Print assessments have become somewhat of a standard in the Office Automation industry. It’s not uncommon for copier salesman to compare current spend to a new solution and advise on the savings available, should you sign on the dotted line.
The problem here is that the print estate is not looked at in its entirety. Only then will you see the current state compared to where you could be.
A thorough and detailed print assessment will allow you to understand the following:
- Understand what you have.
A detailed print assessment will be conducted across all operational sites to compile an asset list of all devices within your fleet. This includes any document output devices, such as printers, copiers, scanners, faxing machines, dot-matrix, etc.)
- What is the actual spend on print per month.
Once the above asset list is compiled, it is measured against your monthly invoices. Any items missing from either list is investigated to ensure that all print-related costs are accounted for, as to ensure that an accurate Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) is calculated.
- Understanding employee pain points.
IT and Operations managers don’t have time to investigate pain points that users are experiencing, in order to address it. High-level user interviews will allow for an understanding of what users are printing as well as the general feeling toward service delivery.
- What is the user/device ratio.
These stats can be shocking for most. We have assessed companies where there is a device for every 3 users. This information will allow you to downscale your fleet, or on the flip side, show where you need to add additional devices.
- New trends keeping you from a more productive environment.
Conducting a print assessment also entails understanding the IT infrastructure set up together with any software/technology used to facilitate operational activities where print is involved. This is then measured by industry standards and recommendations are made accordingly.
- Hidden costs.
Hidden costs can refer to resource time spent on resolving issues, as well as any ad hoc / break-fix charges that IT may not be aware of. These small charges can really ramp up the TCO.
- Reviewing all invoices (including stationary for any ad hoc cartridge purchases).
All invoices related to printing are reviewed and reconciled against the contracts. Any anomalies are highlighted for IT and Management to be aware of.
- Device functionality against functionality being used.
The statistics we have compiled based on assessments conducted is that companies use less than 1% of the A3 capabilities in their fleet. A3 device functionality usually ramps up the device purchase price, so having a look at the usage of device functionality, like A3 for example, against what the device can do, will allow for insights to ensure that you only have the specs you require.
- Contract analysis.
It is not uncommon for companies to have multiple contracts, as most devices have a rental as well as a maintenance contract attached to them. What’s worse, is that these contracts are scattered across BU’s / departments and therefore, contract checking and maintenance is not conducted on a regular basis. This analysis will give you insights into how many contracts you have, what the end dates are, and if the invoices are different to what the contract actually states.
- Identification of high volume areas.
A thorough due diligence will give IT & Management a holistic view of your usage per department, to highlight the high-volume areas, in terms of both volumes and costs. This visibility will give management a view of print intensive areas that might need some investigation.
Visibility in the above items would assist in identifying areas for improvements, whether it be inefficiencies, cost-intensive areas or wasteful printing. Green Office is all about helping you make your business more efficient and sustainable.
To request a Print Assessment of your environment please click on the below tab.Contact Us
“
