What Policy Should a Company Set for Printing & Copying?

Printing and copying can be expensive for companies.

With many organizations these days looking to cut costs, some are questioning their office policies on printing and copying. Businesses have many ways to reduce these costs and still get tasks done.

Personal

Some companies set policies on employees' personal printing and copying at work. Employees can be discouraged, or in some cases outright forbidden, to print out or copy personal letters, messages, or other documents.

Professional

Companies sometimes find it useful to limit the amount of printing and copying for clients. Organizations might charge clients a set fee, or a cost per page, when they provide those clients written records that they would not normally offer.

Considerations

Some companies have deciding to cut down on printing and copying to such an extent that they create a virtually "paperless" office. This means performing most written functions on computers, and backing them up on discs or external hard drives. This approach can be be both economically and ecologically friendly.

References

• Greening Your Office: From Cupboard to Corporation, An A-Z Guide (The Chelsea Green Guides); Jon Clift and Amanda Cuthbert; 2008