Whitepapers

Time

1. Spend less time managing devices IT departments spend 15% of their time on printerrelated issues. Consolidation results in fewer hardcopy devices to manage and a smaller inventory of supplies and spare parts to maintain. Plus, network integration makes MFPs easier and less expensive to support than their standalone counterparts.

2. Reduce time spent walking from device to device By combining printing, copying, faxing, scanning and digital sending (scan to email, folder, etc.) in a single device, MFPs give information workers network access to all the capabilities they need to effectively and efficiently handle digital and paper documents.

3. Experience fewer network bottlenecks Where some competitive devices force you to accept performance/print-quality tradeoffs, HP LaserJet and Color LaserJet MFPs feature advanced processing and imaging technology, ensuring you of consistently high-quality output at full engine speeds and realworld performance that often surpasses competing products boasting faster engine specifications. This is because, generally, HP LaserJet and Color LaserJet MFPs and printers are designed to offer their best output quality at full engine speed. Many competing devices slow down considerably in best print quality mode due to issues like formatter bottlenecks or employing solid-ink technology.

There has been a significant shift in the way organizations think about the cost and value associated with printing and imaging. In view of the findings of leading industry analysts such as Gartner and IDC (see Fast Facts on page 4), organizations are eager to trim document output costs, which are now estimated at between one and three percent of revenue. Productivity expenditures are thought to be even greater, with IT professionals typically spending up to 15 percent of their time on printing and related issues. These experts and others suggest that savings of as much as 30 percent of overall printing costs can be obtained through active management of the document output environment.

Because it pays to get rightsizing right
A growing majority of companies are turning to rightsizing as a strategy to optimize their document output fleet. It’s a move that is beginning to have a significant impact on fleet size. Yet smaller fleets do not automatically add up to lower management and support costs. The failure lies not in rightsizing as a strategy, but rather in the mistaken way some companies approach its implementation. Lacking a sound life-cycle management plan, such companies steadfastly hang on to document output devices until they are completely inoperable rather than invest in newer technology. Today it is not uncommon to find that as much as 50 percent of the devices in an organization’s printer fleet are more than five years old. Considering that supply costs for older workgroup printers can be as much as twice those for today’s multifunction printers (MFPs), this effort to stretch initial capital investment, and thereby maximize ROI, leaves many organizations spending more, not less. Thanks to recent technological advances, many newer output devices now offer significant savings in supplies and energy costs while enhancing productivity.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Many companies searching for areas where they can show operational improvements while also cutting costs have turned their focus to their imaging and printing infrastructure. A new set of tools, technologies, and processes – combined with more networked environments – has given companies the means to optimize their imaging operations.
Remote management of imaging assets now enables companies to centralize key functions, improve their ability to respond to changing business priorities, and ultimately reduce the cost of support and maintenance. Improved reporting capabilities have helped companies optimize their mix of imaging assets and streamline their imaging investments. Companies also have shown that core business processes can be made more efficient by improving the way documents are integrated into traditional workflows. Overall, the companies implementing these measures achieved direct cost savings of between 8% and 41%, with the greatest savings a result of reduced spending on hardcopy devices, reduced IT support costs, and lowered consumables spending.

The proliferation of output devices such as printers, copiers, fax machines, and scanners has significantly contributed to the dramatic increase in document output volume and cost over the years. While the majority of today’s organizations acknowledge the potential savings from better document management, many still lack the understanding and expertise to address the problem.