Copiers are one of the hardest working pieces of equipment in the modern office. And because they work so hard—and rely on them so much—it’s important to keep these devices in the best possible shape. Whether you have a brand-new machine with the latest features or a seasoned veteran with years of service under its trays, getting the most from your copier demands regularly scheduled maintenance. Read on and you’ll discover the important role that copier service plays in keeping your most valuable office technology device up and running in optimal condition.

Why Copiers Remain Such Big Parts of Office Workflows

With the rise of smart devices, digital documents, and cloud storage, many experts theorized that the days of the humble printer and copier were numbered. Even as early as the 1980s, the “paperless office” was seen by many as a way to make print documents–and the devices involved in their creation–obsolete. If copiers were the relics that many detractors said they would be, then how come they’re still a staple of modern office workflows?

To date, few businesses have fully achieved a completely “paperless” office. Even with constant advances in digital document creation and storage, a complete conversion has proven elusive, at best, for most companies, and nearly impossible for some organizations. That explains some of why copiers remain important solutions for businesses. In addition, the following sheds more light on the above answer:

• Paper is cheap – much cheaper than tablets and other digital tools. Transitioning to a paperless office not only takes time and manpower, but also considerable expense. Even for businesses with healthy margins, the ROI for a paperless office may not be attractive enough to favor a switch from a more traditional setup.
• Many people find paper easier to deal with on a day-to-day basis. Large documents can become tiring to read on digital screens, plus there’s the risk of eye strain. Jotting down notes on a digital tablet with a stylus also lacks the same tactile feel as writing with pen and paper.
• Paper is also resilient in a way that digital simply isn’t. Paper documents have a proven track record spanning thousands of years and, when properly preserved, can potentially last for longer. Now think about the numerous format changes over the years, along with the many cases of digital data being lost or corrupted.

In short, news of the copier’s long-projected death in the face of an increasingly digitized world is wildly exaggerated.

Why It’s Important You Keep Your Copier in Tip-top Shape

If your office is a well-oiled machine, then a broken copier is the errant wrench that brings your office’s productivity to a sudden halt. Like any other type of equipment, copiers experience wear and tear over time. Certain factors, including misuse and neglect, can speed up this process, making your equipment more prone to sudden and often expensive breakdowns.

There are plenty of other reasons why maintenance plays a key role in keeping your copier and other office equipment intact:

• Downtimes cost money and productivity. When your copier stops working, your employees and clients suffer, whether it’s through costly delays, unhappy customers, or lost revenue.
• Older copiers offer reduced efficiency. The older your copier gets, the more inefficient it inherently becomes. Those issues can manifest as a rising cost-per-page (CPP) or a slower page-per-minute (PPM) rate, depending on how you typically use your copier. Steadily rising energy usage is also another issue impacting aged equipment.
• Copiers generally don’t improve with time and use. On the contrary, copiers have a limited lifespan before the rigors of everyday office life make them more of a financial and productivity burden than a valuable asset. Most experts recommend replacing copiers in five-year intervals, mainly to allow for asset maturity and innovations in copier technology.

How to Keep Your Copier in Optimal Health

Being proactive about copier maintenance is one way to reduce the likelihood of sudden breakdowns and other problematic issues. Partnering with a trusted copier service provider makes this easier. In addition to routine checks and preventative maintenance tasks, your copier service provider can also hastily respond to copier emergencies when needed. Some providers even offer around-the-clock remote monitoring, providing a rapid response to any issue as it happens.

In addition to the above, you can also lend a hand in your copier’s upkeep with these simple reminders:

• Give your copier a break. Shutting it off during long periods of disuse, such as nights or weekends, not only helps extend your copier’s lifespan, but also reduces its energy consumption.
• Give your copier time to warm up. The calibration process is important for your copier’s long-term health and operation, especially after it’s turned back on for the workweek. Don’t try to speed up the calibration process–it will only result in errors and make your copier less able to perform its work reliably.
• Choose your paper wisely. Low-quality paper can generate large amounts of paper dust, which builds up inside the machine and causes a variety of problems, including paper jams and image quality issues. Recycled paper can also cause the same sort of issues. Switching to a higher-quality paper can help reduce paper dust and promote more reliable copier operation.
• Keep your copier glass clean. Avoid unwanted smudges and streaks on your copies by cleaning the glass regularly. You can use ordinary glass cleaner, but don’t spray the glass directly. Doing so could allow the fluid to seep through to the electronics within the machine. Instead, spray the cleaner on a microfiber cloth and use that to wipe the glass.

When it comes to any piece of office equipment, maintenance is the key to giving them a longer and more efficient life. That rings especially true for your copier. A little preventative maintenance can help your office steer clear of disruptive shutdowns. Contact Copiers Etcetera today and partner with a copier service specialist serving Pacific Northwest businesses such as yours.