Telstra to cut print volumes following managed document services deal

Telstra (ASX: TLS) plans to cut its printing volumes after expanding its relationship with Canon Australia to include managed document services (MDS) in January 2014.

Canon has provided printers to Telstra for 15 years.

The telco is currently rolling out the MDS service to 17 offices in Australia. This will be completed by March 2014.

Canon’s service includes a ‘follow me’ function. This means that Telstra staff can tap their access card on any of the printers in their office to print documents, collecting them right away. Before, printed paper would have been left at different printers as staff would have forgotten to pick up their documents.

Telstra corporate services general manager Lynley Vinton said it piloted the ‘follow me’ offering in its Melbourne head office during December 2012. During the trial, it reduced print volumes by 16 per cent which equals to 2 million sheets of paper being saved.

“This gives staff the opportunity to delete any print jobs they don’t want. What we’ve seen as a result is a change in behaviour that has cut the amount of documents being printed by 16 per cent.”

“We will be hoping to get that [print reduction] figure up to 30 per cent in the next two years.”

• Daily office admin making us less productive: report
• Stressed at work? Blame the printer
• In pictures: CIOs discuss print services in the mobile enterprise

She added that the ‘follow me’ service has improved the security of printing sensitive documents. The documents will not print until the staff member has tapped his or her access card.

“In the past, you would have clicked print and it would have printed straight away. However, you may not be able to get to that printer to pick up the document,” Vinton said. “Now, documents don’t print out until I reach the printer.”

Follow Hamish Barwick on Twitter: @HamishBarwick

Follow CIO Australia on Twitter and Like us on Facebook… Twitter: @CIO_Australia, Facebook: CIO Australia, or take part in the CIO conversation on LinkedIn: CIO Australia