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Colour is the new black and white. It’s official. According to IDC, by 2009 in some countries, printer manufacturers will be shipping around half a million units across Europe. There are a number of reasons for this. One being the price of colour devices has dropped, and as a result businesses are now looking to make company-wide purchases. The other is the fact that vendors are now offering high quality, high speed multifunctional printers (MFPs) that are enabling businesses to streamline costs by bringing the print function in-house . Another reason why colour is growing fast in the workplace is because of the impact it can have on an organisation’s clients and customers. In this current economic climate, businesses need to add value and convey a serious and professional image when presenting documents to maintain a competitive edge. A well-printed report or proposal can really add impact when trying to win business or provide a serious and consistent image to existing customers. In fact, the use of colour can increase brand retention by up to 70%, not only that but it can also gain readership by up to 80% and reduce errors by 80% . Although the future is looking very bright for colour, it must be stated that it is not just about buying an MFP and letting your staff print whatever and whenever they like from the moment of installation onwards. This will send costs spiralling. It is also one of the most common reasons why some businesses may be reluctant to purchase a colour device. Essentially, it is not just the MFP alone that will impact the bottom line, but it is how it is used and controlled that is key. For example, colour capable or ‘smart colour’ MFPs are a flexible option for businesses that allow users to print colour only when they need to and black and white when they don’t. This ensures individuals are not always printing in colour and producing documents that can easily be printed in monochrome, such as emails, which can be costly. Additionally, for businesses looking to purchase smart colour devices, there are document accounting solutions that can control and monitor output. These solutions put the organisation back in control and means they can manage printing on both a general or more specific level as the solution can be set to not just restricting access to specific individuals, but can also be set to allow users to print only a certain amount, such as 15-20 pages in colour a day. Permissions can even be programmed so that certain users can only print in colour at certain times of the day. Strategy?
Control is the key word but, taking a step back for a moment, products and solutions mean nothing without an effective strategy in place. Primarily, businesses should undertake an internal audit and look at what products are needed, and where, in an organisation. They can then assess what type of MFP is required in order to match business needs. Putting a comprehensive strategy in place means that businesses will get a more holistic view of colour usage, which then provides the necessary information required to choose and put the right products and solutions in place for cost-effective printing that provides a more impactful return on investment.
Departmental printing – the human zoo
As part of the purchasing strategy, assessing the trends and habits of colour printing on a departmental basis is key. Within an organisation, different areas of a business have differing print needs. Recognising this and acting upon this is crucial to ensure the successful implementation of a colour output programme.
Currently, more and more departments within organisations are now printing in colour. In fact, 95% of businesses interviewed by IDC stated that the Marketing and PR departments were now printing in colour and were using it to its best effect. This was followed by the Sales department with 75%, Finance 45% and 40% of participants believing colour was used throughout the company. Of these departments, Marketing and PR were felt to be the most advanced when it came to colour printing. On a lighter note, when assessing departmental colour printing needs, it is interesting to draw comparisons between professional business workers and the behaviour of particular animals! According to the psychologist Donna Dawson , some divisions show animal-like characteristics that can help businesses formulate a decision on purchasing the relevant printer and solution. On the whole the Sales division recognise the importance of colour and use it wherever possible, but do have a tendency to use it where perhaps monochrome would suffice. A bit like Cheetah’s they always have their eye on the prize, but may not be so aware of what is going on immediately around them, which, means printing in colour, when black and white would do. This department would be highly suited to having a document management solution in place or a smart colour MFP device. According to IDC, the two departments that are the most controlled in the use of colour are the finance team and marketing staff. The finance department uses colour sparingly, but effectively, with complete awareness of the cost to the business. This group are rather like Pandas, who tend to be conservative, careful, and very aware of the environment around them. Marketing types, who are the most resourceful and effective users of colour in the organisation, share some of their traits with Chimpanzees, according to Dawson. Chimps have evolved to be amongst the savviest seekers of food in the animal kingdom, just as the marketing team has evolved to be the most advanced users of colour and finishing functions. Businesses do need to have an understanding of how different users have different requirements, and then must adapt their strategy accordingly. The rewards are plain to see, a company interviewed by IDC had cut costs by 70%, saving more than €500,000. However, a light-hearted look at the anthropology of a typical organisation, and the human zoo within it, also helps businesses understand better some of the behavioural challenges that organisations have to face when it comes to defining and implementing a print strategy. It’s not about being king of the colour jungle, it’s about evolution and implementing solutions to the benefit of all. Implementing a colour strategy programme will enable a business to really get the best out of colour printing, which can then, in turn, ensure not only a good return on investment but also impactful, high quality documents that can help win business and save on external costs such as outsourcing. Colour can be extremely cost-effective and as it is the future of workplace printing organisations can now start to feel really confident that it is a business critical purchase. Do’s and Don’ts of colour use
• Do install hardware and software appropriate to an individual departments’ requirements. Some departments don’t need colour – why waste it on them? Others can’t do their job without it
• Make sure staff are trained. An understanding of the design tools and output capabilities at their disposal will help them achieve their objectives efficiently and to maximum effect
• Brief staff on the basics of good design. Use colour well or not at all. Be consistent. Not arbitrary
• Don’t waste colour. What’s the point in creating a document in colour, then making copies in black and white? If a document is worth creating in colour, it’s worth reproducing in colour
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