Print duplex. Don't allow people to do otherwise. It should be relatively simple to set up duplexing as the default mode either on the printer itself, or on a print-server.
Print in Econo Mode - whether Ink or Laser, set this as default. In most cases, econo mode produces perfectly usable printouts. Save the high quality for final versions that are being sent to customers to win business or secure funding.
Think about using eMail to do mass mailings. This means you have to do the work to build up a simple CRM and get customer permission to send them eDMs (direct mailers). But it's worth it from the cost perspective. And later, you could get very clever about how you target your emails based on the information you've captured on your customers.
Incoming Fax - it's a very common problem fax-spam, which wastes paper and ink/toner.
Here's a suggestion. Keep your current fax machine for sending hardcopies only. Office workers are already expert at sending out hardcopy documents via fax, so we should leave that be. But for incoming faxes, have another line and setup an old PC or notebook that has built in Modem. Set up the free MS fax capability that's bundled with Windows OSes since Windows for Workgroups 3.11 (that was a LONG time ago). This way, incoming faxes are not automatically printed out. People get to view new faxes onscreen, delete the spam, and either print out or forward by eMail to the recipient.
Something to be careful when doing mass emailing
ReplyDeleteSomething people do not know is how when we do mass emailing (espcially when we accumulate many names for a one time blash), our profile will be monitored by content security vendors as potential spammers.
Continued behavior will meant your name to be possibly captured as part of the spamer. When this happens, mails that come from the suspected email account will be treated as spam and automatically directed to the spam folder in those receiptients who has installed the security software.
So, it is still more advisable to use a dedicated email account to conduct your mass mailing experiment. This way, it would not mess up your normal email a/c.
Eric Chong
Have you printed from web pages, and found that your expected 1 page printout turned into 4 pages, with the layout completely changed - and thus wasted paper and ink/toner? Use a utility like Smart Web Printing, to combine the different sections of what you want to print into a smaller number of pages. You use ink and toner and paper on ONLY what you want to print - no ads, unnecessary pictures or text boxes. It's an extra step, but it does represent good savings.
ReplyDeleteI think it will also be very useful to have policy/work rule of printing in "grey scale" all doucments used internally and print color only for external use.
ReplyDeleteAre you guilty of sending people what they might consider "junk mail"??
ReplyDeleteWould people be more ready to read an email from you? (and be considered a spammer instead)
Apart from helping the environment, it should be cheaper for you to send an eMail instead. And when you DO send a hardcopy, (and it's personalised and good quality), it will be given more attention because it's special and rare. (recall story of young internet familiar people receiving post cards)