Reduce Printer & Copier Costs with App for Print Management, Part 1

If you’re an IT manager or coordinator, you probably are expected to keep your eyeballs on lots of different types of technology and equipment. Everything is somehow integrated into the network, right? While this is all done in the name of efficiency, it can sometimes be difficult to monitor so many systems and make sure they’re delivering the speed and cost savings your CFO expects.

One place where business expenses can get out of hand fast is with your printer and copier fleet. That’s because very few companies have a clear picture of their total print volume. A great way to get a grip on this is through a print audit, which I’ve discussed in a previous post. The key to auditing your copiers and printers – and staying on top of how they’re being used over time – is a good print management software.

Benefits of Using an IT Solution to Manage Network Printers

If you’re an IT person like me, your first priority is to make sure the print management app you select will deliver great benefits without bogging down your server. In part one of my blog series on this topic, I first want to cover the features your software should deliver.

Great printer manager software should:

• Be free! Many printer and copier dealers will offer it at no cost to your company, so why pay for it?
• Allow you to see all printers and copiers in a single web-based interface.
• Collect a broad range of printer and copier metrics using a data collection agent (DCA), including meter reads, error codes, toner levels, non-toner supply levels, detailed equipment ID information and more.
• Send e-mail alerts when certain faults or conditions are met (i.e. low toner, maintenance required, etc.).
• Run historical reports showing volumes, usage and failures, which is helpful in determining cost of operation and over-utilization and under-utilization of machines.
• Operate 24/7.
• Allow you to customize transmission intervals.
• Offer you the option of one-way and two-way communication.
• Use SSL encryption of at least 128-bit and collect data via SNMP, ICMP and HTTP.
• Give you the option of porting meter readings directly into a billing system so you never have to chase meter requests again.
• Never collect personal or user data.
• Never impact HIPAA compliance

How Much Can You Save with Print Management Software?

A recent survey from IDC concluded that implementing a managed print services program could result in the following savings:

• 23% average overall cost savings
• 40% reduction in IT help desk calls
• 25% cost reduction in consumables
• 20% cost reduction in unscheduled maintenance
• 10% cost reduction in installation and upgrades
• 5% cost reduction in acquisition

At Copeco, we can offer you a great printer management app, perform a thorough print audit and help you reduce costs associated with printers and copiers. If you’re located in Canton, Akron, Toledo or anywhere else in Northeast Ohio, contact us for more information.

Copeco Director of Marketing Wins Ambassador of the Year Award from Green Chamber of Commerce

In December Denise Dennewitz, director of marketing for Copeco, was selected for the first Green Chamber of Commerce Ambassador of the Year Award. Deborah Mason, Green Chamber chair, says this inaugural award went to Dennewitz because she demonstrates energy, commitment and volunteerism in promoting the chamber in the community.

“Denise truly exemplifies the vision of the Green Chamber of Commerce, which is to be the driving force interconnecting and enriching business and the community. As a business person, Denise understands the link between community involvement and a successful business. She offers her marketing talents and time for the betterment of the chamber and its events. Behind almost every successful chamber project is a committee that includes Denise.”

Mason adds that the chamber also recognizes Copeco’s willingness to allow Denise the opportunity to serve our community. Copeco is one of Northeast Ohio’s leading dealers of Sharp office equipment, including laser printers, copiers, multi-function printers, document management systems, managed print services and copier/printer service for all makes and models. With offices in North Canton and Toledo, Copeco serves not only Canton, Massillon, the City of Green, Akron and Portage County, but also most of western Ohio and southern Michigan.

Achieving Goals: It’s All About the Steps You Take Every Day

I ran across an article today that says 35 percent of Americans break their New Year’s resolutions by the end of January. That’s unfortunate, but not surprising.

As a long-time salesperson and now VP of sales with Copeco, one of Northeast Ohio’s leading providers of Sharp copiers and printers, I believe the steps you take every day toward your goal are more important than the goal itself. Without a clearly defined plan of action, goals end up being a fog or a glittering generality. And, I’m sure, that’s a major reason why people give up on New Year’s resolutions so quickly.

When it’s time to plan goals for the New Year (or any time of the year), here’s the method I like to follow. Not only does it work when applied consistently, but it also can be adapted to fit every part of your life, including career, personal, family and more.

It’s not hard to do, but throughout the process, you must WRITE everything down. If you don’t, all your ideas are little more than – you guessed it – glittering generalities.

1. Write down these six main categories: financial, career, education, spiritual, family and physical.
2. Put the categories in order of most important to least important for you. Those last two words are critical because goal planning encompasses every aspect of your life and should be a very personalized process.
3. Identify a goal for each category. Be specific and, yes, write it down.
4. Carefully and strategically plan your steps to get to that goal, in writing.

For example, if you place your career at the top of your list and say your goal is to earn $100,000 per year, you have to decide if you’re willing to do what it takes to achieve that goal. And, you must place that goal within the context of your history. To make $100,000 a year, you might need to sell 1,000 widgets. But, in the past, you’ve normally sold only 500 widgets. Is your goal one of those glittering generalities?

Each goal you create must also include these important items:

• Time frame. A goal without a time frame is a day dream.
• Obstacles. What stands in your way? How do you overcome the obstacle?
• People. Identify the people that can help you attain your goal. Also, determine whom you will share your goal with so that you will stay accountable.
• Knowledge. Identify the knowledge you must have to attain your goal.
• WIIFM. What’s in it for me? Why are you setting this goal?

Key Ingredient: the Plan of Action

Any plan of action for achieving a goal must be implemented on a daily basis. So, dissect your goal into microgoals that are manageable. What can you do each and every day that will move you a little bit closer to your goal? As with the goal itself, your plan of action must be specific.

Avoid getting behind or spending all your time putting out fires. If you do, you’ll get overwhelmed. Then the goal becomes an irritant.

So, write down your microgoals and stick to your daily plan. It’s all about the preparation!

How to Help Others with Goal Planning

If you’re a manager who’s responsible for helping others set goals, you must make sure the person you’re working with develops and takes ownership of their goals. You must be on the same page. If you give people a goal, it’s no longer their goal.

Plus, the result of achieving the goal should be fulfilling, as opposed to giving a negative consequence for failure. Build people up! I believe you’ll get a person to push harder if they feel supported. The process must be motivating, and, of course, everyone has different motivations. As a manager, you have to figure out what motivates each person who works for you.

In the end, you can’t sell yourself or anyone else on goals. Each of us must own our goals and implement a consistent plan of action for achieving them. Hopefully, this encourages you to establish and work toward your New Year’s resolutions differently – and more successfully – in 2012.

Why Paper Quality Matters with Your Copiers and Printers

I have a copier service customer who used to buy paper by the truckload because it was the cheaper way to go. One day, he called me out for copier repairs. I carefully checked the machine, made some tweaks and adjusted the registration, confident that would take care of the problem. Just a few days later, he called me because the machine had stopped working again. When I took another look, I found the registration I had just adjusted was off once more.

Then, I grabbed a stack of his paper, that “truckload stuff,” and measured it. Guess what? It was cut 1/16-in. too short and was flopping around in the paper drawer. And that’s all it takes to throw off a copier or a printer.

Bottom line: quality paper will save you money in the long run. Why?

1. Quality copy paper has a uniform cut and size. As my paper-by-the-truckload example illustrates, cheap paper can stop your copiers and printers from functioning. Not only will you have paper jams galore, you’re also likely to have lots of service calls.
2. Quality paper keeps your machine cleaner longer. Cheap paper gives off a lot of dust that builds up inside a copier or multi-function printer. This, too, will result in paper jams and machine breakdowns.
3. Quality paper keeps its shape. Cheap paper tends to have a higher moisture content that curls the paper. And, you guessed it – this leads to paper jams and other problems.

Many customers ask me, “Do I need to use a special type of paper for color copies?” My response to this questions is always yes.

If you do a lot of color copying, it’s important to use quality paper designed specifically for color copies. That’s because black & white copies and color copies are made in two completely different ways.

When you’re making a black & white copy, you’re fusing black toner into the paper. That toner is pressed into the paper and permanently adhered to it. With color, you’re blending four different colors of toner ON TOP of the paper. You don’t want the toner to be absorbed; that will result in faded-out looking copies. Quality color copy paper has a harder service and prevents toner from sinking in.

Also, stay away from ink jet or coated stock in a copier or laser printer. Ink jets spray ink onto paper without using heat. Copiers, laser printers and multi-function printers, on the other hand, use heat, which will melt the coated stock inside your machine and cause a mess.

Finally, recognize that companies selling paper that’s “99% jam free” are making a false promise. But, you do get what you pay for. When customers in our Northeast Ohio copier and printer service area ask me what’s the best paper for a copier or printer, I recommend:

• 20# weight and 85-90 brightness for black & white copies.
• 24-28# weight with 90 or higher brightness for color copies.

If you stick to quality paper that meets the above criteria, you’ll have fewer paper jams and probably won’t need to see your copier service technician as often.

Copeco, headquartered in North Canton, Ohio, offers a wide selection of black & white and color copy paper for all your printing needs. Contact us for a quote.

8 Reasons Why a Document Management System Saves You Time and Money

Electronic document management systems have been around for a while, and most organizations are at least familiar with what they do – namely, serve as a centralized repository for filing, indexing, storing and retrieving digital content and documents. Although the technology behind document manager software and web-based systems has advanced significantly, it still can be difficult to convince people to invest in one.

If you’re a conscientious but frustrated office manager still surrounded by stacks and piles of paper – or responsible for tracking down electronic documents and records that exist somewhere on an employee’s computer – here are eight great ways a document management system can help you save money and improve productivity.

1. Eliminate the need to leave your desk and dig through filing cabinets, hoping the document you need is stored correctly. With document management services, you can find a document with just a few clicks of a mouse, all in the comfort of your office.
2. Get rid of the filing cabinets altogether and don’t buy anymore. Just think of what you could do with all that extra space!
3. Do away with off-site storage and put some money back into your budget. Everything you used an off-site document storage company for can now be done faster, easier and more cost-efficiently with a document management system. Plus, hate that task of weeding out old documents? A management system can delete or move them to other folders automatically, based on date.
4. Do away with the cost of pulling documents that are stored offsite. You would no longer have to pay a courier service to retrieve documents from your off-site storage location. And, as you know, those costs can really add up!
5. Allow multiple employees to access the same document at the same time. A document management system functions much like a library, offering a secure check-out system so that only one person can make changes to a document at a given time. But, unlike the library, everyone else who has permission to view that document can always see it, even if it’s checked out. And, if another employee needs to edit that document, he or she will know exactly who has checked it out.
6. Assist customers with questions faster than ever before. With document management, you don’t have to put people on hold or call them back later in order to pull a file. Just look it up from your computer!
7. Simplify your workflow with document imaging. With a management system, you can scan or upload documents easily and route them to specific individuals for an electronic signature, mark-ups and more. In most industries, electronic signatures are acceptable, as long as the individual is logged into the system.
8. Breeze through audits quickly and stay compliant with government regulations. Most auditors prefer to deal with digital documents and content management systems because it saves them lots of time, too. Plus, the system enables you to keep tight security on documents for HIPAA and SOX purposes, locking them down by user groups and specific logon IDs.

Remember, time is money. With a document management system, your employees will be freed up to accomplish more in their day.

If you’d like to learn more about the document management systems we offer at Copeco, just give us a call. We can help you make the switch from paper filing to digital storage!

Six Benefits of Letting Your Copier Tech Take Care of Printer Repairs

When our expert Copeco service technicians go out to service or repair a Sharp copier, they often walk right by the office laser printers. And, the truth is, we are also experts at taking care of virtually all printer makes and models. So, why not let us take care of both?

There are many advantages to having your copier technician also handle your printer repair, particularly if you choose a managed print services (MPS) plan. An MPS is an excellent cost-saving measure if you’re running 10,000 or more black-and-white laser-printed pages per month.

The benefits of having one provider for copier and printer maintenance include:

• Cutting costs. With an MPS, you will pay a set monthly amount and can gauge your per-printed-page costs. There are no surprises. You can predict not only your maintenance and supply costs, but also your usage. That means never running out of toner and paper or needing to stockpile it.
• Familiarity with your tech. Chances are you know your copier repair person well. At Copeco, our techs have been serving our customers for years and even decades. They have tenure and experience. They know the equipment, and they know our customers.
• Fast, dependable response time. With most MPS agreements, you’re guaranteed same-day repairs – often within just a short time of your service call.
• Freeing up your IT department. When you call someone in your IT department to fix your printer, you may be taking them away from critical projects that affect your bottom line. Leave printer repairs to expert technicians who can quickly diagnose problems and often have the parts on hand to complete the job.
• Similarity of technology. Virtually all laser printers function in the same way, no matter who the manufacturer is. That makes it easy for a tech to readily handle an entire laser printer fleet, even if you’ve got a mix of brands.
• Availability of parts and support. Techs can access any service manual or manufacturer’s printer support. Plus, your tech will know which aftermarket products work the best. If you order online, you may not get the highest quality parts or any type of guarantee.

When you depend on your laser printers as much as you depend on your copiers, I recommend letting one company with a reputation for service excellence care for both. It’s simple and cost-efficient!

Six Tips on Building a Successful Outside Sales Team

If you’re building an outside sales team, hopefully you’re not starting over from scratch. It’s so important to be able to rely on your sales leaders, especially during a season of transition. Throughout my lengthy sales career, I’ve been through a number of such transitional periods, and I’d like to share these six tips that I’ve personally used to develop successful outside sales teams.

#1: Introduce New Hires to Your Sales Leaders

If I asked you who your sales leaders are, you could probably name them off the top of your head. These are the people who have been successful over the long haul for your company. They are your role models. When new individuals join your sales team, they should get to know the sales leaders and aspire to be like them.

#2: Provide Step-by-step In-house Sales Training

I recommend a week of in-house sales training for all new outside sales representatives. Before new hires go out on any sales calls, several different staff members should guide them step by step through the inner workings of your products and services, as well as building a call database, conducting a demo, assessing the customer’s needs, closing a deal and more. Online training may be valuable, too. Make sure that after a week of training, they are fully prepared to get on the phone and schedule their own appointments and demos.

#3: Coach Them During Initial Appointments

Once in-house training is complete, you should accompany your new hires on the first few appointments they have made. Coach them but don’t criticize.

One thing I like to do before we get out of the car is to decide what our goals are for a particular appointment. If it’s an introductory meeting, then it’s to get a demo. If we’ve already done a demo, then we want to close the sale. Explain how they can get to the goal. Show them how to walk the customer from point A to point B.

During the appointment, lead by example. Perhaps you do the first demo and then let them know they are responsible the next time. Review processes with them and let them know your expectations. Then, let them take the lead. Let them gain the experience and confidence they need to be successful.

#4. Set Standards and Expectations

You must let your outside sales new hires know what your minimum acceptable standards and behaviors are. Otherwise, they won’t know and they won’t succeed. If you expect 140 phone calls in a week, then let them know that. Then, if they only make 25 calls, you can manage that at a more granular level (perhaps a daily goal) and take steps for correction.

#5. Don’t Be Afraid to Make a Change

One of the biggest mistakes I’ve made in the past is hanging on too long when new hires aren’t working out. Usually it’s because I think that if I could just help them more or encourage them more, they’d improve. But, when you’re honest with yourself, you know within the first week or so if people are right for the job or not. Unless there are extenuating circumstances, allowing them to remain even though they aren’t going to be successful can create a certain negativity in your department.

Some early signs that place new sales hires on the bubble include:

• Coming in late on a regular basis.
• Not taking the initiative to ask questions about their training and your products and services.
• Making excuses about why they can’t do a demo or make sales calls, especially if you offer them scripts. (Read my earlier post about overcoming call reluctance.)

Anyone can have an off month, but consistent mediocrity won’t work in the long run. Even if you feel like you’ve invested a great deal of time and energy in your new hires, it’s better for them and your company to call it quits sooner rather than later. Then, you can go back to your pool of possible candidates and try again.

#6. Create a Team that has Fun

Bottom line, you want to have an outside sales team that has fun and develops camaraderie. And, when there’s success, people are having fun and building positive relationships. Therefore, do everything you can to surround yourself with salespeople who are capable of being successful.

How to Recruit for B2B Outside Sales Positions

Although economic analysts tell us the hiring candidate pool is overflowing right now due to the recent recession, I still think it’s a challenge to hire the right person for a business-to-business outside sales representative position.

In our industry, copiers and printers are more than just office equipment, they are technology solutions that improve business workflow. An outside sales rep needs to not only be assertive, personable and motivated, he or she also needs to have a strong understanding of the technical products and software we offer. It requires just the right fit.

If you’re in the process of recruiting for an outside sales position in your industry, here are three sources of potential candidates I recommend trying:

People You Know

If you’ve been in an industry for a decade or more, then you probably know at least a few (or probably many) colleagues in your industry or related ones. You may even be good friends with some of them. This is the most logical place to start when you’re recruiting for a sales position. The chances of finding a good fit among this group are better than average.

Characteristics of those who may be interested in a new position include:

• Those who are unhappy in their current position or locked into a smaller earning potential. A salary plus commission and bonuses can be very appealing to some.
• Those who want to get more in-depth with the kind of technology you offer or are excited by working in a field where things change frequently.
• Those who might enjoy the work environment you offer, whether the selling point is flexibility, family atmosphere or the latest tools of the trade.

People Your Employees Know

Another great source of job candidate referrals may come from your current employees. This is based on the same principle as my first recommendation. When you know someone, you not only have a good idea about personality, work habits, knowledge, etc., you also have a vested interest in his or her success.

At Copeco, we welcome employee referrals for our open job positions. If we hire, train and then retain someone an employee suggested, we’ll give the referring employee a bonus.

People You Connect with via Agencies, Ads and Websites

I list this option last because it requires the highest time investment and sometimes nets the lowest return. That’s because you have to wade through a pile of resumes from candidates who:

• May be overqualified or underqualified
• May not have the right personality for the job (which is pretty tough to tell just based on a résumé)
• May not have the right experience for the job

Afterwards, there needs to be a screening interview and several in-person interviews to gather multiple opinions about the candidate. And, although you should always have candidates go through some type of interview process (whether you know them or not), the agency referral is usually the complete unknown.

Keep the Pool Filled

However, sometimes even the most promising candidate doesn’t work out. You usually know if a person is the right fit within the first week of training or on-the-job interaction. So, just in case your first choice doesn’t work out, be sure to retain your list of potential candidates so you can seamlessly continue your search.

Get All Copier/Printer Supplies from One Stark, Summit County and Toledo Area Source

If you have several different types of copiers and printers in your office, you know what a hassle it can be to order office supplies for all of them. Rarely can you find one local source that carries products for most printers, faxes and copiers while also offering personal customer service, fast delivery and competitive pricing.

About a decade ago, we recognized that Copeco could be that local office equipment supply resource for businesses and organizations in Stark County, Summit County, Toledo and surrounding areas. Many of our customers would buy their Sharp copiers and supplies from us but still need copier/printer supplies for other brands.

With Copeco, you can get all printer, fax and copier supplies for Sharp, Ricoh, HP (Hewlett Packard), Canon, Xerox, Lexmark, Konica Minolta, Kyocera, Muratec, Dell and Toshiba.  We also offer printer/copier paper in various colors, weights and sizes. Normally, your order will be delivered in just one or two business days.

So, skip the trip to Staples or Office Max. Copeco’s got you covered when it comes to ordering office products! To learn more or place an order, call Morgan Lynner at 330-470-7449 or 800-852-0274, ext. 7449. You can also email our supply department at supplyorders@copeco.com for more information or a personalized quote.

Experienced Copier and Printer Technicians in Toledo

Holy Toledo! All three of the Sharp copier and printer service technicians in our Toledo, Ohio, office have been part of the Copeco team for more than 20 years. That’s a lot of skill and experience in one place! Let me introduce them to you.

John Cassidy handles delivery, set up and installation of new copiers and printers. A Sharp Superior Technician, he’s ranked among the top 150 in the nation. Kudos to you, John! He’s also big on data security and likes to help his customers protect the information that goes into and comes out of their multifunction printers.

John and his wife Barb have five grown children and two grandchildren. He says he’s stayed at Copeco for 23 years because of “the great group of people I’ve worked with over the years.”

A man who spends most of his working day on the road, service technician Mark Rader believes Sharp copiers and printers are “the most dependable, user-friendly, low-maintenance, cost-efficient office equipment in the industry.” He also says he enjoys his job of 20+ years because Copeco customers have been friendly, patient and easy to talk to. During his chats, Mark encourages them to be wary of toner pirates and to use multifunction machines to their fullest in order to save the most money.

Mark and his wife Lori have ridden their Harley more than 13,000 miles, visiting many destinations throughout the United States. They also cheer for the Cleveland Browns – which probably has not been as rewarding. But, loyalty is one of Mark’s great qualities!

Garry Sawkins, also a Sharp Superior Technician, has been with Copeco since 1987. Prior to that, he worked for Konica Australasia as a copier repair technician. Garry is a strong proponent of document scanning and says, “Don’t file it. Scan it!” He also likes to remind his customers to ask their sales representative to explain all the latest Sharp copier and printer features.

Garry and his wife have two daughters and enjoy traveling together. In his free time, he plays golf and shoots pool. I’m sure he’ll share some tips if you ask!

If you’re in the Toledo area and need Sharp copier and printer service, don’t hesitate to call John, Mark or Garry at 419.868.9100. They will be glad to help you out!