Once you understand the needs of your user, you can find out the most effective way to manage your print environment so that it runs efficiently to support your users. Effective print network management can provide huge costs savings, especially to a small or mid-sized business with a print environment that grew without solid planning behind it.
Now that you know what your users need and how they use their printers, consider whether the print equipment you have in place is appropriate. Do you have many personal printers for employees who only rarely print? Do you only have one color printer, but many people who need to print frequently?
Right-sizing is an important part of improving any print environment. Right-sizing means looking at your print environment to see whether you need more printers, less printers, or whether you need to replace existing printers with more updated equipment that can better meet your needs. It often means reducing the number of devices, and trading in your old printers for newer, better devices. Right-sizing helps you save money by creating the best, most efficient print environment for your needs.
Many people consult with companies like HP to help them right-size. This way, you can make sure that your right-sizing will be effective and your new, improved print environment will be scalable should your company continue to grow.
Color printing can be a huge asset to your company, but when it is improperly managed, it can also drain resources. In order to give users the access to color they need while still regulating its use, you can implement a color access control system within your network.
Color access control can be implemented within your network through a print management software tool, or it can be set on some printers via the settings panel. With color access control, you can set your own controls to track usage, monitor supplies, run usage reports, and when necessary, restrict use. If you need to bill color printing to individual departments, color access control can help you do that.
Learn more about HP's color access control offerings
Color access controls help you manage your color printing, but you can also save money and help your company run more efficiently by implementing a Total Print Management solution. Total Print Management, or TPM, is an integrated, scalable solution that can help you reduce your printing and imaging costs by up to 30% by right-sizing your fleet, standardizing your equipment, and giving you tools that simplify print management and keep things running more efficiently.
A TPM solution consists of a combination of three elements: devices, services, and management software. We already talked about reviewing your print devices and right-sizing your fleet. Later in this guide, we'll review some printer options to help you choose effective devices for your environment.
Professional print services are a great way for small and mid-sized businesses with a smaller support staff to keep their print equipment well-cared for and have problems addressed quickly. HP Smart Printing Services, for example, allows small and mid-sized business a la carte access to top-tier support, management, and repair services.
Management software, the third piece of a TPM solution, allows you to manage all aspects of your print environment including usage, supplies, and it can help you troubleshoot issues remotely. More effective print network management can save you money by helping you order supplies accurately, troubleshoot quickly to reduce downtime, and review spending through detailed reporting capabilities. Check out some of HP's management software tools such as WebJetAdmin and Easy Printer Care at www.hp.com/sbso/productivity/color/access/index.html
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