A rise in remote workers, growing use of cloud based software and never ending endeavours to save money on business processes can all be classed as contributors when assessing why the desktop printer is on the decline. Workers are flexible and don’t expect or need fixed infrastructure – so it’s logical that organisations see the removal of printers as a way to improve efficiency and reduce costs. Still have yours? You might be surprised at how easy the alternative is.
Almost one in five companies in the UK operate a hot desk policy due to the fact their staff are out of the office so often. Work culture is changing. More and more employees are operating remotely and as a result are detached from anything ‘desktop’. They work on laptops or mobiles, connect to wireless networks and reach files from a cloud. A desktop printer is no longer needed and, by its very nature, opposes the flexibility of professional nomads.
So, when businesses look to reduce spending and remove any unnecessary costs, is it any surprise the humble desktop printer comes under fire? Desktop printers can break. They need fixing. They require ink, toner and paper. They take up space and if staff are increasingly working away from fixed desks and offices, they aren’t being used enough. Gartner recently reported that there are less than five office workers for every printer: too much equipment for the pages printed.
Furthermore, waste is difficult to measure. Costs incurred for print such as duplicates printed and the electricity powering the equipment are rarely picked up and monitored. Gartner suggest that offices could reduce spending by 10 – 30% if they actively managed their printing. How are businesses doing this? By removing their desktop printer.
The alternative options are increasingly ‘paperless’, online solutions that control output, reduce cost and wastage and most importantly, don’t require traditional infrastructure.
Cloud based solutions like Aceni use a combination of electronic and physical delivery to get mail sent from businesses to their customers. Companies can put all their focus on the composition of their communications and leave the printing and mailing to printing companies who can offer large mailing discounts.
