What are Enterprise Print Management Softwares and How Do They Work?

In the complex world of IT infrastructure, there stands a pillar often ignored until it becomes a fault line threatening to collapse the entire system: print management. While seemingly trivial, print management in an organization is a labyrinth of its own that often serves as a silent drain to resources. This post aims to elucidate on the key concept of Enterprise Print Management Software (EPMS) - the software solution designed to navigate this labyrinth, and how it functions in optimizing print management.

Enterprise Print Management Software is a comprehensive solution that streamlines and optimizes the print management operations of an organization. Deceptively simple in concept, it is a powerful tool designed to address a multitude of challenges associated with print management - from cost reduction and security to sustainability and productivity, thereby eliminating the potential bottleneck it could otherwise create.

The complexity of print management in an organization goes beyond having a printer and supplying it with paper and ink. Take a firm with several departments, each with a fleet of printers of varying brands and models. The task of monitoring their functionality, managing their supplies, controlling user access, and tracking usage is not just daunting, but can also devolve into a resource sinkhole. EPMS addresses these issues at a macro level by providing centralized control, automating tasks, and providing analytics.

Centralized control means that one can monitor and control all printers in the network from a single interface, regardless of their make or model. This is achieved through the integration of printer drivers into the EPMS, enabling it to interact with a wide range of printers. This centralization not only simplifies printer management but also facilitates printer pooling where print jobs are directed to available printers within a specified group, optimizing printer usage.

Automation is another key feature of EPMS. Tasks like ordering supplies when they run low, or sending maintenance alerts when a printer malfunctions, can be automated. By turning these repetitive tasks over to the EPMS, manpower can be redirected to more productive tasks.

Analytics provided by EPMS offer valuable insights into print usage across the organization. It can show who is printing, what is being printed, and from which printer. This data can be used to implement cost control measures, improve security, and promote sustainability.

Cost control can be achieved by identifying and eliminating wasteful practices, such as unnecessary printing, based on the usage data. Security can be improved by restricting user access and implementing secure print release, where print jobs are held in a queue until the user authenticates at the printer. Sustainability can be promoted by encouraging duplex printing or using draft mode for internal documents, reducing the consumption of paper and ink.

Implementation of EPMS, however, is not without its challenges. Integration with existing infrastructure can be complex, requiring careful planning and testing. Moreover, the benefits of EPMS, especially those related to cost savings, may only become apparent over time, requiring a long-term investment perspective.

Despite these challenges, EPMS holds immense potential in optimizing print management in an organization. By providing centralized control, automating tasks, and providing analytics, it can turn print management from a resource drain into a value add. It is a tool that not only provides a solution to the immediate problem at hand but also unlocks opportunities for improvement and growth.

As we venture further into the digital age, print management may seem like a relic of the past. But until the day we go completely paperless, print management remains a silent player on the stage of IT infrastructure, and EPMS, its director. By understanding how EPMS works, we can better appreciate its role and potential in shaping an efficient, secure, and sustainable print environment.