Save money through printing efficiency

Today's Manager, Oct-Nov, 2009 by Maurizio Bandi

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Your organisation can benefit from the ability to share printers. Rather than trying to connect every single workstation to its own printer, it's time you considered the advantages of networking. This helps everyone share files and resources, which saves the firm money and streamlines the workflow. When businesses streamline printing solutions, they should consider the potential of a multi-function all-in-one device.

IN many cases, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) tend to focus on larger business processes in their bid to achieve cost savings, leaving "secondary" everyday operations, as office printing, inefficiently managed.

Regardless of the ongoing global downturn and the increasing attention business owners put into cost-cutting and inefficiency reduction, most business owners appear to be unaware of how much their organisations are really spending on their printing needs.

A February 2008 Gartner report revealed that unmanaged print costs comprise 1 to 3 per cent of a company's revenue. Most organisations could experience significant cost savings with proper administration of print processes. With SMEs suffering more than bigger firms in the face of the current poor economy, they should seek immediate ways to effectively cut business costs, including printing costs.

In choosing printing solutions, businesses should consider purchasing efficient devices and management tools in order to boost performance and shrink costs. One of the simplest ways to save money is to buy less equipment and still get the same amount of work done.

The typical work office has computers, printers, copiers, and fax machines. Depending on the size of the organisation, any one of these machines is usually sitting idle 80 to 90 per cent of the time. How can companies manage cost efficiencies when it comes to such equipment? One way is to consider replacing several different machines with an all-in-one device (AIO) that can do multiple tasks like printing, faxing, scanning, and copying.

One is Better

AIOs combine several office machines into one piece of equipment that can perform all the tasks of the individual pieces. Compact printers, like Brother's Multi-Function Centres (MFCs), are becoming increasingly popular these days because of their ability to perform many functions at a time. They are not only cost-effective but also space-saving. In a small office environment, all-in-one machines can be a great solution for space constraints, especially when such devices are wireless enabled.

With a wide variety of printers available in the market, it is important for business managers to understand the different features and options available and the specific needs of each organisation before making a purchase decision. Cost efficiency comes with well-planned purchases, which take into consideration the daily business needs of a company in printing, scanning, faxing, and copying.

Ink or Laser?

While a multi-function device can help users manage the cost of printing and produce effective results, there are differences in costs and benefits between an inkjet and laser printer. To choose which type of AIO is right for the office involves looking at the overall printing patterns of the workplace.

Ask questions like "How many pages do we typically print a month?", "What kind of documents and collaterals are we printing?" and "Do we need printers that can produce large quantities of documents on both sides of the paper?"

The ideal printing solution will vary depending on what the workplace needs. For instance, if the monthly printout volume is not substantial but includes jobs like colour marketing collaterals such as photos, posters, and brochures, then an inkjet all-in-one device would be a more suitable and cost effective choice than a laser AIO.

When mostly black and white spreadsheets and text documents are printed in high volumes, a monochrome laser AIO would be the optimum solution. But laser AIO operation costs aren't necessarily expensive. While it is true that laser printing peripherals usually cost more compared to inkjets, laser AIOs offer prints at a lower cost per page which benefits users that print in high volumes.

If heavy-duty colour printing is needed, consider using high-yield toner cartridges for a colour laser AIO, which allows twice the page yield of standard cartridges. Consider machines that allow for separate cartridge replacement systems as this enables maximum usage of each colour cartridge before they are replaced.

Features Matter

The types of printing options are important criteria when choosing an all-in-one device. Borderless and duplex printing features, for instance, are meant to ensure cost efficiency for SMEs or home users looking for complete inhouse printing solutions.

Having a device that can handle documents up to A3 size is useful because it also allows for ease of scanning larger documents like schematics and charts. Businesses can save on outsourced printing costs with A3 all-in-one that allows inhouse printing of posters and marketing collaterals.