Sollie Nortje, general manager at Taropa Technologies, believes that managed printing solutions (MPS) should be part of any organisation's top priorities and that a sound printing strategy is imperative.
ITWeb, in partnership with Taropa Technologies, recently conducted a Printing Survey to determine the printing strategies within South African organisations.
Reducing cost emerged as the top priority for respondents (70%) when they are considering purchasing a new printer, increased productivity came in as the second priority (52%) and streamlining their business ranked third at 45%.
"For any business that wants to survive in today's cut-throat, advanced technological and globalised business environment, it must consider various lean operating practices. An office printer may not seem like such an important factor, influencing the overall productivity and cost saving of your business, however once monitored, and used to its full potential, the office printer becomes an integral part of streamlining your business and costs," Nortje says.
The main factor to be taken into consideration when purchasing new printing equipment is to first determine the organisation's printing requirements, he advises.
"Productivity factors such as speed, size (A4 or A3), colour vs mono, monthly print and scan volume and connectivity are the initial considerations when selecting a Multi-Function Printer, but companies are placing more focus around the usability and functionality of the device. This is where careful analysis of a company's needs and pain points should be understood for the correct solution to be provided," he elaborates.
Reliability, for example: network, security, and technical support, needs to be considered, he adds.
Just over half (53%) of the survey respondents cited technical competencies of supplier as their main influencer for purchasing new printers.
"Having a competent technical supplier allows business less down time, increasing productivity and the opportunity to come up with smart ways to simplify their business practices."
Most of the businesses surveyed say security is extremely important. Sixty-nine percent of organisations cited PIN/password activation as most important, 60% said admin controlled app installation, while 60% said Web browser access control was key.
"Printer security is a complex issue with many elements to consider. Not only does the printer and network need to be protected, but also the data that is involved in the use of the printer. Device passwords, hard drive encryption, port control, protocol control and secure printing are all aspects of printing security that needs to be looked at," explains Nortje.
It also transpired from the survey that just under half (49%) of respondents are adequately tracking printing costs.
Nortje says, "Most MFPs do come out with a standard job accounting software but we recommend using additional software to easily monitor and manage printing cost. The innovative output management solution enables you to keep track of document-related activities on the network, enforces rules, protects sensitive documents and reduces wasted paper and toner."
A large percentage of respondents indicated that they are archiving/storing important documentation, using either cloud-based storage or storage to their server.
A combined storage solution is preferable as one would be able to access frequently used documents from the cloud and store other documents on the server, says Nortje.
"This decision depends on the company's operations and their needs," he explains.
Understanding the capabilities of one's MFP can improve efficiency and save cost, Nortje explains.
"Especially if you have a multifunctional printer, you can do much more than just print, scan, fax and copy. There are many apps available that can simplify your daily workload, but knowing how to use these may require post-installation training which is part of Taropa Technologies' service offering."