If you use a printer then it could be wise to review your processes and procedures at regular intervals to make sure you are getting value for money and working with maximum efficiency. Whether you are a thriving business or an organisation such as a school or college, taking time to run a comprehensive audit can reduce waste and optimise productivity, as well as highlight ways to dramatically cut costs.

Businesses that need a print audit

With so many SMEs and large companies starting to outsource areas like their IT and printing provisions, rather than investing in expensive hardware outright, it’s never been more important to carry out a proper audit of the current state of affairs.

If you run a busy office and your existing printer is getting used to its limit then undertaking a full print audit can not only save you money on consumables but also redefine your print processes for the better. Even if you are happy with your current printer, it helps to have a close look at what is going on now and again.

Of course, it’s easy to lose track of how your MFP is performing and what your staff are using it for if you are tightly focussed on the actual day to day running of your business.

How often has a member of staff printed copies of a document which have then spent several months sitting in the corner of the office gathering dust? How often do several people print the same thing? How much time could be saved in your office if your staff were able to print remotely or save documents onto their digital devices such as smartphones and tablets rather than creating wasteful hard copies?

Schools and other educational organisations

It used to be that most schools had a bank of photocopiers hammering out copies of text book pages or printing documents off the internet. For many educational establishments, print costs represent a large part of the yearly budget and finding clever ways to cut down usage or change the way students and staff use those MFPs not only helps the environment but releases valuable funds that could be better spent elsewhere. Students can now access information in digital form which means they don’t always have to print things and staff don’t have to produce bulky hand outs for their classes.

It’s just one of the way the ways that schools and colleges can seriously cut down the cost of their print processes. Changing the way we do things, particularly in a busy environment such as a school, can often prove difficult unless you have outside help that can take a critical and independent view of your processes. Many educational establishments are now beginning to find that large savings can be made if they undertake a print audit and change the way they approach things.

A full print audit and new strategies

Undertaking a print audit can ‘force’ you to develop the print strategies and processes that not only make your staff more aware of best practice but also ensures you keep a handle on what is going on.

• A comprehensive print audit allows you have a full overview of the amount of consumables you are using, what you are actually printing on a daily basis and when, for example, the busiest periods are.
• You can look at things like the type of printing you are doing and what consumables are being used more on a daily basis, even whether your printers are in the right part of the office or school building.
• It can help you develop a more robust strategy for dealing with all your printing needs that means wastage is reduced and your staff and students operate more productively, making your printing greener and cheaper.
• You can look at more energy and time efficient ways of doing things. For example, if you have an ageing system you will be able to see from a print audit how installing a new, state-of-the-art multifunction printer can save you money and time.
• For schools and colleges switching to newer MFPs can often reduce the number of machines you need and help reduce energy consumption as well as unnecessary printing.
• A print audit can give you hints and tips on how to reduce your spending on consumables such as toner and paper by making some documents available digitally and controlling large scale print runs so that you only produce what you need.
• You can find out how green your current MFP in the corner is and whether you are doing everything in your power to help reduce the carbon footprint of your busy office or college.

Most businesses and other organisations such as schools want to make savings on both time and money and there’s no doubt that undertaking a simple print audit can be a potential solution to that time old problem of running more efficiently and productively. If you haven’t taken a close, hard look at your printing provision yet then it may be that 2015 is a good time to start.