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Battelle and Xerox Research Centre of Canada harness advanced materials science to bring rust-fighting technology to market

By: Dr. Paul Smith

Dr. Paul Smith is the Vice President and Centre Manager of the Mississauga-based Xerox Research Centre of Canada (XRCC), home to a world-class team of scientists and engineers with broad expertise in materials chemistry, formulation design, prototyping, testing, and chemical process engineering.

It’s an ingenious invention that sounds almost too good to be true — harnessing the destructive power of rust to eliminate itself and promising to protect billions of dollars worth of critical infrastructure around the world in the process.
But that is precisely the technology being developed at a state-of-the-art lab in Mississauga, ON by two of North America’s leading research and development organizations — the Xerox Research Centre of Canada (XRCC) and the Columbus, Ohio-based Battelle Memorial Institute.
However, there’s more to the partnership than just an interesting invention with potential to revolutionize the way infrastructure around the world is built and protected. The alliance of Xerox and Battelle can also serve as an example for Canadian firms on how to navigate the perilous journey through the so-called Valley of Death and take an innovative idea from the lab to scale-up and commercialization successfully.
Smart Corrosion Detector beads are the brainchild of Battelle, which began developing the tiny rust fighters several years ago. The self-healing beads detect corrosion before it can be seen by the naked eye. Corrosion causes a chemical reaction that breaks the shell of the minuscule beads, releasing a proprietary chemical agent that fills the microscopic cracks that rust creates.
Because the beads fluoresce in the presence of corrosion, the reaction can be detected with a special light. This provides an early warning sign that rust is settling in — even if it’s hidden beneath paint — creating an opportunity […]

By |October 11th, 2016|Uncategorized|
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Paper-to-Digital Yet? What’s Stopping You?

By: Carro Ford
Have you started your paper-to-digital transformation yet? If you haven’t, you’re not alone. Many organizations have put this off because they just don’t know where to start. The whole idea of digital business is overwhelming – but urgent.
When processes are paper-based, employees can’t easily access information or share it across groups, especially when teams are global, mobile or outsourced. Paper puts barriers between people and their work processes, and between different functions within the organization, resulting in dreaded “silos.”
The Biggest Digital Transformation Roadblock
Digital processes and automation seem like a logical solution. Workflow automation means using digital technology to streamline or automate a business process, ensuring that everything happens on time and in sequence. Wherever and however you can shift a task from a non-digital channel to digital, you’ll serve customers at lower cost, reduce time to revenue, and make communications more timely and responsive.
So what’s the problem? Research continually confirms that one of the main roadblocks to digital transformation (DT) is deciding which processes to transform. The vast number of processes in a typical business makes the whole notion of becoming a digitally enabled organization not a little unnerving. Is your enterprise even ready for paper-to-digital transformation? Take the test in this workbook, then follow its practical advice for going from paper to digital, one process at a time.

What’s covered in the new paper-to-digital workbook:

Tools and techniques to propel your digital transformation journey
Metrics to measure progress and digital transformation improvements
Guidance for overcoming resistance to change in your organization

Launch Digital Transformation from Your MPS Foundation
Although still widely used, paper is rarely the best way to work. If you were setting up your business today from scratch, would you even design paper into your […]

By |October 7th, 2016|Uncategorized|
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Why Can’t we “Go Paperless” Faster?

In 1975, Business Week magazine predicted that the “office of the future” would be completely paperless as business workers relied on technology and automated processes that would make paper unnecessary.
More than 40 years later, when technology has advanced exponentially, why is the paperless office is still not a reality?
Xerox believes the answer lies in inefficient workflows. For Canadian businesses, reinventing their customer service or launching new products and services is challenging. It’s even more challenging when most of their processes are bogged down by paper.

Digitally automating business processes makes documents, content and information flow freely. Here are a few workflows Xerox can help with:

Project collaboration between employees
Major enterprise processes such as employee onboarding and vendor contract management
Print device management and maintenance

Check out our eBook, “Three Flow Killers,” to help you pinpoint which processes in your organization most need automation and see how Xerox can speed up your workflows.
Source:: xerox news

By |October 4th, 2016|Uncategorized|
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Xerox Named a Document Workflow Services Leader in IDC MarketScape Report

Xerox has been recognized as a leader in the IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Document Workflow Services Hardcopy 2016 Vendor Assessment.1 This marks the sixth year that Xerox has held a leadership position in IDC MarketScape reports evaluating managed print and document services, and its evolution to document workflow services.
Xerox is the only printing equipment manufacturer evaluated in the report with a dedicated organization supporting document workflow. Workflow automation offerings have been a staple of the company’s productivity and process enhancers for years, helping its customers avoid document management bottlenecks and inefficiencies. Xerox has continued to enhance its cross-industry and vertical workflow automation offerings, with 29 new solutions across retail banking, manufacturing, government, healthcare and higher education.
Enhancements to Xerox’s document workflow portfolio include workflow assessment methodology, adaptive business process models, intelligent document processing, and review and forms recognition. For example, Xerox intelligent business process management (iBPM) offerings will enable solutions to scale and will accelerate rapid application development, allowing for more customization for partners and customers.
“Xerox managed workflow services deliver benefits to a wide array of industries and lines of business within an organization – from reducing paper and cutting costs to enhancing employee productivity and ensuring data and document security,” said Mike Feldman, president, Large Enterprise Operations, Xerox. “Our longstanding leadership position in the market is representative of our consistent growth and adoption of software and service solutions that deliver the best and most tailored benefits to our customers.”
Additionally, Xerox continues to enhance its document workflow solutions and services portfolio and market reach through additional partnerships and acquisitions. Key partners include Hyland Software for content management, Top Image Systems for enterprise capture and Datawatch for analytics.
Highlights from the report include references to Xerox’s strengths, such […]

By |September 26th, 2016|Uncategorized|
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Do You Really Have Control Over Your Print-Related Expenses?

Why should controlling office print be a priority for you? Here are a few scenarios that demonstrate the negative impact that uncontrolled printing activities can have on your company’s bottom line:

Scenario #1: Having no formal procurement approval in place for print related expenses.

Did you know that the majority of companies do not have a formal procurement approval process in place for 37 to 41 percent of print-related expenses? Many of these expenses go unnoticed as they are incorrectly accounted for in departmental budgets, making it difficult to see the full impact of how this affects their bottom line.

Scenario #2: Having no controls in place to manage printing activities.

If you don’t have any printing controls in place, you are essentially allowing your employees to make a buying decision with every document that they print. Keep in mind that colour printing can cost your company as much as $1 per page depending on the printer and toner!

Giving users free reign to print as many documents as they want, in whatever form they want, is like having a company gas pump in your parking lot and relying on an honour system to manage how much gas is being used.

Scenario #3: Having no formal recycling process in place.

The typical office will toss 80 percent of used print cartridges into the trash because they don’t have a formal recycling process in place. This is not good for the environment, especially considering it takes 1,000 years for a cartridge to fully decompose.

Please contact us for a complimentary print assessment to find out how much you are actually spending on print and suggestions for gaining control over your office print environment.

By |September 23rd, 2016|blog|
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Some Key Differences to Keep in Mind When Purchasing a New MFP

Are you considering the purchase or lease of a new multifunction printer (MFP) for your office? On the surface, most multifunction printers seem to pretty similar…after all, most perform the same functions and offer the same features such as printing, copying, faxing and scanning.  However, important differences can be found when you look into the level of support provided by the manufacturer or reseller.

Here’s What to Look For

• There are key differences that may appear subtle, but can impact your overall cost over the life of your machine. For example, warranty terms can vary widely. Some cover you for 30 days, some 90 days, and some for 3 years; it depends on the manufacturer or reseller. Which brings up another important point – who will cover your warranty? Is it the manufacturer or reseller? Know who to call when there’s a problem!

• If you’re planning on leasing, check any service agreement that may be included.  No matter which printer you choose, it’s going to require service at some point in its lifecycle. When the technician arrives and runs those test copies after fixing your machine, who is responsible for paying for those prints? Believe it or not, those costs can add up over the life of your device. Make sure any service agreement clearly outlines cost responsibilities before signing!

• Today’s MFPs are sophisticated machines and function as a computer on your network. They can connect to the Internet, have internal storage and memory and can be subject to a data breach just like your computer. Does the machine offer full system security or will it be necessary to install single sub-system security to protect your network? Full system security is generally provided at point of manufacture, covers all areas and […]

By |August 22nd, 2016|blog|
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How a Print Policy Can Help You Reduce Your Colour Print Costs

Businesses of all sizes are trying to cut back on unnecessary expenses in today’s challenging economy. For many businesses, the print environment is a source of savings that’s often overlooked. Few companies actually have formal print policies in place and most don’t realize exactly how much their print environment is actually costing them. Every time your employees send a document to print, they’re making a buying decision.

Colour copies can cost from 10 to 80 cents per printed page depending on the output device.  To get costs under control, you should consider implementing and enforcing some simple print rules in your office. Here are four ideas to get you started.

1.  Create and Implement a Formal Print Policy
It’s a simple solution that works. Policies can be simple, like making two-sided printing mandatory and limiting colour on an as needed basis with approval. Studies show that simply letting employees know print is being monitored can reduce print volumes by 10%.

2.  Reset Printer Defaults
By simply defaulting all output to black and white, you can lower your costs. For extra savings, defaulting all printers to two-sided output can immediately lower paper use by 50%!

3.  Employ a Managed Print Program
A Managed Print Services program is a step beyond a formal rules based print policy. A Managed Print Services provider uses technology to monitor devices and can be used to set restrictions for users as well as print devices. Typically, a Managed Print Services program can lower costs anywhere from 10 to 30 percent almost immediately as well as reduce waste, reduce consumable use and offer better budget predictability.

4.  Limit Devices to Monochrome Output
Eliminating colour devices immediately reduces colour output! Most departments and end users really don’t have a need for colour printing on a […]

By |July 20th, 2016|blog|
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How to Make the Most of Your MPS Experience

Today’s business print environment is becoming increasingly complicated as technology evolves. As a result, many businesses are turning to Managed Print Services to help them get a handle on not only their printing technology needs, but to optimize infrastructure, improve productivity and workflow, and cut expenses. The truth is, the real benefits of MPS extend beyond technology.

When you’re interviewing providers, first make sure your candidate can help you to drive greater business value over the long term. Here are two ways to create the optimal MPS experience.

1.  Go Beyond Print Management
As technology evolves your business needs to adapt. Your MPS provider’s strategy should adapt as well. Your technology needs to be able to function to meet the demanding needs of your business. The first task an MPS provider will undertake is to provide a complete technology assessment of your office machines to evaluate where you stand currently. They will then work with you to develop a strategy to enhance your current capabilities with an eye towards future growth.

When considering upgrades, your IT department will first look at computing – printer upgrades usually fall to the bottom of the list. An MPS provider can upgrade you to the latest printer technology right away. The newest printers allow your employees to fax, scan, print and copy on a single machine. Work can be remotely printed via the cloud and an MPS provider can implement a mobile print strategy to fit your needs.

An MPS provider will consider all of the software options for print controls to fit your unique needs. They can implement software controls for print monitoring, and mobile print that can save you money, increase productivity and improve workflow.

2.  Identify Growth Opportunities
Business evolves over time […]

By |June 15th, 2016|blog|
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How Secure is Your Print Environment?

Reports on digital theft and are common in today’s news.  It seems the attacks on business information and personal data are more frequent and show no signs of slowing.  There is a danger for every office that their network and systems could be vulnerable.

The following are some key areas that can often be overlooked by office managers and IT groups:

•Network infrastructure – The first line of defense for any business against cyber-attacks is the network.  Make sure all routers, switches, firewalls and servers have updated security measures to block the newest hack techniques.
•Browsers – from Internet Explorer to Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox, all browsers have some degree of vulnerability.  Make sure all browsers are current and consider using extra add-ons to lock down security and prevent intrusion by blocking known problem sites.
•Intelligent office machines – many new fax machines, copiers, scanners and printers have built in intelligence that leverages online communications.  Be sure to confirm the security features that are available for these machines and their proper settings are enabled to reduce vulnerability.

Small and medium businesses can be particularly vulnerable because of limited IT resources. A knowledgeable Managed Print Services provider can help evaluate existing vulnerabilities in your print environment to help keep your data safe.

By |May 23rd, 2016|blog|
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What You Don’t Know About Colour Printing May Surprise You!

When you’re running a small or medium-sized business, you spend an enormous amount of time and energy looking for ways to operate more efficiently and reach your audience more effectively.
What would you say if we told you that there is one thing that can help you to accomplish both of these objectives and more? It’s the use of colour!
Printing in colour can have a positive impact on your business.  Here are a few surprising statistics:

Research indicates that colour printing is an effective way to captivate your audience’s attention as it increases the reader’s attention span and recall by more than 82 percent.
Your audience is also much more likely to choose to read a colour document over black-and-white as readership increases by 80 percent when documents are printed in colour.
Want to get more results with your direct mail marketing efforts? Printing direct mail pieces in colour will make recipients 55 percent more likely to read it.
Colour printing can help make sure an important message is not overlooked as it will help your readers to locate information 70 percent faster.
Printing in colour can also have a profound impact on branding. By printing in colour, you can increase your brand’s recognition by 80 percent.

Printing in colour can greatly benefit both your customers and employees. But why aren’t more businesses doing this?
Many businesses view printing in colour as more of a luxury than a necessity. With the new technology available today, colour printing is more efficient and affordable than ever. And, when you factor in the increased conversions that come from printing in colour and the boost in productivity in the workplace, you may see colour printing as an essential part of your business operations.
When you use the right printing […]

By |April 29th, 2016|blog, Uncategorized|
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