The benefits of multi-functional printers

Offices always work best when they are streamlined – and this can mean many things. Apart from avoiding physical clutter, a place of work that contains systems and machinery that can do the job swiftly and efficiently is invariably a better one, with greater productivity and tasks made easier.

Anyone looking at the kind of gadgets people use everyday will see that shapes and sizes change, with a move towards smaller and more multi-functional items.

Mobile phones are a good example of this. When they first appeared in the 1980s, they were the obligatory yuppie’s half brick, yet their sizes got smaller and smaller. If that process has been slightly reversed, it is only to enable new technology like touch-screens to be used and smartphones now offer not just text and phone services, but the internet, apps galore and much more.

This is evident inside the office too, with computers becoming ever more mobile in the form of laptops and tablets, while printers are also becoming increasingly powerful.  Not only have printers been made more compact, but multi-functional printers (MFPs) can offer all sorts of benefits. They can combine the functions of a printer, copier, scanner and fax machine into one single device. Not only does this mean one piece of equipment instead of four, but it is also cost-effective to use and can help work flow more easily.

The all-in-one MFP is therefore something that best suits the office with a multiple array of requirements when it comes to producing and reproducing documents and data. It is also worth noting that the initial cost of the device is something that will pay for itself quite quickly if these various functions are all used frequently.

The overall cost can also be higher for devices that are less efficient, unreliable or need more frequent maintenance.

There are a number of features that mark out some MFPs as being better than others. For example, there are some that can carry out a number of actions, but not at once. A device able to multi-task can offer a faster service and enable information to be produced in different formats much sooner than would otherwise be the case. Equally, an MFP that is simple to use and does not require lots of staff training will help avoid problems with staff not being sure how to use it or making mistakes.

In addition to this, a device that comes with good technical support services if something does go wrong and is easily compatible with a wide range of software systems will be easier to keep running and to integrate with the IT presently deployed in the office.

By introducing a printer that can not only carry out all the functions of a normal printer but those of several other devices as well, an office can go to the next level.  By being able to use different facilities simultaneously, the speed and efficiency it will provide ensure the investment will be well worth it.