There are many choices of manufacturers and machines to choose from when determining what type of office equipment you should purchase. You can look to the direct market or a reseller, but what are the critical pieces to consider and who is going to be the best fit for your business needs?
Suppliers continue to invest in their offerings looking to expand into different marketplaces and customer base. A perfect example of this is Xerox's innovation solution for the book printing industry...coming soon. An article in Melodika.net explores 'The Espresso Book Machine". This machine "prints, binds and trims bookstore-quality paperbacks with color in minutes...and will give retailers new ways to drive revenue". Suppliers also join forces, Ricoh and IKON, in order to offer document management solutions allowing businesses to improve workflow, increase productivity and efficiency while reducing costs.
However, there is still the question of what is right for your business. Here are a few questions to ask yourself before going to market:
  • What is going to be the function of the device; copy, scan, print, fax, all of the above?
  • What features are offered and what are my needs; networking, document management, marketing...
  • What is my budget? Should I lease or buy? 
Once you have a plan of action you can start looking at options. Suppliers are more than happy to walk you through their product line and provide you with handouts/brochures. They will tell you about all of the bells and whistles offered, at a SMALL extra cost and why they are the right choice for you. Make sure you ask about all the costs involved like maintenance and up front investments for delivery, installs, removals. Make sure you research the market to see what is new and what is coming up. A side-by-side analysis of suppliers/equipment can be very helpful as well.
So many things to think about. This may be a task for a procurement service provider who has experience in world of Office Equipment. RFP's may be necessary in order to narrow down the supplier list and focus in on who is going to provide you with a high quality product that gives you what you need, and maybe a little extra, but at a market competitive price.

For all of your sourcing needs please contact: Source One Management Services, LLC.
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Leigh Merz

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