The value of print management for organisations looking to manage costs

Lots of small and medium businesses (SMBs) are staying open to help keep the economy running during the COVID-19 pandemic. The economy is relying on these businesses and we know that your focus is on continuing to serve your customers and deliver a strong customer experience. We also know that it’s important to you that cash flow and costs stay under control.

For many organisations, the first instinct in a business interruption is to minimise costs. This is completely understandable. However, it’s important to avoid deep and ruthless cost-cutting because you may inadvertently eliminate expenses that may have actually contributed to your income. For example, laying off your entire staff may help save money in the short term but, when your customers come back, you won’t be able to meet their needs.

Rather than look to cut costs indiscriminately, the most successful organisations to emerge after a crisis are usually those who have looked to innovate and to invest their funds in a pragmatic way, where they’ll do the most good for the business in the long term.

So, we’re helping our customers find ways to reduce costs while increasing your efficiencies. We believe that printing offers a key strategic area to examine and, potentially, reduce your costs as we all embark on the road to recovery.

Managing your business’s printing more effectively can save you money and contribute to a better environmental footprint. As costs increase and organisations look to become more efficient wherever possible, a print management solution can be the answer.  

What is a print management solution?

A print management solution or FollowMe printing solution is  an ideal way to empower organisations by reducing costs and while optimising the performance of your printer fleet. Importantly, it can help you free up capital to invest in business growth.

A print management solution can include the following services:

1. Consulting: to help you make sure you have the right number of printers, the right type of printers, and the right software for your business needs. This can help avoid paying for printing capabilities that you don’t need.
2. Fleet management: to ensure incidents and maintenance are dealt with in a timely way, and to track your consumables. This reduces the burden on your IT department, where print-related help desk calls take IT staff away from core business activities. It can also mean you don’t have to track how much toner etc. you’re using. The machine will alert your print provider when it needs more toner, and the order will be placed automatically to ensure you don’t run out.
3. Governance: to set rules for printing that reduce waste and make your printing more environmentally friendly. For example, you can set rules to print double sided and in black and white to reduce paper and toner use.
4. Security: Print management supports encryption on the network. Not just security at the printer, but while your job is in the transit. A protection from unauthorised access to sensitive company information by attacking your printer.

The benefits of a print management solution

The number one benefit of a print management solution is that it can save your organisation significant amounts of money in areas you may not have even been aware of. With a print management solution, you can consolidate those cost savings and see a substantial benefit. The alternative is to go through your printing and related costs with a fine-tooth comb to eke out incremental savings here and there. This isn’t a good use of your time, which would be better spent on overall business strategy and revenue-generating activities.

You can also add a cost recovery service that makes it easier for you to pass on the costs of printing to your customers, which would further reduce your burden.

In addition to cost savings and allocations, print management can also improve the security of printers and documents. Access cards can be introduced to ensure printouts are only released with authorisation, protecting documents and minimising documents being printed unnecessarily.

You can also consider adding document capture and management solutions that improve the way you deal with information digitally. This can reduce the amount of printing your business does overall, saving on printer maintenance and consumables costs. Process automation as part of this solution can also streamline your employees’ workflows, saving time and giving them the freedom to contribute to more business-critical tasks.

Often overlooked, printing is a key area for cost reductions and efficiency gains for most businesses. A print management solution is affordable and delivers strong return on investment for small and medium businesses. 

Konica Minolta has helped thousands of SMBs reduce costs and improve efficiencies. As your innovation partner, we’re here to help you navigate your recovery from COVID-19 and position your business to perform strongly now and into the future. To find out how we can help your small business, contact us today.