Scopebi

Paradoxically, going ‘paperless’ in the modern office does not mean doing away with the traditional printer copier machine entirely.

The ‘paperless’ concept can be viewed as an overarching goal; a principal objective that can be achieved in isolated parts across any productivity chain. However, the new concept is now shaping as ‘paperlite’ because paperless is impractical to many situations.

To be philosophical, think of it like this: people are encouraged to strive for perfection, but can anyone or anything actually, truly be perfect?

Striving for a paperless office can be seen in a similar vein.

In business, owners and managers can guide employees towards questioning their need to print in each isolated circumstance – can a document b shared and stored in digital form without the actual NEED to make a physical copy?

This is the key point in the argument – in encouraging cultural change to decide which documents NEED to be printed.

 

Arguments for paperless

 

Arguments against printing are well known.

Cloud-based document management negates entirely the need for physical document files as a safeguard against hard drive failure, accidental erasure or even damage and theft.

Costs to the environment aside, there are very real costs for day-to-day business with excessive printer usage that can run into thousands of dollars each year. But there are many circumstances – and professions – where document printing is necessary.

 

Arguments against paperless

 

In legal and medical professions, for example, where documents need to be quickly shared, annotated and cross-referenced digital devices cannot match pen and paper on their own terms, and in such events as power or IT outages, malfunction and file corruptions, any delays can have serious consequences.

Similarly in many other aspects of business, the ability to process and understand large documents, make notes and cross reference with other documents or publications efficiencies in having physical, tactile copies far outstrip any digital approximations.

Any sensitive documentation that has to be read and signed needs to be printed in most cases.

And in lines of business where routine presentations and proposals to clients and customers are the norm, it is customary to provide physical full colour copies as not only encouragement to read and consider but as a sign of respect; a sign that their time and money is actually worth the cost of printing.

Balance is the answer

 

As with any measured argument balance is key to achieving desired outcomes and the credibility to shift opinion.

When it comes to printing, reducing its usage to only wherever it is absolutely necessary in terms of both productivity and practicality is the goal in an increasingly digital world.

As a general rule, if a document is only intended to be read once, it should not be sent to print – think memos, invoices, agendas, statements – these types of documents usually require a single read through before action.

Managed print options present simplified solutions for business owners and managers to reduce their printing resource usage to a bare minimum.

With a managed print solution, not only is capital expenditure reduced but consumables are monitored and optimized to ensure any wastage or over spending is eliminated.

 

Scope for paperless improvement

 

As an imaging industry innovator, Scope Business Imaging has recently introduced an online 24/7 self configurator colour copier/printer service with a ‘No Lock in contract’ to cater for the most in demand requirements as swiftly and cost efficiently as possible.

This unique service offers a range of solutions tailored to suit any budget and printing volume, delivered and installed in just a matter of a few short days with full colour capabilities, network printing, scanning and copying of all paper sizes up to A3.

With very low initial set-up costs, this model means that each business only pays for the actual consumable resources they use alongside a base monthly equipment rental.

In this way waste is mitigated and over expenditure on printing is eliminated to create the most cost-efficient service available for many businesses in the market.

And with back-to-base monitoring of all print activity, we can assist each and every client to change the ways they use their printer for the better.

 

"With a managed print solution, not only is capital expenditure reduced but consumables are monitored and optimised to ensure any wastage or over spending is eliminated."