- Introduction
- Print Solutions Overview (Finding the Right Solution)
- Managed Print Services
- Additional Print Solutions (Printing Stats)
- Glossary
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Introduction
The purpose of office technology is to help us be more efficient and productive, right? Using all the latest technology sounds ideal, but if you don’t know how to use it, it’s lost its purpose.
While the simplicity of pen and paper may seem appealing after gazing at a large multifunction printer with pinpoint scan capabilities, we’re confident once you understand these groundbreaking technologies, you’ll forget all about the archaic pen and paper method. Office technology really does live up to its purpose of efficiency and productivity when it’s understood.
U.S. Business Systems, Inc. is here to guide you through your printing solutions. In Your Guide to Print Solutions, you’ll find an overview of all our favorite print technologies and how they can help you become more efficient and productive in your everyday office life.
Printing Stats
- Nearly 90% of companies don’t track printing costs. (Buyers Laboratory)
- 23% of help desk calls are printer-related. (IDC)
- Average IT department spends 15% of its time on printing issues. (Marco)
- 20%+ of printed documents go directly into the trash. (Print Audit)
- MPS can reduce costs by up to 30% (Gartner)
Print Solutions Overview
Printing is an essential part of every business. Many offices have made major efforts to cut back on printing with the goal of “going green” or simply to save some green. Even so, printing happens, and that’s okay!
We are in full support of saving money and the environment. Because of this, we can’t help getting excited about the print solutions we have for you!
Let’s start with the little guy: your classic desktop printer. This compact, low cost, and convenient machine isn’t going anywhere. Especially in a small business setting where only a few hundred pages are being pushed out each month, a desktop printer is an excellent choice.
If a few thousand pages a month sounds more like your business, especially if you’re employing ten or more, an all-in-one printer could be your best fit. We like to call these larger printers MFPs, which stands for multifunction printers, but they’re often simply called a copier.
The beauty of MFPs, as opposed to desktop printers, is the added functions. Photocopying, scanning, and faxing are all included. Special software can improve security and bring automation within your office. External hardware, called finishers, can staple, fold, or bind your finished documents.
Need a little more power in your printing while protecting clarity and color? Production printers are ideal for projects that require high quality in high volume at high speeds. A production printer will handle everything from marketing material to standardized print jobs like forms or memos.
Finding the Right Solution
Purchasing a printer, no matter the type, is an investment. A desktop printer may be low in cost, but is it the right fit for your organization? A production printer may sound appealing for its volume and speed, but will it be worth the higher price tag?
The answers to those questions will vary between companies. The major determining factor for which printer type you’ll need is your print volume. If you require a high volume, you’ll need a machine that is rated with a higher PPM, or pages per minute.
This is incredibly important to understand when researching in which machine you should invest and here’s why:
A machine with a PPM that is rated much lower than the actual volume you’re printing will put a strain on the device. This could lead to costly repairs down the road. It could also restrict the office productivity. On the other hand, it’s not a wise investment to choose a machine that has a PPM rate much higher than necessary.
U.S. Business Systems, Inc. can assist you in deciding what type of printer is just the right fit for your office. Not only can we help you determine the PPM rating you need, we can also give you practical advice for where your chosen machine should be located within the office. We are experts in all things printing and look forward to guiding you toward just the right printing solution.
Managed Print Services
Financial efficiency is a key factor in determining the right print solution. What if there were a service that saved you up to 30% on printing, with the added bonuses of reducing your impact on the environment and drastically improving workflows?
Let me introduce you to Managed Print Services.
Managed Print Services (MPS) is a program that your business can outsource to your print provider (U.S. Business Systems, Inc. for example) that will manage every aspect of your printing-related needs. MPS optimizes your printing devices, which includes scanners, faxes, copiers, along with your printer, increasing efficiency and reducing waste.
Managed Print Services does 5 key things for you:
- Analyzes your printing costs. Software is installed to securely and discreetly monitor your print usage. After a time, this is analyzed and the MPS provider will walk you through the resulting report.
- Streamlines your printing devices and their locations. With the knowledge from the analysis, MPS will be able to determine ideal locations for each machine, saving time and improving workflow.
- Replaces what’s not working. The analysis shows you what devices aren’t best serving your company, and MPS will have recommendations that will not only fit your business goals but also your budget.
- Automatically replenishes essential supplies. MPS monitors your devices and automatically ships out toner when your machine is running low.
- Consolidates costs, vendors, and devices. MPS also offers rules based printing software that governs what is being printed. This allows you to have a more predictable monthly investment without any costly surprises.
MPS is typically billed in one of two ways: Cost-per-page, or CPP, is based on how many prints made in a specified amount of time. Invoicing fluctuates based on that period. Seat Based Billing, or SBB, is a flat fee that is based on the number of employees in your organization.
U.S. Business Systems understands that saving time and money is essential for growing and thriving companies. We can streamline your document output, from device management and maintenance to reports, best practices for tracking, and more. You press print, we take care of the rest.
Additional Print Solutions
Multifunction Printers:
Multifunction printers (MFPs) have revolutionized office equipment standards. Printing is only part of what they do! They can also copy, scan, fax, launch business processes, and more!
With the addition of award-winning software solutions, MFPs can automate your everyday operations, optimize your printing investments and enable new revenue streams. Multifunction printers are amazing productivity enhancers for any business.
Tiered Color Printing:
Tiered color printing is a revolutionary approach to color printing because you will only ever pay for the color you’re using! You’ll be able to significantly reduce color waste and as a result, cut down on your costs.
There are 3 tiers:
Simple color for basic documents that feature small amounts of color.
Business color for more color-heavy print that includes things like graphs and charts.
Creative color for full document, professional-grade color.
PinPoint Scan:
PinPoint Scan is an application that is uploaded onto each computer in your network as well as your MFP. This software allows a document that is scanned to go anywhere the user desires. The document can be attached to an email or saved to your desktop or opened in applications, etc. You can even adjust various settings like image type, orientation, resolution and more.
With PinPoint Scan, you’re saving on unnecessary printing and vastly improving workflow.
Printing Resources Glossary
Managed Print Services, or MPS, is a service outsourced to your print provider to manage every aspect of your print-related activity and needs. Through MPS, you’ll know your print volume and usage, and have the expert advice of your print provider to make beneficial changes. You’ll be given recommended devices for your office as well as educated ideas for best location of each machine.
Multifunction Printers, or MFPs, are commonly referred to as copiers. These machines can do just about anything you need them to. Photocopying, scanning, faxing, and of course, printing, are standard for an MFP. Additional software and hardware can be included, such as PinPoint Scan (see below).
PinPoint Scan is an application that will allow your employees to scan in a document on your MFP and send it anywhere. Various settings can be adjusted through PinPoint Scan, as well.
Tiered Color Printing is how you add brilliant color to your print without breaking the bank. Through the 3-tier system, you pay for the color that you use, saving yourself a bundle without sacrificing the eye-pleasing color.
U.S. Business Systems, Inc. is your print provider, connecting values with innovation. We will build stronger bonds with you, our clients, by creating and delivering proven value through customized hardware, software, and services for today and tomorrow.