Orion Print Management Blog

Why Your Small- to Medium-Sized Business Needs a Multifunction Printer

September 15, 2018 Arthur Ghelis MFP No comments

If you’re a small- to medium-sized business (SMB), you know how important it is to use resources wisely. Your organisation doesn’t have the budget or the support staff for every gadget and service under the sun, so the tools and services you choose need to do a lot at a minimal cost. One tool that every SMB needs is the multifunction printer (MFP). Here are three reasons why your business needs an MFP.

Signs That You Can Trust Your Printer’s Service Technician

September 1, 2018 Arthur Ghelis Print Management Services No comments

Finding a team of reliable and effective service technicians can be the difference between printers that are offline for days or having a fleet of dependable, well-tuned machines. If you are unhappy with the current level of service that you are receiving, it may be time to move on to another provider. When evaluating your techs, there are certain signs that are good indicators of their trustworthiness and dependability. Take a look at the signs below and see how your team of service technicians measures up!

Productivity Need A Boost? Look No Further Than Your Office Printers

August 15, 2018 Arthur Ghelis Office Printers No comments

Every business is constantly on the lookout for ways to boost productivity. There’s one component that often gets overlooked in the workplace. That component is our printers. Nearly every employee uses a printer on a daily basis. The majority of your company’s data flows through your printers. For these reasons, your printers are great tools to help you boost productivity and streamline your office workflows.

How Managed Print Services Will Benefit Your Sydney Business

August 1, 2018 Arthur Ghelis Managed Print Services No comments

Managed Print Services (MPS) is a solution provided by a third-party that becomes responsible for taking care of the management of a business’s print fleet. MPS providers manage all aspects of business printing, including right-sizing your fleet, maintaining and optimizing all devices, automatically replenishing supplies, and so much more. MPS is intended to optimise your printing devices to increase efficiency, reduce costs, and decrease waste. Interested in learning more? Here is some additional information about how Managed Print Services will benefit your Sydney business.

PrintReleaf: An Answer to Sustainable Printing – Orion Print

June 15, 2018 Arthur Ghelis PrintReleaf No comments

“Sustainability” is more than just a buzzword for businesses. More companies are realising the advantages of operating in an environmentally sustainable manner, especially when it comes to printing. Paper waste not only depletes natural resources, but it also costs businesses money annually.

Sustainability initiatives like PrintReleaf offer a way for businesses to curb paper waste and reduce their reliance on natural resources and save money in the process. The following explains one such approach to sustainability that many companies are adopting.

How PrintReleaf Works

PrintReleaf offers a way for businesses to reduce costs through sustainable printing while at the same time giving back to the environment. The subscription-based software platform works by monitoring paper consumption on-demand across all connected devices.

The results are tabulated at the end of each ball and converted via proprietary formula into the number of trees that are likely to have been harvested for paper consumption. The resulting cumulative paper footprint is offset across the company’s network of global reforestation projects. The entire process is overseen from start to finish by SGS International, a third-party certifying body.

How It Benefits Your Business

PrintReleaf allows you to continuously track paper consumption, giving your business an idea of where it stands in regards to office waste. Companies can harness this information to reduce the amount of waste created within the office space—an eco-conscious move that could help your company save a significant amount of money over the long run.

By equating printing to forest impact, PrintReleaf allows companies to visualise their environmental footprint in a meaningful and productive way. This service offers an ideal solution for businesses looking to reaffirm their commitment to sustainability.

How It Benefits the Environment

PrintReleaf supports a number of reforestation projects around the world, each one certified and audited by SGS International. You can even choose where your next trees are to be reforested. You can also use the service’s portal to track your reforested trees’ progress over an eight-year period.

With over 50 soccer fields’ worth of forest being lost to logging and other man-made activities each minute, PrintReleaf promotes ecological restoration among businesses while encouraging greener behavior among employees. Each restoration project also provides new jobs to local communities in need.

Contact Orion today and discover how to implement this service and to learn more about how it can benefit both your office and the environment.

Four Printer Repair Strategies to Get You Back to Work – Orion Print

June 1, 2018 Arthur Ghelis Printer Repair No comments

Digital communications have greatly enhanced the efficiency of office work, but printers are still equally as important in today’s digitally-advanced era. A study discovered that 94 percent of respondents cited having a printer in the office as the single most important resource for being able to reach their full professional productivity potential. Having a printer in the office simplifies paper correspondence and easily allows you to make as many copies as you need. What happens when the printer breaks down, though? As you can imagine, things can get ugly in the office very quickly. From losses in productivity to the inability to complete projects according to deadlines, a broken printer can turn a happy office into a war zone. Fortunately, there are four printer repair strategies you can use to get you back to work.

4 Printer Strategies to Get You Back to Work

Use On-site IT Resources
Replace the Broken Printer With a New One
Hire a Repairman to Fix the Printer
Sign a Maintenance Contract With a Managed Print Services Provider

Despite having multiple options, some of these strategies are accompanied with several disadvantages. Consider the first option of pulling your internal IT team off-task to focus on repairing a broken printer. In doing this, you are pulling them away from the value-adding activities they need to focus on. And implementing strategy number two only makes sense if the printer was inexpensive to start with, because you can likely acquire repair services for cheaper than what it will cost you to purchase a new one.

Strategies three and four make for the best options to get you back to work as quickly and efficiently as possible. Number three, however, tends to only be best for businesses that have a small number of printers and a minimal printing volume. But, consider the additional drawbacks of the break-fix method, as well, such as the unpredictable costs associated with hiring for one-off repairs and the possibility of having to stand on que to wait for repairs.

Businesses that have a high printing volume will benefit the most from signing a maintenance contract with a Managed Print Services provider. A Managed Print Services provider will maintain a bird’s eye view of your printing infrastructure, which is vital to pinpointing and correcting printing issues before they occur. This proactive approach helps keep printing downtime to a minimum. This type of services provider will also be able to provide scalable services, meaning as your business grows, your printing infrastructure will be able to adapt accordingly without losing efficiency.

Get a Contact Today

Are you in need of printer repair? Contact Orion today to learn more about our maintenance contracts and how our Managed Print Services can help increase productivity in your office and reduce the amount of money you have to invest in printer repair and replacement costs.

Industries That Benefit from an In-House Wide Format Device – Orion Print

May 15, 2018 Arthur Ghelis wide format devices No comments

While the standard office printer is more than capable of producing everyday business documents and presentation materials, other printing jobs require a more specialised solution. Wide format devices are an increasingly popular choice for businesses and organisations in need of high quality, large-scale graphic materials. These printers use the latest technological advancements to produce sizable, yet accurate, prints with excellent clarity.

Wide format printers have a broad range of applications. The following takes an in-depth look at how these printers are being used in some industries.

Architecture and Engineering – Even in today’s digital-driven world, there are some things that require a more traditional approach. Architectural and engineering blueprints demand plenty of real estate, which is something that’s difficult to achieve with a digital screen or an 8.5” x 11.5” sheet of paper. The diagrams, plans, and schematics used throughout both the architecture and engineering industries aren’t effective if they’re printed in a conventional format.

Home Design and Construction – Interior designers and contractors rely on large format printers to showcase proposed designs to their clients. Large-scale documents easily display minute details that would otherwise be lost if printed on standard format devices.

Marketing and Advertising – Both industries still rely on large, print-based materials for trade shows, expos, and advertising campaigns. Outsourcing these materials can prove costly and time-consuming, which makes having a wide format device on-hand cost effective and highly productive.

Education – Education is another area where wide format devices are highly sought after. These printers make it easier for schools to create eye-catching banners, informational posters for classrooms, and advertisements for extracurricular activities.

Healthcare – Hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare facilities rely on wide format printers for their promotional and informational materials, from infographics explaining the effects of a specific illness on the public to posters highlighting upcoming events and support for important charities and causes.

Entertainment – Entertainment venues make widespread use of wide format printers for a broad range of advertising and promotional outputs. These include banners for announcing upcoming acts and posters showcasing guest performers and special events. There’s always a reason for an in-house wide format printer if you’re in the entertainment industry.

The above is just a short list of industries that benefit from having a wide format device in-house. Their daily operations require large-scale printing on a regular basis, making a wide format printer a good purchase for such businesses. Regardless of which industry you’re in, the benefits of bringing such equipment in-house can’t be ignored. To learn more about these and other printing solutions, contact Orion today.

The Importance of a Reliable Service Technician – Orion Print

May 1, 2018 Arthur Ghelis Service No comments

Every office needs technology, and that dependence grows every day. Long gone are the days when records could be kept in filing cabinets and business could be conducted in person. Modern tools give us greater efficiency and a longer reach, which can be great for growing your business and pushing your limits. However, that inescapable dependency on such tools comes with a catch. Sometimes, our tools don’t work, and recovering them requires specialised knowledge and skills that can be difficult to acquire. When it comes down to it, every business needs a reliable service technician team. Every day without access to such a team is a certain gamble.

The Threat of Downtime

Even the most innocuous cases of downtime cost money. Major issues are nothing short of catastrophe, and these events hurt your bottom line on multiple fronts. At minimum, it costs money to repair or resolve any tech issue. At worst, clients or customers are directly impeded from making transactions with your business. Downtime can also damage your reputation and have rippling effects that are difficult to quantify. The obvious need for a reliable, professional IT service team cannot be overstated in order to mitigate the effects of downtime on your business.

Mitigating the Damage

Clichés exist for a reason, and when it comes to downtime, the offense that protects you is routine maintenance. Printers and copiers seem to conspire against productivity and have a penchant for malfunctioning at the worst possible moments. Yet, a simple and often affordable maintenance schedule can eliminate most issues before they occur; preventive maintenance is your best bet to avoid a weekday system failure. Major systems that provide web services or manage company data can be monitored constantly and provide real-time responses to any small problem. This eliminates most issues before they can become detrimental and is one of the most important cost-saving strategies any business can deploy.

Still, nothing is foolproof. The ultimate protection is to have a team of reliable service technicians on standby at a moment’s notice. You need to know beforehand that they are experienced and reliable experts that are up to the task. If you want help finding a team that meshes well with your outfit and can handle your technical needs, contact Orion today.

Why Leasing Your Next Piece of Office Equipment Makes Sense

April 15, 2018 Arthur Ghelis Leasing Office Equipment, Office Equipment, Office Printers No comments

For businesses, equipment costs can add up. Technology changes rapidly, and too often you might catch yourself reciting that old adage about “making them like they used to.” That’s probably why leasing office equipment is an increasingly popular way to manage costs and keep operations smooth. Get to know a little more about the process and see how a good lease can help your business.

Types of Leases

When it comes to leasing office equipment, most leases fall into one of two categories: capital and operating leases. The two forms offer differing approaches to managing equipment costs, and they have distinct pros and cons.

Operating Lease. This type of lease can be causally considered an equipment rental. This primary point is that the equipment is never considered an asset for the lessee. You simply enter into a contract to pay a monthly fee to access the equipment. Some leases will include a buyout option at the end of the contract. The cost of the buyout is usually determined by the age of the equipment, wear and tear, terms of the lease, and impact of newer technology. Overall, operating leases tend to have lower monthly payments than capital leases and they are more common.
Capital Lease. In principle, a capital lease looks very similar to a standard loan. Equipment is financed, and the lessee is considered the owner from the outset. This changes the technical aspects of the contract, and it can enable businesses to deduct more of the total equipment costs in taxes (depending on circumstances). A capital lease can be a more economical way of purchasing equipment without suffering the drawbacks of a true loan, such as debt accumulation, high interest rates, and limited tax advantages.

Buying vs. Leasing

It’s the age-old question. Most of the time, you’ll choose the option that costs less. But, many major equipment pieces are expensive enough and have to be replaced often enough that there is no clear winner in terms of spending. A simple pro and con comparison can help you determine whether buying or leasing office equipment is the way to go.

Buying, on average, has a much higher initial investment cost. In the case of equipment with a high turnover rate, buying is also more expensive in the long run. This applies to devices that suffer significant wear and tear, or anything that becomes obsolete quickly (e.g. tablets, smart devices, and office equipment). Buying also puts all of the onus on the owner. Maintenance, upgrades, and every other hassle comes with ownership. The only real advantage is the mindset of knowing you own the equipment.

Leasing office equipment minimizes drawbacks. You can be ensured of having working, up-to-date, modern equipment for the duration of the contract. The process is simplified, and the more predictable cost structure makes budgeting easier.

If you want to explore the depth of leasing options, contact Orion today. We’ll be happy to review your business needs and help you find exactly what you need.

Easy Tips for a Better Scan

April 1, 2018 Arthur Ghelis Office Equipment, Office Scanners, Office Solutions No comments

Scanning jobs can range from mundane and monotonous to precise exercises in patience. However, it is necessary in today’s business environment to digitise hardcopy documents to ensure their availability. The key to any good scan is knowing how to use your office scanners. No matter what type of scanner you use, whether it be a standalone device or part of a multifunction printer, here are three easy tips that can help you achieve a better scan.

Use The Feeder

Some jobs require a delicate touch, but others are all about pumping documents through the device. When the latter is the case, the automatic document feeder (ADF) cannot be overvalued. Feeders range in capacity, but they are designed for bulk scans. They will save your team massive amounts of time and improve the quality of your scans by enabling the machine to make adjustments as needed.

Get Hands On

Yes, you just read to let the office scanners do all the work, but those delicate jobs still exist. There are two kinds: documents that are in rough shape and materials that are inherently valuable or delicate. When dealing with the former, try to keep documents as flat as possible. Significant nicks or tears can be treated with tape. If you think you can get it durable enough for the ADF, feel free. Otherwise, just place it on the glass yourself.

For delicate or valuable items, scanning is a bit more of a process. Proper flatbed devices can usually handle these jobs just fine, but if there’s a particular concern, you can consider alternatives. Handheld scanners or even smartphone apps can provide a scanning experience that minimizes touching and moving sensitive materials to ensure their protection.

Keep it Clean

The oftentimes overlooked tip for all technology is simply keeping your scanner clean. As a general rule, the glass should be cleaned once a month. Products that are rated safe for computer monitors should be harmless to the scanner, including microfiber cloths and deionized cleaning solutions (don’t worry, they’ll be labeled). Make sure to always unplug the device before cleaning. Once done, try to wipe the glass with a dry cloth. If that isn’t enough, apply your solution again to clear any smudges. Allow the glass to dry thoroughly before resupplying power.

That’s it. If these tips feel simple, it’s because they are. Office equipment is designed for productivity, so use the tools as intended and take care of them to maximize your efforts. If you’d like to know more about scanners or any equipment, contact Orion today.