Survey Reveals Nearly 8 in 10 of America’s Office Managers Doing More with Fewer Resources

According to the Small Business Administration (SBA), small businesses create 60-80 percent of all new jobs in the country and more than half of Americans now either own or work for a small business. During National Small Business Week (May 16 – 20), government officials are gathering in Washington, D.C., to acknowledge and celebrate the contributions that small businesses and the entrepreneurs who run them make to the economic well-being of America.

In conjunction with Small Business Week and as part of its continuing efforts to support small businesses, Cartridge World has announced the results of a first-of-its-kind office managers survey. The survey of office managers nationwide revealed that a majority are enduring increased stress in the workplace. Indicating the need to accomplish more with less time and fewer resources, 79 percent of office managers told Cartridge World that in the past two years their job responsibilities have increased. Meanwhile, a third (34 percent) of respondents said they are working with decreased budgets compared to two years ago.

“We are an ally of small business and our goal is to gain a better understanding of the stress points that these office managers deal with every day,” says Tom Fricke, Cartridge World’s chief executive officer. “We conducted our survey to gain insight into the needs, challenges and concerns of small business office managers. They told us they are dealing with tighter budgets, greater responsibilities and more stress on the job.”

With the vast majority of office managers, over 86 percent responsible for office supply purchasing decisions, Cartridge World aims to help them operate more cost-effectively and to relieve their workplace stress. But beyond simply saving money on the products they use most, the survey revealed additional pressures that impact the office manager on the job.

“There never seems to be enough time to get everything done,” says Janell Dirkson, office manager at the Larkspur Hotel Union Square in San Francisco. “Many decisions need to be made quickly and often last minute. We often have last-minute needs which require quick turnaround, but many vendors can’t respond in the needed timeframe and won’t deliver on last-minute requests. We’ve also become highly budget-conscious – really drilling down to what’s truly needed and affordable.”

The survey also revealed an increased focus on the bottom line, with 62 percent of respondents citing the need to find the best supplies at the lowest price among their top job concerns. Of this group, 73 percent of respondents stated that they would switch to remanufactured cartridges if they saved money while 71 percent of respondents cited cost savings as the number one benefit to using remanufactured cartridges.

“Simple steps like switching to remanufactured ink and toner can have an enormous impact on the bottom line,” says Fricke. “Annual savings can range from a few hundred dollars to several thousand, depending on the size and type of business.”

SURVEY METHODOLOGY

During the week of March 21, nearly 400 office managers responded to an online survey of managers nationwide. Commissioned by Cartridge World, the survey asked office managers about their job responsibilities and office supply buying behaviors.

Original Source: Survey Reveals Nearly 8 in 10 of America’s Office Managers Doing More with Fewer Resources

Visit our web store for high quality remanufactured inkjet cartridges & remanufactured laser toner cartridges

HP Enhances Office Productivity with New Workflow Solutions

Hewlett Packard / HP announced new imaging and printing solutions and devices designed to help small and midsize businesses (SMBs) and enterprise organizations enhance employee productivity, both in the office and on the go.

By making strategic decisions about their imaging and printing investments – including streamlining paper-intense processes – businesses can improve office efficiencies and uncover new revenue streams.

“In recent years, IT organizations have been under tremendous stress to control and reduce costs while also investing in business process innovation,” said Jeff Hayes, president of InfoTrends, a market research and strategic consulting firm. “Successful organizations realize they need to strategically invest across their entire IT infrastructure including business printing.”

HP’s announcement includes:

* Expanding HP solutions suitable for the enterprise but scaled for SMBs and delivered by channel solutions partners.
* Introduction of strategic technology partners Hyland Software and Nuance as well as new workflow solutions for healthcare and financial services enterprise customers.
* New and enhanced multifunction printers ideal for the office environment and featuring ePrint capabilities.

“Customers need a partner that can help them solve complex business issues,” said Bruce Dahlgren, senior vice president, Managed Enterprise Solutions Business, HP. “Our new technologies and innovations are designed to transform paper-intense processes into simple digital workflows, allowing businesses to identify new opportunities for growth.”

Extending HP solutions to SMBs

HP solutions previously only available to HP’s enterprise customers are now available through select channel partners. These HP trained and certified partners will offer a portfolio of printing and imaging applications. New applications include;

* HP ePrint Enterprise – For businesses with on-the-go workers who need to access and use content from their smartphones, HP ePrint Enterprise improves productivity through mobile access to print without data ever leaving a secure network.
* HP Access Control Printing Solutions – For businesses that need a more secure, less wasteful print environment, HP Access Control – recently enhanced with new features – delivers cost controls, security functions and simple operation.
* HP and TROY Secure Document Printing Solution – For businesses that need to print high-value, black-and-white documents with antifraud security features using plain paper and their enterprise-class HP PCL5 LaserJet printers and multifunction printers (MFPs).

SMBs also benefit from downloadable solutions that further streamline document workflows and processes.

* The HP Web-Connected Business App, accessed through a printer’s touchscreen, is designed to increase productivity with improved document workflows. The latest business app from HP includes the ability to print business forms through the DocStoc app.
* The HP LaserJet MFP Wizard Console is a set of tools on select HP LaserJet MFPs that help SMBs manage and streamline their document handling processes. The wizards make it easy for users to set up send-to-email and send-to-folder workflows to efficiently create and distribute scanned documents.

Partners and solutions to accelerate business processes for the enterprise

The HP Solutions Business Partner (SBP) program combines a broad imaging and printing portfolio, a visionary platform strategy and document management expertise with solutions from a wide range of the industry’s top software partners.

* Hyland joins the HP SBP program as a Platinum partner. HP will be selling Hyland’s solution OnBase, a comprehensive enterprise content management suite. The two companies will streamline processes by capturing electronic and paper-based documents, integrating that information into front- or back-end business applications, automating workflows and enabling instant access to data stored in OnBase’s secure and centrally managed repository.
* Nuance also joins the HP SBP program as a Platinum partner and offers a document capture solution at the scanning device that securely integrates with an intuitive user interface for performing on-demand capture tasks. HP will resell Nuance eCopy ShareScan.
* Omtool, a current member of the HP SBP program, is introducing new workflow components including Image-In Connect, Image-In Queue and AccuRoute Extensions for Microsoft SharePoint. With these HP and Omtool Document Capture and Workflow Solutions, documents can be integrated with line-of-busi­ness applications, managed personally in workflow queues and centrally stored.
* Hyland, Nuance and Omtool will support HP Open Extensibility Platform (OXPd 1.6).

HP also has enhanced HP Access Control with new features, including opt in/out rules, global settings and upgrades to critical backup configurations, sorting and reporting. The solution delivers print authentication, auditing, authorization, accounting and secure pull printing functionality for enterprises.

HP innovation for industries

HP innovates to meet the unique business needs of key industry segments. Seven of the top 10 healthcare companies are HP imaging and printing solutions customers. New enterprise healthcare solutions include:

* HP Distributed Workflow Solution for Healthcare, in conjunction with Hyland Software, streamlines and automates paper-based processes to ensure accurate document capture and provide immediate access to those assets across an organization.
* HP Exstream for Healthcare Providers enables providers to reduce hospital readmissions with personalized, easy-to-understand patient communications. Delivered in the patient’s preferred language, delivery channel and format, these clear, customized communications can help reduce readmission.

Eight of the top 10 financial services companies in the Americas are HP Managed Print Services (MPS) or solutions customers.

HP Loan Origination Accelerator automates the document management element of the loan origination process, shortening cycle times, advancing straight-through processing, providing more transparency and improving the overall customer experience

HP also enhanced its HP MPS Multi-vendor Services and HP Universal Print Driver (UPD) 5.3.

HP additionally announced the HP Exstream Makeover: Customer Communications Edition, where enterprise customers can enter to win a $500,000 software and services package to help improve the quality and efficiency of their customer communications activities.

Devices that deliver results and reduce costs

HP’s robust device portfolio now includes two new networked HP LaserJet MFPs that provide SMB and enterprise customers features such as HP ePrint to streamline workflows. HP FutureSmart firmware dramatically improves fleet management through a single consistent code base that allows new features to be added to an entire fleet via firmware updates. These updates can save money by increasing the functionality of an existing printer fleet and delivering a foundation for next-generation, web-connected capabilities.

* HP LaserJet Enterprise M4555 MFP series – A secure, easy-to-use mono MFP designed to help businesses increase efficiency and improve document workflow. The device features several enterprise tools, including HP Web Jetadmin for monitoring and management, HP FutureSmart firmware and HP’s Open Extensibility Platform to simplify the development and deployment of HP and third-party solutions. This product is currently available in certain regions including the United States and Canada.
* HP LaserJet Pro M1217nfw MFP – HP’s most affordable wireless LaserJet MFP includes print, scan, fax and copy functionality, as well as Ethernet and wireless networking standard. This new product also features innovative technologies such as HP Smart Install, which enables CD-free driver installations in as fast as five minutes, and HP Auto On, Auto Off.

Additional information about HP’s new imaging and printing solutions and devices is available at www.hp.com/go/businessprinting2011.

Original Source: HP Enhances Office Productivity with New Workflow Solutions

Visit our web store for high quality Hewlett Packard / HP inkjet cartridges & laser toner cartridges

Epson Stylus Pro 7700 and 9700 Printers Now Available Through Professional Imaging Resellers

Epson America, Inc. is expanding its sales of Epson Stylus® Pro 700-series printers to a broader range of professional imaging markets. The Epson Stylus Pro 7700 and 9700 are now available through authorized Epson Resellers. Both of these printers are engineered to exceed the expectations of professionals who produce corporate graphics, imposition proofs, company signs and banners, indoor tradeshow displays, and more.

"The expansion of these products into new markets is very good news for both Epson resellers and their customers," said Reed Hecht, product manager, Epson America, Inc. "The Epson Stylus Pro 7700 and 9700 give customers an incredible combination of speed, brilliant color, reliable performance, and image quality that's superior to most other printers being used by corporate graphics and signage professionals today. The list of technological advancements that Epson engineers have incorporated into these printers is impressive, but equally important is that the products are very easy to use."

The Epson Stylus Pro 7700 (24-inch) and 9700 (44-inch) incorporate the company's latest achievements in high-performance ink jet printing. Epson's unique MicroPiezo® TFP™ print heads help produce stunning photographic images and extremely precise text and line art at speeds that nearly double that of Epson's previous generation printers. Image quality is further enhanced by Epson UltraChrome Vivid Magenta inks and dual black printing. This pigment-based ink technology enables prints to attain true archival permanence on a wide range of media types.

The Epson Stylus Pro 7700 and 9700 are currently available for suggested retail prices of $2,995 and $4,995, respectively. For additional information, visit www.proimaging.epson.com.

Original Source: Epson Stylus Pro 7700 and 9700 Printers Now Available Through Professional Imaging Resellers

Visit our web store for high quality Epson inkjet cartridges & Epson printer supplies