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Is the Paperless Office Still a Dream?

In the earliest days of technology, we were promised that in the future, we’d all be living in a paperless world. No more stacks of paper, everything documented electronically, it would be Nirvana! Well flash forward to today and most business owners are still surrounded by paper clutter.

It’s a normal part of doing business. Faxes, invoices, bills, legal documents, memos and manuals all piled up, filed away or just thrown about. Every piece needing to be managed, read, filed, retrieved, scanned and disposed of. This cuts into company profitability and is a symptom of inefficiency.  In fact, a Coopers and Lybrand study found that 20 – 40% of a worker’s time is wasted searching for documents.

So why are so many businesses still relying on paper and not switching over to a paperless office? Here are a few of the most common reasons:

1.  Bad Habits – Employees have developed normal habits revolving around these devices and 90% of companies that can benefit from the paperless office are still tied to the old methods of print, copy, file. Employees who are exposed to and use secure libraries of indexed, searchable and sharable electronic documents and data find that paperless saves time and hassle. They welcome the change.
2.  Analysis Paralysis – When companies understand the scope of digitizing all of their documents paralysis often sets in. As a result, this task often gets put on the back burner, despite the benefits. Document capture has advanced to the point where the time needed to digitize, capture and manage data has been greatly reduced. These new systems allow you to implement the process in stages without disruption of your day-to-day business.
3.  Stalling – After doing their due diligence and realizing that there […]

By |October 15th, 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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