4 Things People are Doing with Their Printers that can Do Harm

What you don’t know about printing can hurt your business -- either directly (data security breach) or indirectly (a less productive workplace).

Many of our office equipment customers start out only wanting a new printer. The current printer in their office is old and slow and they simply want a replacement.

I’ve written this before, but most offices don’t spend a lot of time thinking about their printers (or copiers, scanners, fax machines, etc.). Office workers just want to push a button, copy/print/scan their document and get on with their day.

A business with limited perspective on office equipment usage can encounter hidden printing costs. Here are four reasons to expand your knowledge about printers and think of them as strategic assets for a successful business.

1. Waste

Up to half of all print jobs are thrown away without being used. You don’t have to accept this as a cost of doing business. With ConnectKey-enabled Xerox printers (other manufacturers too), you can create and enforce print rules that limit wasteful printing. While printing costs per page are only pennies, Benjamin Franklin was right, “A penny saved is a penny earned.” We explored print rules in a previous post. For more insight, read 11 Print Rules You Can Use to Cut Document Costs and Waste - It’s Easy!

2. Security Breaches

Today’s copiers and multifunction printers are complicated machines built around a computer. Any computer connected to a network can be hacked, if not properly secured. The information from the print jobs and copies stored on the hard drive of your printer is a treasure trove for cybercriminals. The good news is that once you know your printer is a point of vulnerability, there are simple steps you can take to keep yourself secure. For more, read 11 Things About Copier Security You Didn’t Know.

Digital information isn’t the only source of data breaches; paper documents also result in breaches. Documents that contain confidential information (such as health information or customer payment information) can be retrieved by anyone if they’re sitting in the open on a printer’s output tray. Secure printing (also called pull printing) is an easy way to avoid this issue. Simply print from your desk and then release your print job while standing at the printer. For more on secure printing, read Keep Prying Eyes Away From Printed Documents With Secure Print.

3. Mobile Printing

Did you know you could print from your phone? Wi-Fi enabled printers allow any of your “road warrior” employees to print without having to plug into your network (also useful if you’ve packed up for the day, but on your way out you remember you needed to print a document to review).

4. Apps

Apps aren’t just for playing games on your phone. Productivity apps on your printers allow everyone in your office to get more done -- from scanning directly to email to launching a digital workflow using the scanning functionality. To discover more about apps, click here to download our free eBook about using apps to enhance office productivity.

Now that you know about these four printer facts that can hold your business back, turn that knowledge to practical use and start implementing these ideas.

You’ll be glad you did.

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Benchmark’s printer experts are ready to assist you.