Blog

Every office relies on office equipment like copiers, printers, and fax machines to help it function. However, while this equipment is standard in offices and plays a huge role, it’s often overlooked or forgotten about until something goes wrong. Unfortunately, though, at some, the equipment will start to slow down. It may become unreliable, may experience delays, or your employees may have to constantly unjam it or take time to figure out why it is not working. When this happens, your office equipment becomes more of a detriment than an asset.

There might be a time where, as a business owner, you may have to weigh out whether your devices are still beneficial to your business or whether it is time to replace dated, worn, and failing equipment. Read on to find out when you should consider replacing office equipment and why replacing it as soon as possible is crucial.

Office Equipment Remains the Lifeblood of Most Businesses

Thanks to technology, offices are starting to have digital files and go as paperless as possible. However, despite calling themselves paperless, every office has at least some paper content within the office. And as long as there is paper in an office, there will be a need for printers, copy machines, and fax machines. As such, office equipment remains the lifeblood for most businesses, including those who are going paperless.

Having equipment in-house allows employees to remain productive and efficient. If a client needs a printed receipt, then having a printer lets you print it on the spot and hand it to the customer or mail it to them.

Having a copy machine allows you to create hard copies of documents, which can then be distributed to other businesses, clients, or customers who use document solutions that are not compatible with yours. Fax machines allow you to transmit a document from one location to another faster than mailing it. Each device serves a function, and they don’t seem to be going anywhere, even with all of the technological changes going on around us.

What Downtime Really Costs You

Now that you know why office equipment is so essential, it is time to learn about downtime and what it may be costing you. Think of office equipment like an old car: as cars age, you expect more and more problems to arise. At some point, the time your car spends in the shop plus the cost of repairs is just too much, and you need to upgrade to something more reliable. The same scenario plays out with office equipment. As it ages, parts start to go bad, and it becomes unreliable.

When your office equipment starts to need repairs, your office begins to experience downtime. For example, if a printer is down, it may take a repair company several days to get to your office, order the repair parts, and then time to make the repairs and get it up and running again. During that time, your staff may not have access to a printer. They may have to go somewhere else to print or complete the tasks at hand. You may have to pay an increased price to print your items elsewhere, and you lose out on time that an employee could be doing something more productive. All of this downtime adds up, costing you money and efficiency.

Why Upgrading May Be Your Best Option

If your office equipment is starting to need frequent repairs and you are experiencing a lot of downtime, now may be the perfect time to upgrade your device. There could be many reasons as to why.

Firstly, upgrading your office equipment helps ensure productivity in the office and decreases downtime with your equipment. This helps ensure that your office can continue to function efficiently and prevents problems that interfere with the office workflow.

Another reason why upgrading your office equipment is a great choice is because newer equipment tends to have more technological features. For example, newer printers have Bluetooth options, so that an employee can print from a phone or tablet with ease. These features of newer office equipment can increase employee productivity.

Lastly, updating your office equipment may be your best option if your equipment is environmentally unfriendly, as new equipment tends to be more energy-efficient. Technology is ever-changing, and many technology companies have made a push to reduce energy waste. Newer equipment may use less energy and have more energy-saving features, which can help you with your energy usage and bottom line.

Office equipment is an essential aspect of every business just as much today as it was ten years ago. Even though the updates in technology are helping make offices less reliant on paper documents, no office is truly able to call themselves paperless just yet. As such, copy machines, fax machines, and printers still have a place in your office space.

If your Houston-based business has out-of-date or unreliable office equipment, now may be the perfect time to replace it. If you are considering upgrading your office equipment, contact Stargel Office Solutions today to speak with one of our office technology experts.