The Benefits of Managing Your Printer Fleet
Output devices come and go, as they become redundant, inefficient, or inoperable. Depending on the size of your business, you may have anywhere from a few, to dozens of these devices; but regardless of numbers, how you manage your device fleet can impact your budget, productivity levels and data security.
What’s the Big Deal?
Printing, copying, and other tasks performed by output devices are a necessary part of doing business. However, hidden print costs resulting from wasteful printing, or lost productivity due to downtime can add up, costing you more than you may realize. Managing these devices can turn losses into gains with benefits ranging from:
- Increased productivity
- Enhanced security
- Superior document management
- Cost savings from reduced waste
- Reduced carbon footprint
Look Carefully
An important element of device fleet management is tracking output. Fleet monitoring lets you know which devices are used most often so you can make the necessary adjustments to streamline office workflow. Placing the right machines in the right locations can reduce bottlenecks https://tomorrowsoffice.com//are-your-print-costs-under-control-thank-you/or downtime due to frequent maintenance on an overworked device. While utilizing another printer within the office is a workable solution, productivity will still remain down and can cause additional bottlenecks further down the line.
Benefits of Fleet Device Management
In addition to gaining insight into print volumes by device, you can also view data according to user. Knowing which employees are responsible for generating the highest document output allows you to formulate a plan of action, which may include any or all of the following:
- Make changes to the type or location of devices available to the user to maximize efficiency
- Allocate print expenses to the appropriate department
- Start a dialogue about resource management
Alleviate security concerns by implementing a policy requiring employees to identify themselves prior to receiving printed documents. This practice helps to increase security by preventing sensitive information from resting, unclaimed in a paper tray, for all to see.
Ask Yourself Some Hard Questions
Once you’re realized the benefits of fleet device management, the next step is to ask yourself a series of questions regarding existing practices for print monitoring and management. The answers to these questions can help identify areas of concern, and be the catalyst for some positive changes within your fleet management infrastructure. Ask yourself the following:
- What is the procedure for managing print expenses? If there are chargebacks according to department for example, how are expenses tracked?
- What methods are used to manage and monitor output devices?
- What are the monthly print volumes across your entire fleet, and how do the numbers compare to your projections?
- How is your fleet configured? Are jobs routed in a batch configuration or device by device?
Not knowing, or being dissatisfied, with the answers to these questions, are signs that your company would benefit from device fleet management. Contact us to get started, or to learn more, today.
