The Datamax Thinking Blog

The health of the environment is a pretty hot topic these days. Hybrid vehicles, biodegradable packaging and reusable grocery bags are just some of the ways society has been inundated by environmental friendly technologies.

It didn’t take long for companies to realize they need to reduce their carbon footprint, too. However, in today’s tight financial economy, it can be hard to adopt expensive albeit green technology. Luckily, designing and implementing a green printing strategy can help save the environment and save money.

A green printing strategy starts with the goal of reducing the carbon footprint of office printing by targeting paper usage and energy usage. When these areas are optimized, the combined environmental and economic impact is amazing.

1. Reduce Paper Usage

It take almost two thirds of a tree to create one case of paper and the production of a single ton of copy paper produces almost 6,000 pounds of greenhouse gases.

The average office employee consumes 2 cases of printer/copier paper each year. Therefore, a company with 100 office employees will consume 120 trees per year and releas over 28,000 pounds of greenhouse gasses just in their paper usage. With a case of paper costing over $30, the annual cost for this company would be $6,000 or $500 per month.

One simple strategy to reduce paper usage is to set your printers and copiers to default to duplex (two sided) printing. This easy step can reduce your paper usage by up to 50% and save over 60 trees per year. On top of saving the environment, reducing paper usage can save the company up to $3,000 per year.


2. Consolidate Printer and Copier Devices

Printers and copiers use a considerable amount of energy. The average office copier consumes 285 KWh of electricity each month while an average printer consumes 49 KWh. A company with 10 copiers and 50 printers requires electricity that takes approximately 46,500 pounds of coal. Burning this much coal emits 132,525 of greenhouse gasses each year and costs about $6,000.

Many companies are realizing that they can consolidate printer and copier devices with Energy Star certified multifunction systems. A smaller fleet of devices requires less energy to operate. Strategically placed multifunction systems that print, copy, fax and scan can easily lessen the energy requirements necessary and save big money. By decreasing energy usage, the amount of coal burned is greatly decreased.

Creating a green print strategy is a great way to save the environment and save money for any office.

Keying in data off of business forms is often a very monotonous and time-consuming process. Plus, the more the processes are rushed, the more errors are made.

Fortunately, you can utilize your multifunction systems to automatically enter routine data. Data Capture software has the ability to read data from scanned documents and translate it into your business applications. It can also index the scanned documents for easy retrieval later on.

Data Capture software uses Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology to translate scanned text into editable text. When the document is scanned using a multifunction system, it is routed to a folder where it is processed.

The software allows you to set up capture zones to handle multiple areas of information. These OCR zones can acquire the data and insert them into their respective data fields. In order for this to work correctly, all you need is a uniform form that is structured similarly every time such as an invoice, delivery ticket or an explanation of benefits. Consistent layout is key.

Data Capture technology provides the ability to replace manual data entry in a variety of ways. A couple of examples include: processing invoices, storing scanned documents for retrieval at a later date, organizing delivery/shipping tickets and even managing payroll.

Minimizing manual data entry can drastically improve the cost-efficiency of your office and it can be applied to a variety of situations.

In today’s work environment, expenses rarely go unchecked. It is very common for a department of a company to be required to create monthly or quarterly expense reports. However, tracking printing costs can be quite the task. Therefore, many companies simply lump the expense in with other various office costs such as supplies or furniture. Although this may seem like the easiest way to complete expense reports, it may also be the most expensive.

Print management software is an easy way to control, monitor and report the printing done by your company. Not only will your monthly reports be made simple, but you will become more aware of where your budget is spent. You will also be able to use access controls to limit printing to certain departments and set up defaults to save ink and paper.

Today’s innovative print management software provides the latest techniques to help users change their printing habits and decrease their costs. The software features easy-to-use interfaces that can be used with nearly any multifunction device, even if on a network. You can even be sent notification reports when your printers are down or low on toner. This will help your office run more efficiently.

Quarterly, monthly, or even weekly reporting is made very easy with print management software. Authorized users merely log in to the software using a pin code or password to access the reports. When installing your software, you will set it up for your needs. Therefore, reports can be printed with the touch of a single button.

Never again will you have to worry about expense reports. By utilizing print management software, you will be able to spend your time working on more important things, rather than trying to collect data on your company’s printing habits. To set up print management software in your office, be sure to contact us today!

In the office, it seems we are always in a hurry. For this reason, very rarely does anyone take the time to fix a printer. Instead, they are forced to find a different device so they can complete their task in a time-efficient manner.

Furthermore, IT departments rarely have the time or resources to fix mechanical issues in office devices. But still, they are forced to take control of the issue and organize some sort of fix, whether it is an easy paper jam or having to schedule a repair from a local company.

Often this type of situation is multiplied many times a week or even in a single day. It is not wonder why an unmanaged print environment can be a drain on the productivity of your office. Luckily, there is a better way. Managed Print Services Programs continually monitor your printer fleet and deliver valuable productivity benefits to your business.

Proactive Service: Managed Print Service means there will be someone monitoring your printer fleet for you. If a printer is out of service, it can often be fixed before it becomes an issue for your business’ productivity.

Automatic Supplies: Managing supplies for an entire fleet can be incredibly difficult. However, running out of toner at an inopportune time can be worse. With Managed Print Services, supplies can be shipped to you automatically as they are needed. This will reduce inventory costs and ensure you always have the supplies you need.

Preventative Maintenance: As with most machines, preventative maintenance can help avoid many problems. Managed Print Services will keep your devices proper tuned so they remain productive and last for years.

Continuous Optimization: As you company grows, your printing needs will change. It is important that your print environment keeps up with your fluctuating needs so everything runs at its most productive. Managed Print Services can monitor usage rates and reallocate print resources and update technology as necessary.

It is easy to stimulate the productivity of your office with Managed Print Services. Best of all, it can even save you money.

With so many brands and types to choose from, finding the perfect printer for your needs can be daunting.  It’s important to assess your printing needs before buying.

There is no doubt most offices have taken advantage of the benefits of wireless internet. Without having to deal with cumbersome cables, employees are able to conduct their work throughout the office, increasing collaboration. Now you can increase the productivity of your business even more with multifunction devices with Wi-Fi connectivity. A wireless device allows documents to be printed from portable laptops, digital cameras or other devices within range.

Through the use of a built-in Wireless Network Interface Card (WNIC), printers are now more mobile and versatile than ever. By replacing the standard USB connection, you allow for minimal cabling to connect the device to electricity. Not only does this provide mobile printing, but it also makes reallocating your devices quick and easy.

Wireless multifunction devices still have all the features of a standard device and also reduce clutter and dangerous cables in offices. With access to a central printer connected to a Wi-Fi hub, hundreds of employees will have printing capabilities without having to share cables.

When it comes to designing and customizing the layout of workspaces, wireless devices offer expanded flexibility. Most wireless multifunction systems can work within a radius of about 150 feet.

Multifunction devices with Wi-Fi connectivity are not restricted in features, either. They can perform all the standard functions of wired devices such as scanning, copying, color printing, and remote access. However, with wireless connections, you give your office the power to print to any device within range.

Even with this increased functionality, Wi-Fi printers are not necessarily more expensive than standard printers, especially as the technology becomes more of a standard feature on new models. The fact that you can now use a central printer from any number of computers and devices can also save on the cost of having to buy additional printers for each area of the office.

Wireless multifunction models are increasing productivity in offices around the world. You have the ability to print to any device within range, therefore allowing you maximum flexibility. This can be very beneficial for client meetings or presentations.

Document and content management involves the transformation of paper files into a digital format. A document management system can cover areas such as security, disaster recovery, collaboration, and printer management.

If an organization develops and maintains its content and documents effectively, the information that is in your system can save your company time and money. If not handled properly, however, content and documents can decrease your company’s productivity.

The migration from paper to pixels has changed more than a few companies. The task can involve major changes to workflow and transform your company into the best it can be. Digging through old documents and records can be a long and exhausting process. With a document management system, all of these troubles can be taken care of and your business can become much more organized.

Once you have switched to a new document management system, you can scan all of your documents into one database. Whenever you need to bring up a file, you can quickly find it using key words, which also can bring up related files and recent activity that is related to the document.

Implementing a document management system can quickly change the way your company runs and operates. Your company can be brought to a whole new level of organization, which can lead to many other benefits. The result is a system that can save you time and money.

The world is focused on recycling. One of the best places to start may be with your office laser printers and multifunction systems.

Here are three simple steps to cutting waste and saving money:

Printers and scanners are an absolute necessity in every organization, business, office, educational institution, and more. The numerous brands and features of printers and scanners can vary anywhere from the numerous accessories, to the simplicity of black and white, color or both depending on the intended job.


Printers are available for specific purposes such as printers for mobile receipts, mobile thermal labels, network thermal labels and more. While some scanners can also be used for specific scanning purposes of photos, business cards, documents, and checks. Although some machines can accomplish both jobs of the printer and scanner.

Did you know, on average companies have to hire an additional employee for every 12 filing cabinets simply to maintain organization? This is just the beginning of what it costs to manage paper documents in an increasingly digital world. Whether you are looking for a way to improve personal or professional productivity, capture and distribute paper-based information amongst workgroups, departments, and small businesses, or even blend multiple business applications from networked printers/copiers or scanners, Document Scanning Solutions can securely transform paper documents into business value.

Paperwork is paper that works… Document scanning solutions turn everyday tasks into routine processes that take less time, involve fewer steps, and allow employees to accomplish more. Enabling document scanning services stop the inefficiency inherent in paper files and achieve greater productivity, better information management, and lower overhead expense-a benefit to any bottom line.

* Increasing operational efficiency.

* Making business applications more productive.

* Delivering financial advantage to the bottom line.

A document scanning solution accommodates any business environment. Ideally, the amount of storage required for paper documents would be reduced, make any document instantly retrievable, and securely bridge the paper and digital worlds.