Efficient printing draws blueprint for cost-effectiveness

A one-stop solution for document distribution consolidating laser printing and copying is being marketed by Oce, which claims it increases productivity and is also cost effective.

'The running costs of a separate laser printer and copier are high, but the Oce 3165 combines the process in one step so the cost for each document is the same as using a photocopier,' Sam Leung, Oce's district sales manager, said.

According to Oce, 10-15 per cent of the time office workers spend in their daily activities is devoted to copying and printing. And the more PCs and network facilities in an office the more information has to be distributed.

Traditional methods for issuing information involve sending it via the network to a remote workstation for multiple prints, or to print once and make many copies.

'As global markets become more competitive, CEOs demand increased productivity from their employees. This is difficult to attain using established methods of information distribution such as laser printer followed by photocopying. It is inefficient and costly,' Mr Leung said.

'If you ask the responsible manager what the price of a copy is and the copy volume of his current copiers, he will certainly have the data available. But, most of the time, the cost and volume of desktop laser printers are not known. The cost is based on three elements - purchase, service and consumable prices,' he said.