“Does that copy really need to be in color?”
Asking these kinds of questions can make a world of difference in annual or even quarterly print resource expenditure. It’s called responsible print behavior: asking budget-conscious questions and taking the appropriate course of action based on the answer.
“Does this lengthy document really need to be output single-sided, or would a double-sided print be perfectly fine?” or “Can I review this work-in-progress document by printing it out in draft mode?” are great examples of the kind of questions to ask yourself—and the kind of questions your team should be asking themselves too, each time before using the printer.
Let’s learn a bit more about How To Reduce Print Costs:
Cutting Print Costs (Sometimes Dramatically!) Is All About Encouraging Responsible Print Behavior
Your modern Xerox multifunction printer has a range of configurable user permissions, many of which can be used to “force” responsible print behaviors (e.g., no color copies allowed). These settings can be extremely useful and effective, but the best way to cut print costs is to encourage better print behavior in the way your team interacts with the printer.
A team that willingly chooses to not overuse (or abuse) print resources will always be the most effective solution, as “over regulation” with user permissions can actually lead to a decrease in productivity (e.g., having to ask the team leader for permission each time someone needs to use the printer is, of course, impractical at best).
Encourage the use of monochrome over color, duplex over single-sided, draft mode, and N-up printing whenever possible!
How To Disable Color Copying and Other Useful User Access Controls and Permissions
Administrators of newer Xerox devices can configure a variety of settings using the embedded web server (EWS). Older devices may use Centreware. In either case, the experience will be roughly similar. Your administration panel allows you to set up user access controls and user permissions.
You might, for example, make it so that only authenticated (i.e., logged in) users can perform certain actions, like make color copies or send a fax. Authentication can be achieved through a number of different means, with the most common being PIN codes assigned to users (or, for small teams, a shared PIN). Username and password or even key-card style authentication is possible with a modern Xerox MFP, so it’s worth giving this some consideration.
Avoid over-restricting your team whenever possible, preferring instead to take the educational route. Finding the right balance of user permissions and behavioral changes will result in the best gains in both productivity and cost savings.
Interested in Learning More about How Modern Xerox Technology Can Reduce Print Costs at Your Organization? We’re Here to Help
Our team at Professional Document Solutions is here to help get you acquainted with modern Xerox multifunction printers and the many, many options they bring to the table for your organization. These devices are designed to work for you, in the way you need them to, thanks to user-configurable settings, extensible features thanks to ConnectKey technology, and so many other other personalization features.
If you need to upgrade you office equipment and one of your primary goals is to reduce print resource costs, we’d love to start a conversation with you. Please feel free to contact us or request a free online quote.
