Be more productive with a MFD

Be more productive with your next printer/copier

Technology continues to be a key driver of change in many organisations, enabling you to automate manual processes, streamline efficiencies and create significant productivity gains.

To help you multifunction in the office, modern printer/copiers have a range of sophisticated features that can dramatically improve business performance.

Modern printer/copiers have a range of sophisticated features that can dramatically improve business performance.

Our Buyer’s guide to multifunction devices (MFD) provides a comprehensive guide on the latest developments in technology hardware and compatible software applications, allowing you to make a more informed purchase when choosing your next multifunction device. Below are the top eight features to consider.

Ease of use

Older MFDs traditionally used mono LCD panels featuring buttons to select jobs, but this is a thing of the past, with most new MFDs increasingly using a large touchscreen panel with a customisable tabletlike interface that offers drag-and-drop, pinch-and-flick functionality, along with swipe scrolling – mirroring smartphone and tablet devices.

Mobile printing & wi-fi

Wireless connectivity allows users to print their documents from a wide range of devices anytime, anywhere, while still ensuring the security of your network. Users can utilise smartphones or tablets to access settings such as paper size, orientation, duplexing, input tray, even stapling and password-protected printing, making the experience intuitive.

Integrated cloud & internet connectivity

Upload scanned documents or retrieve documents for printing, with many file formats supported from Dropbox and Google Drive. Internet connectivity allows automated error alerts, consumable reordering and meter readings, as well as the ability to access online apps and tutorials from the device.

Local document storage

Most devices offer around 1.5GB RAM and a 250GB hard drive as standard. This enables users to store regularly printed documents direct on the MFD to improve efficiency.

Security & wastage

Modern MFDs and associated document management software enable businesses to reduce the risk of documents being seen or shared with unauthorised people as well as lowering wastage.

Scalable basic workflow

With electronic document-management solutions, users can implement task automation such as quickly and easily scanning thousands of documents, which can be converted into a variety of formats and emailed to relevant staff and managers for sign-off.

Efficiency

The number of pages that can be scanned has increased from 35 colour pages per minute to more than 180 colour pages per minute, enabling faster digitisation of documents. Less time is also wasted waiting for first-time prints with recovery times after sleep mode down to less than 10 seconds.

Outsource less printing

Print more in-house with the ability to handle thicker media (up to 300 gsm), envelopes, glossed documents, intricate labelling and a variety of paper-size requirements up to SRA3.

Ricoh Australia