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ADVERTORIAL
28
More than 35 years have passed
since British-American information
scientist, Frederick Wilfrid, first
envisioned a ‘paperless office’
in 1978. Today, the reality is that
printers continue to be used daily
and, according to an independent
survey of over 3,600 European
employees commissioned by
Epson Europe, 77% of respondents
stated that printers were vital in
terms of helping them work more
productively with an overwhelming
majority (83%) felt a “paperless
office is unrealistic”. In fact, of the
4% that said they didn’t have a
printer in their office, half of them
were intending to get one.
“It is clear from our research that –
despite digital advances – people still like
to work with paper, preferring print rather
than working on-screen for certain tasks,”
said Rob Clark, Senior Vice President of
Epson Europe. The research found that
88% of respondents said they printed an
average of 21 items per day with the most
popular printed items being reports closely
followed by email attachments and emails
themselves.
“The reality is organisations need
printing to not only help employees work
more effectively but reap wider productivity
and environmental benefits too,” highlights
Clark. “With inkjet printing for example,
organisations can achieve up to twice
as many prints while producing 95%
less waste and with much lower energy
consumption compared to similar sized
laser printers and copiers
1
.”
Renowned global futurist, Jack
Uldrich, adds: “the paperless office
hasn’t materialized for the same reason
that microwave ovens didn’t replace all
traditional ovens. Every technology has
unique and tangible benefits, and paper is
no different. Arguably, paper is the greatest
instrument ever invented for conveying,
sharing and disseminating information.
In fact, recent scientific studies have
demonstrated that people understand and
retain information presented on paper
at a far higher level than information
presented electronically.” This may explain
why 61% of survey respondents said that
they believe “there is more chance of
making errors when editing an electronic
document than editing a print-out.”
“New technologies are of course
Paperless office fails to materialise despite increasing workplace
digitalisation, new research reports
Paper is here to stay
83% of Europeans state
“paperless office is unrealistic”
changing the way people work. At Epson,
for example, we see this with our wearable
and projector based technologies. But
when it comes to reading, editing and
sharing documents like reports, emails,
and attachments, office workers, from
baby boomers to millennials, still prefer the
tangible printed version,” Clark concludes.
As part of its plans for growth within
the business printing market, Epson
has developed the WorkForce Pro RIPS
(Replaceable Ink Pack System) range.
These printers offer businesses a series of
inkjet products that deliver uninterrupted
printing for up to 75,000 pages without
the need for a consumables change. The
new products are expected to help Epson
further accelerate the shift from laser to
inkjet within the business printing market.
The Replaceable Ink Pack System has
been developed to help businesses take
advantage of the convenience benefits
of a localised printer fleet, but with the
predictable costs of a centralised model.
The products are also designed to address
the impact of printer downtime and
maintenance issues within the workplace
– a productivity loss estimated to currently
stand within the region of
€
7 billion per
annum across EU5 businesses1.
The RIPS range includes an A3 model
that addresses a gap in the market for A3
business inkjet printers. The full product
range is the result of a
€
125 million
investment into production facilities in
Japan, enabling Epson to move high-end
industrial print head technology into the
volume market.
For further information please
contact Epson on
0844 409 8010
or see
EPSON STATE OF PRINTING
IN THE WORKPLACE STUDY
Even in today’s digitally powered world, the printer still remains vital for business success
and productivity by helping employees to work effectively. In a major research project,
Epson Europe questioned 3,639 IT decision makers and employees across France,
Germany, Spain, Italy and the UK to assess how they use printers in today’s workplace.
PRINTING IS VITAL TO
EMPLOYEE PRODUCTIVITY:
of productivity or a full day would
be lost each week if printers were
banned, according to employee
estimates. Not being able to print
‘reports or brochures’ would have
the most impact.
27%
EUROPEANS SAID...
of employees claim that printers are vital in
terms of helping them to work effectively
of employees claim a ban on printing
would impact their productivity, with
49% claiming
it would do so
‘significantly.’
77
%
86
%
PRINTERS WILL BE A KEY
TECHNOLOGY IN TOMORROW’S
WORKPLACE:
of employees agree that ‘a
paperless office concept is
not realistic.’
83%
of employees agree ‘printers should be
regularly upgraded in order to leverage
innovation on connectivity, cost efficiencies
and quality.’
of employees agree that their organisation
‘should continue to invest in printing
technology.’
86
%
85
%
EUROPEANS SAID...
PRINTER USAGE IN THE WORKPLACE REMAINS HIGH:
of employees use printers
at least daily and those
who use printers print on
average
21 items.
88%
of employees state that the ability to
print documents is important in relation
to their role within the organisation.
of employees believe ‘there is more
chance of making errors editing an
electronic document than a editing a
print out.’
93
%
61
%
EUROPEANS SAID...
The top 3 most printed items:
Reports and
brochures
16%
Email
attachments
15%
Emails
14%
1. As tested by BLI, over two months to April 2015, against a selection of competing machines, as
commissioned by Epson. For more information visit
