Andre W. Klein
In times like this, when a global financial crisis threatens many companies, most organizations tend to be concerned about what is coming and decide to cut down budgets in areas that could be strategic when properly managed, such as R&D, Marketing or Training. However, these areas could actually be the ones to help the company emerge stronger from a crisis and be a step ahead of its competitors. This is where the first business opportunity lies.
Control over printing costs
Many companies are so distracted and absorbed by their frenzied day-to-day activities that they fail to pay attention to processes that are requiring a lot of resources and are causing unnecessary costs. Typically, one of these overlooked processes concerns printing, of any type of document or communication. If CEOs could rapidly consult the real costs of printing documents in their companies, in terms of paper and toner waste, multiple measures would most probably be taken to solve the problem.
Fortunately, nowadays, a wide range of document management solutions allow companies to have thorough control over the number of documents that are being printed. Most of these solutions generate reports to provide a global vision of the current situation regarding hardware and supplies needs, but with the appropriate software for document print control, companies can save up to an estimated 25% in printing costs.
On demand printing in office networks
Being able to generate documents in any type of environment and optimize process execution times are basic requirements for any company. However, performing these tasks tends to be rather difficult for organizations with large office networks spanning different geographical locations.
For this type of organizations, being sure that each employee is using the correct version of a specific form, obtaining a printed format of a form whenever needed or allowing individuals to view the form on-screen, may all seem nearly impossible. Once again, to overcome these challenges, the best option is to opt for a solution that involves implementing a comprehensive, on demand printing system.
Documents under control
Typically, another crucial point for any company is being able to securely store all its corporate documents and retrieve them later whenever necessary. If they use an inadequate document manager, than they definitely run the risk of losing important documents or of the documentation falling into the wrong hands. This, in turn, could greatly damage the company´s image.
The document management system of choice must provide total control over all the documents, but must also enable per-user access and edit permissions, to avoid unpleasant surprises when a document is opened.
Distribution of documents in a Web environment
One of the main reasons why companies spend so many resources on print processes can be found in our current society, which still needs a change of mentality. After all, receipts, contracts, information about new services, etc. are all still sent to customers in paper format. This means that companies are printing high volumes of documents and spending resources on enveloping tasks and batch sorting processes, among other tasks.
There´s no question that new means of information interchange, such as the electronic ID card or electronic invoicing, are opening up new communications channels with customers. As such, purchasing a solution that allows users to request a document to be instantly generated and displayed on screen through any browser would definitely be another step forward.
In this regard, companies should analyze their business processes related to printing and explore the option of implementing an adequate document management system. A good document software reduces document-related costs and efforts more than most organizations would imagine.
Originally published On DocPath Document Software…
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