If we were to ask you right now, āHow does your organization print?ā, how would you respond? Your answer might tell us a lot about your print setup, but perhaps less about your attitude towards stuff like efficiency and security. A lot of businesses donāt put much thought into their printing, which means they donāt get much out of it. Print policies are essentially the rules and protocols for printing in your business. Theyāre your printing blueprint, and they determine how cost-effective, how safe, and how user-friendly your print environment actually is.
So, do you need a company printing policy? As always, thatās up to you. But here are a few reasons why it might be a good idea.
What is a print policy?
A print policy sets out the rules and details of how your business prints documents. Thatās it. The purpose of a print policy is to record your print environment, so you can improve workflows and efficiencies, encourage good user behaviour, and keep your print network secure. Thereās no fixed length for a print policy: it can be as short or as long as you find useful. The important thing is that itās detailed, comprehensive, and easily communicated to the wider organization.
Benefits of having a company printing policy
Group print policies donāt take much effort, and they come with a ton of benefits. As with most things, you canāt improve what you canāt see. So the first step is simply documenting how youād like your print network to operate.
Cost savings. Be defining guidelines for responsible printing practices, and then communicating them to the wider team, you can reduce paper expense, cut back on ink, and even improve printer maintenance. This might include stuff like duplex printing, black-and-white default printing, and minimizing unnecessary print jobs.
ESG and sustainability. Printer e-waste is a massive problem , which is why we go on about sustainable printing so often. If youāve got ESG targets, printer policies that encourage environmentally friendly printing (recycled paper, vegetable-based inks, reduced energy consumption, duplex printing etc.) can go a long way in making your print room more sustainable.
Regulatory compliance. For certain organizations and industries, print security is a huge part of data privacy and compliance. This is especially true for financial and healthcare institutions. Print policies will usually incorporate guidelines for compliance with data protection regulations (like HIPAA and the GDPR), helping your organization avoid expensive audits and penalties.
Improved efficiency. A print policy ensures that your organisation not only knows how to print, but when and where to print. As such, clear printing guidelines can massively improve organizational efficiencies, reducing the chance of printer bottlenecks, consumable shortages, business disruption and IT help desk tickets (always a nice perk).
What does a print policy need to cover?
A group print policy should be as long as it needs to be. And no longer. It is, above all else, a working document. Users have to actually be able to use it. Otherwise whatās the point? With that in mind, hereās a few things you should include in your print policy:
Purpose and scope. Briefly define the purpose and scope of the policy. Provide contact details for troubleshooting, printer network management, and anyone else related to the policy.
Print guidelines. The meat and potatoes of every print policy. This should include stuff like authorized users, access controls, passwords, printing limits and print quotas (if you have them).
Security measures. Communicating printer security measures, and some good cyber hygiene tips, can go a long way to securing your print network. Your policy should include access control measures, requirements for encryption, and policies for the secure disposal of printed documents.
Document handling. Your policy should outline procedures for handling sensitive or confidential documents, including who can print them, how theyāre stored, and their disposal. Include any relevant data retention periods, too.
Sustainability considerations. This is where you include rules on duplex printing, black and white printing, environmentally friendly procurement, and recycling e-waste. Make sure to tie this stuff into your broader ESG strategy.
Compliance requirements. Make sure to cover any legal or data compliance requirements (e.g. GDPR or HIPAA), including document handling, storage, printing and destruction, along with data privacy and IP protection.
How to create a company print policy
Creating a company print policy from scratch can be daunting, so weāve broken it down into easy steps.
1. Define your goals. Every strategy should start by defining the objectives and scope of the policy. This includes which departments itāll affect, who will enforce and monitor it, and what type of printers/documents are covered.
2. Get stakeholder input. Gather feedback from all the relevant department heads, including IT, legal, and employees who frequently use the printers. Ask them what they want from this policy.
3. Research and benchmark. Research industry best practices for print policies, including security measures and compliance requirements. Youāll also need to flag any relevant legislation (e.g. HIPAA) that could affect your print policy.
4. Draft the policy. Use the general structure outlined above to draft your initial policy. But donāt be constrained by it. Thereās no rule that says your print policy has to be a certain length, or follow a specific format.
5. Review and approve. Get feedback from the stakeholders identified above, and tweak the policy if needed. Obtain approval from senior management, or the appropriate governing body, before giving the policy a final sign-off.
6. Communication and training. Come up with a comms strategy to get the policy out there, and commit to regular training with the departments/stakeholders affected. Keep a feedback loop open to address complaints, and update the policy as necessary.
Print policies and print management software
Which comes first, the policy or the print management software? Thereās no right or wrong way to do this one, but you do need to factor in a few things.
First, thereās no point drafting a great print policy, then picking a print management platform that canāt give you everything you need. For that reason, itās often worth vendor shopping beforehand. See what features and functions speak to you, then draft your policy accordingly. If your print management provider is any good, theyāll take the time to read and understand your print policy, and make recommendations to improve it (or even build custom workarounds). Flexibility, value, communication and support ā those are the qualities you want in a print management provider.
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