By Karl Boissonneault
Printing doesn’t have to be complicated, but, let’s face it: For every user who wants something different from that machine, the complexity increases. What started as printing a piece of paper has grown to two-sided printing, imaging, multiple paper weights and colors, faxing, scanning, mobile printing – the list goes on, it grows daily.
Is it any wonder how printers, copiers and workflows got so complicated?
While the engineers and designers focus on how to make technical stuff work, the users are left to figure out how these multiple functions can make their work simpler, quicker and efficient. The good news is that the technology does all of this.
Your printer has multiple roles, which means it may be the final step in a process, or it could be an onramp to a digital workflow. Regardless, your printer makes a difference in your costs, your customer’s experience, data security and productivity.
The average worker can spend as much as three minutes waiting for a print job from a central printer. All that time adds up, which is why we say “workplace assistants” when we talk about the next generation of Xerox printers. Built-in tools help you boost productivity with features like:
- Installation wizards to guide non-technical users through set up.
- Preview of scans and faxes at the user interface.
- Optical Character Recognition for scanned documents that are searchable.
- Access to popular cloud-based services, like DropBox, Easy Translator and many more customized apps.
Liberate your workflows
Xerox ConnectKey Technology gives you the freedom to solve problems, be more sustainable and productive and take on new challenges.
Check out the VersaLink family for small workgroups, and the AltaLink family for midsize to large workgroups.
Printer apps and digital workflows
That last point, customized apps, are the key better workflows. Apps make it easier to use devices as part of digital workflows to the cloud and other platforms and applications. Moreover, users can expand device functionality simply by adding capabilities from an ever-expanding app gallery, or build their own apps. The result is less time at the printer, and work that flows from the physical world into the digital realm more efficiently, gets completed a lot faster, and is fulfilled more accurately.
Printer apps redefine how work gets done
On Demand Webinar: Learn how apps turn multifunction printers into workplace assistants. (30 minutes)
Learn more about Xerox ConnectKey printer apps on Xerox.com. There’s always room for great work and collaboration.
And the vendors who sell these devices have gone “next generation” too. Our most successful channel partners create customized apps that help their customers work better, and make their printers more convenient.
Your multifunction printer can help you work better, faster, smarter — and cut down on wasted staff time and energy at the same time. Existing paper-based processes can be converted easily to digital — and back — for faster, more efficient service. For instance, a contract could be generated and populated online, printed out for a client’s signature, and then scanned back into the system.
Our next-generation multifunction printers represent a vital component of information flow, which is the lifeblood of organizations in the knowledge economy.
Visit the Xerox App Gallery and see what your printer can do when you install the right tools. Or contact your Xerox channel partner or reseller.
This is why owners of small- and medium-sized businesses need a more critical eye when they assess new print devices. The right one will help them harness the power of new technology.
Portions of this article were first published in PurchasingB2B.ca, which publishes information for professional development, trends, industry news, and best practices.
