Can the modern business survive without a state-of-the-art printing system?

Business processes are becoming more digital by the day. We now send emails, rather than memos. We use online quote systems, rather than sending a fax. We search for answers on Google, rather than looking it up in a book. Almost everything we do in our personal and professional lives involves some kind of digital or multimedia interaction.

As you look to the future, and increasingly use digital platforms to communicate and do business, will you be able to do away with offline processes such as printing? Constantly keeping your digital systems at the forefront of technology may improve your online productivity, but without an efficient printing system to support your offline needs, your business could suffer.

As day-to-day employees’ working practices travel further up the digital stream — some now operating only in a digital space with emails, web and network connections — it’s important to keep up with the times. Even by having the most state-of-the-art email, hardware, database and networking systems, there is currently still a need to have hard-copies of information as a back-up, for legal reasons or simply for ease of use. Therefore, whilst the digital revolution is increasing business efficiency and information accessibility, the need for printing is currently still strong. Paper is something that is engrained in our society and the concept of an entirely paperless office still looks to be well off in the future.

One of the biggest challenges faced by companies is how to effectively manage and integrate their offline printing solutions. A simple, secure network of printers may no longer suffice. To make your business’ printing the most efficient it can be, an in-depth look at the current printing needs and situation is needed: the more complex and fragmented the printing network is, the greater the likelihood it is not as effective as it should be.

Integrating your business printing solution with your online systems is very important, as it will allow users to access, create, process and distribute content and information easily.

The environmental impact of printing should also be considered, and an integrated printing solution that allows fast, high-quality duplex printing is a must in today’s business society. Not only will this help reduce the company’s environmental impact, it will help save money too.

Therefore, an assessment of your current business needs, whilst considering your existing online systems, would be highly beneficial to any business. With the right printing solution and your existing, efficient online systems, your business will be able to achieve maximum online and offline productivity.

Paul McIndoe writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.