Some Tips On How To Reduce Office Photocopying Costs

As a small, office-based business grows, a time inevitably comes when a photocopier has to be installed. Not only can it be quite expensive to purchase and install the photocopier, but the very nature of what it is used for results in large recurring costs. This article suggests some ways that you can reduce the recurring costs of using a photocopier.

Use A Multipurpose Machine

As the name suggests, this type of machine can perform more than one function; many can perform up to four, including scanning or printing. Having one machine that can do several tasks eliminates the need to purchase separate machines, saving you money overall. Multipurpose machines also take up less office space, and decrease energy consumption.

Scan Instead Of Copy

Encourage employees to use the scanner instead of the photocopier. Scanned mail can be sent to an employee's email address, allowing the document to be edited on the computer before being sent out; this saves paper, ink and running costs compared to using the photocopier.

Use Duplex

Although not all photocopiers have a duplex option, many of the modern ones do. Duplex is using both sides of a piece of paper to copy on, instead of only one side. Turning this option on will reduce the amount of paper used, and save you money.

Place The Photocopier In Your Own Office

Keeping the photocopier in your own office and monitoring its use will end up saving you money, through decreased use of paper, ink and energy. Think of twenty-five staff, all making ten photocopies a day each. This equals two hundred and fifty copies per day, or over 1500 copies a week. Multiply this by four, for a monthly period, and the amount of copies made will be thousands, ending up costing you a small fortune. However, staff may be more circumspect about their photocopier usage if it is in your office, where you can track their copies. Also, ensure your staff are aware of these numbers; it may help to prevent unnecessary copies from being made.

Use A PIN Input

Some new photocopiers can be locked by using a Personal Identification Number, and cannot be operated without first inputting this code. By using this PIN system, frivolous and unnecessary photocopying can be stopped or restricted. Set out specific times of the day when the photocopier may be used, and keep it locked – and on a low power setting – at other times.

Some photocopiers allow you to have several different PIN numbers you can input to unlock it; you can give these to your employees individually. This will show you who used the machine and the number of copies they created. Some machines also allow you to set a limit to the number of copies it can produce in a day. You can use this feature to reinforce some of the other tips suggested above.

For more information, contact a company like Copyworld.


Share