So you’ve recently heard about this thing called print management. And now you’re looking into what the heck print management software even does.
I’ll let you in on the dirty secret. No business owner or IT manager says to themselves, “I need print management software.” Instead, they know they have particular printing problems that they want to solve. They just don’t know how to solve them.
That’s where print management software comes in.
Here are the top solutions print management software provides.
1. Print visibility: user behavior insights and oversight
Fresh out the box (okay, software doesn’t come in boxes anymore) print management software provides IT administrators with an organization-wide view of printing behaviors. They can analyze who is printing what and when and where and why and how.
This provides the data for IT staff to better understand their printing environment. They then can use this data so that all printing in your workplace is thoughtful, secure, reliable, and sustainable.
2. Easy printing: BYOD and simple enablement
Every workplace has dozens of devices and operating systems. Printers are outnumbered. And they aren’t always right by your desk. Print management software unlocks ease of use and simplicity for end-users and IT administrators alike.
Embedded software at the MFD enhances your printing capabilities. Then the ultimate way to make end-users happy is simplifying print enablement AKA making the printing happen in the first place, in the simplest way possible. Find-me printing creates mega convenience - users can print at any printer by authenticating release with their ID.
Features like Print Deploy make pushing printer drivers and queues to device auto-magic for system administrators. BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) printing can happen anywhere from any device with free tools like Mobility Print.
3. Integrated scanning: digital workflow automation and optimization
Scanning sounds simple enough. Slap the document against the glass. Hit the button. Hey presto, your physical document is now digital and lives on the internet. But there’s a bit more to it than that.
Scanning locations come in many shapes and sizes. MFD embedded print management software can integrate with your local network, email destinations, and cloud-hosted storage services.
Integrated scanning enhances your MFD scan actions and optimizes your workplace automation. Dropbox, Google Drive, Sharepoint Online, Box, Evernote - no matter where you’re scanning in the cloud, print management software makes your workflows instant.
4. Secure printing: document and print job security
The humble printed or scanned document is a crucial part of your organization’s security. Shared printers can potentially widen your workplace’s attack surface area for data leaks and compliance hazards. Forgotten or discarded print jobs are common and understandable, but they do present security risks.
Print management software allows you to protect your documents before, during, and after users select ‘Print’. Features like Secure Print Release require identity confirmation before a job can be released. Watermarking/digital signatures and print logging mean the journey of the print document is always traceable.
Print management software provides foundational and advanced security features so that your confidentiality is airtight and your data pathways remain compliant.
5. Cloud printing: private and public cloud architecture
Modern business lives in the cloud. Many organizations still require server racks and local infrastructure. But across the board workplaces use cloud services for their business creativity and communication.
Print management software can integrate and support your workplace’s cloud environment. There are print management products available for customers seeking a private cloud/self-hosted or public cloud/fully-hosted print solution.
As mentioned earlier, there are also integrations with cloud storage services, and features like OCR. All the above means the glory of feature-rich print management is available in cloud environments no matter how you cloud.
6. Cost control: shrink print bills and save money
Uncollected print jobs becoming duplicated print jobs. Printing single-sided. Printing in color unintentionally. There are lots of ways your print bills can spiral out of control.
Print management software magically cuts costs and recovers print spending. Print policies that default duplex, grayscale/black and white instantly save you money. Some features like print quotas and payment gateways enable you to directly cover print costs.
Once you’ve attained visibility of your print environment with print management software, you can then control and order your document output so that all spending is essential with zero waste.
7. Waste reduction: reduce environmental footprint
Thoughtless printing doesn’t just have a financial impact, it’s also harmful to the planet.
Secure print release and Find-me printing are incredible tools for secure and simple printing. They also have environmental benefits. Job timeouts mean between pressing print and collecting your document, if something prevents you from reaching the printer/MFD, no paper, ink, or electricity has been wasted.
Less print waste means less ecological impact. And with our program PaperCut Grows, the more you print the more trees you plant, making your printing Forest Positive. There is an increasing demand today for businesses to operate sustainably.
Print management software empowers your workplace to ensure your printing not just saves the planet but invests in its future.
8. Save time, improve efficiency, and increase productivity
Print management software provides many crossover benefits. Tools and features that improve your organization’s security, reduce costs, and make your workplace more sustainable ultimately increase efficiency and productivity for your entire organization.
Even small tools like quick scan actions at the MFD mean your workflows are streamlined for your end-users. Then the overall centralized administration of your print environment means your IT team spends less time wrangling with printers and more time investing in long-term impactful IT projects.
Looking for a print management solution for your business? Explore our products.
This article was written by PaperCut Software's Kieron Byatt. Find the original post here.
