Whether you are a major corporation, a small family-run business or a startup, resource allocation is always an aspect of operations you have to take into consideration. As your business continues to grow and expand, you will undoubtedly be making adjustments to your internal processes as well. Part of this should take into consideration how many office printers you will require.
Having too few office printers can impact your employee’s productivity, keeping them from completing work on time or having too much downtime—an employer’s worst fear. On the other hand, having too many office printers can create superfluous costs that can eat into your overhead budget.
So, what is the magic number then? This blog post will look at a variety of factors that will impact your decision on how many office printers your business requires. Keep reading to find out the right number for you.
How Many Pages Do You Print?
The general rule of thumb when it comes to determining how many office printers you need is to look at the number of papers you print.
Contrary to what you might think, it does not necessarily matter so much how many employees you might have. This number is not as reliable as your output volume because you could have a business with 60 employees but only eight of them require the use of the printer. Conversely, you could have a team of 15 employees, but 12 require the printer to complete their work. That is why it is much more beneficial to look at your volume rather than your employee size.
Additionally, your print volume will help you define which office printer specifications are right for you.
How Many Employees Do You Have?
While this point may seem contradictory to our last, the number of people you have employed at your business does play a slight role in determining how many office printers you should have.
Past studies have been conducted in order to try and determine the correct ratio of users to office printers to achieve the most efficiency. It is widely considered that on average, a small business should have one printer for every 4.4 users.
However, while this is the standard rule, that does not necessarily mean it is applicable to your business. Due to any number of circumstances, you may require more or fewer office printers.
How Spread out Is Your Workforce?
Another aspect to take into consideration when getting the right number of office printers is the layout of your office space. Ask yourself the following questions: Are all of your employees located on a single floor? Does each department have their own floor? Is everyone separated into their own rooms?
It does not make sense to put all your printers in one space if your employees and/or departments are spread far apart. Doing so can result in a lot of wasted time and annoyance, going back and forth between their desk on the first floor and the printer on the second for instance. Instead, you will also have to split up the office printers between them in a way that makes sense to the workflow of your office.
Considering how spread out your workforce is will ensure that your business continues to operate efficiently and profitably.
Do You Have Privacy or Other Special Concerns to Take into Consideration?
Additionally, one department might output a larger volume of printed paper than another, demanding the need for more printers. For example, departments such as accounting or human resources will require more use of office printers compared to others. This means that in this particular instance, your accountants should be given priority access.
You should also keep the kind of information that is being printed in mind. If one department is printing materials relating to confidential matters such as news regarding downsizing or employee contracts, you might want to consider getting an office printer specifically for these kinds of reports. This information has the power to have long-lasting negative results within your business’s workforce otherwise.
Printers with Business Systems
Busys.ca is one of Ontario’s leading providers for document management systems and printing needs for business of every size. Choose your next office printer from our wide selection of top-level laser printers.
Additionally, we provide our customers with a comprehensive service agreement for all our office printers that covers any toner replacement needs and necessary repairs.
If you are looking to incorporate more printers into your business’s operations, consider Busys.ca and contact us today to request a quote!
