Copier Purchase Process 2025

Purpose

Document the university process for acquiring (purchase/lease) multifunction devices like unit and department-level copiers. This process was developed and documented collaboratively between U of I Purchasing Services and OIT to meet customer, technical support and purchasing compliance requirements.

Background:

Multifunction devices serve an important role in daily operations at the university. They are a long term investment, requiring regular maintenance and support, and they store data on local hard drives that, if not handled properly, present a significant risk to the uiversity.  In addition to ensuring that the device meets the needs for which it is intended, the entire lifecylce of installation, support, maintenance, security and disposal must be considered.  The lifecylce is usually managed by a combination of OIT personnel and the vendor, who must work together to serve the customer's needs. For these reasons, and as documented in APM 30.16, OIT must be involved with procurement of the devices.

Standard Manufacturer and Models

OIT has identified Konica Minolta as the preferred standard manufacturer of multifunction/copier hardware. The following are the standard Konica Minolta models for acquisition as of July 2025. 

• Konica bizhub C551i and appropriate trays 55 pages/minute digital copier 
• Konica bizhub C361i and appropriate trays 35 pages/minute digital copier   

Models change regularly and evaluation will be ongoing.  It is understood that these standard models might not meet all needs, and OIT will facilitate the purchase of other models, including from other manufacturers, if university needs require it.  All purchases will be done through available contracts and through the OIT Procurement process.

Procurement Process

All purchases will be done through available contracts and through the OIT Procurement process.

1. Customer submits a hardware purchase request through OIT by completing the hardware purchasing form. If contacted first, Contracts and Purchasing Services will refer the customer to OIT.
2. Requests are routed to the appropriate TSP Manager for consultation with the customer.
3. After consultation with the customer, standard hardware and a vendor are recommended by the TSP Manager.  If standard hardware does not meet customer needs, TSP Manager will develop a recommendation for the necessary hardware.
   1. Nonstandard hardware recommendations require the approval from the OIT Director of Technology Solutions before proceeding
   2. OIT will provide recommendations on vendors that can supply the hardware.
   3. If the purchase is over $10,000, three competitive quotes must be gathered.
4. TSP Manager reviews recommended option with the customer
5. Customer chooses path to proceed
   1. If customer chooses OIT’s recommendation, OIT will facilitate procurement, installation, troubleshooting and, as necessary, support through the recommended vendor
   2. If customer chooses an option other that OIT’s recommendation (most likely a purchase through a different vendor), OIT will provide only network connectivity to the desired location and installation assistance on customer computers.  Installation, support and the vendor relationship will be the responsibility of the customer.
6. Once the customer is ready to make a purchase, OIT Procurement will complete the acquisition process with Contracts and Purchasing Services assistance as required.

Recommendations to Customers

• Work with OIT first when you identify a need.  Many vendors will want to work directly with units.  It will be an easier overall purchase if you have OIT be a partner in these purchases, working with you and the vendors to come up with the right device, add-ons and service levels.
• OIT does not recommend the procurement of used devices.  Initial cost may be lower but long term support is often more expensive and more problematic. 
• If you have an old device and the current vendor will not remove it before the new one arrives, OIT can help. It is critical that we manage the images stored on the device to avoid data security or reputational issues.