Printing in a hybrid office is one of those things that makes IT Managers tremble. This isn’t due to technical obstacles. It’s more because they can hear the sound of an avalanche of tickets coming their way…And this is the thing that doesn’t get talked about much when it comes to printing in a hybrid environment. You need to balance user accessibility with security and control. Think of it like toddlers in a sandbox: you want users to be able to play safely inside (without anyone holding their hand), but the borders of the box must be clearly defined. People can’t just walk in and out.
So, what do you need for a smooth-running hybrid office work environment? Consider this your shopping list.
Cloud-based print management software
How can printing in hybrid environments work smoothly? Four words: cloud-based printing services. You need cloud native print management software that allows users to have convenient access while giving sysadmins maximum visibility and robust control over the entire network. The idea is to have one central dashboard that can handle everything from driver deployment to endpoint security and troubleshooting. This helps you scale your cloud print environment, without burying IT under thousands of tickets.
Secure printing solutions
In most print environments, when a job is sent to the printer, it starts printing automatically. This is no good for hybrid work, since there’s no guarantee the user will be standing at the MFD or is even in the building. Instead, you need secure print release , which means print jobs can only be ‘released’ at the printer by authorized users. There are a few ways to go with this one, but we usually see some 2FA combo of PINs and swipe cards. You can even setup mobile print release , if you want a more portable alternative.
Mobile printing capabilities
BYOD is here to stay, and the days of only printing via your desktop computer are well and truly dead. Staff need to be able to print from any device and any location, even their tablet or mobile. This is where mobile printing comes into play. Something like PaperCut’s Mobility Print delivers network print services in mixed fleet environments, allowing both managed and unmanaged devices to safely print via any printer on the network.
Keep in mind, you need to combine this tech with some sort of mobile device management (MDM) strategy. This will help you track and manage print activity, while keeping a lid on devices and data.
Printer fleet management
If you’re going to run a hybrid office, your IT team needs some sort of printer fleet management solution. This helps them track multiple printers in different locations, all from the one interface. It should also include useful tools like printer health, predictive analytics, usage pattern data, consumable levels, maintenance schedules, and automated alerts for stuff like security intrusions and paper jams. Check out this guide to managing a print fleet in a multisite environment for more info.
Environmental sustainability features
Most organizations have ESG targets these days, and considering printing can make up a significant portion of your e-waste , it’s a highly effective way of making your hybrid office more sustainable. To start, make sure to set duplex and B&W printing as default. If you’re using quotas , charge users more for more resource-heavy printing. You can also pick printer models with good energy ratings, leverage usage insights to consolidate printers, and use load balancing to make sure your printer fleet is operating at peak efficiency.
Automated supply management solutions
Automated supply management basically means streamlining the whole toner/paper/consumables process. With PaperCut , for example, you can track printer consumables by user, department or device, watch your ink and toner levels in real-time, and resupply automatically to avoid overstocking – all without having to move from your desk. This has the added benefit of reducing system downtime: there’s no chance you’ll be caught short when a machine runs out of ink.
Cost management and tracking tools
In a hybrid office where you may not be in sight of the hardware it’s important to keep an eye on print costs to stop them spiraling out of control. The easiest way to do this is to implement print quotas and run some basic usage reports . That way you can quickly see who’s printing what, and identify the users or departments who are most resource-heavy. As usual, we also recommend using digital document management tools wherever possible, to cut down on printing all together. Printing should be the last resort, not the first option. Not everything needs to be a physical document.
User-friendly print interfaces
To keep users happy and your IT team unbothered, you need a hybrid print solution that, above all, is easy to use. The idea is to give users everything they need to print – and no more. Make the process frictionless. A new user should be able to install the app, find a printer, load up a doc, select their print options, then securely print and release – all without a single call to IT.
Integration with collaboration tools
If you’re running a hybrid office, chances are good you’re already using a bunch of collaboration tools, project managers, chat platforms and document management solutions. The good news is most print management services (including PaperCut) synch with the big names, such as Teams or Slack . This means you can share and print documents within your existing collaboration environment. You can also scan jobs straight into your popular channels.
User-friendly, remember?
