However, an effective solution for getting a better handle on your printing costs is to have a print assessment completed. A print assessment will arm business leaders with powerful data that reveals an organization’s actual printing behaviours, volumes and costs. This information can help identify areas of immediate cost savings and opportunities to boost productivity and minimize waste.
A thorough print assessment should address the following areas:
- Inventory of all printing devices: both networked and offline
- Printing device usage: including black and white and colour prints
- True printing costs: broken down by page, device and overall
- User activities: both by individual employees and departments
- Energy consumption: including all hardcopy devices
- Recycling practices
There are three basic types of print assessments that can provide you with this information:
Walk Around
This type of assessment involves walking around your workspace and taking an inventory of all printing devices, both networked and offline. A configuration sheet is typically printed off first thing in the morning and then again at the end of the day to get a better understanding of your print volumes. These figures can then be projected over a week, month or even a year.
Software Deployment
If you are looking for insight into your printing workflow and actual print volumes and costs, you may want to consider an assessment that incorporates software deployment. In addition to taking an inventory of printing devices by walking around, advanced print monitoring software can provide fact-based data on all networked devices. This assessment alone will typically provide an organization with opportunities to reduce printing costs by up to 30 percent.
Onsite Professional Services
If your organization has multiple locations or an international presence, a professional onsite assessment will provide you with in-depth data about your printing costs. Often, larger organizations with a wide footprint tend to suffer the most from the lack of cost visibility in regards to printing expenses, so a thorough print assessment can prove to be very beneficial.
An assessment is a smart first step that will pay you back with increased productivity and significant cost reductions. To learn more about the print assessment process contact us today.
