Allocating costs and streamlining workflows are crucial for the smooth operation of a law firm. Implementing the right print management solution will ensure your document handling practices protect client confidentiality while disbursements can be tightly managed and easily recovered from clients.
Multi-function printers and copiers are not new. They have been on the market for many years but print management software has significantly improved. Furthermore, the costs to implement have dropped in recent years, giving firms of all sizes access to this capability.
To realise these benefits, there are two important decisions:
- Selecting a software solution with cost allocation capabilities so print jobs can be allocated to specific clients
- Choosing the right multi-function centres that are reliable with the essential functions such as multi-tray support for different paper stock and secure printing so confidential documents aren’t left unsecured in output trays
For example, there might be three teams in one office working with different clients and it’s critical that each team doesn’t have access to anyone else’s documents.
When someone sends a print job to the device, the cover page prints from one paper tray, the main body prints from another with the back page taken from another tray. The pages are collated correctly but they are only released when someone authorised to retrieve the job walks to the printer and authenticates their identity (follow me printing). Once the job is completed, Brother’s software partner PaperCut can allocate the cost of the toner, paper and printer operation to a client.
This reporting goes into significant detail with the ability to cost based on paper size, the use of colour or monochrome printing and duplexing. The cost of each different type of print job can be defined and apportioned with precision. As the data captured by PaperCut is accessible by other applications, it can be sent directly into billing systems so there’s no need to manually handle data.
Once the software is setup, it is user-friendly enough that there’s no need for a technical expert to intervene during each billing cycle.
What to consider when choosing hardware
When it comes to selecting hardware, there are several key factors to consider:
- The need for reliable hardware that is supported by a local company who can support with the setup and ongoing operation
- Jobs need to print quickly, supporting the use of multiple paper stock, so staff don’t waste time to wait for jobs to appear
- Certified integration with PaperCut
- All of these tasks must respect the health and safety of staff through quiet operation that doesn’t add unnecessary decibels of noise to the office
Brother offers many print solutions that can satisfy all of those needs and seamlessly work with PaperCut.
For example, the Brother monochrome range delivers fast monochrome printing and scanning capability with additional trays for paper handling. The flagship machines also have Near Field Communication (tap) built-in to release print jobs with a card through PaperCut.
If your business needs to extend to colour, then Brother’s colour laser printers will make it easy to add highlights and images to documents.
All of these tools come together to support the critical function of managing client disbursements efficiently, and with Brother and PaperCut, it’s achieved economically. That means your firm can deliver great service, keep control of costs and maintain strong profitability.
So how can we help you? Ask us for a free print assessment, so we can show you the benefits.
