When considering office equipment, you might become quickly overwhelmed by all of the options available to you. It also might seem like a massive undertaking to ensure that your office has all of the equipment you’ll need for everything to run smoothly. 

Additionally, every business’s specific needs are different– there’s no “one size fits all” approach to purchasing equipment. 

However, there are certain pieces of equipment that can provide a huge benefit for just about any office environment– and the scanner is one that’s too often overlooked!

 

What are the functions of a scanner?

Obviously, a scanner is used to scan documents, creating a digital copy of a physical document. This function on its own is incredibly useful for long-term document storage!

In addition to making sure that you’re able to access your documents for years to come, creating digital archives and using cloud storage can ensure that you’re able to access all of your company’s information without having to worry about physical data loss or damage.

 

Should I get a scanner or a copier?

There are so many multifunction printers on the market that there’s definitely a perfect machine for whatever your company’s requirements might be– whether you only need something small for occasional copying, or something large for high-volume, labor-intensive jobs.  

However, if your multifunction printer (also known as an MFP) is in use for most of the day, it might not be available to quickly scan any documents you might need.

Quality versus quantity

MFPs are perfect for high-volume print jobs, so you’ll be able to get a whole lot of documents printed, bound, folded, or copied all at once in a relatively short period of time. 

While MFPs are great, the term “jack of all trades, master of none” might sometimes apply (although we’re always willing to help you find a machine that really is the master of every task you might need it to do!). 

A stand-alone scanner is specially designed to complete just one task, which can often mean a very high-quality image that a typical MFP scanner might not be able to provide. 

A specialized scanner might also be able to offer more functions than an MFP. For example, you might be able to edit and adjust a document through the scanner to improve the image’s quality, removing imperfections.

 

Choosing the right one

MFPs aren’t the only pieces of office equipment that can handle a high volume of work. There are scanners designed to scan large quantities of documents all at once– and unlike some copiers and printers, high-quality scanners are equipped with sensors to prevent paper jams and other errors. 

There are so many options available that making the right choice for your office environment can be a real challenge. That’s where we come in– at Central Business Equipment, business equipment is what we do best.

 

If you’ve got questions, we’re here to help! Feel free to give us a call or reach out by email anytime.