Using print to deliver built-in flexibility to your business

Software as a service (SaaS) brings a range of benefits over installed applications, including flexibility and scalability. And the service provider can update their software centrally without any downtime for users, so the latest updates and security patches are in place, bringing peace of mind that systems are as secure as possible.

Research from IDC found that, by 2021, over half of software revenue will come from software sold as subscription and software as a service.

Adrian Bradley, of KPMG, said: “With COVID-19, firms that were already using cloud-based solutions at a sufficient scale experienced no great problems as they were able to easily scale up their operations online.

“But organisations that didn’t have the basic infrastructure in place and were heavily dependent on their premises found they had more bottlenecks to resolve.

Using the cloud also narrows the sphere of responsibility. It plays into reliability, compliance, safety and business continuity so leaders can devote their energy to other issues.

“But, understandably, many firms have focused on continuity, not resilience, so they will need to transform further.”

Automated technologies can also help to build in flexibility and business resilience. Joanna Swash of Moneypenny said: “Our clients faced an unprecedented volume of calls at the onset of lockdown, as people wanted to know about refunds, bookings and orders amid the chaos.

Our digital products including live chat and switchboard technologies helped them to effectively keep on top of enquiries where there wasn’t the physical manpower, preventing customer relationships from being damaged.”

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To understand its importance, Brother UK recruited an expert panel of IT decision-makers, academics, and advisors to look at how firms are introducing new technology to build business resilience. Those businesses with robustness and agility will be best placed to survive both short-term shocks and longer periods of uncertainty.

The report helps in highlighting the role technology must play and help IT decision-makers with the choices they make in enabling their organisations to become more resilient.

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Get in touch to find out how Brother solutions can help you improve your business’s resilience.

 

Three ways to create a resilient print solution

Futureproofing your business has become all the more important with the changes forced upon us by the Covid-19 pandemic and digitisation trends.

Every business is different, but there are also commonalities.

With Complete IT Systems and Brother, you can create your all-round solution to suit every need with three simple steps:
  1. Comprehensive device options including industry-leading SMB laser printers for the office and compact multifunction desktop devices for home to enable simple and secure printing and scanning in any environment.
  2. Touch-free de-centralised printing with Secure print+, enabling social distancing and reducing the risk of infection in office, while improving productivity by making print processes quick and easy.
  3. Ensure users have access to remote IT support, with a team of experts who can resolve any issues remotely, wherever they are.
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Get in touch to find out how Brother solutions can help you improve your business’s resilience.

 

Building business resilience with print – top tips

Building business resilience with print is front-of-mind for management teams. This is especially true as they step down from crisis stations and find the headspace to plan for the future.

It’s a focus that’s already seeping into IT procurement decisions. Firms want to harness solutions that can offset the impact of future disruption following a year of overcoming challenges.

We spoke to Sara Diggle, Head of SMB print business unit at Brother UK. She told us what decision makers need on their checklists when searching for new print systems with the end-goal of building resilience.

Agility

Cloud and the internet of things enabled print technology is allowing systems to be more decentralised. This means maintenance and support needs to be available wherever a device may be.

Managed print services (MPS) can easily be rolled out across a businesses’ network of offices, or even among home workers. This should still allow for full oversight by IT managers. Solutions like Brother’s remote panel, offers quick diagnosis and problem solving without the need to send out an engineer.

Security

Modern print devices offer end-to-end encryption. Manufacturers like Brother provide regular firmware updates that help end-users to stay one step ahead of hackers.

But sensitive information printed by devices can also fall into the wrong hands. Brother’s Secure Print+ solution offers easy-to-manage card-based user authentication. This ensures documents are only printed when they’re ready to collect from the printer.

Reliability

Remote diagnostics available through MPS can spot issues for end-users before problems arise. This keeps device uptime high. Meanwhile, Brother’s Request Help solution helps to ensure any problems are resolved quickly. This means users can contact an engineer via a printer’s interface.

Predictability

Predicting costs is central to building resilience. Setting monthly fees for MPS programmes helps businesses forecast costs. This is easier than managing in-house costs with potential repair and breakdown costs to factor in. Supplies replenishment also ensures that end-users don’t have to order in inks and toners. This avoids waiting for them to arrive if they run out, causing downtime.

COVID-secure

While the vaccine rollout picks up pace, we’re likely to be living with COVID-19 for some time. This means IT decision makers need to ensure that shared devices can be used safely.

A decentralised approach to print can be a safer choice for businesses. This means using tailored devices located across an office, rather than having a central multifunction device where users have to queue for use.

Scalability

While additional devices can easily be added to an MPS programme, devices themselves can build scalability. Brother’s flagship devices can be equipped with additional print trays, mailbox trays and automatic stapling. This boosts capacity when needed for fast-growing offices.

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Get in touch to find out how Brother solutions can help you improve your business’s resilience.