Deciding on a new printing solution provides companies with the opportunity to gain both enhanced productivity as well as achieve new cost savings. For this reason, careful consideration is required before making the final choice. A modern multifunction printer comes packed with features while being more environmentally friendly and leveraging digital technology to reduce associated overheads. Finding the one that suits the company’s every need starts with assessing the current infrastructure, seeking optimization opportunities, and comparing features according to the daily workflows.
While the cost of the investment is a major concern, choosing a printer that doesn’t serve the needs of the workforce will not only negatively affect productivity, but office morale may also suffer. When employees are struggling to complete tasks due to a lack of access to the right technology or tools, staff engagement drops and customer satisfaction stops being a priority.
Every company’s operational workflow is subtly different from its peers. While everyone executes similar tasks such as order processing or accounts payable, dual roles and specific responsibilities reside with different team members, making the exact business process unique. Due to this, understanding exactly what the copying, scanning, and printing requirements are depends on how every task (and the associated information) flows through the business.
If staff primarily prints orders or job requests, having a color printer doesn’t seem effective, as a monochrome multifunction device will work just fine. However, if staff are outsourcing brochures or product data sheets for marketing purposes regularly, finding a color printer that delivers quality images at an affordable price may reduce the total overhead associated with producing promotional materials.
Modern MFPs (Multifunction Printers) employ state of the art print head technology that delivers consistent quality and operates reliably every time. By properly maintaining the hardware and servicing it regularly, the MFP is less likely to fail at unexpected times. If staff aren’t under pressure while dealing with a malfunctioning printer or copier regularly, morale will improve and engagement will rise, leading to better customer satisfaction and of course, higher office efficiencies.
As the expenditure associated with printing and copying can run as high as 5% of an office’s operational costs, every company should be tracking the exact usage and precise volumes from the entire fleet of printers they have deployed. While this is easy if the entire company uses a single MFP, if the fleet includes a few distributed desktop printers as well, the task can become difficult to manage. Generating logs at each device regularly, validating and verifying job IDs, and finally consolidating the numbers into a report is time-consuming and may even be inaccurate.
Using a centralized print server will ensure that every print can be tracked by user, department, and device. The software automatically generates the reports, and the company can establish limits if they identify that there was any misuse by an individual. As the software integrates with the Active Directory (AD), companies gain complete transparency over the entire printing landscape. A centralized print management solution ensures a company can regain control of the print environment at the ground level.
Total cost of ownership means understanding everything from the power consumption of a wide format printer to the exact cost of restocking and resupplying the unit. For production print companies, this has a direct impact on the bottom-line. Managed Print Service (MPS) providers can assist in reducing costs and ensuring machines remain productive, while automatically issuing supplies as needed.
A MPS solution includes:
Companies also have access to certified maintenance and support staff that ensure only professional and registered technicians carry out any service or repair tasks. Moving to a MPS provider allows companies to access the latest technology, reduce IT administration overheads, and gain total transparency over the print production costs.
When it comes to choosing a printer that suits the exact business requirements for any company, Virginia Business Systems can assist. Serving as a technology partner and business productivity expert since 1954, Virginia Business Systems provides Managed Print Services, Device Management solutions, as well as Document Management and Workflow tools.
For any kind of business productivity requirements your company has, contact Virginia Business Systems and speak to an expert today.