Reimagining Business Collaboration
When all your employees are under the same roof, getting the group together to brainstorm ideas and solve big problems is an issue of packing all the people into the same conference room. But when your employees are spread across a city, country, or even the entire globe, how do you pull everyone together to collaborate? Technology has made the physical location of employees irrelevant to their productivity level—we can now access all corporate tools outside the office. But in the process of making it easier to recruit the best talent regardless of their proximity to the physical building that the company is housed in, we lost something that is inherent to the productivity of the entire workforce: the ability to work together as a single unit. ZAC, the newest member of the Zultys family of product, is a tool designed to help employees connect. By bringing all the functionality necessary to work together into a single application, you can put all your best brains into the same conference room—it just won’t be a physical room anymore. The possibilities are endless and the integration between the various methods of communication is infinite. A powerful team chat functionality hosts all the employees working on the same project in the same virtual conference room, and when conveying the ideas across with written correspondence becomes too difficult, getting all the employees together on a conference call doesn’t require trying to remember different phone numbers or emails to send the meeting invite to. All the contact info employees need is right there at their convenience, so that they can put their minds to use doing their job without wasting precious time on figuring out how to get in touch with their coworkers. Set up smaller collaboration hubs for more private conversation, accessible to only the people invited to this discussion, while more expansive projects can be discussed by huge groups. And on top of that, you still have access to all the call handling and call management functionality that have made Zultys Unified Communication Platform indispensable at corporations across the globe. ZAC specializes in enhancing productivity, by combining all methods of communication into a single application, one that is both intuitive and versatile and able to support the communication needs of any business. Technology is supposed to be making our lives easier, so make your business communication technology work for you! And ZAC is here to connect you and your employees together, to make tackling your hardest projects as easy as it would be if you were all sitting around that old conference room table. Contact us to learn more about how we can help you reimagine collaboration in your office! Source: Zultys Blog, Lina
A Smooth Transition Into Going Paperless
There are advantages to going department by department when you implement a document management system. Think of starting small as your “sandbox,” a development term for experimentation that confirms the direction you should be taking. Working through your first implementation project provides valuable information about priorities and processes that you can bring to your next one. Too much change at one time may initially overwhelm users. This is especially true if one person deals with multiple processes across departments. Your goals for the implementation give you an endpoint to reach for, but it can be more effective to take smaller, manageable steps toward that goal. Zero in on one department and go forward from there For most organizations, the accounting department offers a significant opportunity for savings of time and resources. Accounting still tends to be paper-centric. For example, processing incoming invoices is often done manually. This presents significant ROI potential because when you use document management to become more efficient at sending and collecting on invoices, it enables you to get paid more quickly. This results in improved cash flow. Automating these processes saves time as well and allows you to grow your business without adding staff. Document management ultimately works best when multiple departments are connected. Even when you start in one department, it’s important to create a plan to assess which other departments you will automate in the next project phase. Then you can develop a staggered implementation timeline for each department to “go live” while automating the next department is already underway. Find out why three DocuWare customers who implemented the solution in their accounting departments used the experience as a stepping stone for expanding the use of their document management systems. Please note that these are not our clients, but they use one of the document management systems that we use. Propel Schools bring high-performance educational options to their students Propel Schools operates 13 charter schools located in and around Pittsburgh. Today, Propel’s invoice approval workflow is fully automated. Staff at each school scans their documents into DocuWare. The Accounting Department accesses the documents online and performs a 3-way match. Then they quickly route the invoice out for approval. Automations save time in other ways as well. Accounting staff no longer call individual schools to track down invoices that were “lost” in someone’s in-basket. Efficiency is further improved because everyone involved in the workflow can view supporting documents online. In the past, all documentation was stored in physical files that were only accessible in the central business office. Propel’s new invoice approval process is transparent, so staff can easily determine which invoices are outstanding and track their status. With DocuWare in place, invoices never need to be recopied and resent; a quick email reminder is all it takes to move the process along. Approval time has dropped from up to two weeks to just a few days. “DocuWare is helping our business office run much smoother,” Business Manager Darryl Robinson says. “I love this program because it provides my staff with quick, easy access to the information we need and that makes our department look good,” The new electronic invoice approval workflow was so successful that Propel is planning to expand DocuWare to manage student and HR records. Document management is essential at Corestruc Corestruc is the flagship company of a conglomerate that includes eleven individual companies and 250 employees. All are active in the concrete, real estate and agricultural industries in South Africa and neighboring countries. Corestruc designs and manufactures pre-cast concrete structures that are used in public infrastructure and the private construction sector. A digital document management system helps coordinate all these corporate threads from their headquarters in Polokwane, located northeast of Johannesburg. Corestruc is benefiting from digitization, especially on the cost side. DocuWare not only significantly reduces processing times, but also improves the flow of information between administration and subsidiaries. As a result, only a fraction of the time is now spent between receipt of invoice and payment. Based on their positive experience, the company plans to use DocuWare in human resources as well. Shelter Products Automates Accounts Payable to Streamline Processes Headquartered in Milwaukie, Oregon, Shelter Products is a distributor of lumber, plywood and other building materials. With sales offices in six states, the company supplies premier building contractors across the country, specializing in just-in-time shipments for projects including multi-family housing, assisted living, hotels and motels. Installing DocuWare solved several industry-specific challenges. “In the construction business, our customers get a draw from their bank loans once a month,” IT director Colin McDonell explains. “Quick turn-around of invoices is critical. If we miss a cut-off by one day, we’re not getting paid for an additional 30 days.” The company has only a few days to take advantage of early payment discounts, and often missed that window due to lost or incorrectly routed paperwork. “We recently put in an automated invoice approval process that replaced the need for sign off on paper. Because we process 2,400 invoices a month, it was a pinch point,” McDonell says. Now invoices are approved within three hours, rather than possibly sitting on someone’s desk for a day or two. “DocuWare’s Workflow Manager has been transformational in the Shelter Products business. While not part of our initial evaluation, it has quickly become the key piece of the puzzle. After Accounts Payable, rolling it out to the Credit and Legal departments is the next step.” 4 Tips for department-by-department implementations Invite future users to your first training sessions: Once you’ve introduced the solution in one department, invite representatives from other departments to sit in on training. They’ll get first-hand experience with the solution. This will get them excited about how document management can positively impact their work lives. Hold a review and optimization workshop and invite business leaders from other departments to attend: Bring your existing users together to talk about what works and doesn’t, and how to apply these successes and challenges in the future. This workshop also serves as a showcase for other departments.
Is your business ready for Cloud Print Management?
How do you know if your business is suited to cloud print management? If you’re a smaller business, whether you want to track and manage or enable your printing, you have more options than running a print server on-premise. You can now manage your printing in the public cloud. But how do you know you’re suited to serverless printing? What’s the checklist? Oh you better believe that’s a hackneyed set-up for a listicle! 4 signs you’re ready for print management in the cloud 1. You’re already in the public cloud More specifically, you’re already using the public cloud for most of your organization’s work. Many SMB workplaces don’t start up with server racks for their data storage. They outsource to Google Drive or Dropbox. Likewise with the various software-as-a-service (SaaS) business applications found in the likes of Google Workspace and Microsoft 365. For these workplaces, it makes sense to also utilize cloud print management solutions. No point in just having a print server if all the rest of your work needs are satisfied by cloud-based software. 2. You’re new to print management For years you’ve had one MFP or a couple of small A4 printers used by a handful of employees in a modestly sized office. You know who’s coming and going, you know who’s printing what, you’re not printing anything more confidential than regular office documents. You’ve never felt the need for print tracking and monitoring. Especially when considering it means you have to shell out more cash for a print server and ongoing IT maintenance. Well, now is your time to dip your toe in the water. COVID-19 has accelerated adoption of cloud services for a variety of business worktools and print management is no exception. With cloud print management, you’re not purchasing any additional equipment or budgeting for resources – it removes the print server from the equation. That means no ongoing maintenance costs – that’s all-inclusive in the cloud print management SaaS model. Once upon a time, there was a barrier to print management for businesses that couldn’t justify the expenditure on infrastructure. That’s no longer the case with cloud print management solutions. 3. You’re embracing hybrid/remote working Covid-19 forced a change to professional life that was well overdue: you can be just as productive (if not more) working from home. Since undertaking remote working out of necessity during the pandemic, many businesses worldwide are adopting hybrid working models with a split between office and home working. With workers now coming and going from the office, this redefines many a workplace’s approach to printing. For end-users, sometimes they’ll need to press print in one location and collect their job at another. For IT teams and sysadmins, they require the ability to manage and track printing remotely and on location. With cloud print management and enablement, end-users can juggle between printing at home or the office. Similarly, sysadmins and IT staff can manage printing flexibly. 4. You’re an early tech adopter Print management in the public cloud isn’t new, but it’s still a maturing technology. It will take some time before cloud-native solutions reach the same feature-set and embedded functionality as on-prem and private hosted print management solutions. But for those futurists out there who love getting their hands on new technologies, cloud-native print management is your moment. Remember how smug your Gen Z coworker was when they were early on the TikTok hype train? That could be you! Interested in learning more about our Document Management solutions? Give us a call or shoot us a message here: https://boring.com/contact-us/ Source: Papercut Blog
Common Misconceptions About MPS
How many times have you heard the term “managed print services?” What images does it bring to mind? Many people write off MPS because they do not fully understand how it works and how it could scale for their business. A few common misconceptions about Managed Print Services: Managed Print Services refers to large-scale production. When you hear the term “Managed Print Service” or MPS, does the image of a large printer press come to mind? Are you thinking about letterhead, business cards and brochures? Don’t worry, it’s a common misconception, so let’s clearly define what MPS is and how a Managed Print Services environment can improve your office’s everyday printing, copying and faxing tasks. MPS is all about what and how your office prints on the printers that reside in your office(s). (Source: MPS Made Simple) You have to have new printers to use MPS. Whether the printers are old or brand new, you can definitely benefit from a MPS program. Supplies costs can be managed through a contract, and there is peace of mind that all support and services are being handled. Insight into your overall print and copy infrastructure is also something that anyone can benefit from. You need a lot of print and copy devices for MPS to be worthwhile. Although companies with bigger device infrastructures can most definitely take advantage of MPS, smaller companies may be able to, as well. In some cases, it may depend on whether your organization currently has paper intensive processes (e.g., small law firms, insurance agencies, or real estate sites) where output may need to be managed more effectively. The only way to find out if MPS is right for you is to ask an MPS service provider, like Boring. You can only have one brand of printer in order to use MPS. As a multi-line vendor, Boring’s Managed Print Services can incorporate any number of different products. Our priority is to create an optimally efficient print environment for our customers, regardless of brand. We sell and service printers and imaging systems from HP, Lexmark, Canon, and Konica Minolta. MPS is too expensive. Another common myth, this often puts companies off seeking managed print services. The reality is that MPS has been shown to actually save companies money. In comparison to traditional break it support, managed print solutions work on a monthly set rate, and with a great deal of saved resources through effective print management, companies can see a significant effect on their bottom line. Cost-savings is actually one of the primary reasons that companies consider MPS. The upfront costs of MPS are too high. In some cases, there are little or no upfront costs to get into a MPS program. In most cases, you will end up saving money that you were originally going to spend on your print and copy environments. (Source: What to Expect When Engaging in Managed Print Services) Equipment resellers or dealers can’t compete with equipment manufacturers on MPS. Resellers and dealers, like Boring, can provide competitive MPS programs similar to equipment manufacturers. Because we are not limited to one brand, Boring can create customized print environments that may satisfy your requirements better than single-line equipment manufacturers. Contact a Boring MPS Specialist for a personalized assessment to learn more. Working with multiple vendors keeps prices low. One of the benefits of MPS is to organize your fractured infrastructure under a single contract so that there are fewer vendors to manage. In addition, a single vendor can look at your entire infrastructure holistically to insure the most cost efficient environment. You can manage your own print resources without professional help. As another myth intended to try to save money, this route is never going to get results. Just as you wouldn’t try a DIY job to fix your broken tooth, you should not be trying to manage your printing yourself – unless you have the software, skills and experience possessed by professional MPS providers. Even if your printing is reduced, you will not be able to enjoy solutions such as print audit or print management software. You would also be forced to take time from your primary job role to deal with printer issues, which defeats the whole point in the long run. Rather than trying to manage your print fleet on your own, it would make much more sense to hire a managed print services provider, such as Boring, who can help you make the most of your printing practices, saving you money and time. (Source: Common Managed Print Services Myths) Would you like to learn more about Managed Print Services? Click here. To speak with aManaged Print Services Specialist863-686-3167or Contact Us
The Benefits Of Managed Print Services
Your business could be one of millions benefiting from Managed Print Services (MPS). Here at Boring, we take care of all our clients printing needs so that they can focus on running their businesses. MPS can save you money and time, solve location and communication issues, as well as aid in teaching employees better printing habits. MPS can slow the escalating costs of print. By optimizing how your devices are being used, MPS can also reduce depreciation on your machines giving them a longer lifespan. The costs of Boring’s Managed Print Services are balanced out by long-term savings in operating costs. In addition, MPS gives you a predictable monthly bill with no surprise expenses, helping you manage your finances and cash flow. We can also track the amount of toner used and pages printed through direct reports. By doing so, MPS can create savings opportunities for your company. Do you know how much you’re spending on print? If you do not already have a MPS provider then most likely your business has no way of knowing whether you are using your print devices optimally or what your annual printing costs are. With Boring’s MPS, we can manage a large population of printers and output devices at one time. Also, by reducing paper and energy usage, MPS can help your business meet its sustainability goals. MPS can help businesses of any size. For large companies, Boring can help integrate systems during mergers, acquisitions or consolidation. Also, if your offices are spread out around multiple locations MPS can help connect them by consolidating all your printing costs into one bill. MPS can also unite autonomous departments that generally make their own purchasing decisions. In this increasing mobile and technologically-advanced business environment, Managed Print Services can help you keep track of all your employees and their printing expenses, while also meeting their complex printing needs from any device or location. MPS can reduce your business’s dependency on paper while also facilitating smooth communication with clients, coworkers and collaborators. By better understanding and automating your document workflow, Boring’s Managed Print Services can save you time and resources. Click here to contact one of our Managed Print Specialists today or call us at 863-686-3167 to learn more and find out if MPS is right for your business.