MFP set to revolutionizes office workflow

Paper will always have a place in the modern enterprise. It is versatile, low tech, easy to read and in small quantities, it is portable and easy to store.

However, paper contributes to business costs with each printed page and companies are examining ways to reduce the amount of paper used and the cost associated with printing. Paper production and consumption contribute to global warming and companies are now under pressure to reduce their carbon footprint. Paper, while a suitable medium in some situations, has many drawbacks.

Paper is a poor medium for storing large amounts of data. A sheet of paper may appear thin, but records rapidly become bulky once more paper is added to a folder. As paper folders multiply, offices first turn to filing cabinets, then later wall-to-wall cupboards and eventually, warehouses to store paper records. Apart from storage costs, this method makes information retrieval difficult, slow and expensive.

Digital Workflow to the Rescue

This is why digital data is gaining ground. Digital data is much easier to retrieve. Perhaps even more importantly, information that is stored digitally is also easier to distribute and disseminate. This is particularly important when the information is part of a process that needs to be handled by different people along a chain, whether it is a loan application, an invoice or a purchase order.

Once the data is digital, the entire workflow can be sped up. Sending the data from one department to another becomes faster. This means that companies can become much efficient. They can respond to customers faster, and they can make decisions faster and better because the information is readily available.

The trend towards adopting a digital workflow is accelerating because of the falling costs of data storage. Typical entry-level desktops meant for small offices can be equipped with up to 500 GB of hard disk space.

Recognising this trend, laws around the world have changed to recognise that digital documents, stored correctly, are adequate for regulatory compliance purposes or even as evidence in court.

The MFP: The Digital Workflow On-Ramp

Recognising the advantages of going digital, companies are leveraging their multi-function printers (MFPs) to help them. MFPs have already proven their value because they represent a more effective and efficient way to increase overall productivity while reducing costs. Because MFPs can scan documents, store them on a file server, have them emailed to the right person or, if necessary, fax them to the relevant party, MFPs have become the “on-ramp” to the digital highway.

Implementing a digital workflow

Digital workflows can be implemented in a variety of ways. At its very simplest, a paper document is scanned by an MFP and converted into a digital file. This file can then be stored on a file server or moved around via email from one department to another. This digital workflow is quick and low cost to implement.

More advanced solutions are needed when the company requires more control over the entire digital workflow process. Content management solutions can help to move data from one department to another, ensure that the data is acted upon by the right person and by a certain time. It can also record who has looked at or amended the digital record along the chain.

A company that needs a more complex solution will require additional applications on top of the MFP. Forms automation software, for example, captures the data at the source electronically. This works when the organisation has to capture routine information in a particular format on a regular basis. The advantage of this is that the data is digitised from the start of the process.

However, not all documents can be reduced to a form. More often, it is necessary to take paper documents, scan them and convert them into digital data that is searchable. Here, MFPs work with Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. OCR software looks at the scanned document and recognises the words on the scanned page and turn them into searchable text.

As the MFP is already widely deployed in the company, it is the ideal tool for helping the business to go digital. All kinds of documents, whether they are purchase orders, delivery orders, invoices, contracts, or application forms, can be scanned, processed by the OCR software and then stored digitally. Subsequently, when a document has to be printed, for example an invoice to be sent out or as an acknowledgement form, the printing aspect of the MFP comes into play as well. In the modern office, MFPs are the both the “on-ramp” and “off-ramp” of the digital highway.

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Tips on buying MFP for a digital workflow

Scanning Speed – In buying an MFP for its scanning abilities, companies need to pay attention to a number of features. Speed is one obvious factor. The faster the MFP can scan, the more effective it is for the business. Most manufacturers will indicate the approximate time it requires to scan a page. Scanning speed is particularly important if there are many documents that need to be scanned each day.

Automatic Document Feeder – If the daily scanning volume is high, look for an MFP that has an automatic document feeder. This will allow you to process multiple pieces of paper without having to station someone at the machine to scan each piece manually.

Scanning technology – Scanning technology has now made major advances. Some HP LaserJet MFP models now use LED technology for scanning. Unlike fluorescent tubes used in conventional scanners, LEDs do not require a warm up time – letting users begin their scans almost immediately. In addition, LED technology consumes four times less energy in standby mode and 1.4 times less energy while scanning.

Scanning Resolution – Resolution is another important feature to consider when looking at scanning. In general, the higher the resolution, the clearer the digital output. However, high resolution scans create large digital files. When files become too large, they become difficult to manage. For digital workflow purposes, an image with a resolution of 300 dpi is ideal if you are mainly scanning text. This is sufficient detail for working with, but not so much that the file becomes too large for normal computers. Most MFPs can achieve much higher resolutions than 300 dpi so this should not be an issue.

Color Depth – Another consideration is color depth, which is the amount of color the scanner can recognise. For scanning a document to be used within a digital workflow, 24-bit color is sufficient.

Software Considerations – In terms of file format, MFPs are equipped to save documents in different formats. Common formats include JPEG, TIFF, PNG and PDF. The most common formats for digital documents are PDF. JPEG and TIFF formats, tend to be used for images such as photographs. MFPs have a special “Send-To” feature that automatically converts scanned documents to PDF format and have them saved in pre-assigned folders or emailed. As mentioned previously, OCR software will help you extract the data from the document so that it can be searchable. All HP LaserJet MFPs come with OCR software but such software packages can also be purchased separately.

Fax Capability – Faxing capability is a useful addition to an MFP because it integrates the devices into the overall workflow. For example, an invoice that is produced by one department, and approved by another can be sent to the MFP which can then either print it out, email it or fax it out, depending on which format the recipient prefers. By having the faxing option on the MFP, companies can save a step from having to print out the invoice and then faxing it off using a separate device.

Reliability – The final consideration in buying an MFP is reliability. There are no cost savings or productivity gains if the device malfunctions constantly and is often out of commission. That is why it is important to consider the total cost of ownership of the device, and not just its initial price. A cheap device to buy upfront is not necessarily cheap to run over the life of the device. That is why cost conscious businesses buy their MFPs from a manufacturer that has become a byword for reliability. HP has won PC Magazine’s Readers’ Choice Award for service and reliability 16 years in a row. The “HP LaserJet” brand is a promise of performance, quality and reliability.