Here is the paradox: If we truly live in the electronic age and everything has become digitized, why, oh why, are we spending so much time printing? Printing is the bane of our existence, always rearing its ugly head when we least expect it. We spend good money for applications that reliably stores all of our data for online presentation, yet end-users spend hours printing screen dumps and filling file cabinets with paper. Isn’t that nuts?

Most of what’s printed out is thrown right into the trash can. A quick search on the internet reveals that numerous organizations and educational institutions report a sustained increase in paper usage highlighting the point that electronic systems aren’t decreasing the amount of printing by users, its increasing it. And as it increases, the more importance is placed on the printing infrastructure and the more money spent on printers, toner, paper, and chasing down myriads of printing issues.

To compound the problem, the cost of printers continues to go down whilst the quality of lower end printers continues to rise. So it’s becoming increasingly easier for staff to justify purchasing personal printers. Yet whilst printers are cheap, the toner, developer, and other consumables has climbed to the point where it can be cheaper to buy a whole printer than a toner cartridge (it is the hidden cost of consumables along with increased volume that drives the high price of printing).

Everyone can create a reason for why they “need” a printer of their very own. How? Most, managers play the confidentiality card. They can’t be expected to print performance reviews and other confidential documents on the departmental printer. Okay, fine. I can accept that. Plunk a printer down in their office. But then staff wine that they need printers for the mobile laptop carts. Reason – they can’t walk down the hall to the unit’s main printer. That would negate the benefit of having the mobile cart in the first place. Then the billing department reports that they require individual printers to print each customer’s account screen. Reason – it’s easier to read the printouts than the screen.

See where this is going? It’s a runaway train headed down a steep cliff. It appears we’ve spoiled our users into expecting technology coddling. Think of someone at home frantically looking for the TV remote instead of walking over and turning the channel (I’m not saying I’ve never done it.) I’ve got to have it now and I shouldn’t have to move to get it.

So what is wrong with so many printers scattered around the workplace? It complicates the printing infrastructure and can severely reverse the benefits of the paperless solutions you paid for. More Toner, paper, trash, plus the time spent printing, reading, then disposing of the paper. And talk about your security issues. Now your private information is subject to trash diggers and dumpster divers (unless you opt for the expense of a shredder and the time spent using it).

However, if you lead they will follow if they know why and how. Death by printing can be avoided by communicating the objectives, a little training, and a little monitoring of printing activities. The benefits will soon fill the bottom line instead of your trash cans.