Oce clients concerned about the environment, such as Bremer Financial Services, are acknowledging the company's efforts. "We implemented a green campaign as a joint effort between the Bremer Facilities Group and Oce 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."
Oce 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. Oce 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 don't 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 Oce 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.
Oce Business Services' corporate parent recently underscored its leadership in environmental sustainability with the release of its 2007 Sustainability Report. The report documents Oce achievements in delivering sustainable technology and environmentally sound policies. The report explains the company's use and re-use of components, energy and water consumption, waste handling emissions, as well as human and environmental safety. The 2007 Sustainability Report is available at www.oceusa.com/sustainability2007.
About Oce Business Services
Oce Business Services, Inc. is one of the world's leading providers of document process management services and technology to law firms, corporations and the public sector. Its spectrum of managed solutions spans the document lifecycle. These include print/copy, fleet, mail services, Six Sigma(R)-based performance management, records management and eDiscovery. Oce Business Services is one of the most experienced providers of eDiscovery, paper discovery, forensics and web-based review services for complex litigation and regulatory compliance matters. Oce Business Services' integrated capabilities allow it to serve enterprise-wide requirements with advanced technology, people and processes. By enabling organizations to manage and control document assets, Oce helps reduce costs, increase efficiency, mitigate risk and introduce innovation. To learn more, visit http://www.obs-innovation.com.
Web site:
http://www.obs-innovation.com/
http://www.oceusa.com/sustainability2007/