The last thing you want to be doing in the office is spending hours waiting for a machine to spit out pieces of paper. Printing technology is more advanced now, but that complexity can make for long print times, especially if your business prints a lot and sees surges in demand.
Fortunately, there are both low- and high-tech solutions to significantly reduce your print time. By implementing these six steps, your time savings will add up to extra productivity and lower workplace stress.
1. Digitize your processes
The best way to save time on printing is to cut back on how often you do it. New IT solutions, especially cloud-based ones, can easily and securely complete tasks that previously required paper. Digitize your documents and workflows where possible, and implement e-signature software and encryption tools to satisfy security and compliance needs without the need to print. You can also look into redundant, cloud-based data backups to eliminate the need for paper archiving.
2. Encourage printing only when necessary
Implementing a strict office-wide print allows you to cut down on unnecessary printing and free up time for important jobs. These restrictions will encourage employees to think twice about how important their print job is. Here are a few things your policy can do to help:
- Ban personal printing
- Limit the number of color prints
- Limit the maximum size of print jobs
- Specify which printers employees must use and when
- Implement a print charging scheme that charges each department’s budget for supplies used
3. Optimize settings
Most printers are set to print at medium or high quality by default, while most offices do not require such high resolution. This means that not only are you wasting valuable time, but ink and other office supplies as well. Check your printers’ settings to ensure they are optimized for your needs and not stuck on default. For simple text documents, low-quality and grayscale are sufficient.
4. Upgrade your hardware
Even the best printing policies and optimized settings can’t help you if you have the wrong printer. High-quality and photo print jobs usually work best on an inkjet printer, but if you create primarily text documents, a high-volume laser printer will save you both time and money in the long run. Audit your organization’s printing behaviors to discover which printer has the best features for your needs, or hire a consultant knowledgeable with document management to do it for you.
5. Keep printers in top shape
It’s understandable that you don’t want to have to deal with printers all the time, and most people only pay attention to one if it is broken. But you’ll save yourself some time and headache by performing regular maintenance and checks on your printers to ensure that those long service outages don’t affect you and that you aren’t using excessive supplies. Alternatively, you can lease printers in a Hardware-as-a-Service scheme, in which a provider leases you a modern printer, performs maintenance, and restocks printing supplies for a monthly fee.
6. Utilize print management software
Print management software usually comes in the form of a print server through which all print jobs for your organization are routed. The software manages the incoming print jobs and assigns them to connected printers, making for a more centralized process. You also get granular control over how your organization prints via the software’s dashboard. With this software you can:
- Set your server to automatically prioritize certain print jobs over others to ensure the important stuff gets out first.
- Monitor your office’s printing behaviors to better inform your policies and needs.
- Set printing quotas for users or departments to prevent overprinting.
- Automatically enforce print policies and settings.
- Pinpoint the source of bottlenecks, inefficiencies, and slowdowns.
Complete Document Solutionshas been providing LA and Orange County businesses with effective printing and IT services since 1994, so we’ve got the experience and know-how to optimize your printing processes. We’ll ensure you can reach peak efficiency for both your printing and IT infrastructure so you’ve got more time and money to put back into your company. Contact us today.
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