Most organizations underestimate the total cost of print production by as much as 50%. According to a recent Gartner Group study, organizations can spend as much as 3% of their total annual revenue on document output. Very often, those organizations will find that the majority of the output is from laser printers. Those costs range from toner and parts to service labor and network management. The real challenge is that most organizations do not understand how to measure or manage these costs. Without measurable controls in place to control these costs, positively affecting the bottom line is nearly impossible.

Managed print services, often referred to as print management or MPS, is a service that provides organizations with cost containment tools and strategies for print output. Gary Halperin, former CFO for IKON Office Solutions and Print, Inc. points out that, “MPS is a method for a customer to have their entire environment surrounding the management of output devices handled by one vendor [usually] under one agreement.” Managed print services provide certain service components for the end-user. Halperin continues by saying that end-users benefit by “right sizing their fleet of print devices in the right environments including networking, parts, service and all consumables.” continue reading...

Over the last 10 years, many new tools have come to market that offer advantages to both office equipment dealers and their customers. Office equipment dealers have worked diligently to collect and manage the data from collection tools developed by companies such as Print Fleet, PrintAudit and FMAudit. Without these key technologies, management of these various print devices would be a very manual process and it would be difficult to realize cost benefits of effectively managing print devices on the network. With tools such as FMAudit’s Local Agent, even non-networked devices can be effectively managed remotely. continue reading...

With the continuous advancement in print technology, phones and electronic capabilities in general, we are now able to do a lot more on the go. We used to only have internet at the office, now all we have to do is reach into our pockets to check email, or send reports. Printer drivers used to be a nightmare of options and settings. Now, drivers have standards and are generally pretty easy to install and use.

Overall, technology is becoming more advanced while becoming easier to use. This trend is also helping technologies merge to allow for new possibilities. One relatively new development is the ability to print from iPads and iPhones, and other smartphones soon to follow. The feature is called Air Print and is only supported on select printers and brands. While more and more models and brands are becoming compatible, there is an alternative method as well. continue reading...

Automated Document Capture and Routing is quickly becoming one of the most utilized forms of document management, giving your business the ability to create and maintain an accurate, easily searchable digital archive. The benefits of a digital archive are extensive, and will give your business a leg up on the competition when it comes to cost reduction, improved productivity and the ability to facilitate improved collaboration between employees, whether they are in the same office or across the globe.

Automating the capture and routing of documents in your business is simple, and can be easily implemented utilizing your current Multifunction technology. Multifunction printers when networked with your digital archive allow you to scan and index documents with ease, giving employees simultaneous access to important documents. You can even set permissions and password protect your confidential files, granting access only to those who are approved to view and edit. continue reading...