{"id":49129,"date":"2022-03-10T09:05:47","date_gmt":"2022-03-10T17:05:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/?p=49129"},"modified":"2022-03-10T09:05:51","modified_gmt":"2022-03-10T17:05:51","slug":"the-poor-mans-a3-feature-rich-enhancements-elevate-a4s-office-reputation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/feature-articles\/2022\/03\/the-poor-mans-a3-feature-rich-enhancements-elevate-a4s-office-reputation\/","title":{"rendered":"The Poor Man\u2019s A3? Feature-Rich Enhancements Elevate A4\u2019s Office Reputation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

While it is important to note the vitality of A3 devices as a critical component of today\u2019s office dealer portfolio, the continued inroads being made in the A4 landscape cannot be denied. A4 devices constitute a lion\u2019s share of placements in today\u2019s decentralized office as its makeup skews more and more toward hybrid operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s no denying that the once-humble A4 has upped its game on many fronts. In this installment of the March State of the Industry report, a number of the nation\u2019s leading dealers offer a glimpse into the factors that have spurred its growth in number and importance for today\u2019s office environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Sean Sullins, Prosource<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The increasing versatility of A4 devices has been one of the biggest growth catalysts, notes Sean Sullins, vice president of sales for Prosource of Cincinnati. Many manufacturers boast a full line of A4 products, and there are lower- and higher-speed devices that can slot into any number of categories within a customer\u2019s space. From the dealer standpoint, it enables companies like Prosource to have greater versatility and flexibility in device placements to meet customer needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe other big driver of growth has been the innovation that has taken place around the ability of A4 devices to support so many applications that help customers become more efficient and effective in how they get work done,\u201d Sullins remarked. \u201cThese applications enable organizations to customize their devices and digitize their processes right within the user interface, interacting with their existing software and systems and driving even more value.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Josh Salkin, EDGE Business Systems<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Josh Salkin, a partner with Atlanta-based EDGE Business Systems, recalls when A4 devices were considered inferior when stacked against the A3, particularly in terms of durability, functionality and cost per page. This is simply no longer the case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThese days, it\u2019s easy to offer a client who doesn\u2019t need 11×17\u201d capabilities a comparable A4 device to their legacy A3 and not impact their productivity,\u201d Salkin noted. \u201cScanning especially has become just as durable on some of the larger A4s and they run the same operating system, so we can still use embedded software products.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
AJ Baggott, RJ Young<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

With many clients constantly searching for simple, easy-to-implement solutions, A4 certainly addresses that need from the imaging side. AJ Baggott, COO for RJ Young of Nashville, Tennessee, notes that manufacturers have also taken steps to make it easier on end-users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPlug-and-play manufacturers with agnostic print drivers have seen higher revenue numbers than those with brand-specific drivers,\u201d he said. \u201cAlso, there has been an effort from manufacturers like Brother to standardize consumable inventories. Partners like Troy have developed enhanced security features in MICR ink, allowing for greater document security specifically with checks and legal paperwork.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Gregg Petrie, Copiers Northwest<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

While HP may have gotten the jump on industry manufacturers in the rollout of the A4 MFP, Gregg Petrie, president of Copiers Northwest in Seattle, believes other OEMs have either closed the gap or exceeded the former leader. He notes Canon as one example of a manufacturer that offers A4 devices that match the A3 family for speed, quality of scanning and finishing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Products with matching control panels on all devices, regardless of segment, add a touch of familiarity that makes it easier at the end-user level. Customers don\u2019t care as much about the A3\/A4 nuances as long as it is easy to use and hassle-free.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis contributes to the workflow and easy adoption by the end-users,\u201d Petrie said. \u201cThey don\u2019t really notice a change since they all look and feel the same.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Copiers Northwest is also doing its part to help clients from a tax perspective. \u201cLooking at the recent changes by the IRS, Copiers Northwest\u2019s MPS program really addresses the concerns of our customers on balance sheet exposure and have a device-as-a-service under our MPS program,\u201d Petrie added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Chip Miceli, Pulse Technology<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Speaking of the field of A4 providers, Chip Miceli, president and CEO of Pulse Technology in Schaumburg, Illinois, believes Epson has assumed the role of disruptor and bears watching. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey have a good product and are going about it in the marketplace the right way,\u201d he said. \u201cThey have made an impact and will make a larger one in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

While it is important to note the vitality of A3 devices as a critical component of today\u2019s office dealer portfolio, the continued inroads being made in the A4 landscape cannot be denied. A4 devices constitute a lion\u2019s share of placements in today\u2019s decentralized office as its makeup skews more and more toward hybrid operations. There\u2019s no denying that the once-humble A4 has upped its game on many fronts. In this installment of the March State of the Industry report, a number of the nation\u2019s leading dealers offer a glimpse into the factors that have spurred its growth in number and importance for today\u2019s office environment. The increasing versatility of A4 devices has been one of the biggest growth catalysts, notes Sean Sullins, vice president of sales for Prosource of Cincinnati. Many manufacturers boast a full line of A4 products, and there are lower- and higher-speed devices that can slot into any number of categories within a customer\u2019s space. From the dealer standpoint, it enables companies like Prosource to have greater versatility and flexibility in device placements to meet customer needs. \u201cThe other big driver of growth has been the innovation that has taken place around the ability of A4 devices to support so many applications that help customers become more efficient and effective in how they get work done,\u201d Sullins remarked. \u201cThese applications enable organizations to customize their devices and digitize their processes right within the user interface, interacting with their existing software and systems and driving even more value.\u201d Josh Salkin, a partner with Atlanta-based EDGE Business Systems, recalls when A4 devices were considered inferior when stacked against the A3, particularly in terms of durability, functionality and cost per page. This is simply no longer the case. \u201cThese days, it\u2019s easy to offer a client who doesn\u2019t need 11×17\u201d capabilities a comparable A4 device to their legacy A3 and not impact their productivity,\u201d Salkin noted. \u201cScanning especially has become just as durable on some of the larger A4s and they run the same operating system, so we can still use embedded software products.\u201d With many clients constantly searching for simple, easy-to-implement solutions, A4 certainly addresses that need from the imaging side. AJ Baggott, COO for RJ Young of Nashville, Tennessee, notes that manufacturers have also taken steps to make it easier on end-users. \u201cPlug-and-play manufacturers with agnostic print drivers have seen higher revenue numbers than those with brand-specific drivers,\u201d he said. \u201cAlso, there has been an effort from manufacturers like Brother to standardize consumable inventories. Partners like Troy have developed enhanced security features in MICR ink, allowing for greater document security specifically with checks and legal paperwork.\u201d While HP may have gotten the jump on industry manufacturers in the rollout of the A4 MFP, Gregg Petrie, president of Copiers Northwest in Seattle, believes other OEMs have either closed the gap or exceeded the former leader. He notes Canon as one example of a manufacturer that offers A4 devices that match the A3 family for speed, quality of scanning and finishing. Products with matching control panels on all devices, regardless of segment, add a touch of familiarity that makes it easier at the end-user level. Customers don\u2019t care as much about the A3\/A4 nuances as long as it is easy to use and hassle-free. \u201cThis contributes to the workflow and easy adoption by the end-users,\u201d Petrie said. \u201cThey don\u2019t really notice a change since they all look and feel the same.\u201d Copiers Northwest is also doing its part to help clients from a tax perspective. \u201cLooking at the recent changes by the IRS, Copiers Northwest\u2019s MPS program really addresses the concerns of our customers on balance sheet exposure and have a device-as-a-service under our MPS program,\u201d Petrie added. Speaking of the field of A4 providers, Chip Miceli, president and CEO of Pulse Technology in Schaumburg, Illinois, believes Epson has assumed the role of disruptor and bears watching. \u201cThey have a good product and are going about it in the marketplace the right way,\u201d he said. \u201cThey have made an impact and will make a larger one in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":166,"featured_media":49130,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1650,82,87,1638],"tags":[4139,501],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49129"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/166"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=49129"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49129\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":49132,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49129\/revisions\/49132"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/49130"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=49129"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=49129"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=49129"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}