Imagine youāre in charge of a secure building. The first thing youād want to do is set up some kind of secure system, right? Control who gets in and what rooms they can access? And part of that system would be a log of every visitor into the building. Well, itās the same for printing. If you donāt have visibility over whoās printing what, and you canāt run reports on print activity, then you donāt really have a secure print environment at all. Youāve just got a building with a big open door and a sign saying āPrint Here For Free.ā
This is why print history and print logging matter. Theyāre your backup. Your digital paper trail. The equivalent of the proverbial tree falling in the forest ā only now you have the logs to prove it.
Print history is essential for enhanced security and data protection
Print history and print logging provide a detailed record of all print activities, including who printed what, when and where. Why does this matter? Because visibility allows organizations to track and audit the handling of sensitive information.
By keeping a log of print jobs, companies can enforce compliance with data protection regulations, identify potential security breaches, and hold individuals accountable for any misuse, thereby mitigating the risks associated with data leaks or unauthorized access. Try explaining to your lawyers following a high-profile data breach why you didnāt spend the money on print logging. Not a fun conversation - and expensive. Did you know how much they charge per minute?
Print logging enables better cost management and reduction
With print history and logging, you get detailed insights into printing patterns and resource usage. By tracking who is printing, and whatās being printed, you can quickly spot inefficiencies in the system. This might be excessive color printing, or Kevin from Accounts whoās trying to discreetly print his fifth draft of his 500-page masterās thesis. With this data you can implement proper cost-control measures and streamline your fleet through informed decision-making.
Maintaining your print history drives user accountability
Same thing for user accountability. With a transparent record of each individual’s printing activities, you can make sure that users are held responsible for their print jobs, including the types and volumes of documents they print. For some organizations, this wonāt matter so much, but itās a good way to quickly spot departments who are misusing resources, or to make sure everyoneās pulling in the same direction when it comes to sustainability and ESG. Waste not, want not.
Print logging optimizes resource allocation
Once you have usage patterns and print log data, it should be obvious how your print resources are being used. This can help you spot printers that are being underutilized, or bottlenecks that are cramping your network. By analyzing user data, companies can adjust printer placements to better match behavior, and consolidate printing tasks to more efficient devices. This is basically how you optimize your printer fleet, reduce unnecessary expenditures, and make sure resources are allocated where theyāre needed most.
Troubleshooting and error resolution is made easier
The worst errors are the ones that go undetected, because they have a habit of happening again, and again, and again. To that end, print logging and history helps IT teams identify recurring systems errors, failed print jobs, or specific printer malfunctions. With detailed logs, technicians can easily trace problems back to their source. This speeds up the whole troubleshooting process, reduces downtime, and gets machines back online as quickly as possible.
Performance benchmarking becomes effective
How well is your system working? How well could it work? Donāt know? Well thatās where print logging comes in handy. Print logging and history both offer qualitative data on printer efficiency, usage, speed and network performance. This helps IT teams benchmark different printers against each other, identifying performance bottlenecks and whether or not each machine is currently running on spec. With these insights in your pocket, you can make sure your fleet is upgraded appropriately, reducing unnecessary spend or overcapitalization.
Maintaining your print history makes auditing and compliance robust
And finally, should the auditors come calling, you want to have receipts. For printing, these are your logs and print history. They provide a detailed record of all printing activities within an organization, and this data helps you stick to any regulatory requirements by documenting who printed what, when and how. It also allows organizations to track the handling of sensitive information, verify that printing complies with data protection policies, and demonstrate due diligence during audits.
Hope for the best, plan for the worst. Thatās good advice for all IT departments.
We have a whole host of knowledge base articles that cover logs right here if youāre looking for a deeper technical dive into print logging!
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