In today’s competitive world, knowledge is power. Without insight, you are unarmed. Information and data allow you to maximise your potential, improve the productivity of your people. Plus, provide the experience your customers expect.

But how do you acquire that insight? And what are the ways and means of effectively using it to your advantage? In this article, we’ll discuss how rich insight gained using Print MIS leads to better decision making and efficiency for print businesses.

Print MIS for greater efficiency

Web-to-print solutions – when integrated with your Print MIS tech – provide both you and your teams with an accurate, real-time overview of what’s going on at your business. This clarity enables you to see the big picture. Therefore prioritise orders, prevent blockers on productivity, and optimise your people’s time.

One mistake many print businesses make is to invest in print MIS automation and then fit highly manual practices around it. For example, automatically taking orders online but then manually keying them into the production process. By sticking to standards-based software across your print shop, you can avoid this problem and free up hours for your people.

Print MIS for better customer experience

Online shopping comes with set customer expectations. Thanks to the massive success of brands like Amazon. When someone visits your online store, they expect you to be able to deliver your product with speed, service, and availability. In other words, every business is now judged in the same way.

So, for your e-commerce, you need to ensure you have systems in place to streamline the print order to the production workflow process. Third-Party Web-to-Print Software Integration (API) minimises potential complications. Therefore, allowing customers to submit orders on their own time and their terms, which automates the connection from ordering to production without manual rekeying of information.

Print MIS and e-commerce also provides additional ways to give your customers a better service experience. For instance, when ordering the system can show which products are actually in stock when they order. Giving them an option to influence how quickly their order is fulfilled. 

Likewise, dashboards can allow them to see exactly where their order is in the process, and push notifications can enhance this further by sending text or email messages at key production or delivery stages.

Introducing Avanti Slingshot® Print MIS

Avanti Slingshot® Print MIS is an excellent solution to add to any print business, offering you complete insight over the goings-on in your shop. As a result, with this Print MIS insight, you can make orders more efficient, ensure you have the right stock, manage your staff’s time, and make better business decisions.

Here are just some of its key features:

Avanti Slingshot® Print MIS  Executive Dashboard

The Executive Dashboard provides analysis tools and real-time notification functionality to help you understand and manage your business better. Therefore, Print MIS solution such as Avanti gives you answers to the most pressing questions across departments, such as:

• Are we hitting our margins?
• Reaching our sales targets?
• Using our inventory?

It’s all about measuring your Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). The dashboard uses graphics to easily represent customer service, financials, sales, marketing, and more. Discover more.

Avanti Slingshot® Print MIS Customer Relationship Management (CRM) module

Avanti Slingshot® Print MIS CRM module keeps everything you know about your customers at you and your team’s fingertips.

Discover more about CRM module

Avanti Slingshot® Print MIS Reporting module

With numerous standard reports, the Avanti Slingshot® Print MIS reporting module can help you make sense of all your Print MIS data. From extensive costing, job tracking, and efficiency analytics, you can gain valuable insight into your business’ past, present, and near future. 

Learning how to save money and time just got easier. Find out more.

Customer Testimonial

“Previously, I wasn’t able to determine where we were making vs losing money, who our best clients were, and which clients had the largest growth potential. Answers to the most common business questions are now easily at my fingertips. This includes cost, inventory, and job tracking. As a result, We never risk losing money on a job, and I am no longer a bottleneck when it comes to estimating. I have experienced ‘freedom from my desk’. Creating an estimate right in a customer’s office or access my operation from any laptop or mobile device using just a browser.”

Cathy Skoglund Manager of Operations & Business Development

ASU Print & Imaging Lab

Want to find out more about Avanti Slingshot® Print MIS?

Visit our free online resource to discover more about Avanti Slingshot® Print MIS.

Our dedicated team of Print MIS experts are on hand to discuss how Ricoh can support your print business.

If you want to find out what we can do for you, please feel free to get in touch.

The post How real-time insight from your print MIS can increase efficiency in your print business appeared first on Insights - Empowering Digital Workplaces.

Collective efforts of local councils have helped the UK steer the course of the global pandemic. But each initiative introduced to help each other will incur financial consequences in the coming months and years.

“We are seeing significant losses to our income – for example, from leisure centres – as well as increased demands and costs for some services, such as housing.” Cambridge Council

Drops in local taxation, such as business rates and reductions in revenues like town centre parking, will impact budgets for 2021. In combination with new support, this could cause cash-flow problems. And it may lead to cuts, putting vital services at risk and threatening long-term sustainability.

But it doesn’t have to be all doom and gloom. There are stories of council success we can take inspiration from. Therefore, by making a few changes, build for a brighter future.

By evolving your workforce

One of the most important ways local councils are navigating future budget challenges is by looking at how their workforce operates. Every industry in the UK has had to adapt to new agile and remote ways of working. And they’re finding that there is a long-term opportunity for both reduced costs and increased growth and productivity.

To position yourself for success, you must make meaningful investments in your technology and processes to support your people and better manage your budgets.

By increasing business resilience

Hindsight is 20-20 but imagine if you could have predicted this years’ events. You would have put things in place to prepare. You would ensure you could react and adapt quickly to change and capitalise on each new opportunity.

Well, we’re still working in uncertain times. And now we know the importance of creating business resilience, we need to put it into practice. Look at how your local council can embrace technology and software to provide greater insight and flexibility – and respond more effectively to demand and market factors.

By looking after your people

Creating a more agile workforce and increasing business resilience could lead to significant cost-savings over time. It will protect services and staff and ensure your council can maximise delivery.

But perhaps most importantly of all, it lays the foundations for you to better look after your people. You will create a more productive and positive environment that not only empowers their ability to do their jobs but also supports their mental health and wellbeing.

Local councils are collaborating with Ricoh to ensure future success

Working with a partner can be a fantastic option to hit the ground running in 2021. Here are some of the inspirational success stories that have enabled local councils to increase revenue, sustainability, and financial returns.

Camden Council

Camden Council has put in place a Smarter Working Programme to improve community service delivery. A key part of the programme is a Ricoh Business Process Service that is helping the council reduce costs, increase business process agility and make services more efficient and effective.

Read case study

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, with our digital strategy and Ricoh services in place. The council was functioning and working remotely. Staff used MailSmart from home to send letters, knowing they would be delivered. This is exactly what agile working means – doing things in the right way, measuring performance, and delivering value for money.”

Ros Daniel

Creative Services Manager, London Borough of Camden

Coventry City Council

Ricoh Smart Locker

Coventry City Council was about to deploy Ricoh Smart Locker as part of its initiative to develop a more agile workforce. But when the Coronavirus crisis hit the UK, it instead transformed the Ricoh solution into a critical tool for protecting staff and ensuring business continuity.

Read case study

“The Ricoh Smart Locker solution has become critical to protecting the Coventry City Council workforce and enabling it to deliver essential services to the community. Without it, I doubt whether we could have implemented such effective social distancing measures as we have done.”

Gary Griffiths

ICT Engagement Lead, Coventry City Council

Ricoh RansomCare

Coventry City Council was concerned about the growing threat of ransomware attacks. Lockdown sharpened focus on the risk since good security practice was difficult to apply on staff working from home. To ensure the best defence, the council decided to deploy Ricoh’s RansomCare solution.

Read case study

“Ricoh’s RansomCare solution is an insurance policy. If we didn’t do this and had an attack, we’d have to justify why, for the cost of the solution, we could have prevented months of system lock down and millions spent repairing data.”

Gary Griffiths

ICT Engagement Lead, Coventry City Council

Conwy County Borough Council

When Conwy County Borough Council launched a modernisation programme, one area that needed addressing was its inefficient print facilities. Therefore, through a national framework agreement, the council selected Ricoh as its improvement partner. The print estate has since been cut by 70% while still improving the service. More efficient business processes are being adopted and the council is starting to see significant cost savings.

Read case study

“Ricoh’s solution is more than just printing. It’s about rationalising resources, using technology to improve processes and help staff to be more efficient and agile, and ultimately filtering those improvements through to the services Conwy County Borough Council provides to the community.”

Brian Laing

Corporate Project Manager Information Technology and Digital Transformation, Conwy County Borough Council

Get in touch with Ricoh today and we’ll discuss how can meet your local needs

Ricoh has years of industry experience in collaborating with its partners to deliver solutions tailored to their business’ needs.

We adopt a people-first approach. That not only enables your entire organisation to adopt and adapt to new technologies and solutions. But also empowers the individuals who make up your teams to achieve their best work.

The post Learn how local councils are navigating future budget challenges appeared first on Insights - Empowering Digital Workplaces.

As we approach another year, we have a natural desire to look back and consider how the previous years’ lessons will inform the next twelve months. It’s important to learn from experience so we can apply this learning proactively to use it to consider predictions for the future.

COVID-19 large format signage and the impact of floor graphics

Coronavirus, and its associated restrictions and guidance, has resulted in simultaneously more and less demand for signage and graphics. Travel, retail, and events and exhibitions have shrunk as profitable markets for print service providers (PSPs). Many businesses and organisations in these sectors simply closed in the spring and some are yet to reopen their doors. But at the same time, signage for informational and directional messages – for instance designating distances of 2 metres or one-way systems – have been in exceptionally high demand. Floor graphics, in particular, experienced incredible sales.

In 2021, there will be – hopefully – less requirement for directional floor graphics. However, their effectiveness has proven its potential for influencing consumer behaviour. So we expect to see more creativity in this application, while PSPs and designers will be keen to create incredible quality output with their digital printers and cutters. A formerly under-utilised canvas, the floors of retail, commercial and public spaces are likely to receive a lot more attention.

Application-led diversification, backed by technology

Since digital large-format printers became affordable investments, most PSPs have found more than enough work to keep them busy; there was little need to look for new markets to explore. When COVID-19 hit, of course, all that changed. All kinds of business had to shift gear and see what else, and to whom else, they could sell. This lead to rapid diversification, principally driven by a demand for specific applications and the application of today’s versatile digital printing technology.

For instance, thanks to large format printers suitable for multiple applications, exhibition specialists may have switched to floor graphics, while T-shirt printers normally busy with personalised tees for events perhaps shifted production to reusable fabric face masks. This type of exploration, experimentation, and entrepreneurialism is expected to drive a new era for print businesses. One where operators and owners will be looking at what else their print room can do and where it can take them, not just during a crisis, but long term.

This extends beyond printing hardware. Inks and substrates are more specialised and yet more versatile and user-friendly, while the software is making more things possible than we could have ever predicted. PSPs now have the tools to integrate their printing operations with e-commerce and marketing platforms, giving them more control and direct access to new markets.

Forging and retaining connections for large format print

Interacting with customers more directly is part of the new normal. This year has been emotional, with much emphasis on staying connected with our loved ones and our communities. Relationships between businesses and their customers, and their suppliers and service providers, are more important than ever before. It’s likely that the companies that succeed in the next twelve months will be those shown to be reliable and responsive to everyone in their supply chain.

For PSPs, these connections established in 2020 may prove incredibly useful in showing customers what’s possible with print in 2021. Social media and e-marketing create more opportunities for engagement and interaction; print businesses can DM or tag their way into the focus of potential customers or show their existing client list their latest application innovation via their inboxes. Trade shows and training have gone online – and are expected to stay there for the time being – giving more people outside the large-format print world unprecedented access.

Watch our webinar about incorporating large format into your print operation.

Personalisation – at home and out

We expect personalisation in the consumer market to grow as a market segment. Custom wall coverings are already an exciting vertical market for PSPs but until recently were typically restricted to schools, colleges and offices, often to display motivational messages, and in hospitals where colour and design can create a more welcoming, less intimidating environment for patients. But now – judging by the demand for home decorating and DIY products in 2020 – there is an opportunity for PSPs to enter the domestic market armed with the ability to create bespoke wall coverings and other interior decor items.

Again, this is enabled by the unceasing R&D in our industry: the material versatility of large format printing technology, the development of low-VOC inks suitable for domestic settings, and new substrates and adhesives that make DIY installation easy for the end-user. Also, software and social media make it possible for PSPs to sell directly to the consumer. Established graphics companies have the skills to succeed in custom home decor.

Back in the commercial sector, we may see more localised marketing messages online, in OOH and on printed output. Many retailers and brands sought to connect with their customers on an emotional level during the pandemic. And have now seen the value of adding localised elements of their marketing to retain that bond with their demographic. The nature of digital printing technology allows unlimited personalisation for businesses with one site or thousands.

Sustainability and reducing costs with large format print

Sustainability, in the eco-friendly sense, has moved down the list of priorities for many businesses and their customers. But ‘sustainability’ also means financial security with longevity. And these two definitions often go hand in hand. Reducing waste, transport miles and energy is all to the benefit of the bottom line as much as the environment.

The trends of 2020 and 2021 discussed here come into play when talking about sustainability and reducing costs. The evolution of technology has resulted in direct-to-substrate printing with latex and UV. Which uses fewer materials and is faster than traditional multi-step methods. Personalisation and greater customer involvement mean buyers get exactly what they want, adding value and reducing waste. Reaching the local market can improve turnaround speeds. Therefore margins while reducing transport emissions and fuel costs. By connecting with customers more directly, PSPs can also educate. About the sustainability of the materials they use, which is far from a black and white subject in our industry.

Sustainability, of course, is all about surviving and growing. All of us could benefit from taking some time to stop, take a breath, and consider what 2020 has taught us. This knowledge can help us thrive in 2021 and beyond.

Please click here for further information on Large Format.

The post Large Format Print – the lessons learnt and predictions for the future Sign and Display industry appeared first on Insights - Empowering Digital Workplaces.

But, technology, when coupled with transformative thinking, has the ability to radically shift a business’s performance, culture, and success. It is, without doubt, a catalyst for change.

More than ever, businesses in every industry are undergoing change at unprecedented speed. Digital technologies and processes are transforming how companies operate, their customers consume, and competitors seek to gain an advantage.

Organisations that resist the technology revolution will find it difficult to satisfy consumer demands for instant, personalised services. Over time they will begin to find it nearly impossible to survive.

But is digital transformation just a case of implementing new technologies?

The term digital transformation implies that the use of technology is required to achieve transformation. However, achieving transformation isn’t simply a case of implementing different technologies, but rather the use of these technologies to achieve a transformation. There’s a subtle difference.

For instance, transformation might use technologies including cloud computing, document management, data analytics, automated workflows, AI/ML, IoT etc. But these technologies in themselves will not necessarily achieve significant transformations. However, applied as the building blocks to a wider process, purpose or service, these technologies enable the identification and realisation of new opportunities.

In essence, the purpose of digital transformation is to improve the business, delight customers, and to identify new opportunities for revenue through new business and service models.

So, what technology should you implement and why?

Digital technology can provide the building blocks to transform many areas of your business. These can be broadly categorised into the following four areas;

Productivity and business continuity

The past several months have certainly highlighted the need for businesses, and their workforce, to be agile. Remote and flexible working is here to stay, so being able to integrate new working processes and technology to enable your people to continue to do their jobs effectively, wherever they are, is key. This has led to many organisations re-evaluating their entire organisation. Cloud software, document management, end-user security, document scanning, inbound mail, and remote printing are just some of the technologies which have been embraced by organisations recently.

Strong culture and wellbeing

A good culture inspires your people and makes them proud to work for you. Creating an environment that’s both physically and emotionally supporting will help support your people to do their best work – and love doing it. So digital transformation of the workplace is key to meeting the needs of our people and in turn our businesses. This means creating a digitally seamless workplace software that extends beyond the physical office; creating an online hub of collaboration, inspiration, and communication that can be accessed anywhere.

Resilience and efficiency

Resilience and efficiency will ensure your organisation’s ability to respond quickly and effectively to future change, turning challenges to your advantage when your competitors are unable to adapt as quickly as you. Such scenarios might be your business’s ability to resist cyber-attacks, changes in legislation, or natural disasters such as fire and floods. So, technologies such as ransomware, remote IT monitoring and management, or perhaps document scanning, management, and archiving will all provide business protection and resilience. 

Security and scalability

Greater productivity, profitability, and growth are becoming more and more achievable as working practices evolve. But this also brings new risks and challenges. With remote workers accessing work systems via personal WIFI and devices, IT departments are challenged to maintain a secure infrastructure. Luckily technology has the answer. 

New advanced cybersecurity software, collaboration tools, and data processing technologies are facilitating their right level of support. Enable their people to continue to collaborate and communicate effectively in a safe and secure way. 

Which transformation technologies will be right for your business and why?

Before you make any technology decisions you need to first audit your current capabilities, assess future requirements, and, most importantly, discover the existing experiences of your people.

When it comes to new technology or processes you must first understand what you and your people need. Discover this by assessing and understanding their current experiences of the existing technology, systems, and processes. How they feel they are supported, the ease of use, and if there are any barriers to productivity. In essence, a workplace and experience assessment to identify where you are strong, where you need to improve, and what your people really require. 

With these insights, you will be better placed to identify and find the right solutions.

So, in summary…

Technology provides the building materials. But solid understanding, sound digital business thinking, and the support of an experienced transformation partner will create successful transformation.

Only then will the technology investment combine to create great experiences for both your people and customers.

Seek the support of a collaborative people-first transformation partner

Before you embark on your business transformation journey seek support from a knowledgeable and collaborative technology partner.  A support partner like Ricoh brings many years of experience and a unique people-first perspective which will enable your business to analyse, plan, and implement effective transformation.

Find out more

If you would like to find out more about business transformation and identifying a process suited to your particular business needs, please feel free to get in touch.

You will find our latest practical guide to transformation ‘Implementing a Conscious Workplace’ an invaluable read. Get your free copy here.

The post Identifying the role of technology in digital transformation and knowing which technologies are right for your business appeared first on Insights - Empowering Digital Workplaces.

In the past, many law firms have chosen tradition over transformation. But now, this isn’t a choice at all.

We’re in the ‘new normal’. Remote working is here to stay. And instead, the choice is: how do we adapt our working practices to capitalise on new opportunities?

Leading law firms have risen to that challenge – and they’re realising the benefits. Let’s uncover what they’ve discovered.

A new global agile working policy from Linklaters allows employees to work from home 20-50 percent of the time. Likewise, Herbert Smith Freehills has announced that employees can work from home up to 40 percent, even when offices are back to some sort of normality. And furthermore, Slater and Gordon have mentioned that home-working will become the norm for the majority of their employees.

What are the biggest changes happening right now?

There are multiple key decisions legal firms have to make: what do we do with our office space? Large, expensive buildings are currently left empty. A tentative return for employees has been delayed.

And how do we empower our people at home? Processes must evolve and adapt. New technology must be introduced and integrated. But ‘how?’ and ‘which technologies?’. 

People are becoming accustomed to the flexibility of agile working practices. Indeed, some leading law firms have already committed to continuing remote working in the future.

In a recent survey with 62 law firms by RSG regarding the impact of coronavirus, a quarter of law firms implied that remote working has resulted in a rise in productivity. Furthermore, nearly 50 percent of law firms expect a long-term change in the way office space used.

Do we need to reconsider our workplace?

The top law firms are renowned for their impressive workspaces. Modern art, coffee bars, gyms, swimming pools. These generous perks support staff who notoriously work grueling hours – in a culture where they were expected to be in the office.

But this lifestyle is no longer an option in the ‘new normal’. We can’t all work in the office. We won’t for some time. And even when we can, many people will choose not to. Which means we are left wondering: what to do with all that space?

No matter what shape our future workforce takes, one thing is certain. People need shared spaces for both collaboration and social interaction.

How will changing work styles affect our people?

Working remotely comes with its own challenges. Lack of social interaction makes your people feel isolated. Video conferencing will never quite be as good as face-to-face meetings. It is harder for trainee lawyers to learn from those more experienced.

But it also comes with opportunity. Flexible working enables your people to enjoy a better work/life balance. With the right technology and process in place, remote working has led to increased productivity. And many leading law firms are carrying out complex legal tasks despite teams working in multiple locations.

The four C’s that define the future of law firms

If we reimagine our workplaces to meet the changing perceptions of our people in the ‘new normal’, what are the key things law firms need to consider? These 4 C’s are crucial concepts to keep in mind:

Contemplation.

Remote working provides peace and quiet to contemplate on your work. Your people have much greater control over their time, which means they can give projects and decisions due consideration.

Concentration.

And this is also true for concentration. Remote working makes for fewer distractions. Your people can feel fully focused and engaged with their work – leading to better results.

Collaboration.

Some roles require effective collaboration. Providing processes, new technology or physical spaces that enable this is vital to business success. Your teams might need to meet to complete the final stages of a deal or file a complex piece of litigation. Your office space could provide the opportunity.

Communication.

And some roles or projects require effective communication. This can be hard to achieve remotely as, despite the benefits, video conferencing technology is not a perfect substitute for face-to-face meetings. 

What role will technology play in the ‘new normal’?

Digital transformation will play a crucial role for both people and productivity across law firms in the ‘new normal’. Processes that were possible in physical workspaces must now be automated. And this is a good thing.

Not only are leading law firms taking these tedious tasks out of the hands of busy employees – freeing them up for more important jobs – they’re reducing the risk of human error. But the question remains, which technology will be right for your firm?

Identify the right technology for your firm by auditing your current capabilities

Before you introduce new technology or processes to your firm, you must first understand what you and your people need. Discover this by assessing and understanding your current capabilities.

Identify where you are strong, where you need to improve, and what your people require. Then use these insights to find the right solutions.

Seek the support of a collaborative people-first partner

Introduce effective digital transformation into your law firm by working with a collaborative partner. 

Ricoh has years of experience in helping law firms analyse, plan and implement new processes and technologies – keeping their people front of mind at all times.

Find out more

If you would like to find out more about how we improve workplaces, using innovative technologies and services that enable people to work harder, please check out this guide.

Also, if you’d like to hear more insight from the world’s largest full-service law firm Eversheds Sutherland. You can watch our webinar on-demand: ‘Why facilities management should be at the forefront of your business continuity strategy’

You’ll also find a whole host of other topics up for discussion, and they are absolutely free for you to enjoy.

Get in touch today and we’ll discuss how we can provide the perfect solution for you.

The post Leading law firms capitalise on the ‘new normal’ for working practice appeared first on Insights - Empowering Digital Workplaces.

So what’s next? This is a question that we’ve all been asking ourselves a lot this year.

Initially, we may have been quite rightly asking that question in relation to our personal freedoms and immediate business prospects. With restrictions continuing to evolve questions need to be refocused around longer-term business perspectives.

As a print service provider, it has always been vital to understand the evolving print needs of your customers. Ensuring that you can meet them efficiently and cost-effectively. The events of 2020 have made this more critical than ever.

So, for printers, the simple question of what comes next becomes a series of interlinked questions:

• How will the pandemic and the “new normal” affect the kind of printed products my customers want to buy?
• And their expectations of realising a return on their marketing spend?
• How well-suited to producing these products is my existing operation?
• What steps do I need to take to put right any gaps in my ability to provide them?

Application-specific

It’s too early to know what the long-term impact of COVID-19 will be on print demand. It may be that in certain scenarios, people have learned to live without print. But it isn’t clear that such a change is permanent. What is clear is that the impact on the print industry has been application-specific.

Printed products such as business cards and brochures have been hit hard. Harder than labels and packaging. Wide-format signage took a hit but has bounced back as sectors such as retail and hospitality have reopened with new needs.

According to early coronavirus, impact reports from IT Strategies and Keypoint Intelligence by InfoTrends. Print buyers and marketers will want their spend to work harder. They will order smaller quantities looking for every item to be more relevant.

This all sounds very familiar, and that’s because it’s a simple acceleration of trends that were already imparting an influence upon the printing industry. There was already a migration from offset to digital print taking place. Already pressure on run lengths. As well as a demand for higher quality, higher value print that could cut through.

Post-lockdown

Coronavirus has given many printers an opportunity to think hard about their business. And how they can position themselves best to thrive in the post-lockdown market. Without doubt, digital printing capabilities are going to be vital within that market. Enabling economical short runs, and versioning and personalisation of printed products. The varying impact of COVID-19 on different applications also highlights the desirability for printers to be adaptable.

They need to have a flexible mindset.  As well as production capability that extends that mindset into a varied product offering. This means deploying printing presses that are designed to print onto a wide range of media. As well as finishing equipment to handle varied formats in small quantities. Equipping themselves for the quick supply of such high quality, high-value applications will become a key commercial advantage.

Investment may be required to gain these capabilities. But the latest entry-level digital production presses represent a low risk, high reward path towards this digital transformation. Such technology delivers high-quality print as a matter of course, allied to high application versatility, finishing options and production reliability.

In uncertain times and a fast-changing market. Printers are understandably reluctant to risk investing heavily in big-ticket technology.  While also acknowledging the need to seek out solutions that allow them to pivot quickly and enter new application segments.

With offset volumes also migrating to digital print at an accelerated rate.  There are affordable options in the marketplace that will better set them up for whatever the future holds.

Check out our new entry-level colour press, the Pro C5300 series.

All of our digital print solutions can be found here.

The post Low risk, high reward: how digital print holds the key in the new normal appeared first on Insights - Empowering Digital Workplaces.

After all, nothing drives agility quite like urgency. And nothing enables agility quite like technology.  Now business leaders need to make a different type of decision. How to get back to work and what that should look like.

Getting back to business

Leaders find themselves at an unusual juncture in time, facing extraordinary obstacles but at the same time, opportunities. To navigate a successful path back to a profitable business will be tricky. But those who embrace the challenge and take a bold approach could stand to gain significantly.

Why? Because merely going back to ‘business as usual’ could prove to leave them dangerously behind a quickly developing future business curve. An accelerating curve is driven by technology and both employee and customer expectations.

So leaders need to make their plans now in order to shape their organisation’s potential future. The eventual strategy will need to move their business forward to where they believe it should be. But what should that belief be?

Rising to the future of work

Leaders should seek to harness and cultivate the new mindset their organisation has adopted and displayed during the recent crisis. It was a willingness to embrace change that enabled organisations to move to mass remote working in such a short space of time. 

This same mindset can, therefore, be the enabler for new initiatives and opportunities. As the future will require a workforce that is agile, flexible and adaptable.

An opportunity to reimagine

So what is the future? Well, the thought of everyone travelling to and from an office daily already seems like an idea from a bygone era. Similarly, the suggestion that managers need to see people at their desks to believe they are working is redundant. We’ve moved beyond these traditional views. It’s time to reimagine how we work. And that probably starts with our traditional office workplaces.

The office no longer needs to be a location, visited daily with one specific function. They’ll become more fluid, smarter offices which act as a hybrid space designed to unify people under your brand. A destination where people want to go, but don’t need to.

They will be places where your purpose is omnipresent and your people, partners and customers come together to pool and create ideas before heading off to work remotely. They will be a place of inspiration, imagination and learning.

And at the same time, they will be more enjoyable, safer and healthier. With less reliance on traditional ‘touch’ computing, instead, they will adopt more virtual technologies so everything can be accessed and implemented remotely from a mobile device, voice or identification scanning.

Accelerating automation and machine learning

As the hybrid workspace takes shape leaders should also think about their current business processes and practices. How information and data is managed, transferred and used across the organisation. What processes still rely on manual and physical actions and how these can become automated.

Accelerating the use of automation across the organisation will support a hybrid operating structure and enhance remote working capabilities. The opportunity to remove repetitive tasks and introduce machine learning to fully automate key processes will create new competitive opportunities and advantages for organisations.

Sophisticated automation can work alongside your people. Freeing them to focus their ingenuity and problem-solving skills to build the real capital in your business – IP. With more time available they can engage in lifelong learning to overcome the digital skills gap and deliver innovation.  Now is the time to take a serious view of automation and the benefits it offers.

Seek a knowledgeable partner

Understanding these opportunities and their potential will be key to defining every organisation’s future. Getting this right is more critical now than it has ever been. Getting it right will set your organisation on a path to greater success. 

So it’s essential to seek the support and ideas of a specialist workplace transformation partner. They will help you ask the right questions and validate what’s possible, by when and how.

The right partner will have skills which range from initial consulting through to technological planning and implementation. They will be objective and collaborative. Having partnerships with the major technology vendors and solution providers, they will recommend only the most appropriate, best of breed technologies.

Armed with this collective insight you can prepare to build a transformed organisation that will inspire employees, build trust with buyers and align CSR with the business purpose. 

But above all, your organisation will be ready to challenge and compete tomorrow.

The post The future of work – an opportunity to reimagine appeared first on Insights - Empowering Digital Workplaces.

But now we’ve all experienced an extended period of remote working and have had time to reflect on our own organisation’s performance. Some have performed better than others, yet I think we can all agree we’ve learnt that we need to embrace digital transformation with a new urgency.

An enforced ‘reset’

In the early stage of the lockdown, a huge effort was applied to simply maintain some level of continuity. A sense of ‘business as usual’ even though it was far from it for many of us. 

IT teams have played an extensive part in either enabling the organisation to operate off-premise or creating workarounds. Those that could do, and those that couldn’t figure out a way. Many are still working on more viable solutions and will continue to do so in the coming months whilst many workers remain remote.

It’s been a do or die scenario. Credit is due to all the UK business leaders, employees and IT departments that have pulled out all the stops to make it happen.

The future of work can’t be like the past

All the stress and fears that went with those early days of adopting a new way of working may seem a fading memory. But if we’ve learned anything from all this it’s that the future of work can’t be like the past. We need to ensure we can maintain a high degree of business performance, no matter the circumstances.

As we negotiate the current climate and prepare for the future it’s vital that we continue to adapt and change. We must ensure our workforce, business and country as a whole are flexible, with the tools and technology in place to continue to be competitive on an international stage.

Agility to Digitally Transform

Today, as the world continues to operate in a state of flux, we, as forward-thinking organisations, need to take stock and consider our future business requirements and performance. We need to embrace and harness the agility of the past several weeks. Helping us to shift gears from ‘survive’ to ‘thrive’. To modify our organisations by embracing true digital transformation to gain a competitive edge over those who lag behind.

Experience is how we learn

Recent experience has shown when we face operational challenges that impede our productivity we can quickly address them. Therefore, in that same spirit, perhaps we need to experience some of the operational difficulties which still exist digitally in our organisations? By this I mean the daily challenges your people have with simple software technologies and devices. Are they able to work seamlessly? Do they have connection issues? Are their devices fit for purpose? Can they access all solutions via the cloud?

Understanding exactly how our people work with existing technologies, where business performance can be improved, and what is already working is the first step to true digital transformation. Only then can business leaders make informed decisions to effect positive change. The sort of change we’re going to need to make to have a positive impact on all of us. 

Preparing for the ability to compete

By really knowing the digital workplace experiences of your people. You can then look to address the processes and technology which need to be enhanced. With the right decisions made, organisations can raise their business performance to a new level of sophistication. 

Once in place, these processes and technologies will open up a new world of possibilities and opportunity.

A place where:

• reporting provides multidimensional viewpoints to enable scenario planning in realtime 
• communications become seamless and integrated
• newly discovered efficiencies deliver competitive advantages
• people feel included, valued and have a purpose
• value is created for customers and consequently, profits realised

In short, being able to understand the fundamentals is the first step to preparing your business for a new world stage.

Be digital ready 

We can be certain that our business future will require organisations to be more and more agile to be successful. Failure to respond quickly and with continuity will not be an option. So there is no room for a mismatch between your technologies, the people that use them and the agile approach you need. Now is the time to take stock and be digital-ready.

Click to read Digital Experience Assessments

If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch with me on LinkedIn.

The post Work 2.0 – Digitally Enhanced Business Performance appeared first on Insights - Empowering Digital Workplaces.

So, where do you start? As with most purchasing decisions, you need to understand your needs and any special requirements you may have. 

Set your criteria before you start the process of buying a new printer

To start with, do you know which printer you need? What would best meet your requirements? Do you need a printer or a multifunctional device? Is a laser printer better than an inkjet printer? What does it cost to run a print device? These are all critical criteria when buying a new printer.

Before exploring the options available to you, it is worth spending some time considering what you will use the printer for and why. Do you need a personal printer or one shared across multiple users? Do you need to scan and archive digital documents as well as print and copy? How many pages are you likely to print each month, and what quality do you need? Will the device be secure yet easy to connect and use?

Seven simple questions to ask yourself when buying a new printer

When buying a new printer or multifunction device for your organisation, it’s essential to make the right choice. Some printers may end up costing you more than you anticipated and break down often if not selected correctly.  Also, modern printer technology and service support are evolving fast, so you don’t want to invest in a product that becomes unusable in a short space of time.  

1. Does it meet or exceed my monthly volume requirements? How much printing does your business do now, and how might this change in the future?
2. What features do I need?  Think about colour output, scanning, stapling, printing from Mac or PC
3. Is the device configured for evolving technologies? Can you scan to personal and business cloud storage? Can your employees access the device remotely from multiple devices like mobiles and tablets? 
4. What level of information security does it include? Your printer should protect your business from security threats and meet the General Data Protection Regulation.
5. Is it user-friendly? New multifunctional devices are very feature-rich these days – so just how easy are they to use? Ask about screen customisation and options to make your day-to-day functions as simple as possible to use.
6. Am I investing wisely?  Have you considered the total cost of the purchase and print output over its usage period based on your volumes? In the main, inkjet is still more suited to low volume use, with laser being more cost-effective for higher print volumes.
7. Does your provider/vendor offer an excellent customer support service and experience?  If something goes wrong, how responsive and effective are they, and do they really understand your challenges?

A term you may come across while doing your research for a new printer is ‘printer duty cycle’. But what is a duty cycle, and what does this refer to? Look at our recent article on Why it’s important to know your printer’s duty cycle to learn more.

Buying a new printer for your organisation?

If so, are you buying a new printer or print solution? In today’s digital and agile working environments, the primary function of an office printer has evolved. They are now highly versatile connected devices that sit at the heart of an organisation’s ability. Implementing digital document management workflows, document intake, scanning, hybrid mail, and so much more. 

As a digital services business at the forefront of workplace automation since 1977, we understand the changing workplace and what you value in a partner today. Our guide is your first step to understanding your future printing needs and an essential read when buying a new printer.

Download Your Copy Now

The post Buying a new printer? Ask these seven questions to get the one you need appeared first on Insights - Empowering Digital Workplaces.