Workflow

Maintaining Efficient Workflows in your Office

If you are a business owner, or are currently managing a business, then you know the importance of maintaining an efficient office. Not only is a business more productive this way, you are also setting yourself up for success in the long run. Many times, business owners forget about the amount of money lost to inefficiency and unproductive work days or weeks.

When we talk in terms of workflow, we mean the specific processes that need to be followed in order to complete a specific task. Examples of this can be adding new leads to a list of sales calls, implementing a process that happens on a monthly basis, or can be something as simple as passing out a company-wide memo. Whatever the case may be, eliminating the inefficiencies in these workflows will make them flow smoother and cut costs in the long run.

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Constructing Efficient Workflows in Your Office

We hear and read about workflow all the time. This is made especially apparent when you’re working in an industry that demands that workflow be efficient and orchestrated properly. Workflow is important because it is the flow of data and communications through your business. As an employer or employee, your aim should be to have the workflow of your company under control and as efficient as possible. By utilizing the proper channels, your business is setting itself up for success.

What are some things that can be done to make sure workflow in your business is set up properly? Since many workflow systems are arbitrarily designed or thrown together, it is worth your time to go through and double check your systems for flaws or potential improvements. We have listed some steps you can take to ensure that workflows in your office are set up properly.

A Paperless Office is Still Popular

If you keep up to date with printing industry news and copier industry trends, then you would know that turning the office of today into a paperless office is typically at the forefront of every list or article. Businesses are realizing that going paperless at the office has many advantages including being more environmentally friendly, saving money, and cutting costs. But to truly go paperless is easier said than done. This involves the entire integration of all communication devices and documents into an electronic format. It also means that printing becomes an archaic and extinct practice at your office; a feat that is hardly easy to do—even in today’s world.

So what are some steps that you can take as a company to move you closer to the goal of becoming a paperless office? We have provided you with some easy tips to follow that will eliminate some need for paper usage and printing and also some tips that will help you accomplish this.

Going Green Means Saving Money

Going green is a term that is being used quite a bit this day and age to describe a way of life for individuals and businesses that have become more conscious of the carbon footprint that we leave behind. As the science behind the movement becomes further solidified, more and more businesses are standing behind this trend not only to create a sustainable future, but also to cut costs in areas that were once overlooked. Business owners and employees will be surprised to learn that the techniques used to promote a green lifestyle also promote cutting costs and saving money.

In the past, creating a sustainable future was quite unheard of. Now that we have realized that our actions have a profound effect on future generations, we are becoming more careful than ever in how we conduct business and how we operate at the office. We have listed some easy ways that you can practice a green lifestyle at the office and cut costs while doing so.

Standardization Around the Office

Continuing our discussion on standardization in a previous article, when any organization increases the number of network devices its IT department is required to manage, management costs can increase. Some of the technology that an IT professional is already required to understand in most organizations include: desktop operating systems, network operating systems, authentication servers, email servers, web servers, telephone systems, document management systems, enterprise resource management systems, databases, copiers and printers. Some organizations will have even more.

Standardization can help to reduce the number of systems that an IT professional is required to learn and maintain. This can help to allow for greater efficiencies in maintaining information systems but can also provide for a greater level of security because your IT professionals and office staff will have a greater understanding of the systems you have in place.

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Standardization in The Workplace

In 1908, Henry Ford built the first Model T which sold for $825. By 1913, he introduced the moving assembly line which provided for a significant increase in efficiency and a decrease in the cost of production. By 1916, the cost of the Model T reduced to $360. The ability to allow costs to be low through standardization allowed for over 15 million Model Ts to be sold over nearly 20 years.

Standardization in an office can also provide significant cost savings and increase productivity. One of the easiest areas to provide standardization is in your printer and multi-function system fleet. There are three key ways that standardization can help your organization control costs and efficiency.

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Streamline Workflow with Print Management

With so many devices out there like printers, scanners, copiers, and fax machines, the office can become bogged down. This is especially true if the various equipment isn’t in proper working order, aren’t connected to the network or even because they take up too much space. In order to streamline the workflow of the office and its document usage, it is important to consider employing a print management system.

Print management can do wonders to streamline the workplace by saving time, energy and money. A print management service will start by assessing the current system of printers, scanners, multifunction and other machines. The current level of printing and those persons performing the print jobs will also be measured.

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Improve Customer Service with Enhanced Workflows

<p>When you automate the flow of information in your business you can garner a number of direct benefits, simply by enhancing workflows. Workflow is simply the transfer of information from one employee within your business to another through an automated system, usually in the form of documents or tasks. Because business operates at such a high speed in the world today, automating and optimizing your workflows will allow your employees to react to numerous situations, from new projects to customer service requests and beyond.<img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 10px 0px 10px 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Business Graph" border="0" alt="Business Graph" align="right" src="http://www.officeproductnews.net/files/iStock_000003056021Medium.jpg" width="112" height="90" /></p> <p>There are many specific benefits to optimizing workflows including:</p> <p>· <b>Increase Efficiency</b>: Automate the processes within your business to result in the elimination of excess steps from the process. This ensures that employees can focus on the most important task at hand. </p>

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The Importance of Workflow

<p>In business, workflow is the movement of documents from one person to another. This could be an invoice sent to a buyer, a payment to a supplier, or a letter to any number of recipients. These are all examples of external me<a name="_GoBack"></a>ans of communication within an industry. In addition to these, there is a great amount of internal movement of documents within an organization. The internal workflow process starts with the creation of a document, followed by updating, review, and finally approval. </p> <p><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 10px 10px 10px 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: left; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="iStock_000010849371XSmall" border="0" alt="iStock_000010849371XSmall" align="left" src="http://www.officeproductnews.net/files/iStock_000010849371XSmall.jpg" width="106" height="126" />To maintain a controlled flow of information within an organization can be a diffwicult task. It is vital that everyone gets the documents and information that was intended for them. Organizations utilize workflow software to help serve this purpose, and to ensure that their organization continues to run smoothly. </p> <p>Workflow can be summarized into three words: Capture, Management, and Distribution. Workflow software today utilizes document management systems and new technologies to take all the hard work and planning out of your workflow. Everything is stored digitally and distributed electronically. </p>

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WorkflowOne Selects EFI to Automate U.S. Operations and Build Foundation for Future Growth

<p>FOSTER CITY, Calif., April 5, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- <a href="http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/ctr?d=217899&amp;l=1&amp;a=EFI&amp...™ (Nasdaq:EFII), a world leader in customer-focused digital printing innovation, today announced that <a href="http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/ctr?d=217899&amp;l=1&amp;a=Workflo..., a leading provider of print management, marketing and distribution services, has selected <a href="http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/ctr?d=217899&amp;a=EFI&amp;u=http%... href="http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/ctr?d=217899&amp;l=1&amp;a=Monarch... Monarch</a> and <a href="http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/ctr?d=217899&amp;a=EFI&amp;u=http%... href="http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/ctr?d=217899&amp;l=1&amp;a=Digital... StoreFront</a>® to automate and unify its 15 U.S. locations. <a href="http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/ctr?d=217899&amp;a=WorkflowOne&amp... is already relying on <a href="http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/ctr?d=217899&amp;l=1&amp;a=Fiery&a...®-driven digital printers in numerous locations to deliver blazing speed and high-quality color.</p> <p><a href="http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/ctr?d=217899&amp;a=WorkflowOne&amp... provides print production and document management, billing and customer communication, marketing solutions and promotional strategies, and fulfillment and distribution services for North America's most admired businesses and brands. Its base of 12,000 clients includes leaders in the healthcare, financial services, manufacturing, retail, non-profit and service sectors.</p> <p>As a result of several acquisitions and an extensive manufacturing network, <a href="http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/ctr?d=217899&amp;a=WorkflowOne&amp... was in need of a single, unified manufacturing platform that would provide visibility and portability, streamline operations, and integrate numerous systems. After a comprehensive 14-month evaluation, the company selected <a href="http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/ctr?d=217899&amp;a=EFI&amp;u=http%... href="http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/ctr?d=217899&amp;a=Monarch&amp;u=h... — a flexible, powerful, intelligent, and automated solution — as its print manufacturing management system.</p>

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