Ten ways to take control of hidden costs at the office
Opportunities for savings can be discovered in nearly every area of business. Continuous, incremental improvements add up to big savings. Our tips can help.
Make cost control everyone’s business Nobody knows the details of your company’s business processes like your employees and coworkers. Ask them to uncover the time wasters and tasks with a poor return on investment. Get their ideas on how things could be done in less time and/or for less cost. Share the results of ideas that are implemented.
Leverage technology There’s a nearly endless supply of free or low-cost solutions to common business needs. For example, check out the web-based document, spreadsheet, and presentation tools from GoogleTM. Replace cross-country and crosstown travel with web conferencing. Shop online for the best buys on office supplies. Convert your hard copy filing system to digital archives to reduce storage space and speed data retrieval. Replace offsite training with computer-based learning.
Real time availability With a high-quality printer or multifunction device, businesses can have their documents available real time. This solution is ideal for small quantities of marketing and promotional materials, and other business documents such as stationary.
Communicate expectations
Set guidelines and train employees and coworkers on expectations. For example, implementing policies for travel expenses is far more effective if travelers understand both the policies and the reasoning behind them. The extra time spent training will pay for itself in more efficient administration and processing of expense reports.
Take control of your printing costs Most businesses don’t track or manage their office printing costs. A managed print service can track use and expense. With visibility of how your resources are used, you can take control, reduce costs and more effectively manage your printing devices.
