Fax Machines

Instant transmission of documents, for the cost of a phone call, is a competitive necessity in the 1990s.

If American business needed fast delivery of documents, it got that in the 1980s from overnight express companies deploying armies of trucks and planes to deliver letters for about $10 apiece. Today another solution is offered by telecommunications technology: Facsimile machines deliver documents instantaneously for the price of a phone call.

The wonder of facsimile is that the technology is simple and accessible to anyone with a telephone line. Any image that can be placed on paper -- typed text, handwritten notes, graphics, and photographs -- can be sent by fax.

An exotic and expensive technology only five years ago, fax machines of substantial quality can be bought today for as little as $500. Sales of fax machines reached 1.6 million units last year, according to BIS Strategic Decisions, a Norwell, Mass., market research and consulting firm. Many of those sales are coming from small companies, which understand the major advantages that accrue from fast business communications.

In the mid-1980s, when fax machines first caught the attention of small companies, many buyers chose stripped-down machines because that was all they could afford. Fax machines that did little more than perform basic functions cost $2,500 to $3,000. With prices now dramatically lower -- the same low-end machines sell for $500 to $600 -- buyers can choose among dozens of options that promise greater convenience and efficiency. But with a broader menu of choices has come more confusion, too. What features does a small company really need?

Assessing your needs
If your company is growing rapidly, a low-end unit with few features is a bad investment. You will eventually be unhappy with its limitations. To make the wisest purchase, spend some time assessing what your needs are now and how they are likely to change.

One of the most important considerations is the volume of material you are likely to send and receive. Fax machines are rated on volume, and an estimate of your company's future volume is likely to define the minimum level of machine you should buy. Estimating volume is difficult, but start with the material you send out now for overnight delivery. How much of it would be better served by fax? Poll your employees on how much correspondence they foresee sending by fax. Add liberally to their estimate because it is likely to be too low. Ask yourself, How fast is my company and mail volume growing? Who will use the machine? The more people using the machine, the more likely it is that volume will grow.

It is common for a company purchasing its first fax machine to underestimate volume. Often, a business finds itself using the machine in ways never considered. Expect to receive more transmissions if you print your fax number on business cards or letterhead or if it is published in a fax directory -- a telephone book of fax numbers.

Consider also what type of material you will be transmitting. Will it be standard 81/2-by-11-inch documents, or will it also include larger sizes? Will it include graphics, photographs, or detailed drawings? Depending on the size of the pages you will be sending, you may need a system that accepts documents up to 11 inches wide instead of just 81/2-inch-wide sheets.

If you work with materials that require detail and clarity in transmission, you will need a machine with enhanced-resolution settings or a mode for sending photos or illustrations. Although prices are steep, you may even want to consider the new generation of machines that print crisp images on plain paper rather than the inferior coated stock that curls up.

Features

With the exception of an automatic paper cutter and automatic document feeder, there are few features essential for every user. Knowing about these and other features will make the difference between getting a machine that grows with you and one that you outgrow.

Automatic paper cutter: This shears each page of a document as it leaves the fax machine. Without it, documents will print out in a continuous sheet, and someone will have to trim each page manually -- not a great boost to productivity. This is the easiest decision of all: Don't leave your fax dealer without it.

Automatic paper feeder: This feature is another must unless you want to see employees spend 10 minutes at a time feeding long documents into the machine page by page. With an automatic feeder, users can place the pages in the machine, dial the phone number, and walk away. Capacities vary, but most document feeders hold between 5 and 30 sheets. Unless you frequently send multipage documents of more than 30 pages, a low-capacity feeder is sufficient.

Speed dialing: Most machines allow users to program telephone numbers into memory for 1- or 2-digit access, eliminating the need to dial 7 or 11 digits. Get this feature if you frequently send documents to the same locations.

Redial: What if the fax number you call is busy? Without a redial feature, you must keep returning to the machine to try and try again. A machine with redial will automatically call back a busy number up to about 15 times at specific intervals. Some of the low-end systems offer manual redialing -- a user presses a redial key after receiving a busy signal. Redial is a good feature to have and can be found in some configuration on all but the least expensive systems.

Paper roll size: Paper capacity is an important consideration if you expect to receive a large number of fax transmissions. Rolls of paper come in 98-foot, 164-foot, and 328-foot sizes. Since machines are designed around the paper, a 328-foot roll will not fit in a machine built for a 98-foot roll. Select a system with a paper capacity that meets current and future requirements. Avoid the 98-footers if your receiving volume will be high or if you frequently receive multipage documents. Though changing the paper roll is a simple procedure, it can be annoying if it must be done often.