Document | Productivity | Solutions | The | Uncontrolled | Document

Do you know how much your company spends on document imaging and management?

If your answer is no, you are not alone. IDC Research shows that the vast majority of companies lack the resources to measure and track key costs such as device usage and supply consumption and lost productivity.

Along with the many hard costs associated with document output and delivery are numerous soft costs, such as:

•	Help desk support
•	Administration time processing monthly maintenance agreements and invoices
•	Employee time that could be reduced through added features and benefits
The lack of information about the total costs associated with document distribution and output leaves companies vulnerable to inefficiency - whether it’s in their uncoordinated mix of imaging devices, management of supplies, or lack of a document tracking system that accurately measures true usage for print, scan, fax and copy output.

Developing a Document Strategy

Given these factors, it’s never been more important to manage and optimize your organization’s entire print and document management environment. This can be achieved through a methodical and proven approach to understanding your Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). And it begins by assessing all costs associated with procuring, owning, and using document printing and imaging technology, maintenance, and ongoing support. Assessments must be fact-based, practical to implement, and scalable.

Total Cost of Ownership

Total Cost of Ownership encompasses traditional direct costs such as upfront device acquisition and financing costs and ongoing charges for print cartridges, supplies, paper, and maintenance. It also includes indirect costs such as space, power, IT support, help desk support, and end user productivity. Direct costs are often $50-$80 per employee, with indirect costs often 2-4 times the direct cost.

Marco’s iLink process examines every facet of your document output and assets including utilization rates, end user satisfaction, print applications, service and supply costs, asset maps, and floor plans. The assessment report provides recommendations for cutting costs, increasing efficiencies, and prioritizing plans for future growth.

The Payoff

IDC studies indicate that by implementing a managed imaging and output environment companies have achieved direct cost savings of between 8% and 41%. The cost savings are broken down as follows:

•	Reduced spending on hardcopy devices
•	Reduced IT support costs for printing/copying/faxing/scanning user issues
•	Lowered consumables spending
•	Reduced costs to order and manage inventory
•	Less print/copy/fax/scan repairs
The University of St. Thomas is a good example of this. Marco used the iLink process to help the University discover their actual costs associated with their many copy/print devices, consumables, and service contracts. Upon analyzing the information, Marco suggested an implementation plan to help the University reduce their document output costs, while adding features to increase their staff’s productivity. The University was able to replace 300 single-function devices with a fleet of 150 multifunction printers over 18 months. They estimate their savings to be approximately $20,000 per year by utilizing Marco’s iLink Document Productivity Plan. Click here to read the complete story.