Partner Article

63% of SMEs have ‘no understanding’ of their organisation’s overall printing costs

New survey paints a picture of ‘out of control’ printing overheads with missed opportunities to save money and increase efficiency

A new survey by OKI shows the majority of SMEs are spending more than they need on printing, simply because they don’t know how to manage, control or measure their day to day printing overheads. When asked if their organisation measures overall printing costs, 63% said they had ‘no understanding’ of their level of spending. Only 15% said that their printing costs could be accurately predicted.

The survey which was carried out yesterday at the Elite Business show for small businesses, also reveals that the current Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) trend is having a major impact on printing efficiency. Almost half (49%) of respondents said that they either can’t print at all in their office using their own smartphone or tablet, or that the printer is supposed to be enabled, but still presents a challenge when trying to print from a mobile device.

“These findings are highly surprising, especially at a time when many small businesses have still not fully recovered from the economic downturn over the past few years. During this time, many have had to make significant cuts in other areas, but still the costs and efficiency of printing still gets ignored,” says Graham Lowes, UK marketing director, Oki Systems UK. “This is why OKI offers managed document services; taking simple measures such as exchanging traditional printers for energy-efficient multifunction devices can dramatically cut overheads.”

He adds: “There seems to be some misconception that in a mobile world, printing is no longer needed, but this isn’t the case. In another recent survey by OKI, a decisive 92% of respondents said they carry out some kind of printing daily, showing that the concept of ‘paperless’ is still a long way off.”

OKI is demonstrating its MC700 series of multifunction printers that support document management and its all-in-one colour printers that are AirPrint and Google Cloud compatible at stand 16 at the event.

About OKI Europe

OKI Europe Ltd is a division of OKI Data Corporation, a global business-to-business organisation dedicated to creating professional in-house printed communications products, applications and services which are designed to increase the efficiency of today’s and tomorrow’s businesses.

The company is well-established as one of Europe’s leading printer brands, in terms of value and units shipped. For over 60 years OKI Europe has been delivering advanced printing solutions worldwide, introducing ground-breaking technologies that support the needs of businesses large and small. Our pioneering development of digital LED printing technology has placed OKI at the forefront of the market in delivering high-definition, eco-friendly printing devices.

In addition to a vast portfolio of award-winning printers and MFPs, OKI offers a range of services to help optimise print and document workflows. This, together with an integrated suite of software technologies and tools, can help businesses take control of their print and document costs in a secure environment, whether office based, mobile or in the cloud.

Today OKI Europe employs approximately 1,100 people in 21 locations (sales offices and production sites) and is represented in 60 countries throughout the EMEA region.

Visit www.okieurope.com for further information.

About OKI

Oki Systems UK is part of Oki Europe, a division of Oki Data Corporation, a global business-to- business organisation dedicated to creating professional in-house printed communications products, applications and services designed to increase the efficiency of today’s and tomorrow’s businesses. The company is well-established as one of the UK’s leading printer brands, in terms of value and units shipped. Oki Systems UK’s award winning, product portfolio comprises seven distinct segments: managed print services, colour and mono printers, multifunctional devices, which combine printing, copying, scanning and faxing functionalities, as well as serial dot matrix printers, faxes and specialty printers for point-of-sales and manufacturing. Its expanding product range has recently won a series of high-profile awards including the Print.IT Editor’s Choice Award, the 2012 Go Green award, and the PCPro Laser Printer award.

Oki Data Corporation is a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Oki Electric Industry Co. Ltd., established in 1881 and Japan’s first telecommunications manufacturer.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by OKI .