Eco-friendly imaging and printing: getting a higher return on assets and lower operating costs.

AuthorFall, James R.
PositionADVICE: OFFICE

WE ARE LIVING AND operating in a very challenging economic and business environment. Today's business climate is challenged by global competition, rising energy costs, climate change and tight capital markets. It is the veritable "perfect Storm."

By taking a strategic business approach to your imaging and printing environment, you can make your organization greener, increase your return on assets and reduce operating costs. Does this sound too good to be true?

Our landfills are being filled up by imaging and printing devices that are being replaced after only three to five years of use. And, you are funding this replacement through ever more expensive leases or capital outlays.

You have a large and sometimes hidden valuable asset base in your organization--your printers. You should begin with an inventory of your copier and printer assets: what do you own and what do you lease? An organization that owns 500 printers with an average purchase cost of $1,000 each has a $500,000 asset. This is an asset that you should leverage and extend its useful life through good management.

Since organizations traditionally lease copiers and purchase printers, you should look at your printers as an asset. When you evaluate your copiers and printers, you need to look at more than just the incremental cost per page of a printer at $.015 per page versus a copier at $.008 per page. For example, if you own five printers and you are considering leasing a new copier to replace the five printers the real cost per page of the copier is closer to $.04 per page, including the lease, versus $.015 per page for the printers you own. The result is you would be financially better off to keep the printers. And, you will keep the...

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