Why Print Management Software? A View From Outer Space
November 7th, 2022 by Kevin Box
When Neil Armstrong stepped off the Apollo 11 Lunar Module as the first human to ever set foot on the Moon, and uttered his famous line, "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." He did so not knowing the impact it would have on future space exploration. The same can be said about Chester S. Carlson who invented Xerography (Photocopying) in Queens, New York, back in 1938. It's hard to believe that he envisioned a time where software would be created to run on a network that would help with “Cost Tracking, Technical Mobility, or give “Environmental Metrics” on the Xerography machine that would help organizations optimize its printer fleet. However, that's just what it does.
In this article, we'll look at Print Management Software from outer space! Well, ok, space is a little far away, so we'll take a look at the big picture from a 30,000 foot view to help give you some perspective on the importance of Print Data Analysitics and show you how your organization can rocket its savings and optimize its work flow to a higher level with Print Management Software.
In our previous article, we outlined three reasons why your organization should have Print Management Software, which were:
- Understanding your cost to print
- Changing End-User Behaviors
- Follow-me printing and secure job release
All three features are essential to running an efficient and cost-effective printer fleet. However, Print Management Software can do much more.
For example, it can help you set print quotas and job limits which can help reduce waste and control costs. This is huge as a cost saving measure. End-users will change behaviors and become better stewards of what and how they print if they know there are limits to how much they can print and if they know big brother is watching. This helps drive better printing habits, reduces waste and improves the printing culture of the organization.
The software can also help you set internal billing for either end-users, departments or customers of the organization. This is particularly useful for law firms who often bill back prints to their customers on a case-by-case basis.
Lastly, Print Management Software can help with tracking the cost of each printer, which can help the organization rightsize the printer fleet by placing the proper type of machine in more high-volume areas that can manage higher print traffic. Conversely, it can also help reduce the size of a device with lower printing volumes. This means organizations can make the correct equipment purchasing decisions and buy the right equipment for each print area. This helps to drive down equipment costs and improve the fleet's performance because a correctly segmented machine means fewer service incidents and higher device uptimes.
In conclusion, managing your printer fleet doesn't have to be Rocket Science if you implement the right solution to optimize your print assets. Whether you need to get the most out of your printer fleet or manage authentication, security, costs and mobility within your print infrastructure, Print Management Software can help you gain an edge in operating and supporting your printer fleet. If you need help deciding which solution is right for your needs, Function4 can help.
Posted in: Managed Print Services