Business managers need help getting the most out of print processes
A 2005 survey report, “Criticality of Printed Information in the Financial Services Industry,” has addressed the attitudes of 350 business managers toward print and business process management, with some surprising results.

The report, which is applicable to other industries besides financial services, indicates that even in this IT age, print is on the rise. Business managers involved in print decision-making reported an increase in:

• the number of printers in use (49 percent);
• print volume (54 percent); and
• print-related costs (56 percent).

The survey, sponsored by the Electronic Document Systems Foundation (EDSF) and conducted in partnership with Gartner, a Connecticut-based consulting firm, and the University of Connecticut, found that two-thirds of business managers, especially those in customer-facing departments, do value print. However, more than a third do not track print volume or costs, and most companies surveyed seem to have little interest in controlling these costs.

Of the 156 managers who said they are or have been actively engaged in business process management projects, only 35 percent indicate that print processes were evaluated or changed as a part of those projects.

Sixty percent of the key print decision makers surveyed have little involvement in print planning. The study found that “while there is a high level of appreciation for optimizing workflow and costs associated with printed material within a business process, many managers are not engaged or aware of exactly how to improve their situation.”

In fact, 43% report that most print/copy changes in the past have been unplanned, brought about as a side benefit of business process management.

In other findings, the survey revealed the importance of several factors that might affect purchase decisions for print/copy equipment. These included:

• operating cost, listed by 84 percent of the managers
• type and cost of the service contract, listed by 80 percent
• purchase price, listed by 71 percent
• vendor, listed by 67 percent

Most companies, it seems, have much room for improvement in print/copy cost control and integrating printed information with electronic communication, but they are restricted from making appropriate changes by their organizational structure or their business managers’ lack of knowledge, making it even more important that they seek assistance from a document imaging consultant.

Streamlining your print processes can result in major cost savings. Your HPS document imaging consultant can help you make critical print decisions by performing an evaluation of your specific business needs and recommending the best and most cost-efficient products for your office situation.