6 Overlooked Office Productivity Boosts From Your Copier

Information technology changes rapidly. 

That includes copy machines.

If you still only think of your copier as a “paper in, paper out” device, then you’re missing out on business improvements many of our customers enjoy.

Thirty years ago, copiers essentially used heat to fuse toner to paper to make copies.

Thirty years ago schools used photocopiers to share materials with students, copy newsletters, permission slips, and homework packets. Law firms copied case materials to file with the courts. Finance departments everywhere printed and moved invoices and accounts payable documents physically through the office for approval.

Today, schools are allowing students to do homework online (though permission slips are still on paper!). Court cases can be filed electronically. Your copier can scan an invoice and launch an accounts payable workflow to digitally route the document through its approval process.

Times have changed.

As businesses moved away from paper to digital documents, so did copiers. Today, digital photocopiers are fully networked and can become productivity hubs in your office.

Here are six productivity boosts you probably don’t know about your copier.

1. There’s an App for That

We all use apps on our phones for entertainment and work. Copiers today include a variety of apps that can save you time. Scan a document directly into email, SharePoint, Google, or some other document repository. Print from the cloud, wireless printing, and mobile printing – yes, there’s an app for that. 

If a copier doesn’t have the app you need, many manufacturers allow you to program your own. For example, apps for Kyocera copiers can be created using Web Services and Java.

2. Customizable Shortcuts

Customize the user interface for one-touch launch of frequently-used functionality. With the ability to log-in to the copier by individual users, each user can have a customizable interface.

3. Improve Security of Confidential Information

How many of you have accidentally picked up a report or other document that was (or should have been) private from the copier output tray? Enable pull printing (also known as Follow Me printing) and print jobs can be released at the device itself.

4. User Authentication and Security

Security is a concern for EVERY business. Card readers and PIN codes can be used to authenticate users at the device, which allows you to track everyone’s activity while preventing anyone without permission from accessing your copier.

5. Print Rules to Cut Costs

Establish a print policy for your office and enforce that policy with print rules. Disable color printing, default to duplex and black and white printing, or block large print jobs. Using print tracking software will reveal opportunities for automation, allow for departmental chargebacks, and can really trim your printing budget – even with a simple idea as a popup that asks “Are you sure you need to print this?” 

6. Go Digital

Use the scan functionality of your copier to remove paper from business processes by converting paper documents into digital documents. Then use those scanned documents to start a business workflow.

These six productivity boosts are only the tip of the iceberg. Don’t just look at your copy machine as a simple copy machine.

They can do more.