Business owners know for sure that printing documents in the office is part of a company’s daily activities. If not well-managed, print output is often wasted in the form of re-prints, personal use printing or non-essential printing and even abandoned documents to name a few; this could represent a considerable loss for the company. Print management is more that needed for both small businesses and big corporations and with technological developments, there are quite a few print management software shaped for any types of businesses available on the market. You have already heard about print management but you do not understand the concept, do you? This article will help you learn a little more about print management process.

What is print management?

In very simple words, print management involves all aspects of business printing. It enables organizations to effectively manage print devices and streamline workflows so as to cut down on overhead expenses and any related costs; in addition, it helps simplify processes across the network. Print management is beneficial for both the employer and the employees as:
  • they benefit from advanced printing features, fast, reliable and convenient scanning and printing from any device or location as end users;
  • printing issues are solved by simplifying the related processes and device connectivity;
  • complexities in large networks are transformed into simplified workflows which improves business operations.
On the other hand, print management offers an outsourcing solution for printed media; therefore, customers are freed from the constraints associated with this task and streamlining costs. All in all, print management is the control and management of the print projects of a company putting together several functions such as graphic creation, choice of printer, procurement, design, storage, inventory control and distribution of printed material.

What are the assets of print management?

Since print management is manageable from a centralized location, it allows
  • the control of the operational status of devices used and electricity usage, as well as their supply levels like paper, ink and toner in order to minimize printing costs, save money on consumables and increase productivity;
  • the tracking of devices that receive the most and least activity with the total cost of printing and the tracking of printing requests which are intercepted at the print server to control jobs according to policies;
  • the protection of sensitive and confidential documents and those that contain personal information; it then helps spot security risks in the print environment;
  • the elimination of printing and scanning errors;
  • the improvement of workflows and the optimization of the organization’s resources.

What is print management process?

Print management process is simply the series of actions or steps taken in order to manage various print tasks effectively. Some software companies have developed advanced print management software particularly designed to help users coordinate all of the processes for print jobs. Thus, the main role of the print management software is to optimize the use of printers and multifunction printers (MFPs); in other words, it administers the processes involved in connecting hardware to devices that are enabled to print. Drivers and programs are used to make computers and printers compatible.

What are the advantages of using print management software?

With print management software,
  • system administrators are able to operate large networks from a centralized location;
  • device management is provided, compatibility is ensured, and a user-friendly, secure printing and scanning experience is offered;
  • from a centralized console, administrators can easily manage a network of printers, deal with user management, handle print queues. Intranet site and other IT systems can easily be integrated thanks to a customizable web interface;
  • print management software encourages responsible printing which involves reducing paper, toner and power usage costs by using print policies and quotas. Print management process then saves the IT team’s time and significantly reduce overhead;
  • print management software protects the network of a company from a growing range of external threats such as regulations, competitors or others.
With what technologies can provide us nowadays, it is not mission impossible to find the right print management software for your company. Not only are many advantages offered when using it but companies that develop print management software can also be requested a print management assessment which helps you identify the right one; that is the one that will meet all your needs. Some common concerns are to reduce expenses, regain control over one’s budgets and print purchases. If you happen to have the same issues, do not hesitate to contact professionals and get more informed on print management process.