The 7 Biggest Office Technology Challenges Businesses Will Face in 2023

12/20/2022

How will you help your employees to reduce challenges, increase productivity and grow your business?

We’ve found that evaluating and upgrading office technology is a very effective (yet often overlooked) method. Office technology can offer innovative solutions to encourage more effective communication and greater employee collaboration.

Here’s seven common challenges that we’ve often heard and some simple solutions to keep your business running smoothly:

  1. Optimizing Your Office Technology Solutions
  2. Empowering Employees to Work Efficiently from Anywhere
  3. Running Out of Toner
  4. Reducing Paper Waste
  5. Increasing Print Security
  6. Deciding on Whether to Purchase or Lease Equipment
  7.  Encouraging Collaboration in the Conference Room

1. Optimizing Your Office Technology Solutions 

Understanding the technology needs of your office by performing a survey of your current hardware and software solutions is a great place to start planning your office technology optimization. By thoroughly investigating the pain points your staff navigates, you’ll identify gaps and opportunities to improve workflows and efficiencies. Oftentimes, this process will reveal eye-opening ways to reduce a business’ printer fleet and maximize shared equipment.

Unsure of where to start? Many Managed Print Service (MPS) providers are happy to conduct a professional review of your office technology

2. Empowering Employees to Work Efficiently From Anywhere 

In today’s world, it’s important for businesses to have the option to allow employees to be able to work productively, securely and efficiently from anywhere. Because, whether your employees work in the office, remote or a hybrid of both – your business could leverage a cloud-based business communications platform.

Managed Voice Services is an all-in-one business communications suite, featuring business phone, video conferencing, team chat and file management. Communicate and collaborate via your desk phone, mobile device or desktop app. Managed Voice Services allow you the freedom to enjoy communication productivity without the complexity.

Go where your business takes you while knowing that your platform can be quickly and easily scaled according to the needs of your business. 

“Follow Me” technology can also be installed and accessed by remote workers. The remote user will have the ability to send a document to a networked printer at the office. Later, when the user goes to the office, they will be able to release their job for printing.

Multifunction Printers (MFPs) can also be used to access cloud-based options such as One Drive and Google Docs for more efficient printing and scanning.


INFOGRAPHIC Managed Voice Services


3. Running Out of Toner

You’re printing a document to take along to a meeting that will start soon. But the printer is out of toner! Has this scary scenario kept you up at night?

Partnering with a MPS provider could help ward off that nightmare.

If you have a fleet of printers, a MPS provider can use print monitoring software to send the right supplies just when its needed directly to the correct copier, MFP or printer. This Just-In-Time inventory strategy makes sure that no excess toner is being purchased and ensures that your inventory is being properly rotated. 

In addition, when you control user access of your printers using “follow me” technology, you’ll be able to move to the next closest operable printer to release your print job.


Related Article Toner Pirate Scams: What Are They and How to Stop Them


4. Reducing Paper Waste

Many offices are looking to promote a culture of conservation and embrace encouraging environmental friendliness in an effort to reduce waste, demonstrate good corporate citizenship and improve the world we all live in.

In addition to reducing paper and toner consumption, the average business could save approximately 30% on overall printing costs by implementing a Managed Print program. Partnering with a MPS provider can pay to “go green” by reducing paper waste, increasing productivity, encouraging proactive maintenance for reduced repair costs, remote monitoring and support, and promoting more cost-effective print behaviors for staff. 

5. Increasing Print Security

Protecting your printer fleet from cyberattacks and data breaches, is critical.

That’s why you should create and implement a print security plan. This document should include specifications on securing your network, your machines (e.g., copiers, printers and MFPs), firmware and driver update procedures and encryption specifications.

You should also know who is using your printing devices and when they are used. Control access by password-protecting printers through the use of card keys, mobile devices or PIN codes to hold print jobs until the authorized user unlocks the machine. This will prevent the possibility of document theft or unintentional viewing. 


INFOGRAPHIC Cybersecurity for Your Printer


6. Deciding on Whether to Purchase or Lease Equipment

The decision of buying outright or leasing office technology equipment often is determined by the strategy and mindset of a business. However, many more businesses are taking advantage of leasing equipment, than ever before.

Not every commercial printer leasing experience is the same.

That’s why it pays to do your homework. We recommend finding a print provider that can work with your organization’s unique requirements. This includes being able to structure leases to fit your needs with lease terms or the length of the lease and offer flexible purchase options when the lease term is up.

And working with a print provider with an in-house leasing department, will ensure your lease will be funded internally and not brokered to an outside funding source. 

7. Encouraging Collaboration in the Conference Room

Businesses of all sizes are searching for ways to encourage innovative, engaging hands-on collaboration. Adding an interactive whiteboard to your conference room can help. Conduct multimedia presentations for maximum motivation at your next meeting or think of an interactive whiteboard as the ultimate tool to capture your meeting notes, conduct online research, draw and more!

Whichever office technology challenges your business is looking to tackle in 2023, the experts at Gordon Flesch Company are here to help. Contact us to learn more about the equipment and services we offer. Or click the banner below to request a free, 30-minute, business technology needs assessment. 

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