Switching photocopier and printer providers is something many businesses know would be beneficial but often delay because of concerns about disruption.
Whether you are an SME, a growing organisation, a large multi-site operation, a charity, a school or a public-sector team, photocopiers and multifunction devices play a central role in daily workflows.
Even a small amount of downtime can slow operations or affect customer service, but with the right planning, it is possible to switch with no downtime at all.
John Behan, a director at SOS Group, explains: “There are many compelling reasons why businesses and organisations consider changing providers.
“Generally though, the only reason for delaying making that change is concern over the transition.
“Many businesses worry that switching printer copier providers will lead to downtime, disruption or unnecessary complications. But with the right partner, the process is smooth, structured and stress-free.
“SOS Group have successfully guided organisations of all sizes through seamless provider switches with minimal effort on their part.
“We have the technical expertise, engineering resource and systems needed to support complex installations and multi-device environments, while always maintaining the personalised service our clients value.”
SOS Group can help with all aspects of changing photocopier and printer providers, beginning by interpreting current contract details and carrying out a print audit to ensure the next setup is aligned with current and future needs.
At this point, many businesses are surprised to discover they are paying for functions they no longer use or missing out on newer features that could support their teams better.
John continues: “Planning is vital for ensuring business needs are met, and also for preventing any disruption during the changeover. We can provide a simple step by step approach to all of this.
“For instance, every organisation has certain hours or days that are quieter than others.
“We’re flexible and can respond to our clients’ needs, installing outside normal office hours, whether that’s early morning, evenings, weekends or during scheduled downtime or holidays.
“Working with businesses to install equipment at a time when output would not be affected, especially for organisations that rely on highvolume daily printing, ensures the kind of seamless transition we pride ourselves on.
“And clients can also keep existing devices active while we install and configure new equipment.
“This approach allows businesses to continue working normally throughout the transition and is a very effective way to avoid downtime.”
This parallel-run strategy includes installing new devices before removing old ones, configuring print queues, scan destinations and security settings, testing device performance across teams and departments and confirming workflows match business requirements.
Old equipment is only removed when the new devices are fully functional and tested, and this overlap ensures there is no interruption to productivity at any stage.
However, even the most intuitive devices can introduce unfamiliar workflows, so training is an essential element to ensure every team member feels confident from day one.
SOS Group can offer on-site demonstrations, user-friendly guides, followup support, remote Service Desk access and ongoing training for new staff.
Modern photocopiers can also process and store sensitive information through address books, user authentication settings, scan workflows and cached data, so ensuring a secure transition is vital.
SOS Group recently transitioned their ISO 27001 accreditation to 27001:2022, updating the highly prized IT security accreditation they have held since 2020.
As such, they are perfectly placed to manage secure wiping of old devices, GDPR-compliant data handling, configuration of secure print release, encrypted scanning pathways and user and role-based permissions.
This protects client data while ensuring new devices function securely from day one.
John adds: “Once the transition is complete for our clients, proactive monitoring is one of the best ways to maintain uptime. Managed Print Services include continuous oversight that detects issues early and keeps toner and parts replenished automatically.
“For growing businesses or multi-site organisations, this level of support provides peace of mind and helps prevent the same issues that led to the provider switch in the first place.
“This not only avoids downtime during the switch but also leads to a more efficient and reliable print environment in the long term.”
SOS Group can provide a no cost, no commitment conversation to establish your exact needs and requirements. Call us now on 0345 2308080 or email us at info@sosgrooup-ltd.co.uk and we can show you how switching is easy.