With highly advanced technology and the rapidly growing Digital Age, it’s not unfathomable to wonder if the once highly sought-after copiers and printers are going to disappear soon. However, we wouldn’t bet on it. While technology has undoubtedly been beneficial in saving paper, archival retrieval and storage, there are still a number of valid reasons to keep your commercial copier on hand. Unlike what some critics are saying, we believe copiers are still a thing of the present and, hopefully, the future.
1. Your Clients Might Not Be Paperless
Even if your entire company is paperless—storing and organizing everything on a cloud—your clients or customers might not be. This means that you could be alienating a percentage of your clientele that could truly benefit from your services. Not to mention, your company could also be potentially missing out on large revenue. JD Young adds to this by mentioning, “They [customers] expect paper reports, receipts, contracts, invoices, bills, and the like.”
Even though your company might be paperless internally, you can still use hard copies externally. This is a great way to accommodate the people you’re servicing, even if you’re not using the copiers and printers on a daily internal operating basis.
2. People Love the Look and Feel of Paper
According to a research study conducted in 2016 by the Pew Research Center, “print books remain much more popular than books in digital formats.” While technology is a great factor in increasing the accessibility of information, it’s not always the preferred way. To this day, many people simply love the feel and smell of paper, whether it be from thumbing through their favorite magazine, indulging in a new book, taking notes during a meeting, or annotating business report findings.
Being able to scribble edits on a document or pin a note on your cork board is something that feels tangible and makes things easier to remember. Plus, according to a report, the average adult spends nearly 7 hours a day looking at a screen—nearly a third of their day. Opting for a physical copy not only helps memorization but always gives employees a much-needed break from their screens.
3. Wireless and Mobile Connectivity
Just like technology over the last 30 years, print, copy, and document imaging solutions have also grown exponentially. Because of this, Advanced Office Systems is able to provide a variety of print and copy solutions with wireless and mobile connectivity options. This means that even when an employee is temporarily working remote, working from home long-term, or simply stuck in traffic on the way to the office, they are still able to connect to the copier and upload crucial documents for a presentation, a bank statement for a client, or even a reminder for a coworker.
“Connectivity features are critical for businesses that have work-from-home or hybrid policies,” KDI Office Technology mentions. “Being able to access the multifunction printer allows remote workers to stay in the loop.” Technology and copy machines don’t have to exist separately. And in many instances today, they don’t.
4. Security Options Available
Another benefit technology has granted copiers is the ability for security options. For example, if you have classified or sensitive information, some copiers have the ability to request a passcode or password in order to print those documents. This guarantees that your client’s records and assets can’t be accessed by just anyone.
KDI Office Technology further expands on this by saying, “These [security features] are designed to protect sensitive data and give the employer fine-tuned control over who can access what information. Depending on the model, you may be able to encrypt files, set up tiers of access, require password input before printing or emailing files, and more.”
5. Technology Backup
It’s a fact that every now and then, technology fails, networks crash, systems get hacked, and data gets deleted. Having a physical backup when the inevitable happens can save you and your company from a lot of headaches.
“While technology has vastly improved the business world and communications, there will never be any more foolproof method for record-keeping than paper documents stored in a safe place,” adds AIS-Now. These days, there’s no such thing as being too safe, and backing up important documents and files will undoubtedly help you out in unfortunate situations.
We understand the need, ease, and accessibility of new technology hitting the market today. In many instances, it has made work easier and more efficient. However, instead of replacing the “old school” copiers and printers, we believe technology will simply help improve them to fit today’s needs and demands. If you’re looking for state-of-the-art copiers, printers, document imaging machines, IT Services, or security solutions, reach out to us online or in person at our Baton Rouge location, and we will help you get everything needed to run a successful operating system.
