Remotely Troubleshooting Copiers -- No Visit Required (Maybe)
When copiers and printers go down, employees get annoyed and productivity drops, especially in paper-intensive offices.
While Texans do enjoy saying “everything is bigger in Texas,” those wide-open spaces and the sheer size of the state can mean that it takes longer for your copier service technician to reach you (and we don’t allow them to speed!).
The first person to hear about a malfunctioning printer is usually someone on the IT team.
If you ever want to annoy your IT team, tell them the printer is down.
It’s like fingernails on a chalkboard for them.
Not only are they usually not qualified to fix anything other than the simplest issues, but troubleshooting copiers means they have to stop what they’re doing to help you.
That keeps them from focusing on keeping the network secure, improving processes, and the 1,001 other tasks IT performs.
You also often end up calling your copier partner for support anyway.
Enter Remote Troubleshooting
Today’s copiers are connected to the Internet and can be managed remotely.
Let’s say the printer in the main office area stops printing or starts making a funny thumping sound. While the funny thumping sound is probably mechanical in nature and requires an on-site visit, software issues can (potentially) be fixed remotely.
Instead of waiting for your service tech to drive across the prairie, they can log in, diagnose the issue, and push a fix. You return to work faster. There’s less carbon in the air from a car ride not taken. Everyone wins.
Even if they can’t fix the issue remotely, they can collect more detailed information before they address the issue in person. This allows them to ensure they have any potential parts or supplies they might need to fix the issue before they take off, meaning they can fix the issue in a single visit instead of going to your office, realizing they don’t have the part, retrieving (or ordering) the part, and then returning the next day (or the day after) to finally get your equipment working again.
Self-Serve Monitoring
Xerox has a new app, Universal Printing Assistant. With it, you no longer have to physically check each device for paper or ink/toner, for an error.
If your company monitors its own office equipment (rather than working with a managed print services partner), this app can save you some serious time throughout the week, especially if you have multiple devices located throughout your office building.
Receive alerts about low paper or toner and order toner directly without having to guess what you need -- it’s all right there for you.
By the way, this is similar to the functionality we use as part of our PrintSmart managed print services. PrintSmart lets us know when we need to proactively deliver toner to your office or schedule a maintenance visit BEFORE you experience any copier/printer downtime.
There are also client dashboards for self-service and remote troubleshooting for in-house IT departments responsible for managing office equipment.
There you have it. Do it yourself or outsourcing via managed print services, remotely troubleshooting your copiers and printers will save you time and increase productivity.
Contact us or visit Xerox for a complete list of Xerox multifunction printers compatible with this functionality.
