7 Questions to Ask Before Choosing Rules-Based Printing Software
The nature of today’s office has changed. Among most, there is a determination to decrease office expenses and print costs have come under growing scrutiny.
Enterprises with unregulated printing and ineffective management can result in substantial waste. Documents are needlessly printed on only one side of a piece of paper, in color and are often sent to a local desktop device with a high cost per page rather than to a shared multifunction device with lower costs.
In most cases, the end-user is simply unaware of the cost of printing. The cost to print includes many more variables than often come into consideration, like imaging substrate (paper), consumables (toner, ink, developer), the cost of the actual device, service required for the device and energy consumption. In fact, according to Xerox 351 items contribute to a company’s total cost of printing. Making users aware of these costs is the first step to motivating a change in behavior.
Motivation is only going to take an office so far (further if accompanied by chocolate). The next step for the enterprise in eliminating print waste and cutting costs is to effectively implement and enforce policies that reduce wasteful printing (regardless of user behavior).
Rules-based printing software can prompt users to change their behavior as well as force them to change their behavior. Typically, rules-based printing software can be customer configured by an administrator to best suit the enterprise’s needs and printing practices.
Are you sold? Grabbing your keys to run to the rules-based printing software store nearest you? Slow down, for two reasons: 1) I am almost certain that no such store exist and 2) there are seven questions you must first ask when choosing the right rules-based printing software.
1. What is the business purpose?
As an MPS provider, are you acquiring a solution to build a managed print services business around, or are you selling a software solution to a customer who will take on the primary responsibility for implementing the solution? For an MPS business, factors such as ease-of-deployment, remote install, remote view of data, ability to manage rules remotely and ability to “see” all accounts in one central dashboard will be critical in MPS engagements. Having these abilities allows providers to create scale and efficiency in their operations.
2. What functionalities are most important to you?
When choosing the best software for your organization, consider what your needs are as well as the customer’s needs. Different software options have different functionality and no solution is “one size fits all”. This is important for MPS providers as well as CIOs implementing printing policies internally.
3. How scalable is the solution?
The size of the print fleet will vary greatly among organizations. Ideally, tools should be able to scale up and down as necessary. Look for tools that are modular. This will allow users to add (or subtract) functionality as necessary. The architecture of the solution will play a large role in determining how scalable a solution is. For instance, a solution that is cloud based and follows standard IT protocols will be inherently easier to scale than a solution that must be installed on a local server at each location.
4. How easy is the solution to deploy and integrate?
Whether in an end-user organization or an MPS provider, the ability to deploy a solution easily and with little to no interruption is key to productivity. Look for solutions that do not require a great deal of changes to current infrastructure; solutions that can be built upon current systems are much easier to deploy and integrate. A key consideration is whether or not the current staff can implement, maintain and support the solution. Rules-based solutions track user behavior, in addition to managing print policies. Due to this functionality, integration with device management solutions provides an ideal pairing, and gives those that manage the fleet a complete view. Look for a proven track record of integration with other solutions, such as device management or visualization tools. If one needs to track user printing for bill back purposes, integration with back office billing solutions is key. Make sure authorized connectors for current systems are in place prior to purchase.
5. What is the solution’s architecture and how does it impact implementation, integration and scalability?
The best architecture will vary greatly depending on the organization and its specific needs, industry regulations and perceptions. One must be aware of vertical sensitivities, especially in legal, finance and healthcare firms. For instance, healthcare firms will have more stringent requirements on what can and cannot exit outside of the firewall. This would make public cloud architecture less appealing depending on what data is transmitted. However, cloud architecture allows for ease of scale and quicker implementation. Another key factor to investigate is how the solution’s architecture impacts security, infrastructure and desk-side support. When you assess the usability for your needs, ask where the data actually resides (bearing in mind user-data by definition is massive in scale); can it be accessed 24×7, can it be easily mined for business analytics, can you see all your accounts and their sites, can varying access-rights be granted, can rules be managed remotely. These requirements will vary of course depending upon whether you are an end user or dealer.
6. What is the price vs. the value?
When purchasing a solution, value is the key, not price alone. Software solutions are key parts of an organization’s infrastructure. As such, it is costly to change due to the price of the new solution, in addition to the time and money spent on implementation, integration and training. When shopping, compare prices and be aggressive, but don’t bargain shop. Price must be balanced against functionality, tech support, reputation and ease of use.
7. What are your branding opportunities?
The final consideration is branding. Many solutions allow the user to implement custom logos and templates. For a dealer this is key, as it adds to the credibility of the dealership by increasing customer awareness and confidence.
Each factor should be carefully weighed in order to choose the best solution for your organization.
Photizo Group and NewField IT have partnered to create a study comparing many of the leading rules-based print solutions, including Equitrac, Print Audit, Ringdale and SafeCom. Each solution was analyzed and quantitatively rated based on their performance in a standardized lab setting. This report is designed to help readers understand the positives and negatives of each solution in terms of functionality and performance as well as aid in the decision making process. For more information regarding this study visit: http://www.photizogroup.com/research/research/technology/2011-software-tools-report-rules-based-printing/
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