“Do I really need surge protection?”
It is common knowledge that a quality surge protector keeps copiers and copiers safe from damage caused by lightning and disruptive power surges. Yet many wonder how surge protection can actually help improve machine performance and even ROI. A recent comprehensive analysis was done on more than 50,000 office machines, including 37,000 MFDs distributed across the U.S. to test if surge protection improved machine performance and profitability.
The analysis discovered that surge protection significantly impacts CPC (in parts service costs), MCBV (Mean Copies Between Visits) and labor costs for both suppliers and customers. Those that did not use surge protection experienced 22% higher CPC. Those who did use surge protection experienced an annualized parts cost savings of $64 per copier. Suppliers that did not use surge protection also experienced 16% lower MCBV, resulting in higher labor service costs per copy, which impacts customers. In conclusion:
- Pro-active use of surge protection reduces parts and labor costs.
- Surge protection provides significant and measurable ROI.
- A surge protection policy should be a standard practice in the office equipment industry.
While the results varied from manufacturer to manufacturer, in every case the protected machine performance was measurably better than the unprotected units.
