Prepress
Océ Business Services Shares Tips to Help Businesses Implement “Green” Document Management Practices
Wednesday 16. July 2008 - With recent industry surveys indicating that businesses want to be more environmentally responsible, Océ Business Services is sharing recommendations to help enterprises implement more eco-friendly practices across the document lifecycle (document creation through disposal).
Océ has been ranked by the Black Book of Outsourcing as a Top 50 outsourcing vendor cited by clients for demonstrating the “highest green credentials.”
Océ clients concerned about the environment, such as Bremer Financial Services, are acknowledging the companys efforts. “We implemented a green campaign as a joint effort between the Bremer Facilities Group and Océ Business Services to reduce paper usage,” notes Dolores Hoffman, supervisor of administrative services and facilities management for Bremer Facilities Department. “Through initiatives such as moving print production to copiers that can print on both sides of a page, we have significantly reduced paper consumption and realized thousands of dollars in cost savings.”
Océ Business Services sustainability practices and recommendations cover the document lifecycle, including print/copy management, document imaging, fleet management, document needs assessment, records management, mail management, and electronic discovery. Océ offers the following guidelines designed to help organizations initiate print/copy management practices in the office that can benefit the environment and reduce costs:
The workgroup alternative
To the extent possible, replacing personal desktop printers with workgroup MFPs (multifunction peripherals that combine print/copy/scan/fax functionality in one machine) shared by departments can have a strong positive impact. One financial services company replaced 1,100 copiers and printers and 1,000 fax machines with 400 MFPs. The initiative eliminated 1,700 machines that no longer consume resources based on their manufacture, transportation, operation, maintenance, and eventual disposal.
Adopt scanning practices
Rather than copy and store physical documents, organizations can scan and store electronically. Employees retain digital copies that they can distribute electronically, and at the same time avoid accumulating files filled with paper. As a conservative estimate, scanning can reduce paper consumption by one to three percent.
Default to duplex
Most multi-page documents dont require the text to be printed on one side of the page. Newspapers, magazines and books use both sides (duplex printing). With effective fleet management it is possible to change office practices and make duplex printing of multi-page documents the norm. This can potentially decrease paper use by up to 50 percent.
Turn off document headers
Document headers are pages that contain identifying information and precede every print job. If headers are turned on by default, every print job will consume an extra sheet of paper. If headers are turned off for all users, organizations can reduce general office paper consumption by an estimated 18 to 28 percent according to Océ Business Services client analyses.
Bulk up
Buying paper and toner in bulk can reduce transportation, packaging, and storage resources. Buying in bulk also often results in cost savings.
Leverage “smart” technologies
Enterprises can use MFP “smart” technologies such as Personal Mail Box, Fax-from-Desktop, Scan-to-Email/File Folder, and Document Routing in order to decrease paper and chemicals used in printing. This can reduce paper usage by up to three percent.
Océ Business Services corporate parent recently underscored its leadership in environmental sustainability with the release of its 2007 Sustainability Report. The report documents Océ achievements in delivering sustainable technology and environmentally sound policies. The report explains the companys use and re-use of components, energy and water consumption, waste handling emissions, as well as human and environmental safety.