Are you setting up your home office space and need help to determine what the most important home office essentials are?
Wish to choose the best all-in-one printer for scanning, copying and printing to supercharge your home office?
With so many things to consider, choosing the right office supplies for your work-from-home gig can be stressful. Whether you are looking to set up your home office from scratch or are looking for a few key pieces to get you started, we are here to help.
In this article, we give you the lowdown on how you can set up your home office space to maximise your productivity and efficiency. It includes the most essential items you need for a home office, along with the best home office multifunction laser printer options available in the market.
How to Set Up An Efficient Workspace from Home
An efficient home office should ideally be a separate space in your home that is away from your bedroom. It could be a small study space or a corner of your living room.
Here are some essential Work-From-Home (WFH) items to invest in that can last you for the long haul.
Ergonomic Desk
Do you spend hours at your desk facing a computer screen? If so, an ergonomically-designed desk might be your new best friend.
With numerous adjustable desk options in the market, you’re totally spoilt for choice.
Pro-tip: How do you know if your desk is at the correct height? Check that your forearms are parallel to the ground and your wrist is not bent when you type on the keyboard or use the mouse.
Comfortable Backrest or Chair
A comfortable work-chair is one of the most crucial elements of any office. A good work-chair that provides ample lumbar support can prevent backaches and neck-aches in the long run.
So take your time to shop for a good one, and where possible, test the chair before making a purchase.
Wi-Fi Booster
You know that feeling when you have an important video call and your Wi-Fi decides to take time off?
This anxiety-ridden scenario can be easily avoided with a Wi-Fi signal booster. Depending on how strong a connection you need and how far away your workspace is from your existing router, prices are usually affordable for a basic Wi-Fi booster with a limited range.
Label Printer
The last thing you want is for things to get messy and disorganized in your home office. Investing in a good label printer can help you keep your workspace neat and organized – with all your documents, files, and stationery in their rightful place.
Which Home Office Multifunction Printer to Choose?
Choosing the right all-in-one laser printer or multifunction inkjet printer for your home office really depends on your expected print volume and the type of documents you need to print. Some businesses require only black-and-white printing while others need to print graphs and detailed business reports in colour. Creative professionals like photographers, designers, and artists working from home may even need to print high quality photos and posters.
Inkjet vs Laser Printer — Which Is Better for Your Home Office?
What is the difference between a laser printer and an inkjet printer?
Let us compare laser and inkjet printers to see which may be best suited for your home office setup:
· Laser printers offer fast print speed
· Laser printers result in sharp text quality
· Laser printers are more suited for high volume printing
· Inkjet printers often provide more vibrant colours
· Inkjet printers are usually affordable
· Inkjet printers are usually compact
Now that you’ve learned the differences between laser and inkjet printers, your next step is to choose the best printer for your home office. (Alternatively, you can also choose to read up more on the differences between a laser printer and an inkjet printer.)
Best All-in-One Home Office Laser Printer
A prime example of a highly-effective all-in-one laser printer is the Brother DCP-L2550DW Laser Printer. It is the ultimate mid-sized printer for your home or small office. Boasting a speedy 34 page-per-minute (ppm) print speed, you’ll be able to receive your documents in a jiffy. It also has automatic 2-sided printing that is eco-friendly and helps you to save paper.
With scanning, copying and fax capabilities, you may expect a rather cumbersome footprint, but you’ll be surprised – this 4-in-1 is actually very compact and does not take up much more space than your regular printer.
With wireless capabilities, you can easily connect to the printer through your Wi-Fi network. You can also use apps like AirPrint, Mopria, as well as Brother iPrint&Scan. Another popular choice is the Brother DCP-L3551CDW Laser Printer – a cost-efficient and reliable printer that is perfect for small home offices. This fast monochrome and colour printer churns out stunning pages at a speed of up to 18ppm. It also features wireless connectivity and automatic duplex printing for eco-friendly and professional two-sided documents.
Best Home Office Multifunction Inkjet Printer
Inkjet printers also have their own set of advantages. They typically offer:
Vibrant colours for photo prints
Low upfront investment and running costs
Compact sizes
A good example of a high-quality all-in-one inkjet printer is the Brother DCP-T520W Ink Tank Printer. Built for high-volume printing, the DCP-T520W is able to print, copy and scan, and can print up to 7,500 pages in black and 5,000 pages in colour, all at a low cost-per-print. What’s more, it supports various paper sizes and weights, so printing different print jobs is now a breeze.
Looking out for ways to print any document from anywhere — be it in a shared workspace, office, retail shop or even at home?
Tired of getting all tangled up by multiple wires from various IT devices?
Welcome to the world of wireless printing technology — one where mobile printing doesn’t have to be mind-boggling or reserved for IT experts.
With a wireless printer at home or at your office, you can easily access your printing device without the hassle of plugging and unplugging wires. Many modern printers are able to access your home network via Wi-Fi, allowing you to print to your home printer from anywhere at any time.
In this article, we will address your most common questions in wireless printing:
How Do You Print Anything From Anywhere?
Print-from-Anywhere From Your Mobile Device
How to Print On-the-Go (Best Portable Printers)
Can you scan a document to your mobile device?
Best Mobile and Cloud Printing Solutions
How Do You Print Anything From Anywhere?
To print anything from anywhere, you’ll need to first consider the context of where you are printing your document from. Perhaps you are trying to print a document at home from your personal devices such as a laptop, smartphone, or tablet, or you are trying to print something at your office or coworking space.
Printers with a Wireless (Wi-Fi) Connection
If it is a mobile device, printing can be done by connecting your mobile device to the same wireless (Wi-Fi) network as your printer. There is no need to even install a printer driver. As long as your phone and printer is connected to your office or home’s wireless network, you can print to it directly from a nearby location.
Printers with an Internet Connection
If the remote printer has a web connection, you can use your email application to send your print jobs to it without needing to be in the same location.
How to Print-from-Anywhere From Your Mobile Device
If you use an iOS device, Apple Airprint lets you print from your device to any wireless printer that shares the same wireless network. You don’t even need to download and install additional software (drivers). Do check this list to make sure your printer is compatible with AirPrint.
Here is a step-by-step guide:
Make sure your phone and your printer are on the same Wi-Fi network.
Open the app you want to print from and find the print option. This may fall under ‘Share’, ‘Print’ or ‘Other Options’.
Tap ‘Print’ or the printer icon and select ‘Choose an Airprint-enabled Printer’.
You should then be able to identify and select the printer of your choice, specify your printing needs (number of copies or customised pages, etc.), and send your print job off!
Major printer makers—such as Brother, Canon, and HP—cover iOS devices and are compatible with AirPrint.
Android users are not left out of the action. They can also tap on a range of wireless apps for direct printing from most printer vendors. There are also printing apps, such as Mopria Print, that you can download and use.
How to Print On-the-Go (Best Portable Printers)
If your business finds you constantly on the road, and you often have to whip up (and print out) documents on a whim, it may be best to invest in a reliable portable printer.
When selecting a portable printer, ensure that their form factors are compact enough for bringing it along with you. Do also consider the electrical plugs needed (especially if you’re travelling abroad for business), as well as their ability to accept wireless printing from multiple devices.
If you’re using iOS devices, make sure you choose one that is compatible with Apple Airprint. Here is a list of the best portable printers to look out for.
Can You Scan a Document To Your Mobile Device?
The answer is a resounding “Yes!” Using Brother’s Cloud Apps, you can scan any document and save it on your mobile phone. Simply use your mobile phone to scan the QR code on the printer’s LCD screen and the scanned document will be saved on your device.
The Best Mobile and Cloud Printing Solutions from Brother
If you are looking for mobile or cloud printing solutions that are suited for road warriors, consider Brother’s range of mobile and cloud printing apps and solutions.
1.iPrint&Scan
Brother’s iPrint&Scan app allows you to print or scan effortlessly from your smartphone, tablet, or notebook – without the need for cumbersome wires.
The app also comes with a range of advanced features such as document editing, faxing, and machine status updates. You can also use the app as a scanner and save scanned images or documents directly to your device. It is also compatible with AirPrint, Mopria, and Windows Mobile Print.
2.WebConnect
Brother WebConnect allows you to share and collaborate anywhere in the world in an instant.
You can readily access and print documents from the cloud and improve workplace collaboration with your Brother WebConnect supported printing device, enabling true on-the-go printing.
3.Cloud Apps
Brother’s free suite of innovative, cloud-based applications lets you create, edit, and convert files – without even touching a computer!
Designed for busy professionals who seek to enhance their productivity, noteworthy features include Brother CreativeCenter, Cloud Secure Print, and Easy Scan to Mobile or Email. There is even an OCR (Optical Character Recognition) scanning function to editable and searchable file formats.
Conclusion
With wireless and on-the-go printing, your home office will never feel the same again. If you’re looking for a smart, reliable wireless printer to up your work-from-home game, do check out these bestsellers from Brother:
If you are reading this, chances are, you are either the owner of a home-based business, or someone who is considering starting one of your own – and you’re not alone! With the added flexibility, agility and freedom that running a business from your home affords, it is easy to see why a large portion of start-ups across the world are doing so. This, however, comes with certain challenges, one of which being that most business-grade printing solutions were made for traditional office environments, with very few options designed to be truly suitable for the home office.
With that in mind, what are some of the options you should consider when choosing a printing solution for your very own home-based business?
Laser or Inkjet? It depends.
One of the main benefits of inkjet printers is that they are an affordable option for any home business owner while being capable of delivering vibrant colour image and photo prints. However, with the high prices of printer ink, they could end up being significantly costlier once you start printing larger volumes. But that’s all about to change with Brother’s range of Refill Ink Tank Printers, a new breed of business-oriented ink printers designed for greater cost-savings while delivering outstanding print quality and print speeds.
Or, if you are looking for more document-focused printing capabilities, then look no further than Brother’s range of Laser and LED printers. With either mono or colour printing options, these capable solutions provide speedy, stable performance that’s ideal for high-volume printing of documents with crisp and easily readable text – even on smaller font sizes.
Print productivity that doesn’t cost you dearly.
Printing costs can make up a significant part of your expenses, which is why Brother’s Refill Ink Tank and Laser print solutions are designed with small businesses and home offices in mind. Our ultra-high yield refill ink bottles and toner cartridges offer affordable, high-quality prints for all your marketing, invoicing, presentation or reviewing needs that not only translates to a low cost-per-page, but also allows you to print thousands of pages before requiring a refill or cartridge change.
Form and functionality bundled in one compact package.
Forget about those large, costly copiers that are commonly found in big office departments. Aside from being affordable, Brother’s print solutions take up a significantly smaller footprint than traditional copiers and are perfectly suited for your home office. Packed with wireless networking capabilities that allow staff to easily connect to a single printer, high print speeds, flexible paper handling, high-volume duplex printing, and innovative Cloud Apps that offer seamless mobile printing and scanning on the go, they deliver amazing value and functionality for the modern home office.
Made for the home, built to last
Another major concern about compact printers is that they aren’t designed to withstand the vigours of high-volume business printing. The thought of costly supplies and frequent breakdowns are the main reasons why many are put off by the idea of utilising them.
But Brother has got you covered.
All of Brother’s genuine supplies are optimised to work perfectly with our printers for unmatched consistency and reliability, which results in less wastage, repair and maintenance costs in the long run. And with over 100 years of award-winning reliability and customer service to its name, you can be assured that any Brother printer is built to last.
With that being said, there’s certainly no one-size-fits-all solution for your unique business model. Do you require a solution with only print functionality? Or maybe you’re looking for a Multifunction Centre that’s capable of scanning, copying and faxing as well? Whatever your needs, we’re sure that you’ll find the ideal solution right here.
While video conferencing software, webcams, and fast internet speeds have made working from home and staying productive a lot more accessible, there are still some compromises that you must make compared to working from a physical office. One of them is having ready access to a printing solution on hand. But with a new breed of compact, yet feature-rich printers available today, that’s all set to change.
Why print at all in a digital age?
Rather than an archaic and fading technology, printers are the ideal complement to today’s digital processes. For one, it is far easier and faster to make edits and add comments to a hardcopy document and scan it directly to your colleagues’ emails. Additionally, printing out your weekly or daily job schedule allows you to quickly take stock of your work-in-progress without having to sort through emails and chatgroups. For those in sales, marketing, or who own small businesses, you can even print professional-quality booklets, manuals, pamphlets, brochures and other promotional materials from the comfort of your home.
Choosing the best printer for home use
Now that we’ve explored the benefits of having a printer as a work-from-home buddy, what should you consider when choosing one? Obviously, it should be compact enough to fit on a desktop, but there are some other important qualities that you should be looking out for.
Print Performance –When it comes to print speeds, not all desktop printers were made equal. Many budget options take a painfully long time to start up, begin printing, and to complete a print, making it a hassle to print even a single page – not to mention multiple copies of a document! So, make sure you choose a solution with a decent print speed to help boost your productivity rather than hinder it.
Running Costs – Due to their affordable prices and compact sizes, inkjet printers are often chosen for home use. However, once you start printing in greater volumes, your running costs could start to add up. To help keep that in check, consider ink tank printers like those from Brother which can be refilled via ultra high-yield ink bottles instead, as these can deliver an extremely low cost-per-page of just $0.0018 per page for black and white documents – all while producing impressively vibrant printouts.
Mobile & Wireless Connectivity – In this connected world, businesses have gone agile with smartphones, tablets and mobile-connected laptops. Taking full advantage of this new era of global connectivity, Brother printers with mobile and cloud solutions make it easier than ever before to scan, print, share your information wherever your business needs take you. You can even troubleshoot problems and manage your fleet remotely from the comfort of your desk.
User-friendly design –While we’ve established that having a compact printer in your home is great for productivity, it’s not all just about print speeds and connectivity. Brother’s printers are thoughtfully designed with the user in mind and come with in-built paper trays to help keep your printouts neat and tidy. And, unlike many other brands, Brother printers feature a user-friendly LCD screen, which makes performing various printing functions a breeze.
So, if you’re thinking of purchasing a printer for working-from-home, just remember; even though there’s no shortage of options around, there are only a few that can truly deliver great value, design, and productivity in a compact, affordable package – and you can find some of them right here
When it comes to printing solutions, is bigger truly better? In the recent years, we have seen a shift from large copiers to compact laser printers and multifunction centres as businesses embrace smaller decentralised departments and home offices. But aren’t copiers supposed to be more durable, cost-efficient, and offer greater functionality over desktop printers? Let’s explore these myths and discover how you can find the best printer for your evolving business needs.
Myth #1: Copiers are more cost-effective than desktop laser printers
While it used to be common knowledge that traditional copiers were more cost-effective due to their high-volume and low cost-per-page nature, the latest laser printers from Brother is set to change all that. This new breed of desktop laser printers is not only much more affordable than copiers to purchase or lease, but with higher yield toner replacements options available, they can also deliver significantly lower running costs in the long run.
Myth #2: Copiers offer more functionality for greater productivity
Many businesses are still using copiers for their functionality. This includes copying, printing, faxing and network connectivity. However, a broad range of Brother laser printers and Multifunction Centres come with advanced features such as wireless printing and scanning, NFC tap-to-print, mobile printing and scanning apps, Cloud printing capabilities, and many more to easily match or exceed the functions of a traditional copier. All packed in a sleek, compact device that fits easily on your desktop.
Myth #3: Copiers are more durable & can print higher volumes
When compared to many desktop printers, copiers are considered to be more reliable and capable of handling higher print volumes. But this is a myth that’s readily busted by Brother’s laser printers. Backed by industry-leading reliability and award-winning support, these productivity workhorses can be equipped with a variety of accessories such as additional paper trays, a sorter, a tower tray, or even a finisher. This allows businesses to enjoy high-volume printing that rivals those of copiers with support up to 600,000 prints over 5 years!
Fact: Brother Laser Printing Solutions deliver
Businesses are constantly evolving, and Brother has been at the forefront of print innovation for over a hundred years. Backed by its dedication to world-class reliability and customer service, our range of laser printers and multifunction centres are trusted by large enterprises, SMBs, and home office owners globally to take their business to the next level.
Perhaps it’s time to ditch that old copier and find your next productivity workhorse? Find yours here.
Even as businesses rush to embrace a Work From Home (WFH) culture due to the pandemic, the benefits of having employees working virtually from their homes are significant enough to see this trend continuing in the post-COVID-19 world. While it may be simple enough to have a notebook pc with a webcam set up for remote working, you’ll find that employees without a printing solution available are very likely to face a huge productivity void.
When bigger is not necessarily better
In the past, business printers were huge, floor-standing copiers that would take up a massive footprint. Although they delivered superior prints and connectivity features, they were simply too big, cumbersome, and costly to effectively deploy across your employees’ homes. On the other hand, traditional desktop printers just couldn’t match the performance, print quality, and cost-effectiveness of their larger counterparts – until now.
Small and mighty is the new normal
Today, that’s all set to change with a new breed of print solutions that are compact and feature-rich – ideal for deploying across home environments. What’s more, the best laser printers and multifunction centres from Brother are capable of delivering razor sharp text and exceptional graphics printouts at a lower cost-per-page compared to floor-standing copiers.
Best of all, these compact print solutions are capable of fast print and scan speeds, as well as cost-saving and productivity features such as automatic 2-sided printing, comprehensive paper handling, automatic document feeding, and much more – all packed into a tiny footprint that fits comfortably on a home office desk.
Staying connected means staying relevant
In today’s fast-paced world, time is the greatest commodity, and businesses that are able to connect, print, and share important information will enjoy a distinct business advantage. This is especially true in a home-based work environment, where the ability to collaborate with co-workers, clients and partners in a timely fashion can prove to be challenging.
That’s where a quality home-based printer comes in, and Brother’s latest range of compact laser printers feature mobile printing support for iPrint&Scan, Apple’s AirPrint™ and Mopria™ to ensure optimal productivity whenever you need, wherever you are. Furthermore, the free suite of Brother Cloud Apps on these devices means users can readily access the cloud to upload scanned documents or to print documents directly from an online storage site without a computer, making it easier than ever to share and collaborate.
A new norm without compromises
Brother has been trusted by enterprises and organisations around the world for over a century, and while the trend of remote working and working from home has only recently started to gain traction, Brother has always been a leading innovator for compact, decentralised print solutions that are highly flexible without compromising on features, reliability and cost effectiveness. Take on the new norm with a trusted partner by your side. Discover Brother’s extensive range of work from home-ready solutions here
Technology is driving change across different industries at a pace and scale never seen before in human history. The challenge for Australian businesses is to exploit the opportunities new technology brings and not get swept away by it.
A global report from Deloitte revealed that business leaders were feeling overwhelmed by the different options presented by new and emerging technology. Many said their organisations lacked the strategic vision to make a decision about the best solution for their circumstances.
But the same report also revealed a strong commitment to working with and trying to leverage technology. And furthermore, some leaders who had made bold investments in technology were starting to see results.
Businesses that can make good choices and manage effective implementation of new technology can gain an advantage over their competitors and build sustainable revenue streams.
The opportunity is out there.
Another report by PwC estimated that Australian businesses were missing out on almost $50 billion of untapped economic output through their failure to properly leverage mobile and internet technology.
Technological advancements in printing
Printers are no different from any other industry when it comes to technological change.
From more environmentally-sustainable printing to smart deployment of printers to closer integration with other connected devices, technology has transformed printing.
As a result, there are massive opportunities for businesses to improve productivity, reduce costs and support smarter, more flexible ways of working. But missing these opportunities hands the advantage to the competition and can hurt your bottom line.
We’ve pulled together three examples to demonstrate how failing to leverage new printer technology can be bad for your business.
(1) Using your Multi-Function Printer as a productivity centre
That is, as opposed to purely as a cost centre.
What exactly makes a multi-function printer a productivity centre? For starters, the Internet of Things. That’s right – it can connect to cloud services such as Google Cloud Print, allowing for remote printing. While you’re on the bus or train to work, you can print documents from your mobile directly to the printer at your desk so they’re waiting for you when you get to the office
Similarly, you can scan and upload documents directly to your businesses cloud storage. If manual data entry still exists in your business – i.e., reading a printed document then entering the data into a software application like a spreadsheet – document management systems using optical character recognition can transform the data on your printed page to data in your spreadsheet.
(2) Security vulnerabilities make printers weak spots in your network
Cybercrime is a huge threat to businesses. The annual cost of malicious hacks, data breaches, phishing scams and other nefarious online activity at $1 billion.
As more and more devices are connected to the internet the points of potential vulnerability keep on increasing.
For businesses, failing to secure their networks against the latest threats can lead to serious financial and reputational damage.
Printers, just like any other internet-enabled device, provide a way into networks for hackers and viruses. Ensuring that your printers are properly protected prevents them exposing your business to unnecessary risk.
Businesses should get expert advice on the best virtual security measures for their particular circumstances. Here are some general rules for tighter printer security:
Change default passwords
Remove unnecessary external IP addresses
Disable any functionality you don’t need
Regularly maintain and upgrade your printers
Use security PINs to protect sensitive documents
Get expert help with printer fleet management
(3) Bad printer deployment interrupts workflow
In a large organisation with diverse printing needs, the type and location of printers can have a significant impact on productivity, employee wellbeing and running costs.
Businesses often overlook the potential benefits of bringing in expert outside help to consult on a tailored printing solution.
Brother Balance deployment ensures that you have the right devices for your printing needs and that they are in locations that support how your business works – or how you would like it to work.
Getting up and going to the printer is something your employees might have to do multiple times per day. Making that experience as easy and convenient as possible can have a big impact on how productive and happy they are at work.
Printer fleet optimisation, for example, can help you replace large, inefficient, out-dated printers in central locations with modern, scalable printers for departments or teams, closer to where they work and designed specifically for their needs.
This gives you an opportunity to fit your printers around how you want your employees to use your workspace, rather than their use of the workspace being determined by where the communal printer is located.
If you’d like to know more about mobile, portable printing; smart printer deployment; printer fleet management; and printer security, get in touch with the team today and we’ll show you how the latest printer technology can drive bottom line results for your business.
This article has been republished from Brother NZ with minor changes.
With the rapid change in technology, and an increasing number of brands vying for your attention, choosing a technology partner can be a little daunting.
Not only is it important to find partners that truly understand your business, you also need to make sure you choose someone who can grow with you, who understands your needs and can meet the requirements of each phase of your business’s growth.
Much like a real-life relationship, a good business partnership should be based around transparency and trust. Print technology, in particular, is a decision most, if not all) businesses will need to make in their lifetime. When you get to that point, here are some key questions to ask yourself when you’re choosing a printing technology partner:
1. Do they give you complete peace of mind?
The best print solution is one you don’t even know exists; one you don’t have to think about. It just works the way it should and is fully managed by a simple process that (for example) ensures you never run out of ink or toner. Brother’s Managed Print Services (MPS) and Toner Management Program sits at the heart of its business, meaning they take care of all your print needs, leaving you to focus on running your business.
Brother treat print as a service, not just a product, with free delivery and installation of devices, access to its corporate direct helpdesk, 3-year on-site warranty, automated consumables replenishment, proactive maintenance and servicing.
Other benefits of Brother MPS include reduced print spend with no hidden costs—yes you can phone the Brother helpdesk for free, and you won’t be charged shipping when replacement consumables are needed. You’ll also enjoy improved workplace productivity and access to the latest technology ensuring you’re always up to date.
2. Do they take time to understand what’s important to you?
A one-size-fits-all approach is never recommended and is not something you’ll experience with Brother. Brother Balanced Deployment is a simple yet effective solution that ensures the right devices are placed within reach of the right people.
Brother will visit your business, take time to understand your print needs and the needs of the people using the technology. Their experts will then use that information to provide recommendations that are proven to reduce print costs and improve employee productivity. And rest assured this is low touch for you. It really is a short process and it always ends in significant improvements!
3. Are they experts in their area?
It’s always best to do your research and talk to brands about their experience with businesses like yours. You want to be sure they understand the challenges you face and come to you with the right technology and support to ensure you never experience down time.
Brother manages print solutions businesses of all sizes across a range of industries, including Lighting Plus, Lumino The Dentists and Tenon Clearwood to name a few.
With a full print and imaging range covering A4 and A3 print needs, including larger copiers, Brother combines its expert knowledge with your personalised needs to recommend the best approach for your business.
4. Do they value customer service and support the same way you do?
Picture this: You’re a located in the suburbs. You need your printers working and a guarantee that everything will run smoothly, but when it doesn’t you can’t get hold of anyone. This sort of disruption can be really damaging to a business, which is why Brother prioritises getting to know your business and your changing print needs across different locations.
Brother has a local helpdesk who are on hand when you need them. They listen to their customers and do whatever they can to ensure their business can run efficiently and effectively with the right technology in place. Whatever your needs are Brother will find a solution and there won’t be any hidden costs when you call our helpdesk.
We understand that sometimes it’s difficult to know the cause of an issue, so if it turns out to be non-printer related (for example, a network issue or operating system), we will not charge you and are always happy to help wherever we can.
5. Are they honest and do they operate transparently?
Contracts. Does that word send a shiver down your spine? Well it shouldn’t. And if it does, it’s time to look at another print provider. Contracts or agreements should be easy to understand, have no hidden costs or hooks and give you confidence that you know exactly what you’re paying for.
Brother prides itself on complete honesty and transparency and will only recommend a solution that fits perfectly with your needs, and products that are designed to improve efficiencies, productivity and save you money. You’ll know what the costs are upfront, so there will be no surprises down the line.
This article has been republished from Brother NZ with minor changes.
In the modern, tech-driven workplace, your IT department is among the most important for the future success of your business.
However, it’s no secret that this division is also one of the costliest to maintain. Therefore, the last thing you want is for their time to be wasted on small, but everyday tasks like ensuring the continued functioning of your printers and multi-function devices.
So, today we’re going to be exploring how you can reduce the IT-related printing expenditure in your business, through a few simple but effective steps. By implementing these, your IT staff will be able to focus on important areas such as securing your organisation’s online presence against hackers, researching the latest business improvement trends and bringing your improving your processes to streamline output.
IT departments are usually among the most costly to run, so you don’t want your personnel constantly caught up with printer issues.
IT-related printing costs: The facts
If you think that your printers aren’t costing your IT department significantly, and on a regular basis, prepare to think again. Here are some stats to show why this area is an absolute priority when it comes to cutting spending in your business:
30% of office workers say that printing issues are their biggest IT frustration (SOS Office Equipment): You know what this means – these employees will be making regular calls to your IT helpdesk to help them resolve whatever issue is impacting their work
23% of communications to IT help desks are printer related (ImageOne) – That’s right, nearly a quarter of all the calls your IT personnel deal with on a given day will relate to printer issues, preventing them from dealing with more pressing or complex issues. Ultimately, dealing with the problems themselves, takes up as much as 15% of their time (LaserResource). Think about what else they could achieve if this wasn’t the case
The average company spends 1-3% of its revenue on printing (Milner) – With so much money already going towards printing, the last thing you need from a financial standpoint is operating issues adding to this. However, given that 90% of businesses don’t track their printing costs (Buyer’s Laboratory), there’s a good chance that excess costs are going unnoticed
From this it’s clear that a little streamlining and modernising of your printer setup could go a long way to reducing the reducing IT-related costs in your organisation. But where to start?
Reducing IT-related printing costs tip 1: Staff training
An easy way to reduce the printer burden on your IT staff, and free them up to tackle more important tasks, is to ensure that all your staff are fully trained on how to properly use all of the devices required in the everyday functioning of your business, including printers.
This may seem basic, but you’d be surprised at how far a simple training session can go, especially if you’ve recently updated your printer fleet with new devices that could be unfamiliar to your personnel.
Dealing with printer issues accounts for 15% of your IT help desk staff’s time.
Another good preventative method is to engage with your employees on the most common problems they encounter when printing. From this consultation, you could draw up a FAQ document to which they can refer before feeling the need to log a ticket with your IT help desk. In the future, it’s likely you will see artificial intelligence (AI) taking a larger hand in providing this type of support role, as simple printer questions are perfect for natural language processing, and means that your IT staff can concentrate their efforts on tasks that machines aren’t yet equipped to complete.
Nearly a quarter of all calls to IT help desks refer to printer-related problems.
Reducing IT-related printing costs tip 2: Easier-to-use printers
Not all printers were created equal, especially when it comes to intuitiveness. You’ll be benefiting both your employees and your IT staff if you invest in devices that are easy to use from the get go. Factors to look out for include:
A touch screen interface – In the past, frustrated printer users would simply be left staring at flashing lights and unhelpful buttons when something went wrong. However, the beauty of a touch screen is that it can usually give the operator an idea of why the desired print job isn’t happening, and suggest what actions they need to take. By the same token, touch screen menus tend to be much more logical to navigate, eliminating the tedious guess work from what should be a simple task
Easy to use – Similarly, if your staff are constantly requiring the help of your IT experts to complete simple jobs like replacing toner in your printer, this is another red flag that you might want to update the device itself.
Security – You should be confident that if you need security oversight over printing in your business, that your printer is up to the task of providing it. If not, expect your IT staff to waste heaps of valuable time clearing people for printer use, or preventing unintended security breaches from unknowing employees
Reducing IT-related printing costs tip 3: Be ready for wireless printers
With office trends such as activity based working and Agile methodologies ruling supreme in many offices, wireless printing is a game-changer for staff who don’t want to have to carry their device over to the printer each time they want a hard copy of a document.
However, this supposed time-saver can turn into a real headache for IT employees who can find themselves running the gauntlet of WiFi errors should your office be ill prepared for welcoming wireless printers.
Preventing this unnecessary drain on time and resources ultimately comes down to a balancing act between your printer and your office’s WiFi capabilities. If your device is old and slow, chances are your employees will experience delays or problems when trying to print wirelessly. Equally, if your building has notorious WiFi blackout areas, you aren’t giving your printer a fair chance at delivering on expectations. In the latter case, changing internet provider, or installing additional WiFi extenders can help solve recurring connectivity problems.
Wireless printers are the way of the future, but can cause problems for your IT department if they’re not well connected.
Wireless printers are the way of the future, but can cause problems for your IT department if they’re not well connected.
Reducing IT-related printing costs tip 4: Employ predictive analytics
Predictive analytics refers to the use of a combination of machine learning, artificial intelligence (AI), data mining and statistics modelling to take current data sets, and use them to formulate predictions. This technique has potential for a wide variety of implementations in a business context, with maintenance scheduling being one of the most common.
Put simply, predictive analytics allows you to forecast when maintenance is likely to be required for a given asset, allowing you to take action before a major malfunction happens. It also means that if a device, such as a printer, is not operating properly, even if it’s not obviously broken, proactive steps can be taken to remedy this. Clearly, from an IT point of view, this is preferable in terms of time and resources to waiting for a major mishap to occur.
Predictive analytics can help IT departments cut costs on printer maintenance.
You can also cut costs on the shipping and storage of spare parts for your printers, as predictive analytics can give you a clearer idea of when you’re likely to need them, replacing the need to have heaps of parts stocked just in case.
Reducing IT-related printing costs tip 5: Investigate managed print services
What is a managed print service?
Managed print services and Toner Management Program are all about optimising office workflows while reducing the costs of printing at every step.
Usually, managed print services are offered by printing experts, such as Brother, and usually take care of all aspects of your operational printing needs – from printers to copiers, scanners and faxers.
Generally speaking, there are four essential components to a managed print service:
An assessment – The first thing an external provider will do is assess the status quo. What devices do you have in your fleet, how are they being used and what problems tend to crop up from an employee standpoint?
Replacement – Based off this assessment, and in consultation with you or your IT department, the provider will likely make recommendations on what you could replace in order to improve your setup and decrease costs. This could be one or two devices, or a more holistic overhaul to bring your office into line with modern standards. Note, the alterations recommended could even be as small as replacing a few parts in your devices
Servicing – Crucially from your IT department’s perspective, a managed print service will also control the servicing of your fleet. This will free up a lot of time that would be otherwise wasted on frustrating but necessary maintenance on printers and other devices
Tracking – As mentioned, very few organisations actively track metrics around their printers, copiers and scanners. Not only will a managed print service look at usage patterns and suggest ways in which to improve your processes, it will also look at where your costs are coming from and what you actions you can take to reduce them now and in the future
How can a managed print service help you reduce IT costs?
Reducing time spent on printers – The essence of a managed print service is that it allows you and your staff to concentrate on running and improving the business, while the external provider manages the nitty gritty of your printer fleet. While it’s unlikely they will be on hand to respond to individual employee queries or problems, with their expertise behind you, you know you’re setting yourself up for the best chance of success
Uncovering hidden costs – While you may be able to identify that your printers are costing your IT department more than they should (in both time and money), it’s not always easy to determine why. The expertise and objectivity that comes with external oversight can help you establish where your unnecessary spending is happening, and what you can do to counter it
Access to the latest technology – While your IT department is likely keen to keep your operation at the cutting edge of technology, it’s no secret that this comes at a significant cost. However, a good managed print service partner will often be able to offer programs whereby you can access the latest products from their range, without the steep upfront costs. Usually, this operates on a regular payment plan, which allows you to accurately forecast your costs as you move forwards.
How Brother can help
Brother has helped businesses of all sizes through our managed print service and toner management program. We take a personal yet strategic approach to our service, which aims to reduce costs, emphasise sustainability and ensure security at all stages of the process.
From finding the most logical locations for your devices to optimising your printers once they’re installed, our expert team will be with you from start to finish to provide assessments, advice and feedback on your printing practices. This means your employees can focus on business tasks, while we cover the maintenance and management of your fleet.
What’s more, our solutions are designed with scalability in mind, meaning we can help you adapt and grow your fleet as your business changes. For more information on how we can help your business improve and cut costs, get in touch with our team today.
This article has been republished from Brother Australia with minor changes.
The paperless office. Along side terms such as digital transformation and agile these three words are everywhere when it comes to what businesses are told they should strive towards.
And for good reason. Not only does going paperless have positive impacts on the environment, it can save your business a lot of money and improve security by keeping important documents in password-locked cloud storage.
However, if you think that the paperless office of the future means you can do away with your trusty company printer, prepare to think again. In this article, we’ll take a look at how and why printers will continue to play an important role in paperless offices to help you avoid jumping the gun and getting rid of this vital piece of kit.
Despite what you might think, printers still have an important role in the paperless offices of the future.
Why printers are still important in the paperless office
1. Because ‘going paperless’ doesn’t happen over night
While it may seem impossible to imagine your business without technology, for years physical documentation was the only option we had, and the processes and systems that built up around this fact have become deeply entrenched. As a result, going paperless is a journey, not a destination.
For many businesses, going paperless doesn’t mean the total elimination of paper.
If you were to rid your office of printers as part of a drive to encourage paperlessness, you’d soon find staff running into roadblocks because they rely on printers more than even they realise. Encouraging staff to be more economical with their printing, and ensuring that your printer setup isn’t in excess of what you require are both solid moves, but entirely removing printers from your office, as paperless as you may want it to be, is likely going to be counter productive in the short term.
In fact, for the moment, many businesses admit that going paperless doesn’t mean eliminating paper entirely – and for as long as paper persists, your printers will need to too.
Some workers still prefer to work with printed documents as opposed to cloud-based files.
2. Some staff prefer physical documents
In the same way that some readers will never prefer kindles over the real deal, some staff simply work better when handling physical documents as opposed to doing everything digitally. While you can promote economical printing among your staff, those who prefer to have paper in hand for certain tasks may be taken aback if that option is removed entirely.
Top tip: Encourage discussions among the different teams within your businesses as to what types of documentation you all believe need to remain printable. While this can allow wiggle room for those staff who do prefer physical documents, setting expectations in this way can help you accommodate different work practices while still moving to an overall more paperless environment.
Printers can fit easily into modern practices such as agile working.
3. Printers can fit with modern work practices
While the rise of trends such as remote working may seem to add fuel to the fire that printers are a thing of the past, recent trends show that they are in fact easily adaptable to modern working practices.
Take agile, for example. As businesses start to focus more on the pod-based teams that feature prominently in agile methodologies, we’ve seen a shift in printers too. Instead of huge devices situated centrally for office-wide use, printers have migrated to the teams where they’re most needed. Generally speaking, this means fewer, smaller devices that sit within pods, and are used for their specific tasks.
Printers are easily adaptable to modern business such as remote working or agile structures.
Similarly, in the era of bring your own device (BYOD), mobile printing offers a solution that means staff don’t need to worry about where they are are or what device they are printing from. Employees simply need to connect to their nearest printer, press the button and their documents will be ready for use, either by themselves or their team in the office.
Brother has years of experience in helping businesses to achieve their productivity and sustainability goals through devices that meet their objectives. Whether you’re looking at decreasing paper consumption in your organisation, or are seeking technology to suit your new agile environment, Brother’s team of experts is on hand to help you make the right decisions.
For more information on what we’ve discussed today, or to for specific advice on products, get in touch with our team.
This article has been republished from Brother Australia. The original article can be seen here: https://empowers.brother.com.au/2019/09/12/why-the-paperless-office-still-needs-a-printing-solution/
