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The paperless office is definitely on the rise, with more and more SMBs getting on board every day. Even so, paper documents still enter your workflows every day. Getting these documents into your business processes isn’t difficult as long as you have solutions in place to deal with them the moment they come through the door. A Simple Solution Scan-to-cloud storage solutions are now a popular choice, and many businesses scan their documents directly into Google Drive. For most organizations, a networked multifunction printer is the device of choice for scanning documents into cloud repositories and workflows. If your organization lacks a network-ready multifunction printer or scanner, your office products and services provider can help get you started. Follow these simple steps using your copier’s interface to begin the process. Select the app -Search for the Google Drive app on your multifunction printer’s touchscreen interface. Connect to your Google account – Go to your browser and enter the address indicated on your device. Choose your Google account and enter the code shown on your multifunction printer or scanner. Set up security features – Protecting your Google account with a PIN is essential to keep unauthorized users from accessing your documents. Choose your scanning options – You’ll be asked to choose from a list of scanning options, including gray-scale or color, resolution, file format, and document input (document feeder or flatbed). Set up shortcuts – You can save time by allowing your multifunction printer to send scans to more than one Google account. You’ll still need to enter a PIN for security purposes, but this one-button scanning shortcut will save some time, especially for busy offices.

What are your end goals when replacing your paper-based business processes with digital document solutions? If you’re hoping to increase company efficiency, improve employee productivity, provide better customer service and secure your information, you’ve come to the right place. A Better Solution Electronic document solutions can revolutionize your entire business. From the way you handle incoming information to how your staff resolves customer inquiries, electronic document management provides an efficient solution.

Most of the time, office copiers leave no doubt when it’s time for a replacement. In some cases, the aging copier that still works is the real problem. Where does your equipment stand? It’s down. Again. Copier downtime makes for some pretty good sitcom material. In real life, an out-of-service device isn’t very funny. If you’re always calling in the cavalry for repair services, replacement parts, or just a shoulder to cry on, it’s probably time to acquire new equipment. Your assistant can’t stand the sight of the office stapler and hole-punch. We’re pretty sure your new staff member didn’t expect to spend hours stapling and hole-punching documents. The truth is, if you added a new multifunction system to your team, your new hire just might send you flowers. Multifunction systems deliver some serious capabilities, including printing, copying, scanning, and faxing. (Plus stapling and hole-punching, too!) You might even call your new multifunction system your all-in-one office services provider. Your information is at risk. Print security is one of the newest threats to your data. Hackers recognize this, and target out-of-date printing equipment to gain entry into networks. From there, they’ve got access to everything—your computers, your files, and your data. If you’re not sure where your equipment stands, contact your office services provider for a print security check-up today! You’re still doing business at the speed of paper. A new multifunction system can help your company make the transition from paper-based business procedures to lightning-fast and secure digital strategies. Your staff can’t print from their mobile devices. Mobile printing is a win for your company’s productivity. Get on board with a mobile-print enabled system today!

Organizations who are still chained to paper-based document solutions are fighting a losing battle. They are essentially trying to meet the challenges of 2017 and beyond with outdated solutions from the 20th-century. Why are we still doing that? A Quick Look Back A 1970s office manager with files to guard had a system that included locked filing cabinets, locked doors, security guards, and careful management of who had access to the keys. With few compliance mandates to uphold, business leaders made security decisions based on their own discretion and the requirements of their organization. While these systems were pretty good at keeping prowlers at bay, there was little to prevent insiders from whisking away sensitive information. A Quick Look Forward That 70s office manager would break out in a cold sweat if suddenly transported to the 21st-century. There is no way that manager could hope to comply with Sarbanes-Oxley, HIPAA, FISMA, FERPA, and all the rest using a paper-based system. As odd as it sounds, many organizations are still dependent on the same systems that would give our 20th-century business manager some major stress today. Here are two questions to ask to find out if your document management solutions are up to date. 1. Are you storing archived paper documents in storage rooms, warehouses, or offsite storage facilities? It may seem like a daunting task, but you’ve got to get those paper documents stored using cloud-based document solutions as soon as possible. Compared to cleaning up the mess if they were lost, damaged, or stolen, scanning them into a document management solution is a piece of cake.

You’ve invested resources in your company’s office equipment, and you want to extend its useful life for as long as practical. Even though printer life isn’t necessarily something you can control, there are a lot of steps you can take to get the most from your copiers. Plan to Get More Here are four ways to make sure your printers deliver the return on investment you hoped for when you brought them into your infrastructure. 1. Prioritize Maintenance Proactive maintenance can go a long way toward prolonging the useful life of your office equipment, and that includes your printers. Expert technicians can put your devices on a regular maintenance schedule. They’ll check and clean parts and replace anything that shows signs of wear and tear. They’ll also check on print quality to make sure you’re getting professional results. 2. Use OEM Parts and Supplies Off-brand cartridges that aren’t offered through your local vendor may be a problem. Saving a little money on low-quality cartridges may cost you more in the long run when they cause damage to your devices. 3. Don’t Ignore Issues Assign one staff member to keep a log of printer-related issues. When a problem shows up several times, it’s probably not an isolated issue. Contact your vendor, describe the problem, and schedule a service call as soon as possible. If you have other print-capable office equipment available, use that in the interim to avoid causing further damage. 4. Consider Managed Print A Printer Management strategy through a Managed Print Services agreement can help keep your office equipment productive. With proactive maintenance as a part of an overall Managed Print approach, your devices will perform better at a lower cost to you.

The cloud has changed the way businesses work, improving collaboration and productivity by allowing 24/7 access to critical data. While cloud capabilities are undoubtedly a benefit, they can also provide a portal directly into your company’s valuable data. Businesses can mitigate the risk with regular upgrades, ongoing education, and reliance upon expert office services providers. Knowing the Risks Are you unknowingly compromising your company’s network security? Check out these four common risk factors to find out. Reluctance to upgrade — It seems like reminders to upgrade your technology are never-ending. From your smartphone to your multifunction printer, if it’s not the platform that requires an upgrade, it’s the equipment itself. We get it, but waiting can be very costly regarding security. Outdated equipment may no longer be supported, leaving your data vulnerable to unauthorized and malicious users. Inexperienced users — Lack of current knowledge is often the culprit behind security breaches. Employees should be trained and updated regularly on document security best practices, but not all companies can provide this on their own. That’s why so many businesses seek to protect their data by outsourcing to professional office services providers. Unauthorized devices — BYOD policies are a must in today’s business environment. With personal device usage on the rise, the chances that at unauthorized device will put your network at risk is very high. Make sure your employees are informed about your BYOD policy and that they understand the consequences of bypassing your rules. Outside networks and recipients — Even when you’ve done everything you can to protect your files, the issue of sharing files outside your network is always there. It’s critical to determine whether an outbound file is headed to a secure network. Not doing so can put your entire network and its contents at risk.

Fewer than 34% of small to medium businesses can give an answer when asked how much their organization spends on document printing. The reasons are varied, but hidden costs and unmanaged devices are often the top offenders. The Print Audit Managed Print Services Advantage Businesses looking for successful ways to reduce operating costs would do well to start with their print environment. Read our list of the top advantages to find out how Managed Print Services through Print Audit can help your business uncover and reduce hidden costs. 1. Uncover Hidden Costs: Print costs often fly under the radar in an unmanaged print environment. Departments across the organization may have unchecked authority to order supplies, acquire new devices, and print at will. As a result, print-related costs may remain hidden in unspecified expense accounts. Managed Print Services uncovers hidden costs and help you gain back control. Ongoing monitoring and regularly reporting helps your organization keep tabs on print volumes and spending. 2. Budget Predictability: One monthly invoice for all print-related spending enables businesses to budget for new equipment acquisitions and capital projects. 3. Less Downtime: Regular device monitoring and routine maintenance from industry-trained experts keep your Xerox copiers in top condition. You’ll experience lower overall repair costs and fewer downtimes that interrupt workflows. 4. One Source for Everything: If you’ve ever fallen victim to toner pirates or outrageous repair fees, you know the value of one trusted resource for all print-related purchases and equipment repairs. 5. Fleet Right-Sizing: Do you have enough printers to keep your projects moving forward? Are redundant devices impacting your bottom line? A Managed Print Assessment of your printers results in an optimized fleet and better use of your valuable resources.

Did you know that by learning how to use your office equipment more efficiently, you can help your company reduce operating expenses? After a Managed Print Assessment, many organizations discover print costs as high as 3% of average annual revenues. It should come as no surprise that companies are anxious to discover new ways to reduce these costs, and responsible printing is one of the easiest and most effective ways to begin making a dent. Make Every Print Count There are plenty of pain-free methods to reduce printing costs. Here’s a run-down of some of the easiest to help you get started. 1. Look for ENERGY STAR Certifications— ENERGY STAR certified Kyocera copiers and printers are engineered to use less power. By swapping out old office equipment for new, you can reduce your energy usage and your power bill at the same time. 2. Implement a company-wide print policy— Your staff can’t hit the target if you haven’t shown them where it is. Policies that prohibit personal printing, set departmental limits, and put a stop to unnecessary printing (websites, emails, inter-office communications) can make a significant dent in your organization’s monthly print volumes. 3. Optimize your print settings— Many of today’s copiers and printers include features to reduce waste. One of the most efficient is automatic duplexing or two-sided printing. It’s an effective way to cut paper usage by up to 50%, and by making it the default setting, it couldn’t be easier to do. 4. Choose a better font— Did you know that some fonts use considerably less toner than others? Times New Roman, Century Gothic, and Calibri all require less toner than Arial. For companies with high-volume printing requirements, the savings can add up quickly.

Many companies begin seeking digital document solutions to improve productivity and reduce costs. Document management solutions that deliver digital strategies like Workflow Optimization and Cloud Services do both, and thanks to these and other advances, there’s another benefit you may not have considered. Holistic Document Management Solutions When companies begin paperless efforts, green initiatives naturally follow. In fact, the two work hand-in-hand to help businesses of all sizes reduce their impact on the environment. Here’s how: Cloud Services Cloud technology allows your staff to store and access files online from any location and at any time. The benefits begin with: Retrieve your data via a mobile device, computer, or multifunction printer. Bypass printing and route your digitized documents directly to recipients, Google Drive or digital workspaces. Find your information fast with keywords and tags. Work and collaborate with colleagues from any location. Workflow Optimization Document Management software provides practical tools for automating your existing workflows. Go paperless and gain new efficiencies in your accounting department, HR, and more. Managed Print As part of an overall document management strategy, Managed Print Services can help your organization reduce costs while meeting your goal to go green in the office. Reduce unnecessary printing with built-in features on your multifunction system. Default to automatic duplexing to use half as much paper as single-sided printing. Switch to fast draft printing for day-to-day documents that customers never see. Save color printing for documents that require it. Use print preview to quickly determine whether a document contains unnecessary pages or errors before selecting PRINT. Right-size your copier fleet to eliminate redundant devices or aging equipment that uses more power than the latest energy-efficient devices.

Finding the perfect office equipment for your everyday needs can be a challenge, but not because the perfect fit isn’t available—just the opposite! The number of choices available to your business to choose from is decidedly encouraging, but the sheer volume can make the task a little bit daunting. Listing Your Requirements Narrowing down your list of good possibilities begins by honing in on your basic needs. From there you can make a list of additional features that will help your staff perform their tasks with greater efficiency. Here’s how to begin: 1. Color or Monochrome? If you’re planning to print color customer-facing materials in-house, you’ll want to choose a device that delivers consistently superior color images. If sharp black-and-white text is more your speed, you’ll want to research the industry’s offerings of precision, high-speed laser printers. Don’t discount color altogether, however. Even the addition of a little color on an invoice is known to reduce payment turnaround times significantly. 2. Speed and Volume If your small business or start-up organization prints a relatively limited number of documents each day, don’t pay for extra power and speed. For high-volume document printing needs, however, the industry answers the call with speeds exceeding 100 prints per minute. 3. Advanced Workflow Solutions Perhaps no single device has transformed the office equipment industry as much as the multifunction printer. By combining the capabilities of four isolated devices—copier, printer, scanner, and fax—a multifunction printer is truly an office workhorse. Wireless printing capabilities to improve productivity. Advanced scanning capabilities to bypass printing for streamlined digital workflows. Mobile printing features to provide remote employees and visiting clients with a secure printing option. Professional finishing options like collating, stapling, hole-punching, booklet making, and more.