New year, new start. You may have already chickened out of setting yourself any personal New Year’s resolutions for 2015, but there are plenty of resolutions to apply to your workplace or business. If you’re looking for an excuse to overhaul your company’s approach to print and print management, then the New Year provides exactly that excuse. Before you can begin bringing a print revolution to your company, you must first identify the barriers that have prevented such a move in the past. Is cost the issue, or is it a stubborn member of the management team? Print management companies can help you overcome both of these obstacles. Read on to find out more…
#1: Change behaviour
Poor printing practices and a reluctance to recycle can cost your company more than just carbon emissions. Encourage staff to use print previews, to print double-sided and to use black and white ink wherever possible. Place a recycling bin directly next to the printer, and ensure it is emptied regularly. It can be a challenge to communicate the importance of saving ink and paper to other employees without coming across as patronising, but often a simple reminder is sufficient to achieve significant behavioural changes.
#2: Track costs
If your business doesn’t already track print costs across each department, implement a simple system to do so. Add up print spend across different departments and present your findings to a manager or director. Having a baseline figure that you can work to reduce is a useful tool for pushing ahead with an overhaul of your company’s approach to print.
#3: Evaluate your needs
Take a look at where your current print spend is focused. Is this in line with your company’s needs, or could the money be better spent on other print projects? Were there any printed items that were never used and have become obsolete? By identifying your current needs and past print problems, you can create a balanced print strategy that’ll set you up nicely for the future.
#4: Have a print inspection
Evaluating your company’s own print needs is a time-consuming process – and during the process you’ll inevitably miss some items or misinterpret the implications of your findings. Contact a local print management company and ask them for a free print audit or print inspection. They’ll visit your business, examine your print processes and ask you plenty of questions about how you currently manage them. Finally, they’ll come up with a figure that tells you how much you could save on your print bill – they might suggest design tweaks or alternative print suppliers, for example.
#5: Work with a print management company
Today’s print management companies don’t merely act as agents, but consultants. A long-term relationship with a print management company will therefore secure you additional print savings over time. Your print strategy will be delivered reliably and professionally, so you can expand your print marketing efforts with confidence.
Want to learn more? Contact PMG Print Management today.
