The Datamax Thinking Blog

The central objective of utilizing Document Management is to make your overall business processes more efficient, and specifically to accelerate and properly secure the way you move documents across your office.

Do a simple Google search for "Document Management," and you’ll see the cliché images with limited search time. The piles of paper stacked on the boss’ desk.  Documents swirling across an office. Even business people swimming in paper documents.

It’s true. Many offices are overwhelmed by paper documents. Also, when compared to a Document Management solution,  it is inefficient and costly. Estimates are that 11% of your paper files will be either lost or misplaced. Organizations often find that by digitizing their workflow, their documents begin working for them, rather than the opposite.

But digital conversion is only one component – and hardly the overarching intention – behind utilizing Document Management.

It's no wonder that organizations are more active than ever in pursuing solutions to streamline traditional methods of managing documents. 

Every year, I learn more about copiers, document management, workflow, and, increasingly, managed IT topics than I did they year before.

I do my best to pass on what I learn to you.

Here are the 10 most popular posts in 2017. How to get the best service. Tips for HIPAA compliance. Scanning tips. How to track printing to keep costs down.

Read on for insights into those topics – and more – to get yourself ready for 2018!

There's a point of diminishing returns when it comes to using old office equipment – like copiers and printers – because they're still working.

Are you a “buy, don't lease, find a trusty mechanic because the car dealer will always rip you off” kind of a buyer? If so, I suspect you might also have a 10 year old copier sitting around that you have no plans to ever replace as long as it’s working. Why replace it until it breaks, right?

Maybe not.

The fact is that just because your trusty old office equipment might still be cranking out pages, you could be missing out on advancements in equipment technology that will not only make you say, “how did I ever live without this before,” but might also save you some money in the process!

Office equipment, like vehicles, can be an expensive investment to make. But the reality is that technology is moving at such a rapid pace that, just like your vehicle that immediately depreciates the second you drive it off the lot, office equipment has a point of diminishing returns.

Working anywhere is a reality. Another reality, the “boring” digital copier enables that reality.

I've been writing about the value and productivity benefits of your digital copiers for quite a while now. I've learned a lot in the past few years writing these posts (and I hope you have too!).

I recently saw the infographic (see below) from Konica Minolta. It's called the “Workplace of the Future.” It struck me that while we're always looking to “what's new and next” (especially when it comes to technology) that it's often the tried and true technology that we rely on to run the core of our businesses. Document management, helping to manage change, our networks, and, yes, even copiers aren't outdated (though they've all been around for decades) – and they'll continue to play a role in the workplaces of tomorrow long after I retire.

Paper slows you down. Use your copier to speed up your work.

How many times in a week do you look for a document on your desk thinking “I just put it over here . . . “?

You might think that's only a few minutes each time, no big deal. Those minutes can add up to hours looking for paper-based files. As busy as you are, can you afford to spend your time looking for information that you could have at your fingertips?

Improved processes won't just save your company money, they'll also save you time – and who couldn't use more time?

It's the second week of the new year and you're already as busy as ever. Most of you reading this are responsible for keeping your office running – making decisions and researching technology improvements and “simply” ensuring everyone is working together smoothly.

Process improvements (such as automated workflows and using digital copiers to scan paper to digital for easy retrieval) will of course make the business more efficient and effective, but what about you? I'm going to write about more of the dollars and cents return on investment value of business process improvement in a future post. I've already touched on some of the pro arguments in these posts (Throw Your Law Firm a Productivity Lifeline – 5 Reasons to Automate Your Workflows; Using Your Copier to Streamline Your Legal Workflow; and 10 Questions to Ask About Your Document Workflow). For this post, I'm going to focus on a few ways improving business processes will make YOUR life easier – you deserve it.

Most businesses don't know what they don't know when it comes to printing and copying.

Getting the right mix of office equipment is hard for companies. I've been writing recently about the value of assessments and how they help drive good business decisions when it comes to technology selection.

As the year winds down and another is soon to begin, now is a perfect time for thinking about your plans for next year. Do you ever sit down and think about how you could be doing things better, how you could be printing for less?

Only taking the time to plan will get your office in the shape you need it to be to do the best you can for your customers.

When it comes to identifying business needs and how to achieve them with technology; you need a proven process. Here's ours.

We're going to help you discover yourself.

I know, that sounds weird coming from a copier dealer and managed network services company. I feel a little like a self-help guru typing that. 

“We've got IT covered” is how we like to put it. That can sound so insufferably smug. However, we do know what we're doing and we know that we can help you.

However, I understand the skepticism. You're worried that we're just going to sell you what we sell – regardless of if it's a good fit or not.

Do You Have Any Clue What You Need? Digital Copiers, Document Management, and Managed Networks

“Alice asked the Cheshire Cat, who was sitting in a tree, “What road do I take?”
The cat asked, “Where do you want to go?”
“I don’t know,” Alice answered.
“Then,” said the cat, “it really doesn’t matter, does it?” 
― Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

If you've spent any time on our website, you know we place a high value on assessments – we offer one on just about every page!

Law firms can automate document workflows directly to Worldox from MEAP-enabled copiers.

For law firms – when it comes to maintaining efficient workflows – technology plays a leading role. With the right technology, law firms can save valuable time and money by limiting the number of manual steps involved in their business.

And Canon, a leader in digital imaging solutions, offers both hardware and software technologies that can help your law firm do exactly that