We often hear about Managed Print Services as an example of the Internet of Things — we discuss how analytics drive the MPS roadmap, and how document security reduces breaches in digital workflows. These sophisticated topics we now associate with MPS, but let’s not forget what started it all — the devices themselves.
In your job, you may never have to pay much attention to the print devices that share the office space – including your printers, scanners and MFPs. Though that’s as it should be, don’t underestimate those devices. They’ve come a long way, and now they contribute to many corporate initiatives such as:
- Security
- Customer experience
- Digital workplace
- Innovation
- Productivity
- Sustainability
- Compliance
With a little knowledge of the current capabilities of intelligent multifunction devices, you can better consider how to use them in the broader scheme of your business strategy. While this may seem like a minor decision, and not something you want to address quarterly or even annually, by investing and paying a bit of attention now, you’ll feel a positive impact for a long time to come.
Why Should You Care About Your Print Devices?
So the big question remains – why should you care about print devices? Well, while the hardware is important, that’s just part of it. The real focus is how information flows in, out and through your organization — it’s about knowledge workers, customers, agents, branch offices, compliance, security, sustainability and even digital transformation. Thanks to intelligent multifunction devices, documents and information tasks can move consistently and flawlessly through the workflow steps, making your business more efficient and productive.
These devices play multiple roles in our workplace — sometimes as endpoints, sometimes as on-ramps, and sometimes as just nodes in a process where digital turns physical or vice versa. In any application, the quality, performance and intelligence of the device matter a great deal if you are concerned about customer experience, costs, security and productivity.
How Print Devices are Different Today
Today, there are loads of devices on the market, with more being added every year. So how do we distinguish best in class from the mediocre? If you haven’t compared lately, you might be surprised at how intelligent and integrated devices have become. If you want to talk about office productivity in terms of the latest device technology, you have to include:
Technology that Improves User Experience
- Installation wizards to guide non-technical users through setup
- Preview scans and faxes right at the user interface
- Quickly make scanned documents searchable with built-in OCR capability
Designed for Accessibility and Connectivity
- Directly access cloud services – Dropbox™ / Google Drive™ / OneDrive®
- Work from all your devices with the latest mobile technologies
- Concurrent wired and wireless connections
Personal and Office Productivity
- Easily personalize the user interface for each user
- Tiltable, capacitive tablet interface for a mobile experience
- Expand capabilities with an App Gallery
With all that in mind, you may be thinking questions like,
- How do I make sense of what I need?
- How do I get my money’s worth?
- How do I get technology that will complement and integrate with what I already have, but still provide a bridge to my future company?
In order to make sure you tick all of these boxes, it’s important to do your due diligence. Ask whoever procures your fleet to consider investing in devices with capabilities like those listed above. Share this blog with your colleagues if you want to make sure you’re all on the same page when it comes to devices.
Turn Your Printer into a Workplace Assistant
To further the conversation, check out the guide, “Your Printers Matter More Than You Think: How Smart Printers Drive Change and Improve Your Bottom Line.” It explores the ways MFP workplace assistants contribute to your business, and their value goes beyond hardware. It’s really about how information flows throughout your organization; it’s about empowering employees, improving customer service, increasing security and even accelerating digital transformation.
This guide gets you up to speed on the latest generation of intelligent workplace assistants. You’ll find out how to take full advantage of them to build your digital workplace. With knowledge of the potential capabilities of intelligent multi-function devices, you can better imagine how to use them in the broader realm of your business. By downloading this guide, you’ll find ideas on how to use your MFP to:
- Improve user experience and productivity
- Make smart apps part of the team
- CX: Keeping customers happy and loyal
- Let your printer power your Business
- These days, that device matters more than ever.
Output devices have the power to let you and your team work the way you want – from any device – with maximum security and easy connectivity to and from both cloud and network-based locations. These days, that device matters more than ever.
