e views - January 2009 - (Page 12)

Standalone photocopiers are being replaced by networked digital copiers, while fax machines have largely given way to scanning and email. Despite the use of digital communications, the paperless office has failed to materialise as email and Internet usage have increased, rather than diminished, the levels of printed output. Printed volume in the office is also being driven by the increased demand for colour output as the affordability and performance of colour printing devices means they are no longer confined to specialist applications. As a result, many businesses are using inhouse production printers to print material that would have previously been fulfilled by external print houses. Added to this, the increased sophistication of today’s MFPs in terms of scanning and storage capabilities enables them to be used as an integral network hub for document creation, distribution, and storage. Consequently, an organisation’s printing and imaging environment is often a heterogeneous mix of old and new technology which is complex and costly to maintain. Typically, ownership and management of printing and imaging devices is fragmented as, historically, copier devices have been procured by facilities management and networked MFPs are purchased and managed by IT departments. This fragmentation also occurs across lines of business, workgroups, and countries leading to a mix of products, supplies, software, and protocols—not to mention many devices being under- or over-used. On top of all this, few organisations have document tracking systems that accurately measure the true usage for print, scan, fax, and copy output. Networked printing also raises security issues—not only are printed documents a potential source of data leakage, many devices also store information in memory or hard disk which poses further risks to document security in this age of governance and compliance. An uncontrolled printing and imaging infrastructure can leave an organisation exposed to more waste, higher costs, lower productivity, and increased risks. Businesses can regain control of this through effective print management and assess the growing complexity and cost of managing heterogeneous office print environments. This means achieving an optimum and balanced mix of printing and imaging equipment, efficient network controls, and improving workflows to minimise the amount of paper produced. This article explains how adopting an intelligent approach to print management can create a platform for improved productivity, reduced costs, and ongoing efficiencies. Device variety and proliferation Fragmented ownership often means that offices are filled with a range of printers, copiers, and MFPs, many of which may be underutilised, printing fewer pages than they are able to and standing idle for large parts of the day. However, organisations continue to invest in new devices which results in a poorly deployed fleet of printers, copiers, and MFPs which may be inefficient in delivering the functionality required to support business needs. Device proliferation also leads to a wide range of models, manufacturers, and printer drivers that creates support headaches for helpdesk staff and space problems for the extensive inventory of spare parts and consumables. Consequently, organisations often have far more devices than they need and are unable to track how many devices they have—particularly locally connected and standalone printers. Device proliferation also poses security risks as unmanaged networked printers and MFPs are open to the same security vulnerabilities as any other networked system. Spiralling costs Few organisations have a true understanding or insight into the costs associated with their printing and imaging environment. Added to this, the running costs of devices (consumables, maintenance, service, etc.) are normally paid by individual departments with little centralised control. The inability to track these running costs cross-departmentally means that a significant portion of the total costs are uncontrolled and unknown. Lack of print management tools Few organisations have the software tools to enable them to track, monitor, audit, and control their print environment to reduce waste, optimise performance, guide the purchase of new devices, and make the most of existing ones. As a result, much of the cost of printing remains invisible. There is a tremendous opportunity for businesses to reduce costs and improve productivity by gaining a better insight into the costs associated with managing the printing environment. By leveraging print management solutions and partnering with a third party supplier, organisations can quantify the total cost of their current print environment and develop an optimised environment which is less complex, easier to manage, and offers improved end user functionality. An uncontrolled printing environment Many organisations simply do not know what their printing and imaging infrastructure is costing them. There are several reasons why there is so little control: Fragmented ownership It is not uncommon for the responsibility to acquire, deploy, support, and supply these devices to be split among IT, facilities, procurement, departments, individual buildings, or even individual users. While each group has its own specific focus—IT may specify devices and procurement negotiate costs—there is no single group taking charge and purchasing decisions are often made without attention to overall business needs. The hidden costs of printing The total cost of ownership considers not only the upfront purchase price but also the running costs, environmental impact, and support costs. As we move towards more graphics-intensive printing, it is becoming even more imperative to look at the total cost of running networked printers and MFPs. TCO for printing and imaging can be broken down as follows (percentages are an estimate, based on knowledge of the markets and existing printer/MFP usage patterns): 12 e• views Journal, Xplor UK & Ireland Edition Issue 7 January 2009

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of e views - January 2009

e views - January 2009 Contents Technology Management Creating a Print Intelligent Enterprise The Future of Broadband Connectivity: @ 320 kph? TPE Master Class Cover Story TransPromo and the Credit Crunch Xplor Europe News Service Directory

e views - January 2009

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