As businesses across the area slowly begin to reopen or prepare to reopen, many are faced with some daunting challenges to be compliant with the CDC and state regulations for social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic. From moving furniture to create six feet distance between desks to placing hand sanitizer liberally around the office and posting signage about CDC guidelines, all businesses have changes that need to be made. These changes are in place to help staff remain healthy while returning to the physical workplace.
While many of these measures can be implemented quickly, there will still be challenges. There will always be high-touch surfaces that can't be cleaned enough or completely avoided. One of those surfaces is the touchscreen of your copier. Whether making copies or scanning documents, these tasks almost always involve tapping the touchscreen to input options, and pressing the ever-present start button to get your job done. At least that WAS the way the copier worked...until now.
Over a year ago, Sharp introduced its MFP Voice functionality with Alexa and showed the world that touch-free operations with a copier are possible. When the product launched, it is unlikely Sharp knew this could be one of the most important innovations at the time.
With employees returning to office work, they will be expecting their employers to be implementing best practices to keep them safe and healthy. One way businesses can work toward those protections is by implementing hands-free copier operations with Sharp MFP Voice and Alexa. To utilize this technology, you need just two things - a Sharp Essentials or Advanced MFP and an Amazon Echo device (Dot, Show, or Echo). Once installed, Sharp MFP Voice and Alexa utilize Alexa's voice-activated software so that intead of having to touch the screen to operate the copier, your voice becomes the control. Just a few simple voice commands to Alexa allows you to scan and copy from your Sharp MFP easily.
Implementing best practices to keep employees safe and healthy is imperative during this pandemic. Utilizing Sharp MFP Voice and Alexa in your return to work policies will add another layer of health protection for your staff. If you are a current customer who already has a Sharp Essentials or Advanced MFP, adding MFP Voice is available now. If you don't have a Sharp MFP and would like to implement this hands-free option for your copiers, let us know. We can do a virtual demo of the capabilities and work with you to get this important technology up and running for your business.
