Paper profits

Citation

(2002), "Paper profits", Work Study, Vol. 51 No. 7. https://doi.org/10.1108/ws.2002.07951gaf.005

Paper profits

Paper profits

Buying paper is a complex process: the buyer must weigh up a number of different factors, from price and availability, to performance, print quality and, increasingly, environmental responsibility.

Price is obviously an important factor, and when buying "standard" paper for use in the office, many people are tempted to choose the cheapest product. But, as in most things, you get what you pay for, and the hidden cost of selecting a cheap paper that is not designed for use with a particular office printing or copying device can be high in terms of machine downtime, increased consumable costs and service costs.

All users want – and expect – high quality output, whatever the application, no matter the printing/copying device used. This depends on selecting the right paper for the job, and by addressing an organisation's paper requirements at the beginning of the purchasing process, buyers can save their companies significant costs while maintaining quality.

A less important – though still serious – issue is the aesthetic appeal of the paper – its overall look and feel. A paper that is to be used for important documents or reports should reflect the importance of the document's content, and be thought of as an extension of the organisation's image. Many organisations make significant investments in the development of their identity and marketing, but fail to consider how their paper choice will impact on the external perception of the company.

The right paper – and the right image – need not be expensive. If organisations are looking to reduce expenditure on paper, the best advice is to consider a multi-tiered approach. A high quality multi-functional paper will provide high standard documents suitable for generic internal and external presentation. By investing in a quality paper that is suitable for all daily operations, the paper buyer can eliminate situations such as placing the wrong paper in a machine or additional paper purchases, which if choosing the right paper initially could be irrelevant and far less costly.

In all cases, buyers should seek out a paper that is matched to the technology. If the paper is principally going to be used with desktop colour laser printers or colour copiers, then it is wise to choose a product that is known to perform well with these technologies.

Once the paper is on site, it is important to store it properly. In order to reduce wastage and achieve optimum print results, paper should be protected from extremes of temperature and moisture, so it is important that it is not stored in a damp area or next to a radiator or heater.

The paper should not be unwrapped from the individual ream wrappers until it is needed, as the wrappers are specifically developed to protect the paper's moisture balance. It is also advisable to keep at least two days' stock of paper in the area where the copiers or printers are located, to allow the paper to stabilise to the ambient environment – this reduces the likelihood of any running problems.

These are simple, common sense issues – but as ever, such knowledge is often only common sense in hindsight. Paper buyers and users should be made aware of the simple things they can do to improve quality and save costs.