Hughes Xerographic Blog

How Can “Cloud” Technology Help Your Business?

Joe Hughes — Fri, 23 Aug 2013 15:32:00 GMT

Cloud technology has swept the business world, offering SMB owners the opportunity to store, manage and retrieve information securely and easily, while freeing up valuable resources for other endeavors.

While the technology itself isn’t new, the applications and speed with which it is finding its way into every aspect of business is. Companies are finding cloud solutions for everything from customer relations to printing and Managed Print Services (MPS) are leading the pack. Here’s a look at the predicted trends for cloud technology in the year ahead.

Job Opportunities

Experts predict a growth in cloud related jobs in the year ahead, and although direct experience within the field won’t be a prerequisite, the ability to deliver client solutions in an efficient manner will be.

Harnessing Big Data

Big data is defined as sets of data too large to process in the conventional way. Analyzing these data sets can provide valuable information to businesses in regards to their customer base and aid in the development of future products and services. The ability to leverage this data through a cloud based service is the key to the future of this technology.

MPS and the Cloud

Flexibility is key in the workplace, where business doesn’t always happen in the office environment, or within the hours of 9 to 5. The beauty of the cloud is its accessibility from virtually anywhere and any device with an internet connection, providing access to software, document management and print solutions that previously required employees to retain a physical presence in the office.

The trend towards bring your own device (BYOD) where employees can use their own smartphones, laptops or tablets works harmoniously with cloud technology. While security is a factor, MPS can provide secure solutions to safeguard company data and technology while allowing access to the same from a multitude of devices.

The ability to print from the cloud is revolutionary, providing personnel the freedom to send information to the cloud via email, where it remains until it’s needed. Once a cloud enabled printer is located, a one-time security code, issued at the time of the request is all that is needed to print the job at hand.

Mobile print solutions are just one way that MPS can help save money and time, while helping to increase productivity and profits.

The forecast for the near future is bright, with MPS and cloud technology working seamlessly to provide businesses with cost effective solutions for data management and storage, freeing valuable resources in the process.

Click here for your free e-book on how to make your office more environmentally friendly:

MPS and the Manufacturing Industry – Why It Just Makes Too Much Sense

Joe Hughes — Fri, 09 Aug 2013 15:12:00 GMT

Deloitte consulting recently conducted a survey of CEO’s from around the world and the consensus that emerged is that the U.S. is no longer the most competitive location for manufacturing. In the last two decades as global manufacturing has increased, the U.S. share of manufacturing has fallen. Companies are moving offshore in order to remain competitive.

U.S. manufacturers have become increasingly savvy in employing methods to reduce costs while increasing productivity. Successful companies are becoming more sustainable and more globally oriented as markets traditionally closed begin to open up. For many U.S. manufacturers this has meant automating factories, and streamlining sales operations and marketing efforts in a bid to remain competitive.

One of the last un-audited aspects of many manufacturing concerns is their cost of internal office printing. Companies may be unaware of exactly how much they are spending on printing and print related technology. By addressing these areas, many companies can save significant money by instituting changes and monitoring their print environments. The U.S. continues to install regulatory controls over manufacturers and as a result costs are increasing as more time, and money goes towards compliance.

Managed Print Services in the Manufacturing Industry

As manufacturers continue to find ways to control costs, many are turning to Managed Print Service (MPS) companies to address their internal and external print costs.

One of the first steps a good MPS provider will take is to do a full assessment of a company’s assets. By first addressing output devices, your MPS provider can realize immediate savings by eliminating redundancy and upgrading existing assets. Many companies are still relying on a roomful of machines to handle copying, faxing, scanning and printing. By replacing existing assets with multifunction devices many companies can realize significant savings by eliminating lease expenses, and cutting down on inventory usage and energy costs.

Once print assets have been addressed, your MPS provider will begin to put print protocols in place. As companies begin to equip their mobile sales force with the latest devices like smartphones and tablets, MPS providers will work to integrate this new technology into your company’s existing infrastructure. Through software solutions by companies like Xerox, many business processes, like compliance can be addressed, streamlined and automated for additional cost savings.

For example, your MPS provider can put in place streamlined order delivery. Your sales team can be on the road and through the cloud, can access the print device directly in the warehouse shortening order fulfillment times resulting in not only saved time, but lower fulfillment costs.

Other MPS Benefits

In addition to infrastructure and procedural protocols, MPS providers can help your business to take advantage of the benefits of big data. By putting in place systems to track and monitor all of your companies digital information, from orders, to supplies, to manufacturing output, your MPS provider can work to adopt analysis procedures to give you a better understanding of exactly how your business operates.

By outsourcing your print environment to a proven MPS provider, you can lower inventory costs, streamline procedures, put print protocols and controls in place, and begin to transition to a more sustainable, paperless future. It is a smart business decision that can address the last un-audited part of your business. By monitoring and controlling your print environment, and automating key business processes, you will realize significant bottom line savings that can help make your business more competitive in the expanding global marketplace.

Click here for your free e-book on how to make your office more environmentally friendly:

Big Data & MPS - How Your Business Can Benefit?

Joe Hughes — Fri, 26 Jul 2013 18:45:00 GMT

There is a really big term being tossed around the business world these days and it’s called Big Data. You’ll read about it on blogs and in business journals with the same frenzy given to earlier technology shifts, including social media, SEO, and cloud computing. But is Big Data truly the next big thing for business success? Maybe it depends on what business you are in, but the answer is probably a resounding yes.

Big Data is making a big splash across many industries

Big Data is basically the streaming of extremely high volumes of raw data that can be analyzed quickly in real time to give you more knowledge to guide your business decisions.

Using Big Data, companies large and small can enhance their services, create new services to meet demand, and basically create new business models with more assurance than ever before. How? Not because Big Data is a magic bullet, but because if you are asking the right questions, Big Data can give you the right answers quickly and easily.

Let’s look at how it impacts different industries:

Insurance companies can use real time “Big Data” to take the guesswork out of their predictive analytics. Actuaries don’t have to “guess” when real time location data can give better insight to where, when and how people live, drive their cars, and more. For example using Big Data, a car insurance company could analyze a car’s maintenance history to get a better idea of the recklessness of a driver. As more customers interact with insurers online, more and more data is generated giving a bigger pool of potentially useful information.
Big Data is also extremely useful for the healthcare industry as it can be used as predictive analytics to reduce hospital readmissions or to fill holes in a patients chart by data mining other records.
Banks and mortgage companies also find Big Data very useful for creating services for its customers, determining mortgage risk and more.

Is Big Data good for small business?

Small businesses certainly can benefit from real time data, although access to data warehouses or hiring people to properly analyze the data might seem cost prohibitive.

One area that small and large businesses alike might benefit from Big Data without a lot of investment on their end is through Managed Print Services (MPS). Most MPS providers today provide Big Data to their clients, which mean if you get the right provider to help improve your printing efficiencies you can also use the data they gather to build your business too.

Let’s look at a few ways Big Data and MPS can work together to benefit your company:

Better analytics. A good MPS provider uses document management software that allows for better collaboration between departments for analytic purposes
Easier digitization of your business documents. By giving you Scan to PC capabilities, an MPS provider allows you to better control, store and organize your business data
Better data sorting. Using Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology, many MPS tools actually read documents for better sorting and organization—with less manpower on your end.
Cloud Storage. MPS also provides you with the ability to store and access business data and documents in the cloud, which also saves resources and space.

In short, Big Data is a big thing. No matter the size of your business it pays to start investing in Big Data solutions, either independently or through a good MPS provider.

To find out how much your business is currently spending on print, click here for your free print assessment:

Do You Know the True Cost of Printing?

Joe Hughes — Thu, 11 Jul 2013 12:30:00 GMT

The cost of printing and maintaining a printer system is widely under estimated. If you paused to think about the amount of money you spend on toner, paper, electricity, maintenance and then the percentage of salary that you are paying employees to stand idly waiting for a printer to spit out their files. When you start adding thing up on the calculator the numbers can have a lot more zeros on the end than you might have first thought.

The key is to know and recognize the difference between print and non-print related costs. How to stop this increase in cost lies in establishing a printing management system that works for your company and the only way to do that it to really take a good look at the numbers.

Hard costs, or print costs, are the upfront fees you pay for toner, paper, maintenance and repairs, finishing, shipping, storing and the fulfillment of your printing machine. These are the costs that are obvious that you get the bills for each month, but they are not the only costs printing incurs.

The secondary costs that can accrue when dealing with printing in office are known as soft costs. Soft costs include design, composition, editing, project management and administration. These are harder to quantifiably measure because they mostly have to do with measuring how much your time and energy is worth. Essentially they represent the efficiency cost.

A quick calculation shows what we mean:

10 Minutes/Job x 50 Jobs/Day = 500 Minutes x $30/Hr = $250/Day
$250/Day x 19 Work Days/Month = $4,750/Month x 12 = $57,000/Year

One of the best ways to lower these numbers is though making efficiency a primary goal for the office. Actions are repeated, the employees are accidentally stepping on each other and repeating tasks and while everyone is trying to figure out who is doing what you are losing time and money. One machine in particular that helps to implement and maintain efficiency is a multifunction printer or an MFP as well as a managed print service, or, MPS.

While implementing an MPS or MFP won’t be a cure-all for every office issue, it will certainly help to streamline a very important part of the business process. As per the calculations above, running an office with no clear structure for cost or management of expenses can be an expensive mistake and chances are all that money could be put to better use in other areas of the business.

It’s time to create a system to record your frequency of printing, digitization rate, toner use, paper consumption and repair costs. An MPS and MFP are a very good way to do this because of their tracking capabilities. The numbers gathered by these two upgrades will create a benchmark to work from each month or year to reduce printing costs.

The cost of printing can be high, but the right approach and the right tools can bring your spending back in line and help your office improve and grow in the most efficient and productive way.

Click here to find out how your business can save up to 30% in print costs in 30 days:

Could Your Business Benefit From a MultiFunction Printer?

Joe Hughes — Thu, 27 Jun 2013 12:30:00 GMT

Every business uses paper every day, whether it’s invoicing, record keeping, receiving faxes or copying reports. Until recently, it took a room full of machines to handle all of the tasks of running a business. Many companies have, at the very least, printers, copiers, scanners and fax machines. These machines take up a lot of real estate in the typical office and cost your company significant amounts of money in the form of lease fees, maintenance, and supplies.

Technology has given business a more cost effective solution. It’s now possible to replace that roomful of machines with a single multifunction printer that can perform all of the same functions on one machine.

Benefits of MFP Technology

There are three immediate benefits to migrating your office functions to an MFP device. They are:

1. Consolidation – By eliminating machines and downsizing, it is possible to streamline your work processes and reduce much of your inventory costs.

2. Cost Savings – Along with reduced inventory expenses, your business can save big by reducing or eliminating lease costs, maintenance visits and lowering energy costs.

3. Improved Workflow / Increased Employee Productivity – Using a roomful of individual machines for faxing, scanning, printing and copying can create bottlenecks in your office workflow. By combining all of these operations onto one machine it’s often possible to do more work in less time with fewer steps.

MFP Options and Functionality

MFP technology has improved significantly. Today, most Multifunction devices will handle black and white, and color printing, copying and scanning out of the box. They are available starting at a very low price point, making them an affordable choice for most office situations. As the technology has improved, the functions have increased. MFPs now offer:

• WiFi Connectivity – Built-in WiFi allows everyone in the office to connect to the printer without the need for hardwiring it into your office network. WiFi also allows your office to take advantage of the newest trend in office computing, BYOD or bring your own device. Your employees can connect to your printer through their personal smartphones, tablets and laptops.

• Duplex Printing – With the push for more sustainability in the workplace, most MFPs will allow for two sided printing which saves time, and office supplies like paper and toner.

• Cloud Connectivity – Cloud connectivity allows your employees to print documents from anywhere, whether it’s their home office or from the road. Documents stored on the cloud can be edited and printed as well. Your mobile workers can print orders directly from the road shortening fulfillment times.

• Automatic Document Feeder – Many MFPs offer this option. If your office scans or prints large documents, this option eliminates the need for hand feeding. Simply load the document, press print or scan and move onto your next task while the printer does the work.

• Fax – MFPs with the fax option use the scanner to send and the printer to print incoming faxes. Many can send a received fax directly to your employee’s desktop, smartphone or tablet, eliminating the need to use paper, saving you money. Remember, units that offer faxing need to have access to a phone jack.

MFP technology is a great all in one solution for businesses of any size. Remember, do your due diligence before buying a multifunction printer . Make sure you know exactly what functions are important to your operation before you go shopping. Check the warranty, and remember longer is better. Choosing the right MFP can improve productivity, streamline workflow and reduce your bottom line costs. It’s a worthwhile investment for any business.

Click here for your free e-book on how your business can save up to 30% in print costs in 30 days:

Take Control of Your Office Productivity with ConnectKey

Joe Hughes — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 12:30:00 GMT

When it comes to increasing workplace productivity, your printing environment is one of the first areas of the company to investigate. There are many tools available to help make printing faster and easier, but the first solution you should consider for improving your entire printing environment is ConnectKey.

Offered by Xerox, ConnectKey is an innovative cloud-based solution that makes the way you print faster, more efficient, more sustainable—and more productive than ever. In short, ConnectKey gives you much more control over the “who,” “when,” and “how” of your office printing with unique features that you will wonder how you ever worked without it. Some of its innovative productivity features include:

Convenient Universal Remote Control Panel
CentreWare Web Management
Embedded Support (for fewer service calls)
Unified Address Book
Scan to PC Capabilities, and even more

Let’s take a closer look at these benefits and how they impact your productivity.

Universal Remote control panel puts the print device interface on your desktop.

First, ConnectKey’s Universal Remote control panel lets you operate the user interface of any of your multifunction printers from any office workstation you happen to be at (just as if you were standing right in front of the printer!) It allows you to remotely train your users and even configure your printer settings remotely so that you are assured of better security and control over who uses your devices and when.

Xerox CentreWare Web gives you even more productivity advantages

ConnectKey uses Xerox CentreWare to enable you to manage all of your print devices centrally (not just limited to Xerox printers either.) CentreWare is one of the most innovative, web browser-based software tools available and it lets you remotely install, configure, manage, monitor, and report on all of your networked printers and devices in your company. For example, you can manage many printers at once as if they were one device with group-based management function. Or you can check on the status of your printers and devices throughout your entire print environment remotely.

ConnectKey’s unified address book allows you to find contacts faster

Another productivity-enhancing feature of ConnectKey is its unified address book. This great tool allows you to spend less time looking for your contacts because it is able to store all of a contact’s email, fax, and scan information in a single contact location. You can simplify workflows, too, by adding favorite contacts that have common destinations.

Embedded support means less service calls

ConnectKey also lets you reduce the frustration of printer downtime by offering users on-device access to complete Xerox Online Support database. This is the exact content that support technicians use, and comes with embedded “help” videos to make fixing any issue easier and faster than ever—without placing service calls.

Scan to PC convenience

Other productivity features of ConnectKey include a Scan to PC feature that sends jobs directly to an employee’s desk, and even emails them when a job is done. (This saves a ton on paper, too, but that’s another story for later.)

Conclusion: with ConnectKey, your productivity soars

At the end of the day, you will quickly see how ConnectKey can transform the way you manage your print environment. It is a great productivity-boosting tool for businesses of any size—giving you more control, speed and capabilities than ever.

Click here for your free e-book on how to make your office more environmentally friendly:

Go Green While Cutting Costs with ConnectKey

Joe Hughes — Thu, 30 May 2013 12:30:00 GMT

Xerox ConnectKey provides small-to-medium sized businesses with the ideal multifunction printer solution, helping to simplify the task at hand, boost productivity, and control costs. While there are a number of benefits to utilizing this technology, we wanted to take a moment to highlight the environmental sustainability aspect.

Compatible with EnergyWise
Xerox is a charter partner of the International ENERGY STAR program, and the company is committed to designing technology that offers increased functionality while using less energy. The ConnectKey cloud-based multifunction printer in particular is compatible with energy management solutions such as Cisco's popular EnergyWise technology, which offers large-scale energy reductions to companies by monitoring how much energy your devices are using. By being more aware of your energy utilization levels and making adjustments when necessary, this technology can help your business to be more profitable too.

Earth Smart Printing
ConnectKey also enables users to establish Earth Smart printing rules such as prohibiting single sided printing and resource consuming jobs to help cut down on waste. These printing rules will offer cost savings on paper, toner, and power, which ultimately will positively impact your bottom line. To help you stay on pace with your green friendly printing rules, ConnectKey offers a "green meter" feature to make you aware of when you are meeting your sustainability goals in regards to printing.

ColorQube Solid Ink Technology
Another environmentally friendly feature that ConnectKey offers is its ColorQube solid ink technology. Not only does this solution offer color printing for the cost of black and white printing, but also can reduce the amount of waste produced by up to 90 percent. In general, solid inks are easier to work with and require significantly less packaging.

Energy Efficient LED Printing
ConnectKey sets itself apart from other multifunction printing solutions by utilizing energy efficient LED printing, which uses approximately one third of the power that traditional Xenon lamps would use.

Xerox Recycling Program
To help cultivate a sustainable printing environment, ConnectKey solutions encourage businesses to take part in the Xerox recycling program to ensure that all recyclable recourses are discarded with the environment in mind. By taking part in this recycling program, your business can help prevent millions of pounds of waste from entering landfills. Since the initiative was launched 12 years ago, Xerox and its customers have recycled more than 143 million pounds of cartridges, bottles, and waste toner.

In summary, for those looking for a way to "go green" while cutting costs and increasing efficiency, a ConnectKey multi-function printer could be the ideal solution for your business. By cutting down on energy usage and waste while boosting productivity within the organization, it's certainly something worth looking into.

Click here for your free e-book on how to become a more environmentally friendly office:

How to Simplify Office Processes

Joe Hughes — Thu, 16 May 2013 12:30:00 GMT

The office print environment has seen major improvements in the past several years. Today’s multifunction printers offer more functionality with a much smaller footprint. It’s now possible to replace an entire room of machines with a single device. This saves your company time and money and allows you to focus on growing your core business.

All MFP’s are not created equally. When choosing an MFP, there are several important items to take into consideration before signing a contract. At the top of the list are convenience and ease of use. Xerox understands the way business works and have brought MFP technology to the next level with their new solution called ConnectKey.

It’s changing the way work gets done and revolutionizing the office print environment!

MFP’s Simplify Your Print Environment

You may have already made the smart business decision to invest in a multifunction printer. As your workforce adapts to the new trends of working in the cloud and BYOD (bring your own device), your MFP needs to adapt to these new ways of working.

CoonectKey allows your MFP to easily adapt to new trends in the workplace. It offers more than the usual print, scan, fax and copy functions found on all MFP’s. With ConnectKey, your MFP becomes a multi function hub for all of your employees. ConnectKey allows you to print from anywhere with its advanced mobile print capabilities. Documents can be scanned in the office and uploaded to the cloud for collaboration. Custom applications can be developed to adapt your printer to your personal work style with easy to use developers tools.

Mobile Connectivity

As more business takes place online, cloud use is increasing. Many company’s are already doing business through the cloud with mobile employee’s connecting through their smartphones and tablets from the road. ConnectKey allows your team to print directly to your MFP, in the home office, from anywhere at anytime. This flexibility can streamline your order process as orders can be directly sent to fulfillment. This can save your company both time and money. Time sensitive documents can be edited, revised, emailed or printed from any location directly to your ConnectKey enabled MFP from any device.

Ease of Use

ConnectKey is completely adaptable to your office work style and offers enhanced security, flexibility and many convenient time saving features. Contracts can be scanned, loaded from the cloud and then organized on individual desktops throughout your organization, all directly from your MFP. The fax forward option is designed to be a true paperless solution. This can increase your company’s productivity and sustainability with the cost savings going directly to your bottom line. All of your office data is also fully searchable by either item, or keyword.

24/7 Tech Support

The onboard control panel means help is always available. This feature allows tech support to connect directly with the printer and the user remotely from their desk. It also allows your tech team to remotely handle upgrades and perform service. That means fewer service calls and more savings. If your in-house tech team is unavailable, Xerox offers online support directly from the control panel.

With ConnectKey, Xerox has brought MFP technology to the next level of convenience. It offers reliability, ease of use, and can be customized for the way your office functions. Enhanced security means your data is safe whether you’re working from home, the road or in the office. It’s completely compatible with all mobile devices and OS and its enhanced wireless connectivity makes it easy to set-up anywhere. The bottom line, ConnectKey makes managing your office print environment easier than ever before.

To find out how your business can save up to 30% on print costs in 30 days, click here:

Control Print Costs with Xerox ConnectKey

Joe Hughes — Thu, 02 May 2013 12:30:00 GMT

Between the paper, the toner, the storage space required and the electricity it takes to run your document devices, no wonder cost control is a top-of-mind issue for many office managers.

By taking the first major step – replacing multiple printers, copiers and scanners with an “all in one” or multifunction printer (MFP) with Xerox ConnectKey technology – you can help realize cost savings while you streamline the document process and accommodate the work styles of today’s remote and mobile users.

Print smart
Your ConnectKey system allows you to use preferences and defaults to control the resources you use and the power it takes to run the printer.

Your managed print services (MPS) provider can take a role in not just setting up your ConnectKey system, but in training users to get the most out of the technology while controlling material costs.

Stakeholders can quickly learn, for example:

How to select double-sided or “two up” documents instead of single-sided ones;
How to adjust fonts, page breaks, headers and footers to increase the print area, saving more paper;
How to use Print Preview to ensure that each sheet of the document is formatted correctly, which reduces waste paper;
How to route faxes via email to share documents more quickly while dramatically reducing paper usage;
How to eliminate material-wasting banner pages by defaulting out of that unneeded separator page; and
How to save toner by defaulting their everyday print settings to gray scale or “draft” mode – the savings in costly color toner add up quickly!

Xerox Standard Accounting (XSA) adds control
As an office manager; you can use XSA functionality that puts more control of the device into your hands:

Set limits on the number of print, copy, scan and fax jobs that a user can perform. Limits can be reset remotely at any time.
See a rundown of device activity at the individual, group or department level.
Control user access to color options for print and copy jobs that can otherwise suffice with less-expensive black toner.
Bill individual internal or external clients to help them understand their role in cost control.
Customize capabilities for walk-up users to limit the device functions to the ones needed most for business use

These accounting services are compatible with Pcounter, Ysoft and Equitrac. You can check and change XSA preferences remotely, from any Internet-connected device.

Watch how much you use … and save
Stay up to date on your resource usage with ConnectKey’s Earth Smart feature.

From the Start menu, you can access the Paper/Output tab screen.
A small green box at the bottom of that screen indicates Earth Smart settings.
Selecting that box lets you not only change your print preferences to control costs, it also shows you how much paper you’ve saved to date by employing double-sided printing, remove-banner option and other ConnectKey features.

The savings add up
It takes only minutes to set up the ideal print preferences for your organization, and tracking your savings is made easy. Ask your local Xerox agent about all the advantages of ConnectKey for your office.

To find out how much your business is currently spending on print, click here for your free print assessment:

Easily Upgrade Office Security, Compliance and Productivity

Joe Hughes — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 12:30:00 GMT

Who would have thought that a printing company would have such an impact on business productivity?

Xerox has made the paradigm shift to a leading edge productivity and efficiency provider with the introduction of its ConnectKey series of products. This innovation comes from a hard line focus on business issues and how to make the most out of standard office processes to reduce costs, increase productivity, and help the environment.

The ConnectKey series includes multi-function printers (MFP’s) as well as multi-function electronic devices (MFE’s) that have imbedded software built around industry leading standards for security, compliance, productivity and green energy initiatives.

Just a few of the Xerox ConnectKey series features include:

McAfee Security – block unwanted viruses and intrusions through this exciting partnership with the premier virus protection software provider.

Safe printing – the ability to utilize access code based printing or you can use access-card based printing is available.

Encryption – securely store, print, and override documents using SSL encryption and hard disk override capabilities that are compliant with the legal industry as well as the Department of Defense.

Auditing – you can track usage by user, date, time and more without the worry of exposing the content of documents.

Compliance – meets virtually all compliance standards including HIPAA HiTech, Sarbanes Oxley and more.

Energy – with the Cisco EarthWise monitor you can better manage energy consumption, plus the devices are Energy Star compliant for optimal energy use.

Management – you IT and network administrators will have an easy job with centralized device management capabilities. This provides remote diagnostics and repair options as well as remote monitoring and performance management.

Time – significant productivity gains can be made with emails when jobs are completed, fax-to-email routing options, scan-to-PC services for single or double sided documents, and very easy maintenance with customer replaceable items.

Money – restrict your printing services based around department, user, business hours or the type of print job. Compatibility is available for various network accounting packages including Pcounter, Ysoft and Equitrac. Default your print jobs to the lease costly and most efficient such as double-sided draft for email documents.

Mobility – for users who need access to multiple printers depending on their location, added intelligence is available to automatically detect the closest available printer to use. Also Xerox ConnectKey is compatible with Apple Airprint and coming soon Wi-Fi printing options.

These innovative products are expected to change the game of office productivity and efficiency. The Xerox ConnectKey series is a new evolution in the way of thinking for business office environments.

To find out how much your company spends on print, click here for your free print assessment:

Enhance Office Security with ConnectKey

Joe Hughes — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 12:30:00 GMT

Advances in technology have created an explosion of information. You’re bombarded with it in your emails, through social media, on your personal tablet and your smart phone. It’s how you stay in touch and it’s increasingly how you conduct business from where ever you are whether you’re at home, in the office, or on the road. As more employees adopt the BYOD (bring your own device) work ethic in the office, and more companies make the switch to multi-function printer technology, data and print security is becoming a critical issue.

Xerox has recently launched a new product called ConnectKey that addresses the issue of workplace security in this new office environment.

ConnectKey: Always on Guard

Sensitive information like salary, personal and health information needs to remain confidential in the workplace. ConnectKey technology is an MFP solution that addresses the issue of printer security in the workplace. It features McAfee technology integration and the result is the first line-up of multifunction printers that are protected from outside threats. It allows users to initiate a secure print job from their desk then swipe their personal ID card at the printer that then unlocks and prints the file. If the user’s card isn’t swiped in a set amount of time, ConnectKey has an auto delete function that removes the file from the print queue. As an additional layer of security, all jobs are stored on an encrypted hard drive that automatically scrubs the job after printing. To prevent a computer virus infection, the software also stores a white list of accepted applications.

If your company uses a managed print services company, Xerox offers an MPS toolset and McAfee e-policy that integrates seamlessly with the program and allows tracking and monitoring of all print jobs. Automatic Cisco TrustSec ID Services engine integration provides comprehensive visibility of all MFP endpoints to help enforce security policies and compliance.

Additional Features

ConnectKey offers the highest levels of security and a great feature set including:

McAfee Security that is new and exclusive to Xerox
Hard Disc Override that is Legal Industry DoD (Department of Defense) compliant using SSL encryption
Access Printing via code or access card
Software verification meets CCC Federal Government approved standards
Tracking of users for record keeping purposes, but not content for privacy
Safe to scan to Gmail and Yahoo for SMB’s without corporate email
Cisco TrustSec guards the path to the device
HIPAA, Sarbanes Oxley, and Hitech act compliance

Xerox ConnectKey is truly a complete solution for print environment security.

As workplace technology continues to advance and evolve, maintaining the security of your company’s important documents becomes more important. Instituting policies to insure secure printing is a smart business decision. Xerox ConnectKey technology is an affordable solution that will give you both security and peace of mind.

To learn more about Xerox's Connectkey, Click here:

How Your Law Office Could Benefit From Managed Print

Joe Hughes — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 12:30:00 GMT

As a member of the legal industry, you know the many challenges that law firms, large and small, face in increasing their bottom line. If you are like many successful Managing Partners or small firm owners, you’ve already invested time and resources in efforts to:

Maximize billable hours
Increase speed to market
Decrease documents costs, and more

Recent research has shown that many of today’s businesses—including law firms—can spend up to 3% or more of their revenue on toner and print related expenses for document output. Additionally, they can spend up to 30% on print supplies and repair to their output devices. These three items: 1) document output, 2) toner supplies, and 3) repairs- can be hidden costs of operation that too many people in charge of IT may simply overlook or are completely unaware of.

Controlling printing costs begins with knowing the number of output devices in your organization.

Knowing how many machines you have in your firm is the place to start when managing what you spend on producing your documents each year. For each device, there are different costs involved from different departments. For example, IT usually handles the repair of equipment, while other individuals in your organization usually handle service and toner supplies. And someone else entirely is probably in control of acquiring output devices—probably without really considering its end-use or cost of ownership between various different devices.

Knowing how many people can impact the cost associated with each device, means you need to not only know how many devices you actually have, but how many you actually need. Is there a way to consolidate devices to ones that have multifunctional use?

The answer is yes. Multifunction printing is possible.

You’ll be glad to know that it is possible to consolidate the functionality of many of your costly output devices into one easier to manage, more affordable device that is referred to as a Multifunction Printer (MFP).

A Multifunction Printer is your best chance to not only address toner and output costs, but also all of the challenges mentioned at the start. By giving you more productivity, an MFP can increase your billable hours, and your profit. Productivity is also necessary to increasing your speed to market. And last, a Multifunction Printer is the best way to keep your eye on all the toner and output costs your firm is responsible for each month.

What makes a Multifunction Printer the holy grail of productivity and affordability?

An MFP can:

Offer all of the features found in more expensive copiers
Improve the workflow. An MFP can be positioned closer to the team that needs it for improved workflow.
Provide scanning capabilities so that individuals in your firm can simply scan documents to an email or to a folder on your network. Your office will be paperless in no time!
Reduce the print assets your employees need per office—sometimes as much as half or more.

Your law firm might have a central area for copying, scanning, faxing and the like. Just imagine the speed and productivity teams will have when they have an MPF in their own area.

In conclusion:

To get better control over output costs—and a better bottom line—know your output devices. Consider consolidating features into one device and then placing those devices in closer proximity to end-users. A mix of both single function and multi function printers and devices may be necessary, but it’s worth considering how such a mix can save you in both toner costs and repairs while greatly increasing productivity in your firm.

To find out how your law office can save up to 30% in print costs in 30 days, click here:

MPS and The Healthcare Industry

Joe Hughes — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 13:30:00 GMT

Paper, paper everywhere. In the healthcare industry, you need to document patient services, prescriptions, diagnoses, reports, patient costs, vendor payments, and the list goes on. But this paper trail isn’t superfluous - it is needed to document treatments, avoid lawsuits, track payments and receipts, allow for budgeting, and provide transparency. It’s not going away. But managing the reams of paper is both daunting and time-consuming, causing employees to spend valuable effort on paperwork when their time could be better spent elsewhere. However, there is a way to manage this paper trail efficiently and affordably – through Managed Print Services (MPS).

MPS is what the healthcare industry has needed for a long time. It focuses on being a relatively paperless environment while still having easy access to all information digitally. Even better, due to secure online documentation standards and technology, digital registers, and privacy protocols, not only is the information protected, but also the process of converting from a paper-to-EHR workflow is quick and painless.

Even better, advances in MPS also help prevent or minimize any HIPAA breaches when authentication or access – such as passwords or card readers – is required to obtain that information.

Services and Technology Go Hand in Hand

MPS is not just about the technology needed to go paperless – it’s also about the services that must go along with it. The suppliers, who provide the technology should go beyond the basic need for industry initiatives, and in doing so, can improve and streamline individual, departmental, and business workflows.

How does this happen? When a supplier is responsible for an MPS system, then they are also responsible for ensuring that the services are working as expected by upgrading the system when needed, applying security and safeguards, resolving issues when they occur, and providing reports to the healthcare business. This leaves the employees at the healthcare business available to focus on their own tasks and being proactive rather than always feel like they are playing catch-up. This allows for greater cost benefits, security, better and more focused care for patients, and better overall morale too.

Additional Benefits

In addition to greater employee productivity, switching to an MPS solution provides additional benefits: increased cost savings, reduced environmental impact, plus device and peripherals standardization. Systems are upgraded to use the newest and most secure technology, whether employed by the business or MPS provider. Even better, once the system is in place and running smoothly, you can then implement additional improvements, including security redundancy, anytime-anywhere forms, paper volume reduction, patient alternatives, and more.

The Bottom Line

By outsourcing laborious and tedious tasks to someone who has the expertise to go beyond expectations and implement compliance procedures while strengthening security, you can free up your resources to move forward in many avenues, such as cost reduction, budgeting, as well as increased and more detailed patient care. MPS allows you to tame the seemingly unmanageable, and instead lets you focus on what you do best – superior healthcare.

To find out how you can save up to 30% on print costs in 30 days, click here:

Update Your Office Processes with Document Management Software

Joe Hughes — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 13:30:00 GMT

Business models are changing all the time. In these challenging economic times many companies are exploring exciting new ways to improve productivity and workflow. More workers are telecommuting and working via mobile technology than ever before. Document management and workflow is one area of the office that has experienced rapid change in recent years. One major improvement in the creation, management, distribution and approval of documents that has helped many companies to streamline the process and increase office efficiency is the easy to use software DocuShare.

Key Features

DocuShare is an all in one workflow management solution that can streamline all aspects of document creation. Here are some key features to consider:

• DocuShare supports all types of files, emails, scanned documents, text and graphics

• Documents can be indexed allowing for quick searching and retrieval

• Multi level security is available including SSL encryption, HIPPA compliant password protection, and individual audit logs,

• Support for collaboration has been enhanced and includes automatic routing of content, Management via the web, and email management

• Increased management of content is available on all levels. Content check in and check out, searching and indexing is open on the metadata and full text levels, and control over archiving and content expiration can be monitored.

All of these features work together to create a collaborative environment for your employees, whether they are working in the office, from home or on the road. This leads to much faster turnaround times for critical documents and increased productivity.

The Many Benefits Of Document Management Software

Greatly increased productivity is only one of the benefits offered by using document management software. Your company will use less paper and toner as documents that used to be printed and passed can now be completely created, edited, approved and delivered digitally without printing. This goes a long way towards reducing your company’s carbon footprint and moving your business towards more environmental sustainability.

Employee time spent searching for information can be reduced by up to 80% as business processes that used to take days, now only take minutes! Enhanced security features make your documents safer, reduce risk and allows for improved control over vital information.

Two of the greatest benefits of this technology affect your customers and employees. Customer satisfaction will soar as their information is quickly processed. Your employee’s efficiency and morale will increase, as more work will get done faster and easier than ever before. And finally, as the business owner you will see a reduction in your overhead and labor costs. The classic win-win-win scenario!

As your company begins to take control of your document management and improve your workflow, you will see reduced costs, increased productivity, tighter security controls of vital information, and enhanced workflow. The benefits will flow through to your company’s bottom line and customer satisfaction will increase. It’s a smart business decision.

To find out how much your business spends on print, click here for your free print assessment:

How to be Environmentally Conscious and Save Money with Managed Print

Joe Hughes — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 13:30:00 GMT

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle – we’ve heard those sustainability buzzwords for years now. Of course such practices are good for the environment, but what about for business? Is there a case to be made for revamping your documentation infrastructure to accommodate green initiatives?

The answer is yes – to varying degrees. You can choose everyday measures like having your staff change their print settings to grayscale, and printing on both sides of the paper. Those small reduction efforts alone can save the average small office hundreds per year on paper and, especially, toner cartridges.

Or you can opt for a more holistic approach, integrating a digital solution that cuts the need for printing dramatically. That’s what happened in the city of Hamburg, Germany. By going digital, the city is reported to expect savings of $14 million over five years.

While Hamburg demonstrates a major organization’s savings, a small or medium-sized business can also optimize its print fleet – to help the environment and to accommodate today’s increasingly mobile workforce.

It Starts With An Assessment
Using a managed print services (MPS) professional to assess your workplace and recommend green options can ultimately save you both time and money.

If your office is still tied to multiple devices – printers, copiers, scanners and fax machines, for example – transitioning to an “all in one” that combines all these functions saves energy and cuts down on paper and toner consumption. Your MPS advisor can then take you through the steps to recycling the obsolete equipment to cut down on landfill issues.
If your workforce, vendors and clients are far-flung and difficult to reach, a digital documentation solution can be your next step. Today’s DocuShare technology is designed to work with multifunction devices to facilitate online network users who can create, route, and publish content no matter where the individual stakeholders are located. Sophisticated security measures help ensure that confidential material stays in the right hands.

Considerations For Documentation Redesign

When working with a managed print services consultant, you will find information on how green printing integrates into your work process.

Print device recycling. A printer more than three years old is often obsolete, both in its performance and in regards to evolving technology. Subsequent repair calls and downtime contribute to a productivity drain. Ask your MPS provider about a print device-recycling program that monitors the equipment and determines the most energy-efficient and dependable hardware to put into use in your office.
Print fleet optimizing. Strategic print consolidation can cut down on the actual number of devices in the workplace. In many cases, a new physical layout can consolidate all the document management functions in one place. By removing such redundant items as desktop printers and extra scanners, you’ll reduce energy and material costs across the board.

Green effort is a team effort
Green initiatives don’t occur in a vacuum – it takes commitment from you, your employees and office equipment provider. Find out how you can use today’s technology to promote sustainability while creating a more efficient office.

To find out how you can save up to 30% in print costs in 30 days, click here:

Inkjet Printers: The Good, The Bad and the Costly

Joe Hughes — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 13:30:00 GMT

If you go by the price tag alone, an inkjet printer looks like a great deal. After all, major manufacturers sell desktop models for as little as $50 and even some more sophisticated models suitable for a small office don’t exceed around $200.

These affordable devices are also typically easy to set up and run. They don’t take up much space, and their print quality is dependable.

But what kind of a deal are you really getting?

The purchase price is just the cost of entry. When you add up what it actually costs to run the inkjet printer, it could cause some sticker shock!

It’s the ink, not the printer

Just as the true cost of getting a good shave isn’t in the razor – it’s in those pricy razor blades – the ink cartridges that drive everyday and specialty printing compound your costs dramatically.

“The general rule of thumb is that the cheaper the printer, the more expensive the disposable costs for refills and so on,” Jeremy Shulman of ReInk Technology told Small Business Computing.
“I became a serial re-filler when I realized that my printer’s ink cartridges cost more per milliliter than human blood or Russian caviar,” said PC World’s Jeff Bertolucci.

And of course, the more you print, the faster the cartridge bills stack up. In fact, certain black and color cartridges can cost more than the printer itself! (It’s no coincidence that ink is referred to as “black gold.”)

What’s the answer?

Refilling ink cartridges is a time-consuming and messy proposition. Buying new inkjet printer cartridges is just plain expensive – not to mention the risk of downtime if you don’t replace them before the ink runs too low.

Let an expert help

You are not alone in your quest to get the best-quality print from your fleet at the lowest possible cost. By partnering with a managed print services (MPS) provider, you will have access to expertise that leads to a customized solution for your environment.

An MPS expert will assess:

The current costs of your inkjet printers and other print/copy devices
The print habits of your staff – implementing print rules
Real vs. perceived print needs
Whether a transition to a more digital solution can save you time and money

With a managed print services solution, your print fleet is monitored consistently, so small issues are addressed before they become big problems.

You’ll never again find your office low on ink, toner, paper or other supplies.
Your users can learn new ways to save material
Your solution will better fit the mobile work environment, helping keep you efficient even when your staff, colleagues, vendors, clients and other stakeholders are remotely located.

Stay savvy on your print costs
From costly cartridges to possible down time; your inkjet printers are costing you. Maybe now is the time to review what many experts say is an office operating expense that rivals utilities and your corporate mobile phone bill - printing

To find out how your company can save up to 30% in print costs in 30 days, click here:

The 5 Questions to Choosing a Managed Print Provider

Joe Hughes — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 13:31:00 GMT

When it comes to technology you may find that you feel like you have more questions than answers. One area in which this can occur particularly frequently is with your printer or, if you are a large company, fleet of printers.

Here are five key questions – with answers to boot – that should shed some new light on printer quandaries.

1) How will MPS programs save money?

Right away it should become clear that not only do MPS programs help to manage your machines, but also they are responsible for streamlining office costs simply through helping to improve and maintain efficiency. The focus should be on processes that synchronize all printing machines as well as keeping hardware and technology regularly. When you are shopping around for an MPS make sure you ask questions about cost – how much it will cost to implement the program, how much upgrades and maintenance will cost annually and, finally, where costs will be reduced.

2) What do you need and who will give it to you?

When you go shopping do you buy the first product you see – or do you look around at a few different stores, compare prices, products, and benefits? Chances are you take a tour of the aisles before you commit to your purchase. The same logic should be applied to your MPS investment. Ask thorough questions and choose a company that suits your needs and will be something that will work for the long term rather than needing to change in a year or two.

3) What are the benefits of MPS?

Managing and maintaining your printer fleet can be an expensive and time consuming under-taking for your office. By investing in MPS you are opening the door to informed opinions, up-to-date information, and, of course, tech support. If the MPS Company you are considering isn’t giving you suggestions and innovative ideas…it’s time to look elsewhere.

4) What support services do MPS provide?

Always make sure you establish with your MPS provider exactly what support services they will be providing to you. The MPS Company should work collaboratively with your company and should be as informative as they are supportive.

5) How complementary is MPS with mobile printing?

Last, but not least, it is important to think ahead and think about how your company is probably becoming more and more reliant on their mobile devices, which means that your printing services should reflect that change. Your MPS provider should conduct a full assessment of your office IT needs and developments and provide a comprehensive plan year by year in order to meet your goals and improve your printer service.

These questions provide a good base from which to evaluate all the different MPS services. More than anything the MPS provider you choose should be able to grow with you and your company through providing plans that meet a goal oriented approach to your tech and IT needs.

It’s now time to go ahead and start browsing around for your perfect MPS fit – ask your questions and make sure that the provider you choose provides you with a plan, goals, and answers to all your questions that leave you feeling satisfied and comfortable with your final choice.

To find out how your business can save up to 30% in print costs in 30 days, click here:

Don't Make These Common Printer Toner Mistakes

Joe Hughes — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 13:30:00 GMT

Would you ever buy a car without checking its gas consumption? Would you live in a house without checking how much the hydro bills are each month? What about cellphone rates – would you sign up for a three-year plan without knowing how many minutes you get for your money?

If the answer to these questions was “no” then it begs the question: what else should we be tracking the efficiency of and, to put it in context of a business, where do companies lose large sums of money when they become remiss in tracking their expenses?

Toner consumption in offices is an underestimated expense. Toners are not a one-size-fits-all model, but many companies do not invest the time in finding an option that best suits their needs.

Toner efficiency is measured by a standard five per cent usage rate. Five per cent usage is roughly 2 paragraphs on an 8 ½ x 11 sheet in black text – not bolded.

This is not a reasonable estimation of printer use though and going by this statistic will prove to be a very costly mistake.

In order to establish a baseline for your office printing needs there are some parameters to establish:

What types of documents does your office print? Be it PDFs, images, or documents it is important to know on average what you are printing and how often.
How much above the average five per cent ink coverage per page are you? Is there a lot of toner on your pages? More than a paragraph or two? The actual average ink coverage for a page is 30 per cent - that is 12 paragraphs of text, or, six times the five per cent benchmark. Any color printing will require more toner.
How many people need access to a printer and do they all have similar printing requirements?

Once your company’s printing usage has been established you can begin to track toner usage and cost. One way to monitor this expense is to run a Managed Print program that will make evaluations to see if this is an area where your company is able to streamline and become more efficient.

Managed Print programs will not only track printing costs but will allow you to implement printing rules. Printing rules are a set of conditions that allow only certain departments to print in color, recommendations on which machines to send bigger or smaller jobs to, or will make money-saving settings such as double-sided printing default for certain machines.

These are cost-cutting measures that will help your company become more efficient, more environmentally friendly, and help to save by cutting down on unnecessary printing material waste.

To find out how much your company is spending on print, click here for your free print assessment:

Mobile Printing: Frees you from your desk

Joe Hughes — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 13:30:00 GMT

As if your smartphone or tablet weren’t multitasking enough – keeping your life organized, running apps, playing music – now you can add another amazing function. You can use them to print documents from anywhere you have email access.

What was once a deskbound task is now an ideal cloud-based solution for today’s mobile, remote and Wi-Fi’d workforce. You and your staff are no longer tied to a physical network drive: Whether you’re across the hall or across the country, you need only send an email or use a mobile app to get the print process started.

Print in a few clicks

Mobile printing is designed around speed, ease and security of processing.

It begins with emailing your document to your mobile print provider. You can send documents of any size without worry about it being “stuck in the outbox” – your provider hosts the server.
Next, you’ll receive a confirmation email that contains your secure confirmation code that helps ensure that your documentation stays in your hands.
Select the mobile printing option on your multifunction printer. Enter the confirmation code; select the documents you want to print.
Your mobile device gives you all the print options your desktop does: collate, staple, duplex.
Then, just hit “print,” and your document goes to the printer you selected.

Print it all

Your multifunction printer, optimized with mobile print functionality, can handle any kind of print project you require, including the most frequently used applications:

Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint
PDFs and JPEG image files of any size and complexity
Text and rich text files of unlimited length
HTML email

You’ll enjoy the same high-quality result as you expect from a desktop computer – the formatting will remain true to the original, and the mobile print technology will even communicate with your managed print services provider if the machine runs low on toner or if a malfunction occurs.

Secure access

With mobile print, you can better control both the print functions and access to it.

Control when each document releases to a particular printer – with no more worry about sensitive documents languishing in a tray where anyone could pick it up.
Manage allow/block listings to ensure users have access according to your needs and theirs.
Choose the cloud setup that opens access across all hardware, or opt for an on-site setup that installs behind your firewall.

Go mobile
When everyday tasks like printing become easier and more flexible, you and your staff are freer to focus on the more meaningful efforts behind running a successful business.

To find out how you can save up to 30% in 30 days on print costs, click here:

What "End of Lease" Means for You

Joe Hughes — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 13:30:00 GMT

From that new-car smell to the Styrofoam peanuts that spill out of a shipping box, there’s nothing like the experience of finally acquiring much-needed “stuff” to get us excited and engaged. The same goes for purchasing or leasing new office equipment.

And just because you’re leasing your document copiers and printers, not buying them, you can still experience pride of ownership and feel protected when your lease is up.

Your end-of-lease satisfaction depends on the steps you take before the lease is ever signed.

Two pre-lease considerations:

Fit: Beyond the physical dimensions of the equipment (will it fit properly in the designated workspace, or will it need additional room?), you and your equipment provider must both understand the needs of the users. Will your staff be able to understand and use the equipment easily? Will they need additional training when the technology is updated?

Fixed and variable cost: Some people lease a car instead of buying, believing they will save money when in fact their ties to the “lease cycle” actually ensures they’ll keep paying, even incurring extra cost for exceeding the mileage agreement or sustaining vehicle damage.

Office equipment holds similar risk. Sometimes those “low” lease terms include unforeseen incidentals and costs at the end of the lease:

The removal fee is the cost to deliver the system to the destination of your choice.
Auto renewal is a “fine print” option that you cannot afford to overlook. Ask your provider about when the renewal kicks in and what is the procedure you must to follow to avoid having your lease automatically renewed.
Packing fee/shipping/ fee insurance for transportation is often an add-on cost to a lease agreement.
A system overhaul fee is a new “hidden” fee that may be added to your agreement to restore your document equipment to a previous benchmark performance level.

Three end-of-lease considerations:
Before you know it, that new equipment will be at the end of its lease. The decisions you make for end-of-lease include options you may negotiate with your document management provider:

Buy outright: If a printer, copier or other piece of equipment proves to be an ideal long-term solution for your office, buying it outright at lease end can save you money. However, you will want to discuss the terms of warranted repair and service after the lease has ended.
Renew/extend the lease: As with buying, a lease renewal can keep a proven system at work in your organization; the cost will now depend on the condition of the equipment and the length of its further use. Watch your agreement for the system overhaul fee.
Trade up: As technology evolves, you may agree that a newer version of your document machinery is in order. Absent of “auto renewal” or other hidden traps, you should be able to negotiate mutually acceptable terms for the new equipment.

Don't wait for the last day
An ideal office equipment representative keeps your satisfaction in mind -- but that doesn't relieve you of the responsibility for reading the fine print! Knowing ahead of time what your lease-end options are will make the transition that much easier.

Click here for your free whitepaper on how the next generation of dynamic documents will improve the way we work

The 5 Must Ask Office Equipment Warranty Questions

Joe Hughes — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 13:30:00 GMT

In today’s modern office, document handling is a function that we simply cannot do without. Copying, scanning, printing and creating digital files are all activities that we absolutely need to have at our fingertips. And the different pieces of equipment that perform all of these tasks are complex. They need to be available at all times.

Your office equipment is a significant investment for your organization and to protect that investment a part of your risk management plan should be to take advantage of the warranty that comes with any equipment that you acquire. The strength of the warranty and the company that stands behind the warranty will give you assurance that not only will the equipment be there when you need it, your investment will remain secure. Xerox, for example, will stand behind their products and ensure that your office operations will not be disrupted.

Here are some issues for you to consider:.

What is a warranty? A warranty is a commitment that your office equipment will be fixed or replaced if there is some defect. It generally is for some specified period of time.

1) Who issues your warranty? A key question is who issues the warranty and just how reliable are they. The warranty can be from the manufacturer, the dealer that sells you the equipment or a third party reseller that has rebranded the equipment. You can judge for yourself who has the financial strength to live up to the warranty terms. Xerox equipment sold by an official retailer is under the corporate guarantee.

2) Who decides if your problem is covered by the warranty? It may sound unreasonable, but some warranties are at the sole discretion of the equipment supplier. You live with the equipment every day and understand when it is not working right. Be careful to read the terms of your warranty to know just how and when the warranty will provide a solution for any problems that you may have.

3) How long is your warranty in effect? Some office equipment is under warranty for as short a period as 30 or 90 days. While some problems can show up in a very short period, others can take a longer time to become evident, make sure your warranty recognizes this.

4) Is it in writing? Remember, no verbal assertions will be effective after a contract is signed. Verbal statements do not apply. Make certain that you warranty is included, in writing, and as a part of the underlying contract where you purchase or lease the equipment.

5) Do you have an easy way to contact the company issuing the warranty? Some provide you with a link to their site where you can manage all issues related to the warranty of your equipment. A warranty on your equipment can be a critical element of your organization’s risk management policy. It will ensure that you know and understand the associated costs to support your office functions and the budget will not be broken because of a malfunctioning piece of equipment.

Read and understand the warranty on any new equipment and keep in mind that the warranties issued by Xerox will cover our concerns for reliability and the long period of coverage that they offer.

To find out how you can permanently cut print costs by up to 30% in 30 days, click here:

The Acronyms That Can Improve Office Productivity

Joe Hughes — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 12:30:00 GMT

The print world is famous for its acronyms. MTP, MFP, PC, FAX, ok, maybe not fax, but you get the idea! The newest addition to the acronym alphabet is MPS, which stands for “Managed Print Services”. MPS is not exactly new, but it is gaining in popularity and it’s changing the approach to printing in fast-paced small and medium sized businesses.

Your company’s print environment can be costing you money that you might not even be aware of. Print services are in fact, one of the last un-audited business expenses in today’s office. This can be a costly oversight that may be affecting your company’s bottom line. MPS is a state-of-the-art approach to identifying and controlling your printing expenses.

Managed print services have been around for a while, but are becoming more common in today’s tough economic climate. MPS can help you to leverage your existing print infrastructure and can help your business to control all of your print related activities and costs.

MPS combines all of your company’s print expenses into a monitored program that measures and tracks every aspect of your organization’s document management, from toner replacement to paper usage. MPS takes a proactive management approach, where we solve issues before they impede your business. By monitoring and managing all of your print functions, MPS can help you to consolidate your billing which can result in fewer missed expenses and less invoice processing.

Managed print services is growing in use for several good reasons:

• Uptime: When your print environment is managed for you, your company has more uptime. Regular service is scheduled and equipment maintenance is performed on time. Your supplies are automatically ordered for you, and technical support is available 24/7.

• Cost Controls: You have control over all of your printing expenses. An MPS service program utilizes a rules-based approach to printing in your office. Allowing you to put restrictions on certain device functions only accessible by designated employees.

• Intelligent Print: MPS allows for intelligent print capabilities such as end-user controls. You can restrict or allow specific access to functions such as color print capabilities and this allows closer monitoring of costs.

• Workflow Integration: MPS can be integrated with other office systems to help you improve your employee’s productivity and document workflow.

As a small business owner, implementing MPS into your office culture will help your business to capture previously missed expenses. The time you save by outsourcing your printing controls will free you up to focus on growing your core business. In today’s cost conscious business world, MPS makes perfect sense. A well-managed print environment can make every dollar count and that’s a smart business strategy. MPS provides your business with cost visibility and cost control for one of the last un-audited business expenses in most offices, your printing environment.

It’s easy to see why managed print services are catching on with many small and medium sized businesses. It just makes good business sense.

To find out how you can save up to 30% in 30 days with MPS, click here:

Learn How Scan to PC Software can Enhance the Healthcare Industry

Joe Hughes — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 12:30:00 GMT

In the healthcare industry, making sure that all documentation is well organized, accurately managed and securely stored is literally a life saving requirement. A misplaced form could result in dire consequences.

By using scan to pc technology, the healthcare industry can greatly reduce the likelihood of lost or misfiled documents. Not only will scan to pc help to get organized and reduce errors, but it can also greatly improve overall efficiency with medical practices, clinics and hospitals.

Scan to pc technology has many benefits including:

Consolidating silos of information that is often kept separate, including paper, Microsoft Office documents, and PDF files so that all records are kept in one location safely and securely. Patient files often are a compilation of various types of documents. Bringing all of the documents together will help to keep patient records well organized.
Personalized access that presents each authorized user with a menu of functions and files that are customized based on their particular profile. This feature increases security while also speeding productivity with administrative staff.
Enhanced workflow processes so that forms and information are routed to the correct department quickly and efficiently. For example test results can route to a specialist group before going to the primary care physician or administration and billing.
Secure files with government standard 256-bit encryption and comply with HIPAA regulations to protect patient privacy.
Add notes, watermarks, stamps, annotations and other enhanced collaboration tools to make sure forms and documents are verified and classified correctly. All departments can confirm the validity of information quickly and easily.
Incorporate static documents such as PDFs into multimedia or audio WAV files so that communication is even easier. Presentations and online training becomes more streamlined and efficient.
Leverage optical character recognition (OCR) technology to transform scanned documents into usable data for even greater accuracy and efficiency. OCR has become extremely reliable which uses "look like" capabilities to translate scanned information.

Imagine patient records, detailed physician information and medical practice standard operating procedures becoming living, breathing documents that can foster even greater levels of collaboration between physician groups, hospitals, and other practices.

The electronic health record (EHR) requirements from the government are mandatory. By taking advantage of scan to pc solutions your healthcare operation can not only be compliant but also realize increased productivity with reduced errors.
The benefits realized from a scan to pc implementation will provide an even better service for healthcare patients as well as a healthy return on investment for the medical practice

To find out how your business can save up to 30% in print costs in 30 days, click here:

Do you Make these Common Green Printing Mistakes?

Joe Hughes — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 12:44:00 GMT

In our everyday lives we practice environmentally friendly behavior. We recycle our newspapers, we turn out the lights when we leave the room and we are increasingly buying hybrid cars. However, these behaviors shouldn’t end in our personal lives, but carry on to the workplace. Therefore, it’s a good time to ponder the impact your office has on the environment. Efforts to reduce the negative environmental footprint of the office can be renewed and past pledges to create a greener office environment are ripe for reevaluation. Find out how far your office has progressed toward green printing, and how much progress remains, by taking our Green Office Print Quiz.

In an average year, how many printed pages does the typical office worker in North America produce?

(a) 5,000 pages (b) 7,500 pages (c) 10,000

If you answered (a), you’re off by 50 percent. According to gopaperless.com, an office employee generates 10,000 pages of printed material every year. Does that number sound a little scary?

How long does an average printed page in a typical office survive before being disposed?

(a) less than two weeks (b) less than one day (c) less than 5 minutes.

We’ve got a hunch you chose (b). Once again, however, (c) would have been closer to the sad truth. MPS Insights reports the life span of a printed sheet is a mere five minutes before it winds up in the blue recycling bin. Makes you wonder: Was it really vital to print out a page for a five minute existence?

How much electricity is needed to run one laser printer for a year cost?

(a) $100 (b) $225 (c) $300

If you guessed (b) you must be the one who pays the office utility bills because you’re right. Run the numbers and you’ll discover that you can save $18.75 a month if you increase the efficiency of your print fleet by permanently unplugging a single laser printer.

Print. Discard. Print. Discard. It’s starting to sound monotonous. To break the tedium, guess how many pounds of waste are produced by that single laser printer that’s (still) plugged in? Throw everything into the mix and take into account paper, packaging and printer consumables.

(a) 50 pounds (b) 100 pounds (c) 200 pounds

A staggering 100 pounds of waste result from the operation of an average laser printer. Think of all the offices with all those laser printers all around the world and visualize the result.

Print Audit, a provider of print monitoring software, has conducted research that shows print quantity decreases when workers think their printing norms are being monitored. How much do you think the print volume is reduced?

(a) 5 percent (b) 10 percent (c) 15 percent.

And the last answer to this year’s Green Office Quiz is (b). Workers restrain printing by about 10 percent if they’re made aware that individual printing habits are being monitored.

The statistics included in the green printing quiz demonstrate how simple steps like taking just one printer off-line or getting a handle on print output can result in a better bottom line as well as keep the office greener.

Many roads lead to more efficient green printing, lower costs and reduced environmental impact. Optimizing your print fleet and putting a Managed Print strategy into action are just two.

Are you aware of the effect green printing habits in your office have on the planet? Is Earth Day celebrated at your workplace? We’d love to hear your ideas and comments. Take a moment to share some of your own “green office” guidelines with us.

To identify the most effective solution for your specific organization’s requirements, complete our free print assessment.

5 Industry Insider Tips you Shouldn't Buy Office Equipment Without

Joe Hughes — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 13:19:00 GMT

Technology continues to play an important part of our business landscape—and a critical part of besting your competition—but, at what cost? Trying to match budgets with the tools and technology your users need to succeed is getting tougher every year.

To help you sort through the carefully-worded marketing material from office equipment suppliers and vendors we've asked thousands of procurement veterans how to get the most bang for your buck. What these equipment-buying pros told us is this...you need to focus your decision making and buying information on the traditional equipment procurement cycle of 5 to 7 years.

Frame your purchasing decisions by examining your traditional buying cycle (typically 5 to 7 years, although yours may differ) and determine the equipment and contract changes advances that have occurred since your last purchase(s).

Equipment Technology Advances: technology advances exponentially, so the machine you purchased last time around may not even remotely resemble the ones on the market now. The added bells and whistles (features and functionalities) have moved office technology closer to computers than what we think of as our traditional office devices. These computer-like devices are growing quickly, with rapidly increasing processing power. These features not only offer powerful capabilities to your users, but there is another, surprise, benefit: despite these drastic equipment improvements, many hardware and service costs have been reduced due to increased competition amongst vendors.

New Developments in Contracts:
This decreased hardware and service costs come at a price. In recent times we've seen a shift in office equipment costs, from front-end loaded expenses to back-end service costs. In order to offset these decreasing hardware costs, suppliers need to create clever service contracts that allow the service provider control over the devices' service. These changes in the terms and conditions of contracts are ways for suppliers to include hidden fees and added surcharges—to help them recoup margin they lost on the front end.

How To Navigate This New World
Navigating this new technologically-enhanced procurement world can be tough, which is why we've put together the 5 most-critical questions to ask from our panel of experts; questions to help you cut out the guess work and make sharper purchasing decisions:

Question #1: Parts...Will the parts and supplies used for the entirety of the contract be Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) or third-party?
Before signing your life away to a service contract, ask them what type of parts will be used in the service of your devices. Aftermarket parts are lower cost than their OEM counterparts, but not necessarily of the same quality. They may also void parts of the device's warranty.

Question #2: Replacement Responsibility...Who will decide if/when equipment needs to be replaced?
If a device is beyond fixable and needs replacing, who decides if and when a device should be replaced: you or them? Of course you will want yourself as the decision maker, and they will want them to control replacement decisions—but perhaps clearly defining what classifies as being “in need of immediate replacement” could be reached prior to signing a contract.

Question #3: Security...What security/safeguards are included?
Seeing as office equipment are practically (if not completely) computers, it stands to reason that you need to protect them just as you protect your PCs with antivirus. Ask your vendor, pre-purchase, what security protocols are included with their contracts. Ask if these will be component-based or full-system security.

Question #4: Data...How will your system's hard drive information be handled? Hard drive handling and disposal is important to securing your company's sensitive information, so ask how your service provider will dispose of sensitive data. Will it be done by them personally or by a third-party provider (who may not be required under your contract with your service provider to be data-sensitive)?

Question #5: Hidden Fees...What Additional Fees are Required in the Contract?
Ask the service provider to highlight every fee in the contract. Then comb through each one to know exactly what you will be paying. Pay special attention to provisions for the following charges:

Printing, copy and impressions costs that are associated with technicians' diagnostics and equipment testing
Charges for two 8.5”x 11” impressions for a single 11” x 17” copy
Fees for the shipping and delivery of toner and/or toner cartridges, including returns and recycling fees.

The above 5 questions gleaned from the experience of our panel of procurement veterans are sound advice—but are still just the tip of the office-equipment-procuring iceberg.

Click here to find out how you can cut print costs by up to 30% in 30 days: