While the first multifunction printers were developed for home use and small business use, more and more medium and large companies are starting to see the benefits of these multifunction devices. All-in-one printers combine multiple capabilities such as fax messaging, scanning, copying and printing in one single unit. In this article we will discuss the many advantages of multifunction printers.

The convenience advantage

When you talk about office automation; multifunction printers are exactly that. These devices offer the convenience of real multitasking, giving you features that you may not have had if you had opted for standalone devices, especially when you run a small business or work from home. For instance, you may not have intended to purchase a fax machine, but now you are able to send and receive fax messages without the additional cost. The same goes for the scanning and copying functions of the machine. They are added bonuses, complementary services if you will; offering you various levels of convenience.

The cost saving advantage

Of course there is the cost saving advantage as the multifunction printer does everything that would otherwise need to be done by an additional three standalone devices. The purchase price of a multifunction printer is a bit higher than a traditional one, but it is nowhere near the amount you would pay for a separate printer plus all the additional devices; allowing you to enjoy all the features at a fraction of the cost. You also save on maintenance costs in the process.

The space saving advantage

One of the biggest advantages by far is the fact that your multifunction printer saves a lot of space, which is great if you have a small office or if you’re working from home. Instead of having to create space for your printer and your fax and your copier and your scanner, you can now enjoy all the different types of functionalities at one central point.

The power saving advantage

Multifunction printers only require one power cable, eliminating ‘cable spaghetti’. All-in-one devices also use less power than if you were to operate several standalone machines simultaneously, leading to increased savings when it comes to electricity usage.

Disadvantages

There are some disadvantages to multifunction devices as well. One of them is the fact that if something goes wrong, everything goes wrong. If there is a problem with the printer, for instance, it can result in all other features failing as well; if you have run out of toner, it will affect the printer, the fax, and the copier. Also, the overall performance quality of these all-in-one machines is generally not as top-notch compared to individual machines.

Multifunction devices enable you to enjoy every possible office function from one device which is a great space saving and cost saving option for small office setups. Multifunction printers also provide convenient centralised document management facilities in a larger office environment.