Process - Savings for the Nation

As no two customer sites are alike, we don't take a one size fits all approach.

We do follow a careful, methodical system that we've developed over time from experience, built on best practices and industry leading tools.

Most importantly, in this age of over expensive big name consultants, our investigations are customised and modular to provide you with maximum value and quantifiable return on investment.

In combining manual and automated techniques, using our own market leading software and leading third party resources, we are able to provide you with a comprehensive view of your output environment. Typically, a full Print Investigation encompasses five modules:

Current state of Output Environment
Projected cost of the current Output Environment
Validation by Customer
Business Strategies to reduce printing cost
Potential savings & Future Printing Recommendations

If, however, you only want to know what the Current state of your Output Environment is, for RFP purposes for example, the first module is perfectly suitable on its own!

1. Current state of Output Environment (for Windows 2000 and above)

By combining data captured by our software, feedback and one to one interviews with the people who produce the documents, we will provide a thorough 30-day representation of your print environment. It will include detailed information on the following:

Network username
Computer name
Printer name
Printer port
Number of pages
Number of copies
Total number of pages
Pages printed per day across the organisation
Pages per printer produced every day
Users printing most pages
Date printed
Application printed from
Paper tray
If colour is used
Time printed
Driver name
Driver version
Total number of sheets used
Job size
Distinguish direct printing from printing through a print server

2. Projected cost of the current Output Environment

Accurate cost analysis and constructive recommendations can only be presented once we have a complete understanding of the current printing scenario. Using our software and generic pricing (unless you can supply costs for all devices), we will further establish:

Cost per page
Cost of toner
How much does each page cost to print?
Which departments are spending most on printing?
Total Operational Cost of Ownership (TCO) for each device
Total Current Operational Cost of Printing across the organisation

3. Validation by Customer

Information from an assessment is only as useful as it is accurate. No other output management provider delivers a more accurate assessment. But to ensure the validity of our findings, we never make customer recommendations or proposals without client validation of our findings. This step is critical to the success of any full Print Investigation.

We will schedule an in-depth review of the findings from our assessment with all key customer contacts in order to present the metrics and criteria used in the process and confirm that the findings are accurate and consistent with the customer’s experience.

Because our investigations are based entirely on real data and information compiled within the actual customer environment(s), rather than assumptions based on industry averages and brief observations, the accuracy of the information is extremely high.

The results are typically eye opening to a customer in many respects, and in cases where facts or figures are questioned, we will go back and meticulously verify to ensure that the data and/or analysis in question is valid.

In knowing the State of the Output Environment, the Projected cost of the Environment and by Validating this with you, we’re able to consider pertinent business strategies in relation to your printing.

4. Business Strategies to reduce printing cost

Are the printers being fully utilised?
Are the users printing smart?
If most of the information is printed, does it need to be in colour or would black-and-white suffice?
Are any devices used by only one person? If so, could these be consolidated into one workgroup device from which more users would benefit?
Where are the devices located? If some people use certain devices more than other devices, are their desks relatively near the devices they use most?
Do you have an effective print strategy?
Could you significantly cut the cost of printing but increase end user productivity?

From this we can draw further conclusions and make output AND savings recommendations for the entire organisation.

5. Potential savings & Future Printing Recommendations

Direct cost savings may be achieved through printer rationalisation, print optimisation and the implementation of print policies. In all cases, the goal is to make the flow of printed and electronic documents in the organisation more manageable and cost effective.

A full report will detail all of the information above and provide suggested business strategy routes in terms of optimising your print environment. Our process is a proven roadmap for evaluating each customer's specific needs and adapting our offerings to ensure the most productive, cost-effective and customised solution.

No one is better at evaluating and managing the document output assets and needs of an organisation.