Research Findings Example

EZDesign Graphics, Inc.
456 Main Street
Oxford, OH 45056

February 16, 2009

Dear Ms. Estes and Mr. Zhao:

Per your request, HWI Consulting has been researching suitable office equipment upgrades for your firm, specifically looking at choices for a scanner and color laser printer. Your company EZDesign, a small startup graphic design firm only a few years ago, now has the customer volume to expand capacity and improve efficiencies. This report details HWI’s findings and our recommendations for upgraded office equipment. Based on the criteria you provided for cost, resolution, output speed, and convenience (in that descending order) we recommend you purchase the following models:

Scanner: HP Scanjet 8270 $900

Color Printer: Xerox Phaser 6360/DT $2350

Total: $3250

The total cost for the equipment stays well within your budget of $5000-6000, which will allow you to allocate expenses toward other areas of research, upgrades, or general expenditures. From the higher output provided by this upgrade, EZDesign will be able to meet the needs of your growing clientele base, increase efficiency, and reduce costs.

EVALUATION

After conducting preliminary research, HWI Consulting narrowed the field to three possible options for each piece of equipment. The following sections provide descriptions of each option along with a chart to aid comparison.

Scanner Options

Hewlett Packard Scanjet 8270: This flatbed scanner has two-sided scanning capabilities. It comes with a 50-page Automatic Document Feeder (ADF) while scanning 25 pages per minute. This scanner has a 48 color bit depth and an optical resolution of 4800 dpi. Its dimensions are 22.6"w x 7.7"h x 15.7"d so it fits well onto any corner table or stand. This is a decent scanner with a high resolution and bit depth. The ADF makes it easy for the user to multitask. This unit costs about $900 and comes with a one year warranty.
Kodak i1320: This scanner also has a 50-page ADF, but the flatbed is optional. The scanner sits upright and the flatbed connects into the scanner for single document scanning. Capable of up to 30 pages per minute, the unit has a resolution of 600 dpi and a 24 color bit depth. This scanner is smaller than the first unit, and easily fits on any desktop. Though capable of a scanning couple more pages per minute, the lower resolution may not be suitable for highly colorful or detailed documents. This unit costs about $1,700 and comes with a one year warranty.
Xerox DocuMate 632: Also a flat bed scanner with two-sided capabilities, this scanner offers a 100-page ADF for greater multitasking. This unit has an output of 35 pages per minute with the same resolution and bit depth as the Kodak (600 dpi, 24 colors). This scanner will be useful for high volume applications, but without a high resolution or bit depth, very detailed documents may not come out as desired. This scanner costs around $2,000, and warranties are optional ranging from $200 to $1,000 based upon length and depth of service.

Color Printer Options

Xerox Phaser 6360/DN: This unit can print up to 42 pages per minute in black and white or color. Its paper tray can hold up to 700 sheets with an output capacity of 250 pages. The printer comes standard with two-sided printing and has a resolution of 2400x600 dpi. This unit has a 1 GHz processor and a standard 256MB memory with the capability of expanding up to 1GB (4x the standard memory). It allows banner style and booklet printing. The printer comes with a 1-year warranty and costs about $1600.
Xerox Phaser 6360/DT: Similar to the 6360DN, except for the following: can hold 1250 pages and has twice the standard print memory (512MB) but still upgradeable to 1GB; slightly larger and heavier, this unit also has a 1-year warranty and costs $2350.
Xerox Phaser 6360/DX: This unit is the same as the 6360/DT but will hold 1800 sheets of paper, has the same print memory capacity, comes equipped with its own hard drive, and has a few additional print features. This unit is the largest and heaviest, but still only weighs 124 pounds. This unit also has a one year warranty and costs $2950.

RECOMMENDATIONS & REASONING

Scanner:
We recommend the HP Scanjet 8270 because it offers the greatest resolution and bit depth, which is important for the graphic documents you will be scanning. While the output is the slowest of the three options, it is capable of scanning 25 pages per minute with a 50-page ADF, which adequately meets your low-volume needs. Given that resolution is a higher priority than output speed, this scanner meets your requirements at the lowest cost as well. ($900)

Color Printer:
The three options are similar in output speed and resolution, which are the primary criteria in this category. Given that, we recommend the Xerox Phaser 6360/DT because it has twice the paper capacity and twice the print memory as the Xerox Phaser 6360/DN. Additionally, the 6360/DT barely differs from the Xerox Phaser 6360/DX, while costing $600 less. ($2350)

Total Equipment price: $3250.

The proposed units will facilitate your expansion, while keeping your business running smoothly. These pieces will be easy to integrate, and down time, if any, will be minimal. The total cost for the equipment stays well within your budget of $5000-6000, which will allow you to allocate expenses toward other areas of research, upgrades, or general expenditures. From the higher output provided by this upgrade, EZDesign will be able to meet the needs of its growing clientele base, while increasing efficiency and reducing costs.

HWI Consulting is pleased to have had the opportunity to work with you on this proposal. If you have any questions or if we may be of further service, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Howe Writing Initiative ‧ Farmer School of Business ‧ Miami University

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