Multifunction printers are becoming extremely popular alternatives to traditional single function printing options. While many businesses feel that stand alone printers and centralised single function copiers are the way to go, many businesses are discovering the benefits offered with multifunction printing. Multifunction printers are best utilised as a supplemental device to your current office printers and copiers. This means that you aren’t stuck buying all new equipment when you want to upgrade the performance and productivity of your office.

The benefits of multifunction include:

· Save on Supply Costs: When purchasing supplies for a multifunction printer, you are spending significantly less than supplying separate printers, copiers and fax machines. You better utilise the supplies you have and can complete multiple functions without the need to ensure all devices have the proper supplies.

Improving our environment is one of the primary goals in business today. Changing the way that we handle a few everyday processes within our own offices will make a significant difference on our impact on the environment as a society. Document scanning is one of the many ways that we can improve our environmental impact and truly begin to make a difference.

There are a few ways that you can implement document scanning into your business, including:

· Scanners: Desktop scanners are one way to begin scanning documents in your business. These devices allow you to scan each printed document you currently have and create digital versions, meaning that physical storage is reduced.

By Jamie Bsales, Senior Product Editor, Solutions, February 1, 2012

While there was no shortage of new and improved hardware on display at the Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A. 2012 Business Conference & Expo reseller event held earlier this month in Las Vegas, it was solutions offerings that took center stage. Literally. Occupying the middle of the expansive tradeshow floor set up in one of the Bellagio’s ballrooms was a circular display divided into four areas, each designed to resemble a real-world locale—medical center, law office, classroom and library—addressed by various Konica Minolta and third-party partner offerings.

The tradeshow, general session and individual breakout sessions also highlighted software and services aimed at vertical markets and general business customers alike. Chief among the offerings: EnvisionIT-branded solutions for key vertical markets, managed IT services opportunities through Konica Minolta’s All Covered subsidiary, and an expanded managed print services portfolio in the form of an enterprise-class Konica Minolta Optimized Print Services (OPS) platform.

While both print and document management services can lead to savings within your office, combining the two services will maximise savings, waste reduction and productivity. These simple steps can lead to many new productivity-enhancing methods within your business as well. Simply enhancing the productivity of your employees will increase the quality of work and the quantity of work that is completed, meaning that you have higher savings that are not reflected directly by your annual budget.

Print Management

Your print management program is the key to reducing waste and saving from your annual printing budget. While many companies spend upwards of 3% of their annual budget on printing, your business does not have to be caught in the trap of unnecessary printing. From your print audit to the implementation of your print reduction plan, your office will be able to optimise the way that you approach printing.

The print management process allows businesses to reduce printing, on average, by up to 1/3 from their current printing budget. In many cases, businesses could be spending up to 3% of their total annual budget on printing alone. The first step in the print management process is conducting a print audit within your business.

Your print audit is one of the most important steps in the entire process of print management, as it will outline the ways that your business prints and help create the blueprint of how to best move forward.

The primary information your print audit will be able to identify includes:

· Where Printing Takes Places: Discover who is printing and what is being printed. This helps you identify over printing within your office.

In many companies today collaboration on projects is vital. With the ever-changing nature of business, many companies have offices and employees scattered across the country and even the globe. With employees spending more time away from the office than ever, it is extremely important that you have a way for employees to collaborate on projects even when they are away.

Document management systems give your employees the ability to collaborate easier than ever before. Digital documents are easily shared and edited, and give your employees the chance to get the most out of every project.

Title – Save More than Ever Before with Print Management

Gaining control of your office printing habits may seem like an unachievable goal, especially for larger businesses with many employees. While office printing is necessary in the world today, there are many ways that you can take management of your print environment to the next level and truly begin saving!

Did you know that the average office spends upwards of 3% of their annual budget on printing alone? With Print Management programs in place, this number can be cut by up to 1/3, simply by making a few changes in the ways that your office approaches printing.

Here are some of our favourite tips when it comes to cutting down on office printing:

· Change Settings: Many office printers come with duplex printing settings. Changing to duplex printing can give you a significant boost to cut back your office printing, saving you up to 40% on paper expenditure.

There are many great advantages to working from home, from the ability to be completely flexible to saving money in commutes. One thing however that it does often require is a home office and a space where you can separate the two parts of your life. It is true that being at home gives you the ability to work at your own leisure, but if you don’t do it right then it is easy for it to also take over your life. There is something to be said about leaving the jobsite and coming home. To maintain this separation you need to have a special space set aside that can serve this purpose.

When it comes time to set up your home office ideally you need a separate room, one that is not typically occupied. If you have a guest bedroom you can double the space by adding wood bunk beds. Before getting started on creating your own personal space, you must first make a list of the main most important office products that you need. This is important and does not include just the standard fax machine, computer, desk. You need to consider what it is that you are doing and in turn what that job will require. For example, if you are a graphic designer then a desk is good, but you will also need some additional space for your artwork as well. If you are a consultant, the desk is sufficient as far as actual work space, but you may also need several locking file cabinets, and possibly an area sufficient for clients to go over items with you.

By Lisa Reider, Senior Product Editor, Scanners and Environmental

As financial pundits and industry analysts wave their fingers, shouting “I told you so!” at the news of Kodak filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, a conversation with the people this announcement affects the most reveals that it is not all doom and gloom. In a recent conversation with Sue Cardot, Kodak’s worldwide director for BSSG Outbound Marketing and Communications, and Jackie Horn, Kodak’s worldwide marketing manager for Document Imaging, they seemed confident that their day-to-day operations wouldn’t be significantly impacted, and that the BLI award-winning Kodak-branded line of scanners, software and services would live on and continue to expand.

According to Kodak, its Document Imaging business, now part of the “Enterprise Services and Solutions” portion of the company’s newly formed commercial division, is one of the strongest areas for the company in terms of continued product growth, with a 15- to 20% increase in 2011 (compared to 2010). “Digital and Functional Printing” (its commercial printing operations) and “Graphics and Entertainment and Commercial Film” (commercial consumables), which also fall under the commercial division, remain a significant part of Kodak’s strategy.

There has been a significant amount of buzz in the industry surrounding Print Management programs and the many benefits that they offer a business. While it is easy to see that Print Management can significantly reduce the amount of in office printing that takes place within an organization, there are many other benefits directly associated with implementing Print Management programs into businesses from any industry.

Print Management programs can cut your printing budget by up to a third, giving you back a significant portion of your annual budget that was otherwise wasted on unnecessary printing. Here are some of the other benefits of Print Management:

· Streamline Supply Ordering: Aside from reducing printing, Print Management programs allow you to automate and streamline the supply ordering process, meaning you only order exactly what you need, when you need it.