Productivity improvements and opportunities for print cost saving continue to advance. Their evolution is dependent on the changes in the business environment and the implementation of print optimization software and processes. The various techniques currently employed for managing the existing environment are only the beginning with more anticipated changes in days to come. As such, the ongoing multi phased managed print services (MPS) solution is in a continuous process of improvement.
By itself, studies indicate that the managed print service can save between 10% and 30% of print costs. Conversely, implementing recommendations from a print optimization plan, a business can save an additional 20% to 30% in costs. Thus, the total reduction of costs can reach up to a significant 50%.
What is Print Optimization?
Often, print optimization is mentioned during discussions of printers/RIPs and software that are responsible for variable data printing. It is a model that typically isolates text and graphics that will be similar to single documents in a print run from those that will be different on each document. It also allows the printer to process a code describing text and graphics only once for similar documents instead of doing it all over again in each print run.
Print optimization is based on the printing industry’s best practices. Using a combination of efficient faxing, printing, and copying, coupled with IT accommodating project management principles, a company can create a progressive print cost saving strategy inclined towards better services, short term benefits, and lowered costs. Print optimization management (software) lies on the principles of environmental sustainability, user-friendly interfaces, rapid ROI (Return on investment) and corporate solution. The process takes a proactive approach in monitoring services, ensuring continuous improvement and automation of business and printing processes. Accordingly, the main idea behind print management and print optimization software is to produce variable-data documents much faster than when a company was not using the optimization technology.
How Can Printing and Related Costs be Optimized?
Today, it may be difficult to find a print management solution that reduces printing costs while improving productivity with minimal starting investment. So, how can printing and other related expenses be optimized? One way is through taking stock of all printing and imaging devices.
A company needs to understand all imaging costs as they relate to each particular device. Printers have the optimal utilization range which is in the number of papers the manufacturer recommends for each duty cycle. Costs can be optimized if the printer works within the recommended duty cycle.
Similarly, as part of the print process management process, the company can monitor the printing environment over time for emerging trends while checking a device’s performance history. This piece of information can be easily accessed since it is recorded on a fleet of printers. Once a feasible trend emerges that relates to printer optimization and consolidation, then it is perhaps time to grab the opportunity.
One other way of print process optimization is locating the devices in the right places. Once the most cost efficient devices are located close to the high volume area, the business is likely to save on costs. Adequate print optimization software uses generated reports which give an unequivocal aid in informing under-utilized and over-utilized devices while aligning devices in connection with print volume.
Implementing such proposals ensures that the right devices are at the right locations while printing the optimum number of pages at the lowest cost. Some problems could also become visible with such interventions in play. A company may notice problems such as out of control color printing or redundancy of printers placed nearby while possessing an overcapitalized fleet of printers. Printing has several other challenges which can be fixed only with a print optimization application in place.
An often underestimated source of saving printing costs is implementing processes and software that reduce printer toner and ink consumption. See the article “The What, When and How of Efficiently Using and Saving Toner” for more details, as this goes a little off-topic for this article.
How can Print Optimization Software Help in the Process?
A print optimization software makes it possible to enjoy having multiple sites while amalgamating your print environment and optimize the general traffic. Such software can integrate well with WAN (wide area network) hoarding technologies. The process of downloading printer drivers usually consumes excess bandwidth for workstations. The software can avert the process of WAN downloading across different devices by storing the drivers locally. As a result, download speed is improved and so is efficiency.
The print optimization software can also optimize the print data stream sent to the printer spool , i.e. by compressing printing jobs through the integrated compression technology. Small files would have little effect and therefore would ease the traffic within the network. Similarly, the software enables the printers to print directly from endpoints. It creates sort of a straight line that relays printing tasks between workstations’ devices and the printers. Consequently, the print functions do not move back and forth within the WAN which can potentially cause bandwidth wastage. Such features give up some WAN bandwidth which can be used to run other applications and reduce the time for a single printing task. Printing congestions could lead to slow processing which ultimately causes unrelenting frustrations in employees and within the system. Hence print optimization software goes on to reduce the overall performance of efficiency within the organization.
Since this software is based on the principle of user-friendly interfaces, employees in the company can also help themselves with installation and other related tasks which sometimes are ignorantly extended to service personnel. The print optimization software eliminates numerous processes that discourage a user from self-serving him or herself. A workstation can also have a floor plan map that informs where nearby printers could be.
The print optimization software creates a centralized management system that can organize printers individually or en bloc from a single source. It offers an innate control over the printers within the company. All these activities can be done while overseeing the integrated audits which contain printer usage information beneficial for modifying the demands of workplaces.
Using a print optimization software is a noble idea for businesses looking for control of their printing procedures and network conditions. It is a strategic tool capable of improving the decision making process while prioritizing performance within the firm.
Read also this article about the benefits of print optimization software…
References:
- http://realwebgeeks.com/2016/01/print-optimization-software-an-overview.html
- http://www.citationsoftware.com/faqPrintoptimization.htm
- http://www.cbc.radio-canada.ca/en/reporting-to-canadians/sync/sync-issue-2-2012/print-optimisation-program/
André Klein
Freelance Consultant for DocPath