Giving you a printer is to their benefit more than yours.  If you are considering their offering, please give us a call so that we can show you a better way to work with them.  Same printer for a much lower cost…  We got that for you.

My Lexmark rep called me up and said that he had a BRAND NEW X658dtfe copier for sale which we can sell for $3,500.  This is normally a $4,200 device and is an absolutely awesome device!

What are some of the particulars?

55 Pages per minute for Printing or Copying!

Scan over 70 impressions per minute!

Fax included!

Super easy interface for customers.

Why run out and spend $3,000 for a used copier or $6,500 for a new copier when you can get the best of both worlds here.  $3,500 for a new 55 page per minute black and white copier with color scan capabilities.

Here is a full list of the X658dtfe capabilities!

You can’t find a better deal than that!!

We have been getting some requests for HP multi-function units that are so far in the future for fulfillment that their competitors are even sending out specials to try and get people away from HP.

hp-product-constraints

You know it’s bad as a manufacturer when you have a month or more to deliver products people want today.  This is happening with HP right now.  The good news for you is there are good deals from Xerox and Lexmark which are actually better multi-functions.  So, it is possible their bad delivery schedule could be saving you hundreds of dollars.  Take for instance the HP Laserjet 4345x (with fax) and the Lexmark X654de…

So, as you look at these comparisons, maybe you’ll see why it’s not such a bad thing there is a supply constraint.

TaskAlfa 500ci

Many people are looking for ways to save money these days and some people are looking at their copier expenditures as one possible cost saving areas in their company.  Used vs New, when should you pick one over the other?

Here are some of the advantages of a USED copier

1)  The sticker price is generally lower than a new copier

2) Sometimes you can get bonus features like finishing at no additional price

Here are some of the DISADVANTAGES of a USED copier

1) There are consumable items which may be near the end of life so there could be a $1,000 bill just around the corner.

2) You have no way to know how well the company before you took care of (or didn’t) take care of the copier.

3) Can often be over 4 years old when you start because most copiers are on a 60 Month Lease

Some advantages of NEW copiers

1) You get the lastest technology available

2) Cost per print has dropped over the last 5 years, so it may be cheaper overall based on toner costs.

3) You get a manufacturer’s warranty (1 year, normally)

4) You get at least “starter sets” of all supplies, so you can go for a bit without buying more supplies.

Disadvantages of a New Copier

1) Price point is higher (this is about the only REAL disadvantage)

Like with a car, buying a used copier will sometimes have problems.  It is a matter of do you want to deal with these issues to save some cash.  If you are buying a new copier, you can generally take 40% of how much the new unit costs and get the used copier at that rate.  It is a savings vs. peace of mind debate.  We deal with both and would love to help you with your next copier purchase!

As good as your copier may be, there will always be a time and a place when it needs to be replaced.  Keeping the old copier does not always make the most financial sense.  For one thing copiers do wear out, they are mechanical, and there is a point like with cars where a replacement can make more sense than a repair.  There are also times where it makes sense because the toner and supplies costs are so high replacement makes sense from a mere supplies cost standpoint.   No matter how much memory, or what hard drive you add, your printer will only go as fast as the rated speed (at best)…  if this is not fast enough, you may need a replacement. 

There are other business concerns which may be making it necessary to make a change. 

• If you have a Black and White copier, but need color copies
• If you do a lot of volume, but only have a low volume machine
• If you need to scan and you copier does not scan
• If you need to have a document management system and you do not now
• Your think your current copier is a piece of crap and you want something that doesn’t jam, etc…

If you are at this point, we’d love to work with you to help you get the next copier to actually meet your business needs.

TaskAlfa 500ci

Have you seen spec sheets that say “$.09 per Print*” with the * telling you that was a “toner only” price?  If you are working with a Black and White copier, that will be close, but if you are working with a Color copier or printer, well …  that’s another story entirely.  You see, with a color printer or copier, toner is not the only consumable.  There are imaging units, transfer belts, fusers, waste toner bottles etc.  Now, with imaging units, both Ricoh and Kyocera have tried (unsuccessfully) to convince us our underperformance is due to “humidity level variance” in Colorado.  Now, they recommend not having a color laser by a front door because this is a place of great humidity variance.    I personally think this is bogus and I often get stuck fighting with manufacturers who like to give excuses for the poor performance rather than resolution.  We actually have had some customers who only got 1,000 pages on a 50,000 page rated imaging unit and the manufacturer at first was not going to cover it under a normal warranty because it was “a consumable item.” 

This becomes a huge deal when you are trying to accurately assess potential costs of a color printer.  Even if you use the rated yield, how are going to ensure you are actually getting that yield?  Who is responsible for keeping the spreadsheet of all 13 consumable items?  There are definately other methods of purchasing a printer, but if you are going to be the one footing the bill for the consumables, maybe it would be wise to not “just trust” the manufacturer.  We have a quick 5 minute presentation to the right of this page (look for the big maroon box.