Copier Procurement Process

As of July 1, 2005 the Printing Department no longer manages the copier procurement process and the copier maintenance contracts. Departments now interact directly with vendors to obtain copier information and pricing and to set up trials. The Purchasing Department maintains records of copier maintenance contracts and provides contact information for the copier dealers in our area via this website. We also provide links to web sites maintained by the various copier manufacturers that offer additional product information that will be of assistance to departments when choosing a copier.
Two contracts are available for departments to access for copier procurement. See information below on these two contracts and click on these links for product, pricing, and vendor contact information.

The information below will assist you in determining what type of copier will best meet your needs.

Needs Assessment

Before contacting copier dealers for information, a department should assess their needs and make some preliminary decisions regarding the copier they will be getting. Consider the following factors:

Average number of copies per month/year.
Copy speed. As a general guide:

If you do fewer than 40,000 copies a month, choose 35 - 45 cpm.
If you do 40,000 to 50,000 copies a month, choose 50 - 60 cpm.
If you do 75,000 to 100,000 copies a month, choose 75 ? 100 cpm.
If you do over 100,000 copies a month, choose 80 - 120 cpm.

Identify the type of copy jobs done routinely:
Out of the monthly volume above, what percentage are:

Single original jobs

3-hole punch jobs

Multi-page original jobs

Duplex jobs

Stapled set jobs

Collated jobs

Color Jobs

Duplex jobs

Any other jobs

Identify any special features to consider with the copier:

Duplexing

Stapler / finisher

Book Copying

Accent Color

Full Color

Multi-position stapling

Sorter / Collator

Transparency Interleaving

Large Paper Tray

Indexing for Booklets

Account Tracking

Scan, Fax or Print from PC

Networking:
1. Stand-alone (Copier is not connected to LAN, networks or other PC's)
2. Network with PCs (Copier is connected to computers through a network)
Security Features: Will your copier require security features if being used in a shared environment.

Contacting Vendors

Once you have made some preliminary decisions regarding the type of copier you feel best meets your needs, it is time to start gathering data on the various brands and models that are available. Departments are encouraged to gather this information by accessing the links to the Lease/Cost per Copy and Outright Purchase contracts. We have provided vendor names, sales reps, addresses, phone numbers, fax numbers, email addresses and pricing as well as information on the features of the various copiers that are available under each contracts. Departments are encouraged to shop around as prices may vary from dealer to dealer and from one contract to another for the same or similar machines. Vendors will be happy to meet with you and provide information on the copiers that they feel will be most appropriate for your situation.

If you decide to trial one or more copiers before making a final decision, you will make these arrangements directly with the copier vendor. Departments will be responsible for working out the delivery and pick up arrangements for copiers they have on trial. Many dealers maintain show rooms with their latest equipment and departments may find these helpful as well, and possibly an alternative to bringing trial machines into their offices.

Contact information for the contract vendors for both the Lease/Cost per Copy contract and the Outright Purchase contract are included in the information provided by accessing the links to these two agreements. You may also access the Copier Vendor List for contacts for a complete list of copier vendors who have done business with the University and from whom you may have procured equipment in the past that still has lease or maintenance agreements in effect.

Deciding on a Procurement Method

As discussed earlier, there are three procurement methods available:

Lease
Cost per Copy
Outright Purchase

Lease / Cost per Copy Contract

In conjunction with the other Regent Universities issued a Request for Proposal for a Cost per Copy Agreement. As a result of this RFP, The University of Iowa has signed a contract with Laser Resources LLC, an Iowa based company, for both a Lease and a Cost Per Copy program. Laser Resources is a dealer for Konica/Minolta copiers. Both the Lease and Cost per Copy programs allow a department to spread the cost of the copier over a five-year period. With a lease agreement a department pays a flat monthly fee for the lease and an additional amount based on the number of copies made for service/maintenance. The service includes labor, parts, and all supplies excluding paper and staples. There is no minimum number of copies required for the Lease agreements. The Cost per Copy program charges a flat rate per copy that includes the rental of the machine and the service. However, under this program, each copier model has a set minimum number of copies per month that you will be charged for. This plan may be particularly cost effective for department that ?right size? their copiers and choose models that are appropriate for the number of copies they actually make. Click here for pricing and vendor contact information for the Lease/Cost per Copy contract.

Note: All Departments are required to use this contract for copier leases unless the level of copier that is being procured is not available under this program. Leases are not available through other vendors. In addition, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics has mandated this contract for all copier procurements. For additional infor mation see Hospital Copier Policy.

Outright Purchase Contract

In conjunction with the Regents Universities and State of Iowa Departments and political subdivisions the University of Iowa participated in a Request for Proposal for a contract for outright purchases for copiers. As a result of this RFP, the University of
Iowa has signed agreements with four vendors. Maintenance agreements are available for all machines offered under this contract:

Access these links for contact information for each vendor as well as details on the copiers each one offers and their pricing. You may also access these vendors through the link to the Lease/Cost per Copy contract.

Departments wishing to purchase a copier outright are to access this contract and choose from these four vendors unless the copier they require is not available. A wide variety of machines are available and the pricing for both the copiers purchase and the associated maintenance agreements is excellent.

University Business Office Finance Program

Departments still have the option of financing a copier purchase through the University Business Office if they desire to make an outright purchase but do not have funds available to pay the entire cost up front. Under this program, a purchase order is issued to the vendor for the outright purchase of the copier, which is charged to the Business Office MFK. The department then is charged a monthly fee by the Business Office to repay the purchase price. The department owns the machine. More information on this program can be obtained from Cathy Hagen in the Business Office.

Ordering Your Copier

Obtain a formal quote and/or contract from the vendor that specifically lists the copier model # and all options and charges associated with the acquisition.
Prepare a Preq listing all items and charges as they appear on the quote or contract. Enter the vendor name and address. Indicate the name of the sales rep you worked with in the Comments area of the Preq. If you are leasing your copier both the lease and service will be included on one Preq. Use a separate line for each with the Category Codes and I Accts shown below. If you are purchasing your copier outright, a separate Preq will be required for the maintenance agreement.

Outright Purchase: Category Code 44101501and I Acct 6730 if $5000 or above and 6085 if less than $5000.
Lease or Cost per Copy: Category Code 99991003 and I Acct 6430 (Capital leases use I Acct 6435. The Accounting Services Office will determine if your lease qualifies as a Capital lease.)
Maintenance Contract: Category Code 99992001and I Acct 6265.
U of I Business Office Purchase Program: Category Code 44101501and I Acct 6730 or 6085. (The PO to the vendor is for an outright purchase.) Departments must contact Cathy Hagen prior to issuing the Preq to set up the repayment program and must also ad hoc Cathy Hagen to the workflow approval path so that the appropriate MFK will be charged.

Attach the quote and or contract documents electronically to the Preq or send them in Campus Mail to the Purchasing Agent identified with the Preq number. Do not fax contracts that require an approval signature, as Purchasing will need the original copy. Do not sign contract or proposal documents. Contracts must be reviewed by the General Counsel’s office prior to being signed. The Director of Purchasing has signature authority for University contract documents. Department staff are not authorized to sign University contracts.
Purchasing must review and approve your Preq before the order is placed. If the total dollar amount of the purchase or estimated annual cost of a lease or maintenance agreement is less than $3000, please enter $3001 as the dollar amount so that the Preq will be routed to a Purchasing Agent. Indicate in the Internal Comments area what the correct dollar amount should be. The amount will be corrected when the Purchase Order is issued. If the PReq is for an outright purchase being financed by the Business Office, ad hoc Cathy Hagen to the approval path after the final departmental approval as discussed above.
After the Preq is approved, Purchase Orders will be issued to the vendor for purchase or lease and for the maintenance contract. If the copier is being purchased the maintenance contract should be on a separate Preq. Any applicable contract documents will be sent to the vendor with the PO’s.

Note: Purchase Orders will be issued prior to the placement of the copier. This is a change from the previous process where the Purchase Order was not issued until after the copier has been delivered. Vendors have been instructed to notify Purchasing of the Serial # and installation date when the copier is placed. This information will then be added to the Purchase Order for the procurement and for the maintenance contract.

Please feel free to contact Anne Sopher in Purchasing via email or by phone at 5-0378 with any questions or concerns. Please remember that even though we are encouraging departments to work directly with vendors, Purchasing is still willing and able to offer assistance

Accounts Payable, Purchasing & Travel Departments | 202 Plaza Centre One | University of Iowa | Iowa City, IA 52242 | 319-335-0379