Top of funnel ebook to help folks think about the reason they're investing in new office equipment AND that WHO they buy from is as important as WHAT they buy (or lease).

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2. 20 Crucial Questions to Ask Your Next Office Equipment Provider | Page 1
As my teachers always liked to say, “There are no
stupid questions.” (Though we’ve all heard some
stupid answers before!)
Before we were able to watch movies on long road
trips, 20 questions was a good way to pass the
time. When it comes to deciding who to partner
with for your copier and other office equipment –
whether for purchase, lease, and/or maintenance –
asking questions is an important part of the
selection process. Truthfully, looking at companies
that sell copiers and selecting the right partner can
make or break how effective your technology
purchase, lease, and/or software implementation
will be.
Buying a copier(s) or pursuing a managed print
services strategy with an office equipment provider
is a big investment in time and money.
This list of 20 questions will help you separate the
contenders from the pretenders, and get to the
answer of who should be your next office
equipment provider.
Ask away.

3. We’ll start with what we think is the
most important question to ask.
Angie’s List, Yelp, Amazon, we all look at the
ratings before calling in the plumber to look at a
leaky faucet, trying that pizza place around the
corner, or pushing “one-click order” for that
book we’re thinking about buying, right?
Recommendations rule the day.
1.
20 Crucial Questions to Ask Your Next Office Equipment Provider | Page 2

4. 20 Crucial Questions to Ask Your Next Office Equipment Provider | Page 3
2.
For ANY new technology implementation, you should
spend time easing your co-workers through how to
effectively use the new system. However, even the (not
so simple) copier can be a catalyst for change in your
office. A new machine brings new capabilities – and if
you’re implementing new rules around printing, you
need to share that information in a non-threatening and
non-judgmental way. What you don’t want is a “partner”
who hooks up the equipment and you only hear from
when it’s time to renew your contract.

5. 3.
20 Crucial Questions to Ask Your Next Office Equipment Provider | Page 4
Local copier dealers often have relationships with multiple copier manufacturers – this provides a
wider range of options when identifying the right equipment for your business. Local, as opposed to
manufacturer direct operations, are also managed and often owned locally so all decisions about
repairs, maintenance, and customer service are made more quickly. Fast and accurate service is a key
to office productivity – local dealers don't have to negotiate multiple decision-making chains to do
what's right for their customer.

6. 20 Crucial Questions to Ask Your Next Office Equipment Provider | Page 5
What tools and
methodologies does
the provider rely on to
determine where you
are today (the as-is
state) and where you’ll
be in the future (the
to-be state)? Will you
receive documentation
of the plan?
4.

7. Is your provider
interested in “selling
boxes” and keeping
you supplied with
toner or can they work
with you to include a
variety of office
productivity solutions
(multifunction copiers,
printers, production
printers, workflow
software, document
management, etc.) for
more extensive
projects?
5.
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Take a look at their website. Do you get the
feeling they’re interested in pushing a box of
hardware or an actual solution to help you
achieve your business goals? We are explicit in
our focus – We want to Create Raving Fans®
.
Every customer and potential customer
interaction happens with this in the backs of our
minds. We measure and incentivize for it. We
don’t pay lip service to customer service; we
invest in and deliver stellar customer service.
6.

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Today’s multifunction copiers, printers, scanners, and
faxes are all IP addressable – which means they are
potential points of entry for hackers. Additionally,
copiers also have internal hard drives for caching
and storing print jobs.
Question your
provider closely
about their
understanding
of device,
document,
and network
security.
7.

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In the case of managed print services
(MPS), what tools does the provider offer
to show cost reductions and ROI?
8.

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We all carry fantastic
productivity devices with
us everywhere we go –
our smartphones. Does
the provider have a plan
to securely support
mobile print and mobile
workers?
9.

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Anyone can replicate an existing
business process. Does your provider
have the expertise to recommend
process improvements and possible
workflow automation?10.

13. Proper placement of
office equipment can
improve productivity.
Can they help you
identify the optimal
locations to place the
MFPs and printers
in your office?
20 Crucial Questions to Ask Your Next Office Equipment Provider | Page 12
11.
Copier Feng Shui - (in Chinese thought) a
system of laws considered to govern spatial
arrangement and orientation in relation to
the flow of energy (qi), and whose favorable
or unfavorable effects are taken into account
when siting and designing buildings or office
equipment positioning.

14. What analytics and reports will be shared to
identify bottlenecks and areas of improvement?
12.
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15. 20 Crucial Questions to Ask Your Next Office Equipment Provider | Page 14
Will new hardware, any required software, and apps
work within your current network and infrastructure
WITHOUT disruption or creating gaps in your network
security? Look for a partner who understands that
office equipment is part of an overall IT strategy, not a
stand-alone purchase or lease.
13.

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Look for a partner that can manage the complete
range of office equipment – copiers/MFPs, printers
(including production and wide-format), RIPs,
scanners, and fax machines. Also, look for a partner
who can incorporate some of your existing
equipment into a managed print services or
maintenance plan (IF that equipment is still viable).
While no service partner can service equipment
from every manufacturer, many can provide service
and support for equipment that they don't directly
sell or lease. This can keep you from having to
juggle multiple maintenance contracts.
14.

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A managed print services strategy means
strategically reviewing document output
across an organization, which can mean less
printing. Are they really going to help you
print less and more effectively or are they
leading you to buy more toner?15.

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This one is the Kermit the frog question. How green can your
provider help you be? While your particular company may not
have a board-driven mandate to focus on green initiatives,
environmentally-friendly efforts are often equally good for the
bottom line.
Can the provider help you with an overall print management
strategy? A print management strategy will help to save costs
on printing – saving the “green” in your wallet. Using less
paper, toner, electricity, etc. are also “green” for the
environment. Any provider you work with should go over
energy-efficient devices and be able to share tips for
decreasing equipment’s’ energy consumption during
out-of-office hours.
Finally for environmental sustainability, how do they dispose
of outdated equipment? Responsibly through recycling or via
a landfill?
16.

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Your potential partner should readily offer a referral
list of companies that can answer your questions
about what they’re really like to work with. Ask
them if they’re really a “raving fan?”
17.

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18.
Is your partner strategic or only tactical? You want a
partner who keeps on top of changing technology
trends and can adapt new technology and
strategies to help you succeed in the future.

21. Copiers and printers
are complex
machines. It requires
focus and effort to
stay on top of the
latest equipment and
to keep skills sharp.
Your service partner's
service technician
training program has
a direct impact on
your speed to
resolution. Over the
past five years, we've
invested over 20.8
thousand hours and
over $1.1 million on
technical training.
We’ve got the awards
and certifications to
prove it!
19.
Advanced MFP Training
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How often are repairs
made in a single visit?
We focus on training our
service technicians,
providing fully stocked
service vehicles, and
assigning technicians
one service call at a time
so their full focus is on
you. Not only are we fast
to arrive (our average
response time is 2 hours
and 37 minutes), but we
resolve 92% of each
service call in a single
visit so that you get back
to full productivity as
quickly as possible.
20.

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20 Crucial Questions to Ask Your Next Office Equipment Provider | Page 22
Locally operated; we sell, lease, and
service office equipment from many
of the leading manufacturers.
Datamax Little Rock
7400 Kanis Road
Little Rock, AR 72204
Toll Free: 800.482.5772
Datamax Hot Springs
317 Third Street
Hot Springs, AR 71913
Toll Free: 800.364.4255
Datamax Texas
800 Freeport Parkway, Suite 400
Coppell, TX 75019
Toll Free: 800.633.1526
datamaxarkansas.com
datamaxtexas.com