Finding strategies for sustainable growth is a big trend for businesses. With rising awareness about the brewing ecological crisis, both companies and consumers are more interested than ever in finding ways to conduct business in a more environmentally conscious manner. At its core, sustainability involves reducing, reusing, and recycling existing materials. Managed print services are uniquely capable of facilitating this, and many companies turn to them when considering ways to reduce their waste.
Sustainable business strategies aren’t just great for the earth – they’re also good for the bottom line. Read on to discover how a business can be environmentally sustainable and cost-effective with managed print services.
How MPS Help a Company Cut Waste
Managed print services emphasize increased productivity and efficiency in the print environment to help a company achieve its operational goals. In the process, however, an MPS can help a company cut its waste. Businesses implementing sustainability initiatives, or which embrace eco-friendly practices frequently deploy managed print services. Using an MPS, a company can:
1. Reduce paper waste by tightening access to printers.
The average office worker prints around 10,000 pages per year. About 1,400 of those pages make it immediately into the waste bin. That’s around three reams of computer paper that each employee discards annually. While that might seem insignificant, imagine the paper waste of a company with just ten employees.
Printing is such a normal office practice that it often goes unnoticed, allowing it to become one of the most wasteful business processes. A managed print service provider helps companies eliminate this extra waste by improving network visibility and tightening access control so that only what absolutely needs to be printed gets printed – by only the employees who need to be printing.
2. Streamline printer output with the right printer settings.
There are a lot of resources out there about finding the best printer for an office. When it comes down to it, however, the best printer is the one that’s configured properly.
Having top-of-the-line technology doesn’t do anyone any good if it’s not optimized or used correctly. An MPS helps companies avoid this scenario by properly configuring devices for the type of printing a company frequently does. This might include:
- Ink usage preferences for companies that need to print photographic quality images.
- Optimized page settings for specialized print jobs.
- Settings that take advantage of ink-saving features for text-rich documents.
In each of these, the goal is smarter usage of paper and ink to use less overall. The company saves without realizing it.
3. Mitigate the company’s carbon footprint with remanufactured cartridges.
Choosing the right cartridge for a printer can be a headache. Not only are there after-market options, but sometimes the difference between the right cartridge and one which doesn’t fit is two numbers in the model number. Likewise, printer manufacturers make a killing off cartridges and do everything in their power to encourage companies to buy their OEM cartridges – and only theirs.
Unfortunately, cartridges require a significant amount of resources in their production. Made from steel and heavy plastics, they’re designed to withstand the extreme environment that’s the inside of a printer. However, this robust production also means they can be recycled. An MPS helps companies do exactly that, by finding the remanufactured cartridges which fit.
Save Money and Emissions with CDS
Managed print services are a fantastic way to not just cut a company’s carbon emissions but also save money in the process. Here are several ways in which a company can be greener and more cost-effective:
- Less consumable usage. Spend less on paper and cartridges over the life of the printer.
- Reduced printing costs. With settings and devices optimized, a company will spend less per page.
- Lower utility bills. Choosing Energy Star-certified devices and deploying them strategically in an office will reduce the number of devices running, and the amount of electricity used.
- Eliminated surprise bills from outsourced jobs or third-party maintenance. Driving to the local print shop three times each week to print something the printers can’t handle? That won’t happen anymore with managed print services because these experts will make sure a company has what it needs to succeed.
- Automated maintenance. Get only what’s needed, when it’s needed. Whether it’s remote support or automated supply replenishment, digital tools reduce the need for physical assistance.
Get Green with Managed Print Services from CDS
It’s no secret that managed print services help companies reduce their operating costs by streamlining the print environment. However, an MPS service is also great for companies seeking to reduce their carbon footprint and pursue an environmentally responsible philosophy. Looking for ways to cut waste? Printing often represents the most wasteful business process there is. An MPS can help change that and introduce sustainable best practices at the same time.
CDS helps companies optimize their operational efficiency with the right tools and strategies. Contact us today to learn how we can help you streamline your printing environment.
