I recently went on vacation with my family to Atlanta to see the Atlanta Braves play several games. Instead of each person individually buying their own tickets for every matchup, we decided to all just pick one game, then cover the cost for the rest of those attending. It would be an even bill across the board and much simpler.
So, we each logged into Ticketmaster, selected the seats, purchased them electronically and then received the confirmation email. On gameday, we opened the Ticketmaster app through our iPhones, transferred the other family members tickets to their phones, and then added our tickets to our iPhone Wallet App for convenient access. At the gate, we popped open the e-tickets – which were quickly scanned – and we were off to see our Braves in action.
So why do I mention my sporting event experience? Because modern ticketing is a great example of digital transformation and workflow integration.
While this instance was on the personal level, it parallels the way businesses strategically marry software applications and devices to produce collaboration, as well as precise communication, among team members.
Today we have thousands of applications at the tips of our fingers. Not only can we quickly access them to accomplish a task, we can also sync these applications with other applications to create a more efficient, streamlined workflow.
In a modern office, customers are no longer merely using their copiers or multi-function printers (MFPs) to copy, print, scan and fax. Users now are accessing custom and sophisticated workflows that allow them to accomplish more by doing less.
The best way to better understand workflow integration in your office equipment is to think about how you currently scan documents. When you walk up to the device, do you simply press go and scan documents to a folder or your email? If so, what happens next? Do you access it and rename it? Once you get back to your desk, do the documents get added to a cloud storage account like Google Docs or OneDrive? Answering these questions and diagramming the full journey of your scanning process will help you see your general workflow.
While this gives you a good start, documents seldom get handled the same way. In fact, they often pass through multiple hands, screens and departments within an organization. It is important to take into account all of the various checkpoints your documents go through. Knowing where your documents originate and where they need to end up will help you set the course for your software integration strategy.
Key Factors in Developing a Software Integration Strategy
Customization and security are key to the development of a successful software integration strategy. Start by examining how you access the devices within your workplace. You may already have an HID or proximity card to get you into your building or office. These cards also can be used with most MFPs to grant custom access to workflows. IT staff can even set specific permissions. If you don’t have this kind of technology in place, you can always revert to a pin code system, which often is standard protocol for MFPs.
Once logged in on a device, you will want to have access to your cloud accounts and other pertinent software platforms used on a daily basis. Much like the apps on the home screen of your phone or tablet, you automatically will be “signed in” upon accessing the device. Say you need to scan a proposal so your project team can review and make changes before it goes out to the prospect. You could click on the Google Drive integration on the MFP panel and save the document in a shared folder for the team to access.
Another common request we see from clients is the ability to browse subfolders, which is possible through cloud and network integrations. This ability allows you to name your file, save it in a subfolder, and email it to necessary recipients all in the same pass. Just think about how much time you can save if you rid those redundant scenarios from your current workflow! Imagine the freed-up hours over the course of the week.
When it comes down to it, there are nearly no limits on how you can integrate your MFPs with your work environment. It just comes down to understanding the workflows within your organization and prioritizing efficiency and security over fears of change. Though, it also helps if you have a technology partner that cares about helping you achieve those goals instead of just selling you a hefty piece of equipment.
At Copiers Plus, we have helped many clients step into the modern age through innovative integrations, providing them with benefits that far outweigh their investment. We would love to help do the same for you!
In virtually every workplace, printing remains a vital function of how business gets done. While advancements in technology have moved some paper-intensive workflows toward a more digitized process, printing in a modern office still warrants a plan.
Print management offers organizations a strategy on how to address their printing needs in a focused, efficient manner. This includes consideration of print volume, hardware, maintenance, consumables, security protocols, color usage, and how all these aspects tie in financially.
So, if you don’t implement a print management plan, what other routes are available to your business? There are a few options, but each has its downfalls.
Store Bought Devices
By utilizing store-bought devices, organizations take on the full responsibility of the investment life cycle. This begins with the purchase of the new device from a store or online retailer, going well past the set up and into daily maintenance. This task is usually turned over to the IT department. If the store-bought printers are ink based, the yields per cartridge will be lower than toner-based models. This will result in the need to change them out every few hundred prints – even more often when dealing with color copies. Additionally, organizations often replace store bought printers if mechanical issues occur. The general instinct is not to repair, but to buy new altogether. This itself may lead to communication chaos. Through a constantly changing print fleet comes a variety of issues: Multiple print drivers to manage, unused supplies, hardware replacement costs and over-utilization of devices.
Commercial Printers
The use of commercial printers comes with a hefty price tag,but does afford you the convenience of not having to manage or purchase any hardware for your organization. Still, relying on commercial printing for your documents can raise problems if turnaround is urgent. Commercial printers or “print shops, have to be notified of a job, process the order, complete it and either deliver it or have it picked up. This process can take several hours or potentially days, based on the job size and scope.
Print Management Explored
Taking a deeper dive into print management reveals ways to make it work for your situation. There are several factors to keep in mind when considering your approach.
Customization is Key
The key to an effective print management plan is customization. Office communication and protocols are different for every organization, so it only makes sense to tailor to those unique qualities and requirements. For instance, the demands presented by a medical office workflow will be much different than that of a large church workflow. Each has their need for efficient office technology and should be conscious of their budgets as well as output quality. However, their demand for security and instant access probably differs.
Understanding Your Printing Costs
For any print management plan to prove successful, you must first understand the workplace’s printing infrastructure, usage habits and costs. A big part of this is done through an analysis that shows the total cost of ownership (TCO) for the existing fleet. The TCO takes into account the direct and indirect costs that exist in the organization. This includes maintenance, consumables, supplies, and device utilization. Breaking down the cost of each device gives you a true look at what you are spending and the volume demands that currently exist among the end users. A key component in determining the TCO is an on-site walkthrough that investigates the usage of each device and the end users’ workflows. This is documented and compared to data collected during a second walkthrough several weeks later. The span of time between walkthroughs is designed to give a snapshot and provide a solid sample size from which to base projections. As this step is, it will not tell the whole story. End users should always review the findings and see if there are trends that may be seasonal or uncommon. These additional observations should be noted and adjusted for the TCO report.
Establishing a Plan
Now that a TCO has been established and the anomalies have been pointed out, it is time to receive recommendations for how to best execute a print management plan. The plan can consist of a combination of office technologies, such as printers, scanners, copiers or any other devices that help control and execute printing strategies.
One thing to look at is the utilization of the devices with the volumes being printed. Included in these volumes are both black and white (B/W) prints and color prints. Crucial to the plan is deciding organizationally whom shall receive color printing access. Identifying this will allow you to create a plan with financial safeguards and ensure users can effectively execute their responsibilities.
Organization: 20 employees and has a 50 page per minute color copier in office workroom. Want to cut costly printing expenses while not interfering with mission critical processes.
Marketing Manager Sarah: Prints about 2,000 pages per month on printer in her office. Each month she prints 500 color flyers to be sent to customers. The 1500 black and white pages are mostly printed in 3-5-page increments throughout each day.
Recommendation: Sarah would receive a B/W toner-based printer above 25 pages per minute and would be instructed to send her monthly color flyers job to the shared color copier. Her previous printer would be removed.
CFO Tom: Prints about 1000 pages per month on printer in his office. For his weekly leadership meetings, he prints out spreadsheets in color detailing confidential financial information for the organization. Most of his other prints are B/W and he constantly has to scan signed documents throughout the day.
Recommendation: Tom will receive a toner-based multi-function printer (MFP) above 25 pages per minute and would be instructed to print to his MFP unless he needed to print a large job that did not reveal any confidential information, then he was instructed to send it to the shared copier. His ink jet printer would be removed.
Sales Person Jimmy: Prints about 100 pages per month on printer in his office. Most of his prints are proposals for customers though they are not considered confidential. He is only in the office a few hours a week to get paperwork in order.
Recommendation: Jimmy will be instructed to print to the shared color copier and his color ink jet printer will be removed.
As you can see in the above examples, details on each employee’s role and their related job functions were important factors. This info helped us determine how these employees should print their pages and what devices should be installed to help lower operational costs. The reduction of ink jet printers from all three offices allowed the organizations to move toward higher yield, toner-based printers. At the same time, they put a policy in place to leverage their copiers lower cost per page. In the example of Tom, he was constantly scanning documents throughout the day and needed more functionality. By placing an MFP right at his desk, it would greatly reduce the amount of time spent sending documents. It also ensures confidentially, as only Tom can access the documents printed in his office. The time freed up for this key employee is a value to the company greater than the dollars saved having him use the shared copier several times a day.
Executing the Plan
Without proper execution, a plan is merely a concept. Once the recommendations have been approved for placement, it is important to discuss a timetable for delivery and installation. The necessary time needed to implement the plan depends on the number of employees, number of offices, and each location’s office hours. It is also important to discuss with your IT staff all details regarding your network and connectivity to the devices. This will help ensure they can assist with technical issues that may arise, such as permissions passwords and IP addresses. Once the devices are installed, it is important to communicate to employees your expectations of how they should follow printing procedures.
Monitor Continuously
Now that you have a solid print management plan in place, it is vital that you continue to readdress your needs at least every six months. You’ll also want to do this as you hire new employees or downsize. Anticipate some modifications to the plan as your organization evolves and employee printing habits change. The key is to monitor regularly!
Put the PLUS to Work for You
At Copiers Plus, our Managed Print Services program is based entirely on your organization’s needs and allows your team to focus on what they do best; their jobs. Let us handle your print and communication demands, bringing valuable time and money back to your workforce and bottom line!
In nearly every workplace, printing remains a crucial productivity tool, as well as a significant expense. So whether your employees rely primarily on mobile printing solutions that they access from the field, or your paper-intensive office is moving toward a more digitized process, printing in the modern office still warrants a plan.
With the ultimate goal of identifying the best value, Print Management provides organizations a strategy for achieving their printing needs, based upon industry standards and analysis. At Copiers Plus, our specialists assess print volume, hardware, maintenance, consumables, security protocols, and color usage before making a recommendation to clients.
In offices nationwide, we’ve seen a strong trend away from desktop devices to a consolidated, managed print environment. Even so, offices large and small still rely on ink-based multi-purpose (all-in-one) desktop printers that include scanning and fax options. At first glance, these might seem like a bargain. Yet, even when usage and volume is moderate, ink cartridges can be prohibitively expensive. Consider the ink cartridges market was valued at 10900 Million US$ in 2018.
Typically, it falls to the IT department to research and purchase devices from a store or online retailer. Aside from set-up and daily maintenance, they’ll also be charged with calculating the Cost per page (CPP) based on the ink cartridges your office purchases.
This job can be time-consuming and thankless. Remember: different printers use different cartridges, and different cartridges offer varying page yields. Many people buy a printer based on the upfront cost of owning one without considering the cost of consumables.
Fortunately, industry regulations do provide some guidelines. The page yield of a cartridge is based upon the ISO standard for measuring ink cartridge yields by printing out pages with 5% page coverage* until the cartridge runs empty.
On the flipside, to get a true page yield and not just an estimate, you (or your IT professional) will need to take into account the following variables:
Remanufactured Cartridges are one alternative to brand name ink cartridges; industry experts claim some can save customers upwards of 70%. But, Buyer Beware: make sure the distributor you buy from adheres to industry standards by testing their products.
If this sounds like a lot to keep track of, that’s because it is. What’s more, because desktop printers are so inexpensive, many consumers replace them when they break rather than repair them. Then, you’ll need to start all over again!
Want to stop the vicious cycle of managing your printers? Put Copiers Plus and their Managed Print Services program to work for you!
At Copiers Plus, we work closely with organizations to make sure they have the right office technology to securely and efficiently transfer their data. Using our custom Discovery Process as a guide, our development team builds out entire network systems designed for optimal workflow management. A key aspect of keeping everything running smoothly is proper interpersonal communications.
Getting information from one place to the next in a proficient, dependable and cost-effective way is critical to any business. However, there’s another component of team success that is often overlooked as offices become more automated: Meaningful, “one-on-one” communications.
Since 2000, when the Gallup Organization began measuring and reporting on workplace engagement in the U.S., their studies have consistently shown less than one-third of Americans are engaged in their jobs in any given year. The antidote to this dismal picture isn’t all about flextime and perks. In fact, Gallup data proves consistent communication – whether it’s conducted in person, over the phone, or electronically – yields significantly higher engagement.
For example, employees whose managers hold regular meetings with them are almost three times as likely to be engaged as employees whose managers don’t. Even as companies increasingly rely on mobile messaging, e-mail, and enterprise social networking platforms such as Slack, Yammer, and NewsGator to engage employees and improve transparency, there’s still no substitute for in-person interaction.
We communicate via facial expression, body language, and spoken language. Face-to-face meetings provide managers the opportunity to incorporate all three modes. Savvy managers know when it’s best to use electronic communications, when to pick up the phone, or when to schedule an in-person meeting. Knowing each employee’s individual communication style is a valuable commodity worth investing in.
Avoid Mumbling – Don’t be “Close Talker!”
Whether communicating with employees in a group or one-on-one, speak clearly and at an even pace. If you mumble your words or speak too quickly, misunderstandings are inevitable.
Keep it Simple
Avoid ambiguous words and phrasing; you’ll be less likely to be misunderstood and/or waste time explaining yourself.
Listen
Communication is intended to be a two-way dynamic. Encouraging team members to take part in the discussion will help to guide you in future communications with them.
Say “Thank you!”
After every communication session, via any means, always remember to thank your listeners for their time. This simple courtesy costs you nothing but will buy you a ton of good will.
Remember those “good old days” at the office when the worst thing you had to worry about was breaking up a water cooler gossip-fest? Today’s managers are charged with the Herculean task of warding off cyber threats that seemingly morph and multiply faster than box office superheroes. Securing your office communications can quickly become a daunting task.
And while state-of-the-art office technology like Multi-Function Printers (MFPs) streamlines printing, copying, and scanning functions, a smooth interface to programs such as Dropbox, Google Drive and SharePoint, also makes them vulnerable to data storage and connectivity breaches.
For instance, hackers deploy Ransomware to infiltrate office communications through the commonly used protocol, SMB (Server Message Block). Your scanner uses this protocol whenever the standard scan-to-folder function is activated, you select an email address, and hit SEND.
Short of pulling out that old Rolodex or resorting to stone tablets and chisels, managers will need to stay diligent as office communications grow ever more sophisticated.
So what’s the work-around? In this case, the solution is as simple as making your employees aware of the threat and seeking out equipment that meets updated standards. Applications like AccuSender by Biscom eliminate the necessity of a fax modem (and phone line) from the device entirely. But if you’re still overwhelmed, you’re not alone.
Don’t Call Out Sick, Call Copiers Plus
With 30 years of industry experience, Copiers Plus recommends the new Kyocera MFP Series. Overwriting and encryption features are standard across the product line through a data security kit. These processes run automatically so there’s no need for special programming or extra training.
Let’s Drill Down:
With the Copiers Plus Proprietary Discovery Process, your organization’s managed print, document management, and networking systems will be efficient and secure. Five Important Steps:
Risk Review: The Copiers Plus team assesses network and systems compliance with your specific industry standards and catalogues any vulnerabilities.
Efficiency Assessment: We analyze your organization’s workflow and communications pipeline to flag inefficiencies and weaknesses.
The Big Reveal: We present a customized plan for improvement along with recommendations for the equipment to get you there.
Solutions Implementation: We execute installations, build-outs, and training.
Monitor & Review: We conduct regular remote monitoring and onsite reviews to ensure all systems are compliant and performing optimally.
If your next office communications involves anything other than carrier pigeon, check in with us again soon.
We live in a highly connected society where information is available at the click of a button. With this accessibility comes vulnerability. Securing your data should be paramount in your business strategies to safeguard the future of your organization. Preparing now could be the difference in paying dearly later as the average total cost of a data breach according to IBM is $3.86 million. In this blog we will walk you through the benchmark practices organizations can take to ensure their office technology securely handles their data.
Every industry has its own standards and regulations for securing systems and equipment. Within healthcare for instance, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA), compliance is the overarching standard while accounting and legal firms both have to adhere to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. However, there are a few areas organizations of all types should consider when analyzing their communications infrastructure: data security.
Integrated hardware technology
The type of equipment you use in your office will make an impact on how effective and secure your data handling processes are. Multi-Function Printers (MFPs) are valuable because they allow you to complete functions such as printing, copying, scanning and faxing from the same device. Most MFPs will also allow for applications and connectors to be added to their interface for seamless integration with programs often utilized in offices, such as Dropbox, Google Drive and Sharepoint to name a few. Though with these abilities come the necessity for storage and connectivity and the liabilities they can bring.
Stored data can come in forms of scans, print jobs or other data users may save to their device. Data of this variety is often located on the hard disk of the device or in FAX memory where it is accessed to complete the designated job. It is important to have procedures in place for encrypting and overwriting this stored data. With new Kyocera MFP models provided by Copiers Plus, overwriting and encryption are provided standard (optional on older models) through a data security kit and are automatically performed without need of special procedures.
We offer two options of overwriting if a hard disk is present, one is a once overwrite method and the other is a 3-time overwrite (DoD) method. With the once overwrite method, unneeded data is overwritten unless it is in the scenario of system initialization, in which case all areas are overwritten with zeroes to ensure data restoration is not easily accessible.
The 3-time overwrite (DoD) method differs from the once overwrite method in that it complies with the US Department of Defense (DoD) standard. The 3-time overwrite method overwrites areas where data is on the hard disk and fax memory through specific characters, their complements and random characters. Through this more intensive option, data restoration efforts are thwarted even when using high-level deciphering techniques.
Unlike overwriting, encryption deals with the data before it gets stored on a hard disk. Since data is stored on the hard disk, it is possible for it to be leaked or tampered with in the case of the hard disk being stolen unless it is encrypted. Encryption takes plaintext and uses an algorithm and key to create ciphertext. Ciphertext is only viewable in full form if it is decrypted with the corresponding key which is communicated securely to the end destination of the data. Our MFPs utilize AES 256-bit encryption (Advanced Encryption Standard: FIPS PUB 197) to uphold strict adherence to government protocols.
Scanning
One of the major vulnerabilities for companies in regard to scanning documents is the lack of an audit trail of what documents are scanned, when and by whom. Implementing procedures for your employees to use a specialized code or proximity card to access your MFP is a great first step to combating threats to your document and data security. We often times are able to utilize the same HID or Proximity cards organizations use to access their buildings to grant access and permissions on their MFPs.
We advise avoiding SMB Protocol (Server Message Block) when configuring your organizations scan to folder functions. This method has been prone to ransomware attacks and Microsoft even recommended users to disable version one of the SMB Protocol. A more secure alternative to SMB Protocol are peer-to-peer applications that rely on an encrypted channel between the MFP and the PC/MAC destination in order to deliver scans.
One of the most secure techniques of sending documents digitally is through secure file transfer. We work with Biscom to provide this solution that is FIPS 140-2 certified and offers AES 256 encryption for data during delivery and at rest. The process is started by the user sending a document through SSL (Secure Socket Layer) and then the processing takes place where files are uploaded, scanned for viruses, encrypted and an email notification is sent. The file is then received through an SSL by the recipient and an email notification is sent to the send with confirmation. This mode not only offers a higher level of security, it also allows for unlimited file sizes when sending, although the sizes allowed can be managed through administrator settings.
Faxing
Often times organizations will use an analog phone line to conduct their faxing practices. Through this approach, these organizations are at risk of having their phone lines being compromised which could lead to a hacker illegally accessing their network. Kyocera devices are not susceptible to this kind of attack as outlined in this whitepaper produced by Kyocera Document Solutions. Another area of concern is the ability for any user within an organization to walk up to a device without any credentials or permissions and fax out information to any number. Organizations should safeguard their documents and enhance compliancy by having users authenticate at each device and consider limiting the fax numbers permitted to receive faxes.
Printing
How users print in an organization is often determined by officers in the company in regards to cost. While managing the cost of printing within your workplace is important and achievable, organizations need to understand the vulnerabilities of what is printed and how those print jobs are accessed. There are countless examples of employees printing documents to a shared MFP and other users picking it up by mistake. This scenario is harmless enough unless that document accidentally picked up contains sensitive material and could jeopardize organizational operations and compliance. With pull-printing, a user will send a print job to an MFP or printer on their network, then upon walking up to the device, the user will authenticate themselves through a code or proximity card that will release the print job. By utilizing pull-printing, an organization can ensure that documents don’t sit unaccounted for and gain an audit trail for all printed documents within the workplace.
Make a plan for data security
While there are many ways organizations can protect themselves from data mismanagement and attacks, the best remedy to data vulnerability is having a plan. If you would like to tighten your data and document security for your organization, we would love to assist you. Our team follows a five-step plan that begins with a risk evaluation followed by laying out what a path to increased security, efficiency and financial flexibility can look like.
To learn more and schedule your complimentary assessment, please reach out to us at 800-648-7081 or via the button below!
