Konica Minolta Low Toner Alert Notification

[progoffice]

Is there a way to program Konica Minolta machines to notify us via email that toner is low and not completely out? On Kyocera machines, we're able to set thresholds to notify us when the toner is for example at 10%. This gives us time to prepare a new toner before the machine goes down. On the Konica machines, we only get a notification when the toner is out - which doesn't really do us any good.

[JDR]

konica's MFPs don't do this by themself...
They only sent when the toner cardridge is empty.

[Don N.]

Is there a way to program Konica Minolta machines to notify us via email that toner is low and not completely out? On Kyocera machines, we're able to set thresholds to notify us when the toner is for example at 10%. This gives us time to prepare a new toner before the machine goes down. On the Konica machines, we only get a notification when the toner is out - which doesn't really do us any good.

Agree, Kyocera does it.
For immediate relief, it's called a spare on the shelf. I recommend it!
(Sorry, It's Friday, I'm wearing jeans, and closing on a house, so feeling giddy!) :D

[blackcat4866]

Many dealers choose to turn off toner low indications when possible because some customers will immediately change out the toner cartridge and throw away the last 10% still in the cartridge. Who cares? We have a service contract, yes? That's one of the reasons that that contract cost goes up annually. =^..^=

[tsbservice]

On contract machines here we tend to use software called Print Fleet, not sure it's available in America.
It can be setup to send various types of notifications, counters, error codes and so on. But it costs some small fee.
Nevertheless, End Users never care to change toners ONLY when empty... unless they are without service contract and have to pay them.

[3ktlc]

We use FM Audit. Got tired of customers replacing toner early. Or on the 3320/4020/4050/4750, changing toner when it was calling for the IU.

[Bix]

It has happened to us that a customer has been notified to 20% to change the cartridge. He changed the cartridge but the MFP did not notice (maybe he turned off the car before?)


In the end it turned out that he changed the cartridge again, throwing a new one !!

[mo0651]

We use V-CARE, and FM AUDIT. V-Care can notify you when toner is replaced prematurely and ERROR CODES, Jamming. FM AUDIT allows you to set threshold % for remaining life.:cool:

[copyman]

The most foolish & unprofitable thing a dealer or OEM can do is send customers toners whenever they want. It's tough when contract customer calls with excuses like we always want a set of backups, or toners are showing very low and we are going to run a big job. We had one customers employee selling the toners on ebay!

[copyman]

Like a few others posted it can't be done on Kon/Min without some type of software. You can check the supply status on web interface page and will tell you remaining toner life. Or simply look at the indicators on display, when you see low order one. And of course you could write on the backup toner box in bold letters *"order new toner right after installing this toner. Always have a backup. At least a black

[Phil B.]

The most foolish & unprofitable thing a dealer or OEM can do is send customers toners whenever they want. It's tough when contract customer calls with excuses like we always want a set of backups, or toners are showing very low and we are going to run a big job. We had one customers employee selling the toners on ebay!

we will SELL them a set of toners for backup if they want... but NOT for FREE!

[copyman]

Hey Phil, how can you sell a contract customer toner? If you know they are legit and close to needing toners you wouldn't send them a set. I guess with me being a smaller company I wouldn't want to have to keep sending or delivering them 4 toners at different times. Of course they would have to be 1/4 or less left for me to send them.

[progoffice]

We are a Copystar and Konica Minolta dealer. We use KFS and Command Center RX automated email reporting to keep tabs on the toner levels and overall condition of our Copystar/Kyocera equipment in the field. There's a bit of redundancy here, but having both the automated machine emails and 24/7 cloud based updates via KFS is pretty awesome. We also set the low toner warning levels to different percentages based on certain criteria such as distance from our office and print volume. It would be nice if the Konica machines could at least give us a heads up before going down. I feel like there has to be some setting that could allow for this?

[Phil B.]

Hey Phil, how can you sell a contract customer toner? If you know they are legit and close to needing toners you wouldn't send them a set. I guess with me being a smaller company I wouldn't want to have to keep sending or delivering them 4 toners at different times. Of course they would have to be 1/4 or less left for me to send them.


Sir, you need to re-read my post it says " they wanted to keep a BACK UP SET ". they STILL get JIT toner delivery.... but not a backup set of toners

[Don N.]

That becomes a selling point to your competition. Customers say "if we go with your company, do we get a spare toner on hand?"
We provide a spare, demand and label the toners "re-order immediately upon installation". There should only be a brief time when there isn't a spare on their shelf, and that's right after installing the last one, or the next to the last, etc. depending on their volume. We dictate how many they should sit on. They should never order from the machine's status.
Also, we sticker toners intermittently warning about toner phoners trying to pretend they are "your copier company" & sell toners for $400 plus $40 shipping because "toner is going up next month"! Yes, those idiots are making a comeback.

[KMFLT3CH]

Is there a way to program Konica Minolta machines to notify us via email that toner is low and not completely out? On Kyocera machines, we're able to set thresholds to notify us when the toner is for example at 10%. This gives us time to prepare a new toner before the machine goes down. On the Konica machines, we only get a notification when the toner is out - which doesn't really do us any good.

The machine shouldn't be running until it's dry, it should be giving you some sort of warning on the panel that the toner is getting low and to "replace it when indicated."

Have your service tech (or you) check the settings in Service Mode > System 2 > Unit Change.

On that screen, the "Toner Near Empty" warning should be turned on, and just under that you can configure the "Near Empty Display Time" which allows you to fine tune how early the warning shows up on the control panel.

[progoffice]

The machine shouldn't be running until it's dry, it should be giving you some sort of warning on the panel that the toner is getting low and to "replace it when indicated."

Have your service tech (or you) check the settings in Service Mode > System 2 > Unit Change.

On that screen, the "Toner Near Empty" warning should be turned on, and just under that you can configure the "Near Empty Display Time" which allows you to fine tune how early the warning shows up on the control panel.


If only configuring that "Near Empty Display Time" would also fine tune when the machine would send "Replenish Toner" status notifications via email.

[emujo2]

You are getting off track...no matter what the MFP displays, if someone doesn't see it and call for toner, they will be dead...The original poster's question was low toner notifications...Which KMs do not provide, just out of toner. Now you could install some kind of fleet management tool that would capture these SMP messages and send alerts back to your company to facilitate toner replenishment. Another option would be PSES netcare device manager..This could be configured to email MFP statuses. On the plus side, it's free, on the neg, it's can be difficult to get running and new devices require updated plugin files. Printfleet and MPS are some 3rd party softwares that will do the same thing. Emujo