Just a few years back, buying a printer was one of the more straightforward decisions for an office manager. It was a simple case of whether there was enough demand to justify the expenditure in new office equipment. But those days have long gone, says Philip Perkins, COO of Itec South Africa.
Where five years ago a company fitted its printing requirements around the limitations of its office devices, the latest printing hardware and software are able - if used properly - to fit the company's unique needs.
This has been enabled by the introduction of affordable multifunctional peripherals (MFPs). Companies are now buying fewer, more powerful machines that offer a wealth of functionality.
Interestingly, the ability to integrate printers into the IT network also opens up new possibilities, making it possible to scan a document, save it, add comments and distribute it around the world in seconds. This means the main printing device is also a document management system which can help a business increase its efficiency.
Tapping unrealised potential
Most organisations, however, haven't fully realised the potential of these devices. Too many still look at a printer as a box that churns out paper, without thinking of how it can be tailored to improve efficiency and cut costs.
Take a manufacturing business which needs high-quality colour documents only once a month for client meetings. Lower-volume colour printing makes good sense in this instance. However, other workers may still occasionally need to print diagrams and plans to use internally at short notice and that can be tracked and accounted for accordingly.
In a fast-moving advertising agency which regularly hosts meetings in its offices, however, the demand is for lots of colourful visual materials to help sell its concepts. The ability to print in colour at a moment's notice is a business necessity and anyone from the office junior to the MD may need to do so. Here, a more powerful device with a more sophisticated print controller better suits the needs of the business.
All of this is achievable with today's modern printing solutions. Unfortunately, the person responsible for purchasing the printing solution may still take a 'one size fits all' approach, saddling the firm with a solution that is impractical. That is why businesses looking to upgrade should carry out a printing audit before choosing a supplier.
What to consider
Output and speed may be the most important factors, but you also need to think about how the software fits into your culture and what servicing agreement is on offer. Do you work in a business that deals with sensitive, confidential information? Then you need to ensure the solution you buy has the right security measures in place. Do you do most of your printing on Sundays? Make sure the service agreement you put in place with your supplier reflects that.
Look at existing printing costs and work out how to reduce these. Is there replication and waste? Perhaps ensure your new solution is only printed on point of collection, so that employees cannot just print and forget about it. Ask your employees how they are printing now and how they would ideally like to print in the future. Then ensure your supplier not only fits the solution around these requirements, but that it's flexible enough to cope with unexpected changes.
If all this seems like a lot of hard work, remember that getting your solution right in the first place will reap rewards into the future. By installing MFPs companies can save around 25% to 30% a year on imaging costs. What the right office equipment solution can deliver in improved efficiency and more satisfied employees and clients is less easy to measure, but no less real.
Share
Editorial contacts