Organizing the printing fleet in your company might be a challenging task. Many people will provide different opinions and ideas on where each device should be and the distance between them.
When we start working with a new client, one of the main questions we get asked by them is, “How close should the devices be placed to one another?”
Depending on who you ask, answers might vary. However, for many years, the vast majority of industry consultants shared a rule that determined the organization and distance of devices in many companies; that is the well-known 50-Foot Rule, which states:
“No user should be more than 50 feet away from a printer.”
It is a fascinating rule that has driven many RFPs and purchasing decisions.
However, we believe that this rule never made any sense. It led to over-selling printers that benefited a group of vendors who took advantage of a lack of data.
Many businesses now have too many print devices sitting idle, increasing the costs per page.
That means thousands or even millions of dollars wasted on underutilized devices.
It’s time to eliminate the 50-foot rule and establish a new guideline.
If we take a moment and concentrate on the facts, we can see that users print as often, on average, as they need to go to the restroom.
Instead of having a printer 50 feet away from each user’s desk, printers should be conveniently located next to the restrooms.
When organizing their printing fleet, some of our clients have redefined the old 50-foot rule and found that measuring the distance between devices is more accurate than the distance between users and devices.
For example, mono printers should be 350 feet away from each other, and color devices should be 900 feet away from mono equipment.
The results of the application of this strategy are:
- Fewer devices, more utilization per device, and lower cost per page.
- Increased efficiency level and long-term savings.
By taking this approach, you can help to streamline your printing operations and reduce costs significantly.
Take The First Step
If you’re not thinking about your print strategy holistically, you may be paying millions of dollars more every year than needed. However, developing a strategy and utilization of fixed assets can lead to an enterprise saving between 35-65%.
If you are interested in these types of savings and driving bottom-line impact, the model below is how and what PathForward does in helping organizations like yours find the best-tailored strategy for their goals, priorities, and requirements.
We have helped organizations like yours save over $750M.