Although digital documents are commonplace in many business settings, there will always be a need for an multifunction printer (MFP) as part of daily operations. In fact, most businesses cannot operate without an office MFP. As such, these venerable devices must be adequately maintained to keep them up and running in optimal condition.

Office MFPs Play a Vital Role in Your Daily Operations

Office technology gets more and more sophisticated as the years pass, but there is one piece of legacy equipment that still plays a vital role in workflows across the globe—the office MFP. Today’s multifunction printers handle copying, scanning, and faxing in addition to their monochrome or full-color printing capabilities. The MFP is one of the hardest-working devices in the office.

These machines are particularly important for small- to mid-sized businesses because they help control costs, habits, and workflows. They can help save money and keep your processes efficient. While the world considers digital documents and the cloud as essential technology, the need for the multifunction printer will never die. Here are a few reasons why this piece of equipment is so important:

Time savings – An in-house MFP can handle all of your documentation needs, eliminating the need to run to a print shop for any jobs. Their endless amount of functionality and finishing options also enable you to eliminate manual tasks from your workflows, saving your staff precious time.

Moneymaking – MFPs allow you to quickly and easily create high-quality marketing pieces to support and promote your brand that don’t need to be farmed out to a professional printer.

Flexibility – There may never be a time when paper is completely obsolete because everyone needs a hard copy of a document sometimes. With an in-house MFP, you control who, what, and when things get copied, ensuring you can operate on your own schedule.

The multifunction printer is an affordable way to have access to multiple functions. It is an essential tool in digital transformation, whether for scanning to keep records, sharing or archiving these files directly from the device, or making copies for documented proof as a backup. Truthfully, many companies still prefer having hard copies of certain documents to ensure everything is correct, as it can be difficult reading tons of pages on a computer screen. Overall, paper is still inexpensive enough to justify the cost as a line item in the budget.

Why Downtime Is So Destructive

Since many offices still rely on the power of the MFP in their business operations, ensuring the printer is in its best state is key. This can be accomplished by making sure the printer has ongoing routine maintenance, which will minimize breakdowns and downtime. Many companies only have one multifunction printer, so when it is malfunctioning, productivity is affected, workflows are halted, and employees are frustrated. This could also have a direct impact on your bottom line, so partnering with a reputable office technology provider to maintain your MFP can help in keeping the device operational.

A technician should regularly clean and lubricate your device, check the software to make sure your office has the latest version installed, and test the MFP to check for components in need of replacement. In addition, there are a few tell-tale signs that it’s time for an upgrade:

Poor efficiency – When it starts taking a long time for the documents to print or the device is always jamming, this is a huge indicator of the MFP becoming too unreliable.

Age of the equipment – The older the MFP, the increasing likelihood of needing an upgrade. If your copier is over five years old, it’s time to consider a newer, more efficient model.

Security deficiencies – Newer devices have the latest built-in security features that help protect the sensitivity of your documents. If your MFP can be remotely accessed, you need security protocols to prevent hackers from accessing confidential information. Are you working with the latest security technology?

Cost savings – No one wants to shell out the money for a new printer, but the cost savings recognized over time outweigh the initial investment. As your machine ages, you could potentially spend more on service visits, downtime, and supplies such as toner due to the inefficiency of the machine.

Loss in productivity – If you are trying to scale your business, having the best equipment on hand is key. A slow multifunction printer will not allow you to keep up with everyday operational demands. You want an MFP that matches your needs, workload, and expectations.

How to Improve Office MFP Uptime

If you rely on your MFP to keep your office operational, you can’t afford downtime. There are a few preventative maintenance measures you can perform to help avoid breakdowns and keep productivity high:

Shut it down – Turning off the MFP at the end of the workday keeps the machine in good condition and saves energy costs.

Let it warm up – Just like a car, a printer should ideally have a warming up period before starting the day. Multifunction printers need time to recalibrate and prepare for use.

Clean your MFP – How often do you clean the glass or inside the machine? Take time to clean the glass every other day to keep your copies clear and the machine in top shape.

Don’t ignore paper quality – You get what you pay for. Cheap paper may cause the printer to jam, but there is also paper dust to consider. When you use good, quality paper, it keeps the machine running better and your staff enjoys better copies.

Do not overload it with paper – Every MFP has a guide on how much paper to insert into the tray. Educate your staff on how to insert paper to avoid overloading the tray. This could cause unnecessary paper jams. Additionally, fanning the paper before placing it into the tray to help the sheets loosen.

Regularly replace the ink or toner – When copies are starting to fade or the indicator light shows the ink or toner needs to be changed, it’s best to get it done then. The last thing you want is to run out of toner when facing a deadline because the warning was ignored.

Take advantage of professional technicians – Having a trained and certified technician on speed dial can be one of the best things you can do to keep your MFP running well. A reputable office technology provider can maintain your device to keep it in tip-top shape.

If you’d like help keeping your San Francisco Bay Area office’s MFPs in great shape with ongoing preventative maintenance, contact Golden Gate Office Solutions today!