The use of paper as the primary instrument for dissemination of information has kept rising the world over.The implementation of a Green IT policy for optimizing paper use through the execution of document print control processes.

Ever since Barack Hussein Obama has occupied the White House, the awareness about environmental problems has grown more than ever before. The Kyoto Protocol, which has not yet been endorsed by the world’s greatest power, is still expected to receive support from the US during the upcoming year, and many other similar agreements are making companies add assignments for environmental policies to their budgets.

The technological sector is one of the principle players in this arena and has a lot to say in this matter, as it provides solutions to all kinds of organizations in their effort to reduce CO2 emissions. It also helps to end the excessive use of paper and enables less power consumtion in Data Centers.

Although this last point might seem insignificant, the fact that paper is still being used as the foremost means of information dissemination is causing a lot of damage to the environment and there seems to be no sign of reduction in paper usage or any print control. Excessive deforestation gives rise to limited biodiversity due to the destruction of habitats of various species of plants and animals. The use of synthetic products has a damaging effect on our health and environment too.

Document print control - A complex problem with a simple solution

In the list of priorities for most big organizations that operate on the national or international level, Green technologies, which are otherwise referred to as Green IT, has taken the primary place. Although many technological advances have taken place from time to time, a number of challenges are yet to be overcome. The complexity of the newly-started technological projects and the cost that is associated with these highly complex projects, which only very big companies can handle, are the two primary reasons for this phenomenon.

There are however, much simpler and more economical solutions that we can use to conserve our environment, which would also facility cost savings, which are vitally important. Document print control is one of the vital aspects in this strategy.

Helpful Suggestions

Print control system installation is one of the most important tasks for the year ahead. Employees can be given certain rights for special printing in color, A3 and so on, and the rights can differ on employee and department level.

Since there are tools that allow control over the processing of electronic documents, today it is much easier to implement a Green IT system, and it also saves a lot of printing cost and the need for storing paper and other stationery. Through the implementation of these measures, we can provide superior service to our clients electronically and also present a professional corporate image to them. The documents would also be stored systematically, which would facilitate their easy retrieval at a future date.

There are multifunctional machines available that can print, scan, photocopy and send / receive all kinds of documents electronically. Businesses can save up to 30% in their document processing costs applying document output control by installing such office automation solutions in their offices and use the control of 'print on demand' features effectively.

A wide variety of solutions are available in today’s technology that cater to the needs small to medium businesses as well as big corporations. Since the return on investment is immediate, it is a very rewarding initiative to implement in any kind of business. The implementation of Green IT brings with it not just operational benefits. The advantage of embracing a green policy also has fiscal incentives.