Most businesses, particularly smaller ones that work on tight budgets, need to review their processes and procedures at regular intervals to make sure they are getting value for money and working with maximum efficiency. With so many SMEs and large companies starting to outsource tasks 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 right up 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. 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 off a number of copies of a document which have then spent several months sitting in the corner of the office? How often do several people print the same thing? How much time could be saved in your office if your staff are able to print remotely or save documents onto their digital devices such as smartphones and tablets rather than printing out wasteful copies?

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.
• It can help you develop a more robust strategy for dealing with all your printing needs that means wastage is reduced and your staff 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.
• It 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.

Most businesses 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 an efficient and productive office. If you haven’t taken a close, hard look at your printing provision yet then it may be that the start of 2015 is the best time to do it.