How cloud printing solutions can make your business more efficient
Shrewd business executives are constantly seeking new ways in which to streamline office processes, not only to save money but also to minimise the amount of time employees spend carrying out inefficient administration and housekeeping tasks.
Of all the cost and time inefficiencies associated with workplace operations, one area is particularly difficult to control and predict — and that’s printing. On one level there’s the on-going cost of buying replacement ink and toner cartridges, as well as paper and other print consumables. Cloud printing can change that.
Then, there are the associated maintenance costs, as well as the time wasted by employees fixing technical printer issues. All of these printer-related inefficiencies equate to a considerable amount of time and money — a topic we covered in detail in our article on how UK businesses are struggling to control printing costs.
Fortunately, there exists a solution to such printer efficiency issues — cloud printing. By investing in a wireless network printer which supports cloud connectivity, businesses can enjoy heightened efficiency in all of the areas touched on above, and here we’ll explain why.
Cloud printing — The benefits
For businesses which rely on a printer everyday, a machine that supports cloud connectivity will complement even the busiest and most demanding of working environments. As new technologies emerge and more and more work is carried over to different devices, wireless cloud functionality allows each user to connect to the printer simply and easily without the need to change the printer’s settings, install new drivers or position themselves close to a wired connection port.
From a business perspective, the benefits of wireless printer connectivity are comprehensive. Not only do such machines guarantee complete time efficiency by removing the need for a lengthy connection or installation process; they eliminate the additional hardware costs associated with traditional wired printer models.
Use cloud print management to cut costs
As a business leader, it can be frustrating to find the printer out-tray stacked sky-high with unused prints and the recycling bin overflowing with bodged or unwanted documents. In some working environments, a general lack of due care and attention when it comes to printing can wind up taking a considerable chunk from your bottom line — both in terms of wasted paper and wasted ink or toner.
Integrate a cloud print solution, however, and you can apply a series of different control mechanisms that should help cut down on wasteful printing practices. Cloud print services like Google Cloud Print allow the administrator to setup a code-based access system, which can help to govern what is printed and when. The system works by giving the user a code, which they’ll need to enter into the cloud-enabled printer before their print job will be completed. This means that the user will only
ever print the documents they require — leading to a huge reduction in the number of wasted printouts.
Print experts, TonerGiant, agree: “Cloud printing is not only a hugely flexible printing solution, it gives system administrators so much more control over what is being sent to print. By deploying a cloud-printing network in your workplace, you can actually limit the amount of documents that a single user sends to print — helping to crack down on those that are a little printer happy.”
While inefficiencies in printing are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to streamlining workplace processes, integrating a cloud printing network is the perfect way to add an additional level of connectivity to your office — something which should help to facilitate certain aspects of the business in the long and short term.
