Construction is one of the top performing industries in the United States. In spite of, or perhaps even because of, COVID-19, this industry has swiftly adapted to recent social and economic upheaval. As many industry sectors struggled through the last quarter of 2020, private development of single-family homes and construction for home improvements surged. “The biggest differentiator for builders and developers this year is likely to be technology in construction—specifically, the innovations that can enhance efficiency,” predicts Neda Imbimbo, CFO at BigRentz.
The use of drones, block chain technology, and Augmented Reality (AR) in construction may have once seemed like science fiction. But in 2021 these technologies are becoming ever more prevalent. Block chain technology, for instance, supports smart contracts. This enables multiple contractors on a project to share one system to buy, track, and pay for services.
Drones provide a literal birds-eye view—so companies can track, map, survey, inspect, and manage worksites more efficiently and safely. Using goggles, masks, or glasses, AR combines the real world and the virtual, enabling contractors to “see” the exact location, size, and style of elements like windows, doors, plumbing, HVAC, and electrical components. In the midst of the pandemic, Mobile Technology allows workers to use their mobile phone camera for applications like real-time inspections and on-site surveillance.
As industry experts assert this is just the tip of the iceberg, large format printing technology—with its strong track record in the construction industry—continues to flourish. “One thing that has changed over the years is the process of how construction plans are shared among subcontractors,” explains TAVCO VP Kevin Vaughn. To bid a job past, architects and general contractors had to print multiple sets of plans and distribute them to subcontractors. Now, using PDFs, “They can dispense these files digitally via an online plan room. This enables them to quickly share the file with their Subs and other parties while greatly reducing overhead,” says Vaughn.
Copiers Plus is especially enthusiastic about Canon’s imagePROGRAF TX Series, an economical large format printing solution for architects, general contractors, and subcontractors alike. Core technologies of the imagePROGRAF TX Series printers include a proprietary ink system, print head, and mechanical platform, all designed to produce images that are exceptionally accurate so the integrity of the scale remains intact on blueprints and schematics. The following features make this versatile series a smart choice for construction companies large and small, assuring fast, high-quality large format image capture-to-output.
With major construction projects underway in North Carolina, as well as numerous single-family homes and home remodeling projects, Copiers Plus is pleased to provide the technological expertise the industry demands.
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Below is an article written by Drew and shared on the GWBJ Insights page.
This November marks 35 years of Copiers Plus being in operation and serving clients with their office technology needs. It all started on November 3rd, 1985 in Fayetteville, North Carolina when Bob Smith decided to embark on a new journey in the industry he had been in for over 25 years. While many said he was crazy to start a business at the age of 50, he knew there was a need for good customer service and that his model of local support for customers could be effective.
During the first year, Jackie Smith, Bob’s wife joined to help with administrative duties. After a year in business, Copiers Plus began to grow, adding another generation of Smiths in the form of Tim Smith, Bob’s son, to join the sales team. Additionally, Bob’s daughter, Leslie Smith, came on board in 1988 to help with billing. As the family affair began to bloom, technology in the office equipment landscape evolved at a rapid pace. With the rise in sales and deliveries, Copiers Plus upgraded their old station wagon in for a delivery van in 1987.
The incremental but steady growth continued for the company as they began to take more and more of the office building they were in. In 1991 they added the middle office in the building and by 1995 had taken over the whole building. By early 2000, plans had been made to expand once again, with a brand new building. In order to satisfy a growing need for warehouse and office space from growing sales, the brand new 8,000 sqft building on the old Jaycee fairgrounds site near downtown Fayetteville was completed in December of 2000. The move provided the much needed resources to retain talent and house necessary supplies and equipment to better serve the needs of clients in a territory that was beginning to expand.
In 2001, the staff had increased to 15 people and in the next year the company made another big growth initiative by increasing their offerings into Raleigh. With a new office and the emerging color copier offering, Copiers Plus was readying to compete on a much larger scale. By evolving with new technology, the company was able to act as consultants for businesses by instructing them on what was coming next and how they could plan accordingly. This was definitely the case when copiers went digital. Being able to offer a solution to a customer that they could use to not only save money but also become more productive was a win-win. By marketing scanning and color printing, Copiers Plus was able to grow their workforce by 40 percent from their 2001 levels in 2006. This growth would continue that year with an additional office being instituted in the city of Wilmington.
In 2008, many businesses around the country fell victim to the recession, though Copiers Plus was able to continue their success by not only adding employees but adding an additional branch in Greensboro in March of 2008. By 2011, the company began looking into new initiatives that would be fixtures in the industry and what they found was Managed Print Services. This program emphasized the management and systemization of everything that prints within an organization, not just copiers. By helping customers eliminate costly ink-jet devices with toner based commercial options, Copiers Plus was able to bring cost savings to clients still recovering from the lean economic years.
In February of 2013, Copiers Plus became an organization with representation from the mountains to the coast, with their addition of an office in Asheville. The following year would bring about exciting changes as well, as I (Drew Smith), Bob’s grandson, joined the sales team and brought the company to three active generations. That same month, Taylor Fuqua came on board to spearhead the Managed Print Services division and help it reach the next level of outreach and innovation it enjoys today. With 2015 came two more family members joining the team, Roger Miller, the husband of Bob’s granddaughter Stephanie, and Bob’s son, David Smith. Roger joined the team in Fayetteville to help with sales while David came on board as Vice President of Administration.
With the emerging field of document solutions in the mid 2010’s, Copiers Plus began to take on another arena of offerings. By examining how their customers were handling their documents instead of just how they wanted to print, Copiers Plus was now able to increase productivity for clients and their workflows. This increased productivity allowed for higher security levels, alternatives to fax lines, and increased personalization and collaboration measures for employees through integration with the cloud. With the increased importance on the digital arena and simplified communication, Copiers Plus decided to rebrand with a new logo and website in 2017 with a rollout at a company kickoff in February 2018. With their new look and increased capabilities for their website, Copiers Plus once again was able to position themselves to fiercely compete in the office technology landscape.
To date, Copiers Plus has 51 full time employees and has been able to keep everyone fully employed throughout the pandemic currently plaguing the nation. The delivery fleet that once was just a station wagon is now up to four Sprinter vans and a box truck. The company has been awarded by Kyocera Document Solutions the Premier Dealer award 14 times and the ENX Magazine Elite Dealer award the past two years. In 2020, Business North Carolina Magazine recognized Copiers Plus as a Best Employer in NC. It has been an incredible storyline over the past 35 years for Copiers Plus, and the fun is just beginning as is the technology and hopefully, future generations.
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Years from now—once the scourge of COVID-19 is in our rear-view window—US economists and public health experts will have the luxury of musing retrospectively on the high cost, both in lives and livelihoods, of the 2020 pandemic. They’ll also look back on a residential real estate boom that provided a remarkable bright spot in an otherwise dismal economy.
Today, ten months into the pandemic, realtors are racking up figures that rival those prior to the 2008 housing market meltdown. “I’m having one of the best sales years ever,” said Wilmington realtor Zulima Devia at Re/Max Realty “It’s buyers all across the board: from first-time homebuyers to people buying second homes for vacation getaways, to people moving south or out of big cities; they want more space and to maintain safety amidst the pandemic.”
According to a new report from real estate brokerage firm Redfin, “half of this year’s hot neighborhoods are clustered in Virginia, Florida, North Carolina, and Tennessee.” These areas are receiving the greatest year-over-year page views on websites. The National Association of Realtors includes Charlotte, NC, and Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill areas among the nation’s Top 10 housing markets in 2020.
Along with the challenges of COVID-19 protocols, realtors must keep pace with customers clamoring for higher-end home features in more affordable markets. “COVID-19 has accelerated the use of technology,” said Devia. “The virtual open house is now the standard rather than something used just for ultra-high-end properties.”
Closings are increasingly conducted virtually with minimal contact, perhaps with just the buyer and title clerk or attorney present in one location. Even so, real estate transactions are notoriously paper-intensive. Closing documents contain sensitive customer information like signed applications, disclosure forms and financials, affidavits, assignment of liens, purchase or sales agreements. All of this must remain secure and organized for retrieval at a later time.
To that end, Kyocera’s suite of Managed Document Services (MDS), optimizes realtors’ document environment, converting that endless stream of paper into digital formats. The suite breaks down into these flexible phases:
With managed document solutions, real estate agencies reduce the costs of filing, searching, and retrieving documents. This also substantially eliminates the chance of lost or missing documents.
As nearly half (46%) of Americans are considering a move this year, Copiers Plus is pleased to offer our area realtors excellence in both products and service—helping them to thrive in this competitive marketplace.
COVID-19 has disrupted our work and family life like no other crisis in recent history. With many more parents working from home and a hodge-podge of school re-opening plans underway across the country, the concept of “Back to School” remains elusive. And whether schools opt for in-person, remote, or hybrid teaching models, parents are scrambling to keep work and school schedules on track amidst a pandemic.
“We’re all making hard choices,” said Keith Oberman, V.P. of sales at Copiers Plus. “Every decision involves a risk/benefits analysis. We’re used to applying this practice in business, but when it comes to the health and safety of our kids, of our teachers and families, it’s exceptionally complicated.”
In North Carolina, state-wide guidance issued on October 5, 2020 provided elementary (K-5) schools a choice of three options:
Plan A.
Schools must implement important safety measures, including face coverings, social distancing, symptom screening, and cleaning. However, there is no requirement to reduce the number of children in the classroom.
Plan B.
A modified Plan B allows children to attend school in person but requires fewer children in the classroom. Both plans A and B allow local school districts to provide a remote-learning option for any child who chooses it.
Plan C.
Parents can also choose an all-remote learning option for their child if they feel this is best.
If this sounds stressful or confusing to you, you are not alone. Individual districts and even individual schools are making—and changing—plans in real time, depending upon case numbers in each community.
Still, even amidst a predominance of uncertainty, public health experts provide some simple mitigation strategies for safely bringing children and teachers back to brick-and-mortar schooling. The CDC has created a color-coded chart to simplify key indicators and thresholds for school openings.
Mitigation Strategies to Reduce Transmission Include:
In addition, the Strong Schools NC Public Health Toolkit outlines requirements for opening schools, including:
A recent study from Brown University suggests that schools aren’t necessarily the super-spreader environments we fear. Further, some doctors and public health advocates believe there are “powerful arguments for in-person schooling wherever possible, particularly for younger students and those with special needs,” as discussed in the October 14, 2020 briefing by the Infectious Diseases Society of America.
“Copiers Plus is a third-generation family business,” said Oberman, “so we’re especially aware of the difficulties families are facing now. This is uncharted territory for all of us. The bottom line? We remain committed to providing the same product and service expertise our customers deserve. Especially now.”
More than seven months into the COVID19 pandemic, American industry still faces a daunting dilemma: how to safely return employees to the workplace. Even while some (primarily white collar) business sectors have swiftly pivoted to remote work, others are hard pressed to resume or ramp up in-person services. Health experts are increasingly focused on preventing airborne transmission of COVID19 as more workers return to their offices.
“Believe me,” said Keith Oberman, V.P. of sales at Copiers Plus, “this is not a concern that any of our customers can afford to take lightly. There’s a lot of strategy that goes into reconfiguring indoor space and deploying safety protocols. And it’s not a one-size-fits-all proposition either.”
Harvard Medical professor, Edward Nardell, warns that inside buildings, social distancing may not be enough to prevent the spread of COVID19. While increasing ventilation inside can be effective in slowing transmission, Nardell stresses that ventilation systems in many corporate settings limit how much fresh air can be brought in. New studies show links between HVAC systems and the spread of COVID19.
To counter spreading virus particles via heating and air conditioning systems, Nardell recommends two scientifically-proven methods.
Commercial germicidal lamps, first developed by Westinghouse in the 1930s for hospitals, employ ultraviolet light (UVC) to kill floating pathogens. Researchers at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, using far (overhead) UVC light, have demonstrated effectiveness in killing airborne particles of COVID19. This technology is ideal for indoor spaces like offices, gyms, and schools, where germicidal lights should be placed high overhead. Here, air in the “upper-room,” carried by natural convection flow, is constantly disinfected by UVC irradiation.
Reconfiguring HVAC systems to increase the exchange rate to bring in more fresh air to recirculate is part of the second solution. High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters play an important role in trapping harmful particles. HEPA captures 99% or more of viruses that are .3 microns or larger according to Qingyan Chen, professor of mechanical engineering at Purdue University.
There is a growing body of evidence that COVID19 is spread by both large and small particles. The average size of a coronavirus particle is .3 microns. Breathing and talking generate particles around 1 micron in size. The smaller the particle, the further it is able to drift.
In many buildings, HVAC systems use lower-quality air filters, which might catch just 20% to 40% of viruses passing through, said Chen. In fighting COVID19, it’s especially important to install air filters with an improved Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) between 13 and 15. MERV ratings range from one to sixteen, with sixteen being the best.
Indoor humidity is an additional piece of the puzzle. Stephanie Taylor, infection control consultant at Harvard Medical School, is advancing regulatory standards for humidity levels in commercial buildings to improve indoor air quality. Current recommendations are between 40% and 60%.
“We understand that our customers are under enormous pressure to bring their employees back into a safe and efficient workplace,” said Oberman at Copiers Plus. “Facilities managers are making big—and often expensive—changes. As always, our goal is to provide targeted solutions for document management and managed print services. We strive to provide ongoing services and consultation–not just a one-time fix.”
Below is an article written by Drew and shared on the GWBJ Insights page.
Many offices are accustomed to having copiers, printers and scanners as tools to stay productive and streamline both hardcopy and digital processes. Though, only a few offices take advantage of large format printing through wide format printers. Many times, businesses will rely on print shops to serve their oversized print needs even though the cost comes at a premium and is subject to the timetable of the printer. In this article, we will take a look at some of the possibilities your organization could bring in house through a wide format printer.
Are there ever times when you are in a brainstorming meeting and wish you could just draw your idea out or not have to wait for the note taker to type everything? Sometimes the most organic and stimulating meetings are when everyone is able to write their ideas out. Having the ability to print diagrams, charts or calendars could assist in this process by giving structure to your conversations. Another good fit would be analyzing large graphics, models or blueprints. It is one thing to see them on a small piece of paper or screen but imagine 36 inches of details at your team’s fingertips.
A key feature of some wide format printers is the ability to scan documents. Scanning can be invaluable for helping archive meeting notes or on-site changes/notes to a blueprint. The devices are even adapted to a variety of file types that include: DWF, DWG, CAD, PDF, TIFF and more. Some models even feature a USB port to make printing and scanning possible without a network connection.
Whether you have a storefront business or just a need to share your products, large format printing can help. No longer will you have to wait to change your signs, you can do them on the fly. Maybe you are a brewery or restaurant and could have signage advertising your beer selections, food truck schedules, or live music schedules. While indoor signage is most popular, you can also create temporary outdoor signage via the specialized ink available in certain models.
If you create products, then you most likely provide instructions or additional information in the packaging. Large format printing is perfect for creating the space you need to fully explain complex steps in a layout that can be folded and lightweight. You can also create stunning posters that display your products in a custom way in your showroom or around town. Additionally, in this time of dealing with COVID-19, there are plenty of protocols companies must take to operate safely. You can use signage and other large format outputs to more effectively communicate these policies and procedures to your employees and visitors.
Some Examples of Large Format Printing Opportunities
Sometimes bigger is better! If you are outsourcing large format jobs or just haven’t thought about how you can maximize your messaging both internally and externally through this technology, we would love to help you. We can brainstorm and craft a plan that works best for your organization’s needs and budget. Give us a call today at 800-648-7081 or click the link below to request an appointment.
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Many details go into a copier price that can fluctuate in your specific case, though on average you can expect an office copier cost to be $7,000 to purchase. Commercial copy machines have come a long way since the days of opening up the platen cover to place a document on the glass to make a photocopy, though that option is still available. Now, you can scan documents directly to a subfolder within your cloud storage platform or print in Pantone matching color, all with a copier machine. Below are some elements to consider in your commercial copy machine cost equation.
An office with three employees periodically needing to print throughout the day will require different capabilities than say a 20-person office sharing a common copy room copier. Some situations call for multiple devices or a blend of copiers and printers. It is very important to understand your office layout and what kind of printing initiatives you want to implement before investing in a business copy machine.
Do you know the difference between ledger and legal paper? Ledger-sized paper is 11x17 inches, while legal is 8.5x14 inches. Ledger paper has phased out in popularity over the years but still serves a purpose and is ideal for excel spreadsheets that may need to be printed or creating workbooks. The reasoning behind why you need to know whether you need ledger or legal is because it can help define the best copier machine for your workplace. A3 devices allow you the capability to print up to 12x18 sized paper while newer devices termed A4, scale down the paper output capability to legal size and achieve a smaller footprint in size and usually cost.
Much like before, comparing the three-person office to the 20-person, knowing the amount of prints/copies your office does in a day or month helps identify which device is right for you. Say you are a 10-person office and on average each person prints to the copy machine between 100-200 times a month. With this volume, the speed of the device is lesser of an issue though it would be a question worth asking by the vendor. Suppose you printed 20% of your volume each month in casual one or two-page jobs but the other 80% were large jobs of 30 or more pages. It would then make sense to at least consider a device that could get the jobs done quicker so employees were not spending prolonged time periods waiting for their jobs to finish.
The commercial copy machine is useless without accessories like the paper tray, paper feeder, and even the stand it sits on (if not a desktop model). Usually, a base model copier machine consists of at least one paper tray, either a reversing paper feeder or automatic paper feeder (scans 2-sided documents in a single pass), and a stand. These features alone may give you all you need, but it is important to address the needs of your user group and not just take the word of the salesperson selling you a particular device. Do you need faxing capabilities? Would having multiple paper trays be beneficial so you don’t have to load proposal paper or checks into the tray each time you need to print them? Would you like to have stapling, hole punching, or booklet-making capabilities? Knowing the finishing options available and what you need or desire, is a key factor in determining the cost of your copier machine because it is additional equipment that must be attached and properly set up, therefore, adding more cost.
Copy machines these days are for all intents and purposes, computers that print. Being connected and integrated with technology is more important than ever before. The ability to scan directly into your ERM or CRM or the ability to sign in to Microsoft SharePoint at the device with a pin code or ID badge are just a few of the options copiers in today’s age afford you. But every good thing comes with a cost and often these are hard to know without understanding the scope of your organization. Implementing tailored software solutions is a level of professional services that should be considered outside of the “equipment” cost of the contract but should still be considered in the totality of your investment.
This price is probably the most important, or at least we think it is. Ensuring that you have a device that works for your needs is great until it starts not working. Making sure you are covered by a reputable and qualified company to keep your equipment operational provides insurance of sorts to make sure you are not liable for expenses such as drum replacements, preventative maintenance, board repair or replacements, users, or any other expensive unforeseen problem that may come up due to no fault of your users. In addition, most service contracts will cover the consumables such as toner and waste toner in their costs. That means that you no longer have to spend time or money ordering ink or toner on Amazon, it’s already taken care of. Many dealers will also monitor your devices remotely and know whether the toner is getting low or if other problems may be on the horizon. It is not uncommon for us to send toner directly to a customer before them being alerted by their copier because of the monitoring and reporting available through our service plans.
Color printing is very popular and for some, a necessity. However, it comes at a steeper cost both on the equipment cost and service side. With a color copier, some more moving parts and consumables have to be accounted for. With the addition of cyan, magenta, and yellow toner cartridges, the color devices will have exponentially higher ink costs than that of a pure black-and-white device. While color copy machines are more expensive, there are ways to utilize economical printing practices to help offset some of the maintenance and supplies costs of the devices. Before diving into a device, it is important to decipher your office needs concerning color output.
Most service agreements are structured with a contracted amount of volume for a set period (monthly, quarterly, etc.). If you go over these set amounts, you are billed for the overage. These rates vary and are based on per-copy pricing for the machine you have. Color overage is more expensive because it is more expensive when you run a color copy versus a black-and-white copy. While overages are something to consider, they are not necessarily a bad thing. If you over-contract yourself in terms of allowances and end up not using nearly what your contract was based on, that is a sunk cost. But if you end up paying overages, at least you are paying for something you actually used. Either way, when considering the investment required, spend time on how much, or little, you want to contract in terms of allowances.
If you have already invested in a commercial copier before, there may be obligations you must adhere to that will affect your costs. Leasing is a very popular avenue for companies investing in copiers. It provides a monthly payment and the flexibility to stay more up-to-date with technology by allowing organizations to upgrade to a newer model without an upfront lump sum. Buyouts occur when you are trying to end your current lease agreement and offer different avenues you can take. If you are leaving your current vendor, the buyout will be more expensive, although it can be rolled into a new lease with your new vendor. If you choose to stay with your current vendor, you can utilize the upgrade option with the same leasing company, which will allow you to have a lesser amount due for cutting your obligation short since you are staying with the same leasing company. While buyouts can get confusing and have contractual language and timelines you must be aware of, the most important thing to note is that they will increase the cost of your investment until you completely pay it off.
While this will not be an exact science, it is a transparent approach to show you how to plan for and better understand a copier contract. There are many different factors to consider when addressing pricing, many of which I have mentioned above. With that being said, I have broken down the devices into subgroups of base, intermediate and advanced. The base group is devices in the 20 page per minute (ppm) to 40ppm range. The intermediate group is 41ppm-60ppm and the advanced will run 61ppm-80ppm (90ppm for B/W).
The following prices are ranges based on our experience and findings. It is important to note that we are a North Carolina business and that prices may vary from state to state. These are models that are equipped with a document feeder, stand, and two paper trays. Additional accessories were not added for the sake of pricing since they are costs that are not necessary for all users.
Scenario 1: Black & White copier contract that is allotted 3,000 B/W copies a month. Based on 60-month lease pricing. **No Buyout Included**
| B/W Copier | Base | Intermediate | Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|
| A3 | $146.43 | $157.20 | $300 |
| A4 | $96.80 | $101.50 | N/A |
Scenario 2: Color copier contract that is allotted 3,000 B/W copies and 1,000 color copies a month. Based on 60-month lease pricing. **No Buyout Included**
| Color Copier | Base | Intermediate | Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|
| A3 | $242.93 | $304.70 | $359 |
| A4 | $217.80 | $221.50 | N/A |
For the following charts, the following data was used. They are represented as part of a 60-month lease amount:
| Average Prices | Base | Intermediate | Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|
| A3 - B/W Service | $103.54 | $84.17 | $77.38 |
| A4 - B/W Service | $108.18 | $85.03 | N/A |
| A3 - Color Service | $338.75 | $316.75 | $278.50 |
| A4 - Color Service | $349.75 | $316.75 | N/A |
| A3 – B/W Equipment | $108.33 | $120 | $270 |
| A4 – B/W Equipment | $57.50 | $70 | N/A |
| A3 – Color Equipment | $133.3 | $200 | $360 |
| A4 – Color Equipment | $105 | $122.50 | N/A |
For additional subgroups and detailed breakdowns, download our pricing guide. In this guide, you will explore scenarios such as A3 vs. A4 devices, B/W vs. color, service pricing based on monthly usage, and the average cost to lease a copier in the subcategories of base, intermediate and advanced.
At Copiers Plus, we help you prioritize your organization’s goals and work alongside you to put an office solution strategy in place that can help propel your productivity while maintaining harmony with your budget. If you would like to further examine your current copier leasing contract or investigate the next steps towards what one could look like for your organization, we would love to help you. Reach out to us at 800-648-7081 or click the button below to request an appointment.
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With cases of COVID-19 increasing across North Carolina—and indeed throughout many regions of our nation and the world—businesses large and small are seeking ways to safely re-open offices. Bringing employees back into the workplace amidst a pandemic requires, at minimum, a plan for infectious disease preparedness and response. And while guidance from governmental entities like the CDC and OSHA have provided guidelines, these are neither standards or regulations governed by federal law.
“The bottom line,” said Kevin Oberman, V.P. of sales at Copiers Plus, “is that, no matter the sector, management is responsible for developing policies and procedures that align with state and municipal regulations; that’s going to look very different from one office environment to another, depending on lots of variables.”
According to the World Economic Forum, the communications that employers deliver to their staff will be “among the most important information they get about this epidemic.” The Edelman Trust Barometer confirms “a person’s own employer is the most trusted of all social messengers… the tone, accuracy and relevance of employers’ advice can make all the difference between calm and panic.” Communications should be clear and concise with transparency serving as the guiding principle. For example, management should outline all policies and procedures regarding:
When it comes to preventing the spread of COVID-19, experts agree the most cost-effective measures are often the simplest and most successful. Before offices reopen, management should:
“We’re seeing lots of creativity in the way managers are addressing office layout and shared equipment such as multi-function printers with high-touch surfaces,” said Oberman. “Many of our customers are re-designing office space that embraces collaboration technology and remote work.” This includes investing in Blue tooth technology for in-person conferencing, personal tablets, laptops, and phones for employees so they aren’t sharing keyboards. Occupancy sensors, voice recognition software, and touchless, app-controlled elevators are also increasingly in demand.
Global real estate company Cushman & Wakefield has designed and implemented the Six Feet Office, in compliance with the six feet distance rule mandated by many governments. Central to the plan are a plethora of signs including circles around desks; directional arrows in corridors; and those encouraging workers to walk clockwise.
From the outset of the pandemic, technology has played a crucial role in enabling businesses to pivot efficiently. Collaboration suites like Microsoft Teams and OneDrive, that allow employees to work in real-time, as well as secure, remote access with multi-factor authentication, will continue to be essential. “There’s no going back to the old ‘normal’ anytime soon,” said Oberman, but at Copiers Plus our goal remains the same: to provide excellence in sales and service, supporting our customers, especially in these challenging times.”
As Covid-19 cases spike in many states across the U.S., small- to mid-size businesses are finding it especially tough to keep pace with the shifting tide of public health recommendations and regulations. Among the first business sectors to re-open, restaurants are on the front line of the pandemic. With each passing week, restaurant owners must balance concern for the health of their employees and patrons, along with the economic feasibility of new business models and—increasingly—the possibility of additional closures and restrictions.
“Despite these unprecedented challenges, we’ve seen remarkable examples of ingenuity here in Wilmington and the beaches,” said Kevin Oberman, V.P. of Sales at Copiers Plus. “Some restaurants that were primarily dine-in have shifted exclusively to curbside pick-up and delivery. That might sound simple but there are lots of moving parts to this transition, a lot of changes in operations, communications, and technology.”
This may involve creating around-the-clock shifts to accommodate social distancing for employees prepping food and to meet the increased demands and quick turn-around on carry-out orders. While many restaurants streamlined their ordering processes with apps like GrubHub, DoorDash, and Seamless, long before the pandemic, contactless ordering and payment has taken on much greater significance now.
For restaurants offering outdoor seating, a transition from laminated to disposable menus is a safer option. Desk-top printers are being pressed into service for this application, along with on-the-fly communications with staff about changing protocols. In the Kyocera ECOSYS series, mobile printing gives restaurant owners the flexibility of wireless/remote access in an affordable, compact product line.
According to a recent post on Eater: “Broadly, restaurants are encouraged—or ordered—to reduce capacity and space out tables, but the exact rules vary from state to state, and with no universal guidance, restaurants are left to design their own protocols for creating safe spaces for their employees and customers.” This makes communications one of the most important aspects of operating a restaurant through the Covid-19 crisis.
The marketing platform Constant Contact recommends frequent, clearly articulated messaging for both employees and patrons.
These updates should contain basic information like:
One restaurant staple in Wilmington has embraced this robust communications strategy by using an app for no-contact customer ordering and by having employees post daily updates to the restaurant’s Facebook and Instagram pages.
Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommend on-site signs and messaging in highly visible locations like entrances and restrooms, promoting protective measures like hand-washing and the proper use of face coverings. Restaurant owners can access free CDC print and digital resources at the bars and restaurant page, as well as on CDC’s communications resources main page.
“While the dynamics change from day to day,” said Oberman, “our goal is to support our customers through this challenging time. We see Copiers Plus as a resource for organizations large and small. Keeping employees and customers safe and healthy while promoting smart business practices—that’s the bottom line.”
With the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic, businesses the world over are traveling uncharted territory as they struggle to remain economically viable and—equally important—keep their employees and customers safe and healthy. In the U.S., we’ve seen an aggressive shift to electronic payment systems such as Apple Pay, Venmo, and PayPal, a direct response to the unprecedented spread of infection and virus-related deaths. And while cash has been at the heart of the American economy for over 200 years, seemingly overnight, this has changed for businesses and individuals alike.
Enterprising retailers, restaurants, and service providers are deploying strategies for contact-free (or limited contact) transactions, all anchored by electronic payment systems with no cash changing hands. Simultaneously, technologies like PIN pads at grocery stores for credit card payments and Square—that staple of craft fair vendors and other micro-business owners—are suddenly suspect. Who wants to touch a surface that so many others have touched? This April, the regional grocery chain Publix Supermarkets, Inc., and its GreenWise Markets, rolled out contactless payment via Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, and Google Pay, for all of its 1,243 stores across the Southeast. Publix CEO Todd Jones cited safety and efficiency for this major shift in operations after resisting the move for years.
Touting digital payments as quick, clean, and easy, Fintech (financial technology) firms view the current crisis as an opportunity to promote and implement faster and safer financial transactions. And while banishing cash altogether may not yet be feasible (or necessarily prudent), Fintech thought leaders envision electronic payment systems accelerating across all sectors of commerce. With innovative technologies already in the pipeline, this transition seems imminent.
“We see this segue to electronic payments systems as a natural progression in business process automation,” said Tim Smith, General Manager at Copiers Plus. “So many of our customers are already using technology to automate repeatable, day-to-day tasks. Accounts payable and receivable are prime examples. Anytime a business can streamline a process, particularly when it comes to reducing or eliminating paper and bolstering best practices, efficiency is going to improve.”
Three Key Elements for business process automation include:
“But it’s not just about replacing paper with PDFs,” said Smith. “The goal with process automation is to produce a system that’s transparent, error-proof, and cost-efficient.”
Laserfiche, a multi-national leader in intelligent content management and business process automation, provides an exceptional case study for transforming the paper-intensive accounts payable method for the city of Boca Raton, Florida.
As the U.S. Treasury Department and the IRS continue to distribute urgently needed stimulus funds to Americans under the CARES Act, direct deposit and pre-paid debit cards will be favored over paper checks. At this time of uncertainty, these modes are undoubtably both faster and safer.
“On a macro level, it’s easy to see how electronic payment systems can make a huge impact,” said Smith. “But even on a local level, we see how nimble the professional, retail, and service sectors have been in this public health crisis. Copiers Plus stands ready to partner with these innovators as we face the ongoing business and human impacts of Covid-19.”
If you would like to learn more about how your organization can implement innovative business process automation we would love to help! Reach out to us at 800-648-7081 or via the button below.
