In an effort to meet the changing needs of the document imaging industry, the Keypoint Intelligence-Buyers Lab team of analysts and designers has completely revamped the existing Lab Test Reports for printers and MFPs (both A4/printer-based and A3/copier-based). After speaking to all of the key document OEMs about what matters most, our team is taking a new modern approach to presenting our test information and analysis, developing a report with a more logical flow and an updated look and feel.
The More Things Change…
While our scoring system remains largely unchanged, our new reports still cover key areas that buyers consider when making a purchasing decision. But what has changed is the structure and style in which we present the information. This new style and simplified structure lets dealers and sales reps quickly find the information they need to share with their customers, and with a classy brochure-like design, reps won’t think twice about using the entire report as a customer leave-behind. But because many purchasers have limited time to read through collateral, the first four to five pages is designed to stand alone with all the most pertinent information, allowing reps to use this as a mini-brochure for customers. Even better, reformatting our reports in this way not only makes the information easier to read, but also allows us to provide deeper analysis with new sections that focus on the new differentiators (like apps and mobility) that are critical to today’s business marketplace.
…The More They Stay the Same
Here is a full breakdown of the information that you’ll find in our new reports, as well as where the information had been located in previous-generation reports.
- Our Take: Our overall assessment of how the device would fit in the markets/environments it is intended to serve and how it performed in testing compared to competitive devices (previously called BLI Recommendation).
- Fast Facts: Spec table including pricing, speed, paper supply, memory capacity and more.
- Benefits, Advantages & Limitations: Benefits include the key selling points of a device and how they can benefit users of the device, while advantages list specific competitive strengths versus other devices in the category. Limitations, previously called weaknesses, cover potential concerns that might not make the device the right fit for certain environments.
- Reliability: BLI’s industry leading durability testing that puts each tested model through its paces to let customers know if the unit can be counted on for maximum uptime.
- Value: How the device stacks up against the competition for purchase price (A3/copiers) and TCO (printers/A4 MFPs).
- Apps/Onboard Tools: A description of included and downloadable apps that can run on the device.
- Image Quality: BLI’s expert opinion of how output stacks up against comparable models.
- Usability (with subsections for Serviceability/Management, Walk-up Experience and Workstation Experience): How easy is the device to set up, manage and use? Information in this section was previously found in Ease of Network Set Up, User Maintenance, Ease of Use, Scanning and Print Drivers.
- Mobility: A new section that covers mobile printing and scanning (previously found in the Features section).
- Platform: A new section, currently under development, that will include a description of the device’s embedded software platform for running apps and solutions on the device.
- Security: Key security features table.
- Features: Paper, memory, finishing, etc. and how they compare to other in-class models.
- Speed (with subsections for Print, Scan and Copy): BLI’s speed test results and competitive averages (previously found in Productivity).
- Power Consumption: BLI’s power testing results and environmentally friendly features table (previously found in BLI’s Environmental Test Reports).
Stay tuned as our expert analysts continue to add even more value to your subscription by adding additional information on the key differentiators that matter most.
If you have any questions about the new report design, please call 973-797-2100 or email support@buyerslab.com.