Printer Sales – Spoiled for Choice?
There are literally thousands of companies in South Africa that sell printers. Many brands are available. HP, Ricoh, Sharp, Lexmark, Riso, Toshiba, Xerox, Brother, Kyocera, Konica Minolta, Samsung, Canon, Sony, the list is endless. Globally, the market is dominated by HP and Canon who have around 20% each of the market. It goes without saying that choosing one of these brands would be a relatively safe bet but the choice of brand is only one branch of the decision tree.
To add to the complexity, a number of print technologies are on offer, including laser or inkjet with the choice of colour or black and white. Some sales companies focus on a particular single manufacturer’s product while others offer a wide range of different manufacturer’s machines. Some printers only print while others print, scan, copy, email, and fax.
Generally, going to a retail outlet will present you with a large array of products from multiple manufacturers and the pricing will often be competitive. Unfortunately, retail outlets do not, in many instances, have very well-trained staff in their printer sales sections, so expert advice is usually not going to be on offer.
Key questions will probably not be canvassed. Aspects, such as the quantity of prints per month, text or graphics intensive output, a printer only, or a multi-functional device (that may considerably improve workplace efficiency) should be considered. It goes without saying that it is even more risky to purchase your printer from an online vendor, such as Loot or Takealot where all the research required to make an informed purchase will be placed squarely on the buyer’s shoulders.
Home users will probably find a retail outlet adequate but the more demanding the print environment and requirements, the less likely it is that a general retail outlet is going to be able to provide the level of expertise needed to provide an optimum solution. Even home office solutions need expert input when it comes to costs, networking, and functionality.
Use Suppliers that Specialise in Printer Sales
In commercial office environments, it is imperative that sales purchases are properly informed purchases. Not only must the best brand and the correct technology be chosen but issues, such as networkability and cost per print must be thoroughly understood and considered before buying. Choosing the best option is a nuanced process with a host of commercial considerations that accompany the purely technical ones.
Should the equipment be purchased outright or leased or rented? Should equipment maintenance be an ad hoc cost or included in a cost-per-print agreement with the vendor? It cannot be expected that an office manager be an expert on printers and printing. Turning to a vendor that is a specialist in printer sales is usually the safest route to a satisfactory buying experience.
Print Only or Multifunctional?
Ironically, multifunctional printers were originally marketed for home and small business environments, but manufacturers now offer larger, more robust models aimed at medium to large commercial users.
Multifunctional printers offer the convenience of additional features and save a large amount of space. Multiple machines are compressed in one confined space. Typically, multifunctional printers require only one outlet to power the entire device, reducing the amount of electricity needed to power it. The primary drawback of a multifunctional device is when a technical issue occurs. Often, if one of the functions of the device fails, all the other features become unavailable. Running out of ink or toner does not just affect printing.
Faxing, scanning, emailing, and copying may also be affected. Sometimes, multifunctional printers cannot produce the same print quality as a single function device and some of the multifunctional options may not provide all the features of a stand-alone device. A sales specialist in printing will assist in choosing a single or multifunctional device depending on the site-specific requirement.
Specialists will check compatibility with other devices in the specific environment and will consider your needs. Assistance with networking questions will also usually be provided. Wireless printers, for instance, allow multiple users to connect simultaneously. If print quality is of vital importance, attention will be focused on print resolution or if the need is to create high-quality scans, scanner resolution will be prioritized.
With the correct advice, users should be able to connect to their printer from virtually any platform or device. This includes laptop and desktop computers, smartphones, tablets, and digital cameras.
Contact our printer sales specialists at Raydian today for more information.