A Photocopier as the Heartbeat of the Organization - Research Proposal Example

Accounting Report Name: Course: Instructor: May 11, 2014 Executive Summary Photocopiers are an integral part of any organization especially at the corporate level. Accountancy firms deal with much paperwork most of which come from photocopied papers. In I&W accountancy firm, a photocopier is the heartbeat of the organization since the firm recently expanded its operations, which meant that more paper work was inevitable. Hence, an upgrade of a fast-paced photocopier that matched the increased need was inevitable. To that effect, the search for an appropriate photocopier involved the use of various methodologies, which included the use of the internet, focus groups and interviews. In effect, the results yielded many models but particularly three models were most suitable for the functions of the firm that included the Ricoh Aficio MP C7500, the Xerox Work Center 6505 and the Canon i-SENSYS MF9170. The recommendations suggested that the Ricoh Aficio MP C7500 was the best-suited photocopier for the needs of the I&W accountancy firm. Introduction Photocopiers are an integral part of any organization in responding to the needs of much of the paper work involved in the day-to-day operations. Accountancy firms are not an exemption since most of the functions are heavily reliant on paperwork. In particular, the I&W accountancy firm, has increased its operations in recently which means that the functions of the photocopier will be more required in the company. To this effect, the report will focus on the search for a suitable photocopier that will suit the needs of the organization. The search will involve using various methodologies and hence achieving the required results and necessary recommendations made. Purpose A photocopier is a tool used for reproducing graphic images or texts by use of heat, light, electrostatic charges or chemicals. In the business world, photocopying plays an integral part in necessitating the day-to-day business operations. The I & W accounting firms handle much paperwork since they deal with many clients across a range of industries. In particular, the firm acts conduits for other business connecting their basic functions with financial and accounting functionalities. This requires the use of paper work to write reports, recommendations, research and the financial situations of their clients. The photocopier machine comes in handy in such situations and helps to act as the heartbeat of all operations. I&W accounting firms recently expanded and increased their operations in scope, much more paperwork is required which only means that a more efficient and reliable photocopier is required. In particular, the firm has a hundred and five employees mostly which use photocopying services. For a company to remain competitive, high quality paperwork is required which then calls for a photocopier integrating the latest technology. In this respect, a search for such a photocopier is inevitable. Background I&W accountancy firm deals with a range of services in the financial industries. Such services are tailored to the customer’s needs and include auditing services, accountancy services, and consultancy, tax and advisory services. In conducting these functions, these departments are heavily reliant on the photocopied papers within which they use to synthesize raw data into useful information required by the clients. All reports and data are required in paperwork and usually in more than one copy, which further necessitates the need for a photocopier, and an efficient one. In this regard, the increased workload in photocopying function requires a new, innovative technology, efficient and reliable photocopier to serve these business functions. Methodology The process of gathering information took an integrated approach combining various data gathering methods. To start with, the first step involved conducting an in-depth internet research that involved search for the websites of various photocopier-manufacturing companies and the range of photocopier generations they had. After identifying the company and the various photocopiers they had, a keen data mining was done concerning the features that each photocopier machine, their suitability, functionality, and environmental friendliness that the device possesses. In effect, suitable crosschecking occurred in order to relate the applicability of the photocopier to the needs of the firm (Neuman, 2005). There was integration of focus groups where groups of ten employees were involved. In these focus groups, questionnaires outlined various components such as types of latest photocopiers, features, environmental friendliness, suitability, efficiency and reliability. The employees rated the photocopiers and provided a recommendation as to which of the photocopiers they discussed was most suitable for the functions of the firm(Neuman, 2005) . The methodology also involved conducting interviews with various photocopier outlets, distributors and suppliers in the town dealing with various brands. In these interviews, each brand received a critical analysis in terms of the technology incorporated, features; ease of functionality, environmental friendliness, workload capacity in terms of pages per minute (PPM) and the costs/price. There was a repetition of the procedure for all photocopier brands and a critical comparative analysis done based on the recorded interview information (Neuman, 2005). Three different types of photocopiers The Ricoh Aficio MP C7500 photocopier has advanced capabilities and conveniently fulfills the needs of the firm in regard to quality, speed, security, color and efficiency. The product has guaranteed speeds of over 70 PPM (pages per minute) in color photocopies and 75 PPM in black and white photocopies and has standard duplexing. The photocopier is multifunctional in such a way that it incorporates scanning, copying, printing and security protection, which are necessary for the firm. It incorporates security unit for data overwrites, IP filtering, data security unit for copies and HDD encryption. It is easier to use and operate due to a large LCD touch screen and comes with low power efficient usage and thus environmental friendly. This device is ideal for a busy office environment which is characteristic of the I&W accountancy firm. The cost range is between 3000-3500 sterling pounds (Ricoh, n.d). The Xerox Work Center 6505 Copier is advancement in digital technology that serves multi- function purposes with the abilities to photocopy, print, scan and fax. The Xerox WC 6505 has high copying speeds of over 65 PPM in color and 60 PPM in black and white. This is the requirements that are necessary for a highly busy work environment that is characteristic of the I&W accountancy firm. The copier has easy-to-use interfaces and higher paper capacities with security features that restrict access and track cost usage. The price range for the Xerox is between $ 1500-2500 depending on the customization feature (Xerox, n.d). The Canon i-SENSYS MF9170 is a highly multi-functional photocopier with a range of functions such as copying, faxing, printer and scanner. It has a high capacity printing speeds of seventy pages per minute (PPM) in plain color and 65 PPM in color. It offers high speeds and double sided printing in plain color and colored formats required for the highly busy scheduled work environment in the accountancy firm (Canon, n.d). Conclusion In conclusion, photocopying is an integral part of any organization especially at the corporate level. Accountancy firms deal with much paperwork most of which come from photocopied papers. In I&W accountancy firm, a photocopier is the heartbeat of the organization since the firm recently expanded its operations, which meant that more paper work was inevitable. Hence, an upgrade of a fast-paced photocopier that matched the increased need was inevitable. To that effect, the search for an appropriate photocopier involved the use of various methodologies, which included the use of the internet, focus groups and interviews. In effect, the results yielded many models but particularly three models were most suitable for the functions of the firm that included the Ricoh Aficio MP C7500, the Xerox Work Center 6505 and the Canon i-SENSYS MF9170. Recommendation The report recommends the Ricoh Aficio MP C7500 photocopier since it has the highest applicability in terms of features. References Canon, (n.d). Canon Somnet. Retrieved from, http://canoncopier.in/. Accessed May 11, 2014 Neuman, W. L. (2005). Social research methods: Quantitative and qualitative approaches. Allyn and Bacon. Accessed May 11, 2014 Ricoh, (n.d). Products. Retrieved from, http://www.ricoh-usa.com/. Accessed May 11, 2014 Xerox, (n.d). Photocopier Models. Retrieved from, http://www.office.xerox.com/. Accessed May 11, 2014 Read More