The concept of the traditional office where people arrive at eight, leave at five, and work add day in small cubicles or offices is rapidly becoming a thing of the past. In the past decade, remote and hybrid offices have become more and more popular with both employers and employees. These work models don’t just make people happy, either; they have been proven to actually increase productivity. A number of studies have shown that 85% of employees report being more productive in a hybrid position.
For employers, hybrid work does often result in saved costs, but it also presents some logistical challenges. Your team is now split across your office, their home offices, coworking spaces, or even coffee shops. This means rethinking your technology infrastructure to account for all of these locations and their security. Or, worse, lack thereof.
While many team managers are quick to think about video conferencing and collaborative apps, document management is also a real concern. Employees will still need to sign documents, archive files, process invoices, and more. Often, there’s no way to fully abandon paper processes, but you can modernize them by leasing advanced Konica Minolta multifunction printers. This helps you bridge the gap between remote work and the office, creating a seamless workflow. Common Sense Business Solutions (CSBS) is here to help you find the right Konica Minolta device for your team.
Key Features for Distributed Teams
Today’s office printers aren’t designed for one person to use. Instead, devices such as the Konica Minolta bizhub series are designed to be secure, intelligent information hubs that the entire team’s workflow revolves around. It doesn’t matter where each individual person is, they’re all connected to this hub. Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of this new model:
Secure Mobile Printing
When a remote employee drops by the office to meet with a client, they shouldn’t need to spend any time downloading printer drivers or dealing with network permissions. They should simply be able to hit print and have the handouts they need.
That’s how Konica Minolta devices work. Mobile printing is seamlessly built in via various apps, including AirPrint. Employees are able to securely transmit print jobs from laptops, tablets, and even their phones without installing any drivers. The “Follow-Me” option ensures that print jobs are securely saved in the cloud until the user physically releases them at the printer using a code or their badge. This prevents others from seeing or taking confidential documents from the print tray.
Cloud and Network Integration
Your scanner is the main method for transferring hardcopies into virtual documents. Your Konica Minolta system integrates scanning with most major cloud storage options, including Microsoft OneDrive, Google Drive, DropBox, and many others. This means your team can scan documents into one of these shared folders rather than scanning it to their personal computer and then sharing it.
In addition to reducing the time it takes to share documents, these hubs also feature optical character recognition technology that automatically converts scanned documents into PDFs or Microsoft Word files that can be directly edited. This means one person in the office can scan documents and share them with co-workers thousands of miles away quickly and easily.
Remote Device Management
One area that can suffer from hybrid and remote workers is IT. If someone has an issue with their computer, a tech can’t simply walk into their office and take a look at it. While that’s not always possible with remote workers, these employees aren’t on their own. Remote device management allows IT to virtually travel to the employee when needed. As long as the computer boots up, IT can access data, install updates, and troubleshoot software issues.
This is true with printers and other devices as well. Konica Minolta features remote device management software that allows your IT team to monitor toner levels, adjust configurations, and make other changes from anywhere.
Leasing for Ultimate Operational Flexibility
One of the biggest operational missteps business owners can make is tying up capital in assets that quickly become outdated or don’t meet changing needs. This includes purchasing expensive office equipment that may meet your current needs but quickly become outdated within a year.
Leasing instead of buying equipment gives you more flexibility. For example, if you expand your company’s remote policy, you’ll have fewer people in the office using equipment on a daily basis. Suddenly, the expensive equipment designed for use by several hundred people isn’t needed. On the other hand, if you decide you need to have a lot of people on-site for a project, you’ll suddenly need such a machine, but there’s no reason to purchase one if it will not be needed in a few weeks or months.
By leasing a Konica Minolta through CSBS, you have the flexibility to scale your technology as needed, whether that’s up or down. Instead of being stuck with hardware that’s depreciating in value every day, you have the flexibility to quickly adapt to whatever your needs are at the moment. This keeps your technology relevant to your needs, plus allows you to make use of the latest in office equipment. All of that while keeping your budget under control!
Uncompromised Security and Compliance
When your proprietary data or customer information leaves your office, your cybersecurity risks increase exponentially. Studies have shown that 54% of organizations that use remote and hybrid work models have reported an increase in identity theft incidents that were directly related to remote work. Printers and multi-function devices, however, are often overlocked vulnerabilities. If you don’t protect these access points, they can serve as an entry point for hackers and other security issues.
Fortunately, Konica Minolta devices are designed with enterprise-grade protection from the very beginning. The SECURE portfolio has several layers of defense that locks down your data both at the device and while it’s in transit. These features include the following:
- Encryption – The machine’s internal storage is encrypted using advanced standards such as AES 256-bit.
- Automatic data deletion – Data, including temporary files created while printing, scanning, and copying, are automatically deleted and purged from memory after a task is completed.
- Network authentication – Network security protocols ensure that only authorized users on approved VPNs or secure internal channels can connect to the device.
For businesses in industries with very strict privacy laws, such as healthcare, finance, and legal services, these security protocols ensure that you remain compliant with all industry standards and protect your client’s information.
CSBS’s Support for Modern Workflows
Bringing in new equipment is just a start. The true way of measuring success is employee adoption. One pain point companies with hybrid teams often face is unequal technology literacy. Employees who mainly work remotely may come into the office and have no idea how to use any of the equipment.
Here at CSBS, we focus on providing both technical support and hands-on training. We don’t just deliver the machine and leave you with the instruction manual. Our team will walk you through everything from how to use the device to common troubleshooting. If you or your employees have any issue, you’ll have a direct connection to a technician who can walk you through a solution or come handle more serious problems on-site.
We’re Here to Help Your Workforce Meet its Full Potential
Today’s hybrid workforce can’t reach its full potential if it’s tied to outdated equipment and technology. To maximize efficiency and meet all the necessary security regulations for your industry, your office equipment has to work seamlessly with your cloud software, including those applications used for remote work.
By leasing a Konica Minolta multi-function device through CSBS, you’ll be able to take advantage of the security, scalability, and cost-savings leasing offers. Our transparent, flexible contracts and dedication to customer satisfaction guarantee your business can move forward without the headaches that come with leasing with an unreliable partner.
If your office infrastructure isn’t supporting your hybrid and remote employees, it’s time to change that. Reach out to Common Sense Business Solutions today to discuss leasing options.
