Getting results by managing output

New office equipment provides the customer with better ways to monitor users and their activities on printers, copiers and faxes.

This is not just a policing function. If users run the software available for this - often provided with the equipment - for a few months, they can get a typical idea of the output volumes in an organisation. This is a critical first step towards designing an output strategy that suits the needs of the business and can deliver real results in terms of improved efficiency, optimisation and cost savings. This goes well beyond the typical concerns about unauthorised usage.

Like anything else, planning ahead is a first step. Companies can only do this planning when they have an idea of the average usage for all output devices. They can then decide where to make savings by implementing policies to reduce inefficient use of resources.

The most effective strategy to monitor print volumes is from the desktop - not the equipment used for output. Individual PCs and users are identified in a variety of ways in the log files. Users can use the MAC address or network name of the machine, which is unique, or they can integrate it with Active Directory and show individual users through their logons.

We already have the technical ability to achieve auditing of users and the documents they work with in fine detail but, the obstacle to getting a full-featured version of this into the market is that these applications are built by third-party vendors and have to be compliant with a vast range of different manufacturers' products. It is still a common situation that one company may have a variety of office equipment from different manufacturers. The management software must be able to connect to a variety of different copiers, MFPs and printers.

What will also be available soon is the monitoring of toner coverage. Printing 100 text documents has a far different toner usage compared to printing 100 pictures.

The focus is on costs and efficiency. While it may be useful to see how many print jobs are being done, it is better still to have that displayed in terms of cost. The example above, comparing text or picture printing, is a case where quantities might be the same but costs would be very different.

Real cost savings are the result of planning the efficient use of equipment so users can get their work done without wasting time, paper, electricity, toner and other resources. This can be a significant amount. Gartner estimates between 1% and 3% of a company's turnover gets spent on output costs - so we can be talking big numbers.

Gartner estimates between 1% and 3% of a company's turnover gets spent on output costs - so we can be talking big numbers.

Michael Powell is product marketing manager at Kyocera Mita South Africa.

Once a company has an accurate picture of what the usage needs are, it can also make further decisions about rationalising equipment. It might save a lot to have one large device instead of many small ones.

After that, companies can fine-tune the policies that apply to the actual users. The fact that users know there is an output management solution in place helps greatly towards raising awareness, and ultimately meeting the goal of more efficient usage and the savings that follow on that.

Another important part of the output strategy planning is to make sure printers are only available for the people that need them - not just anyone who happens to be on the premises. If an audit is done in the larger enterprises or public sector organisations, it's often a surprise to see how often machines are being used for personal, rather than business, purposes - and not always by admin staff.

Having a print policy in place is essential - and it's important that the staff know what this policy is. A lot of misuse of equipment is not really malicious. It's just the result of staff not being made aware of what the limitations are.

A well-designed output strategy works from two directions. There must be a very thorough understanding of what workers and the business need to achieve to get things done with optimum productivity. There must also be a full understanding by the workers of what the policies are and why they are put in place.

In the end, it is a matter of a balance between controls and productivity. If the policy is too strict, it will reduce the efficiency of the workers. If the policy is too lenient, there will be abuse of the system.

This is a fine balance, which can only be achieved once there is a realistic analysis of what the business needs are and what the typical usage scenarios are that support those needs.

* Michael Powell is product marketing manager at Kyocera Mita South Africa.