Are You in Control of Your Printer Inventory?

Although we are living in the digital age, we still use a lot of paper in the office. It might sound surprising, but the majority of companies hasn’t got the slightest idea of the costs associated with their paper consumption. Truth be told: you are probably not all that fond of your printers. They always seem to be out of order when you need them. No paper, no toner. Do you even have an accurate printer inventory? Inevitably, you lose time trying to get your prints from a different machine. And when the printer eventually does what you asked for, the quality of the print isn’t always exactly what you had in mind. That’s all the more painful because prints don’t come cheap. Why? About one out of two companies have too many printers. Saving money on prints starts with defining the right number of printers that are needed to properly support the company’s employees. Obviously, the numbers may vary according to the specifics and the location of the employees’ jobs. Some sources mention an average of 2 or 3 for 20 employees, a number that is significantly lower than what can be found at the average company today. Lansweeper can be used as a discovery tool to learn more about the number of printers on the network and the way they are used. This complete printer inventory can be the starting point to decrease the number of printers. Perhaps move some to more appropriate locations, or support the company’s helpdesk when solving printer issues. To make the most of the printing environment, companies prefer the use of smart multifunctional printers with ready access to the corporate network and the Internet. These devices allow you to make the move from simple printing to full-fledged document management. The implementation of workflows and assigning printing rights to end-users, for example, speed up document processes while saving costs at the same time. This way, the printer does a lot more than just printing or copying paper and becomes an integral part of the digitized information process. The smart use of printers also demands a different view on the purchase and operating costs of the device, with more and more companies shifting towards the principle of managed print services. In this case, the company no longer invests in hardware and supplies. The company signs a contract with a service provider whose responsibility it is to guarantee the print services. The service provider installs, runs and maintains the printers. In return, the company pays a fee per printed page for the use of the infrastructure.