Keeping Your Equipment Operational

For a little piece of mind

Do you remember your first car? My first car was a gift from my sister-in-law’s parents and it was a seemingly invincible 1988 Oldsmobile. I treated this car like many people treat their scanning equipment. It was treated with love when it worked and anger when anything went wrong. I ran it through a car wash when the outside was dirty, similar to wiping down a scanner after use. I gave it an oil change only when it would start to sputter or if the “Check Engine” light came on. Much like replacing a scanner’s consumable rollers only when scanning errors occur. I knew that any mechanical issue could be fixed by a certified mechanic. If your scanner starts having a mechanical problem, who do you call?

My Car Story

After 9 months of driving my car, I began to notice tiny puddles of liquid below my engine. I ignored this issue since my car was still able to drive and there were no other issues. After two weeks the car began to make a squealing sound during acceleration. The temperature gauge began to lean towards hot if I drove for more than a few miles. Another week goes by and the car began to show a cloud of smoke whenever it was stopped at a red light. A final week after the blatant and smoky sign of disrepair, my invincible Goldie the Oldie would not start. The car was finally taken to the maintenance technician and I was informed there was a leak in my coolant hose.

Since I drove the car repeatedly without repairing this issue, my water pump stopped working. Without fluid pumping through the vehicle, the engine had seized and needed to be rebuilt. My wonderful Oldsmobile was now too expensive to repair and I was forced to finance a new automobile. Do you think financing is available for scanners?

Replacement Would Have Made A Difference

If I would have replaced the hose on the car when I first noticed the leak, my engine would not have died. This same rule applies to your scanner. If you start to hear a sound coming out of your scanner or notice it has a new “quirk” you may think nothing of it. You may keep scanning paper, but something as “simple” as that sound could turn into a larger problem that becomes very expensive to fix.

Repair on scanners are done at an hourly rate and that does not include the cost of any parts that need replacing. This can cost hundreds of dollars and only become more expensive the longer you wait. The cost can enter into the thousands for clients that have a fleet of machines. Instead of worrying over the headache of finding a technician and then working around their schedule. With how long your equipment is going to be down, why not keep your equipment covered under a maintenance contract?

Maintenance Contract

My Oldsmobile was made before the technological vehicle revolution in which your car was able to alert you when it was time for maintenance. Cars today are able to flash you a letter when it is time for an oil change. They show you a symbol if a tire is a little flatter than usual and how many more miles you can get with your current amount of gas. Most scanning equipment has the exact same technology! The scanner can tell you when it is time to replace the consumable rollers. It alert you when it is time to clean your machine. It can tell you exactly how many more imprinting stamps it can perform with the current amount of ink. If you wanted to check this information on your scanner right now, where would you look?

Contact Graphic Imaging Services today to put your scanning equipment under warranty. GIS offers local certified maintenance technicians with experience in Fujitsu, Kodak, Canon, Contex, Vidar, Colortrac, and other branded scanners. We offer various response times from 4 to 24 hours to ensure that your equipment remains online and in production. We also offer training on new and existing software as well as work directly with your IT representatives to resolve any issues. Or maybe it is time to trade-in your old and dilapidated equipment. Technology changes quickly and there are always great new features being added to scanners. Trade-in programs are available, so call our office to find out if it is time to upgrade.