Organizations often fail to make the most out of their printer/copier agreements because they lack the kind of complete and non-bias information needed to make a good decision. The adage “if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it” holds true; but many organizations rely on their printer vendors and copier suppliers to provide important usage and performance data about their printer and copier fleet. This approach can fall short, ultimately preventing you from making the best decisions regarding your machines and your lease agreements. Without an independent, non-bias evaluation of the environment it’s likely that you are spending more money than you need to.

Don’t wait until your contracts are about to expire. This can lead you make hasty, and costly, decisions. Don’t just renew your contract and hope for the best. You need to gather good data to make good decisions, and here are a few points to consider.

1. Compile and regularly update a complete asset list including:
   1. Make & Model
   2. Serial Number
   3. Location
   4. IP Address
   5. Volume
   6. Acquisition Dates
   7. Contract Information
   8. Suppliers
   9. Important dates (expirations, renewals, etc.)
   10. Costs
   11. Performance
   12. Utilization
2. Calculate your current per page cost for each device
   1. Hardware
   2. Maintenance and Support
   3. Consumables
3. Map your operational processes used to assess, acquire and manage devices.
   1. Discover and document current strategic goals for your device fleet.
   2. Understand how your organization uses different types of documents.
   3. Consider how your current fleet adds/supports/detracts from operational efficiencies.

Focusing attention on these areas can help you make the best decisions to maximize your printer and copier fleet. How can you save even more money and get more benefit? These areas are covered in more detail in our free white paper “Optimizing Your Printer/Copier Fleet - Five First Steps to a Document Strategy.” Build a cost-saving strategy and make the most of your fleet. Visit http://www.optimizon.com/resources/whitepaper01.asp

Companies often fail to make the most out of their printer/copier agreements simply because of a lack of attention to the environment. The fact is that most organizations have not effectively grappled with printing and copying. Many struggle to understand how many printers reside on their network, how many pages are printed each month, or the cost of each sheet of paper that passes through the fleet. And most organizations have loosely organized methodologies for acquiring and managing the devices; fleets are fragmented, segmented, and non-integrated in placement philosophy.

As a result, there are tremendous opportunities to save money without investing in any new equipment. Analysts calculate that that most firms can reduce expenditures by as much as 30% through a more thoughtful attention the environment. In addition, capital expenditures can be cut, consumable costs can come down.

But how do you take advantage of these savings if you don’t know they exist? Consider these three areas to focus your attention.

• Device Deployment - A sub-optimized device deployment causes utilization to be off and that can drive cost creep and over-spend. Be sure to understand how devices are deployed and used across your fleet.
  
• Lease/Contract Reassessment - Hidden fees and unmonitored device utilization can cost you more than you anticipated. Be sure to periodically reassess your contracts and continually monitor utilization levels to ensure you get the most from your agreements.
  
• Workflow Optimization - Controlling costs depends on controlling the workflow. It is important to understand the decisions and habits of end users, and to educate them regarding the costs associated with printers and copiers.

Focusing attention on these areas can help you save money with your printer and copier fleet. For a more detailed roadmap toward savings download our white paper “Optimizing Your Printer/Copier Fleet - Five First Steps to a Document Strategy.” It’s free of charge, and valuable resource to help you make the most of your fleet. Visit http://www.optimizon.com/resources/whitepaper01.asp