Sharp proves superior once again...

Sharp is pleased to announce that the Frontier Series has won Product of the Year honors from the editors of The Cannata Report. Since its introduction, the Frontier Series has revolutionized the industry, enabling any organization to help shrink the footprint of their printer, copier, fax and scanner fleets. For the first time ever, The Cannata Report did not single out one product for this prestigious honor.

After 23 years of awarding a single machine these honors, The Sharp Frontier Series was the first full product line to come away with the award. Equally honored are the models MX-C311, MX-C401, MX-B401, DX-C310, DX-C311, DX-C400, and DX-C401. “This is the first time we have presented such an award,” said Frank Cannata, editor, The Cannata Report. “The Frontier Series has propelled many Sharp dealers into the A4 MFP market, so we extend our congratulations to Sharp for bringing on line a brand new product series that addresses a critical need for its dealers.” Sharp continues to strengthen its product offerings with the very best in leading technology, features, value, and reliability.

The Frontier Series from Sharp continues to deliver the performance and compatibility needed for today’s busy office environments. “Enterprises and medium-sized firms are increasingly replacing disparate personal printers located throughout their offices with cost-effective A4 MFPs,” said Ed McLaughlin, president, Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America. “We expect to see even greater uptake in A4 in the next year and will continue to manufacture innovative products that our dealers can use to grow their business and increase their presence in the market.”

Fred Jeffery
Solutions Specialist
Document Technology Solutions
9401 James Ave S, Suite 162; Bloomington, MN 55431
Ph: 952-516-7914; Fax: 952-516-7901
fjeffery@dtsimaging.com
http://www.dtsimaging.com/


Now, what would one of my posts be without a picture of a nice horse...
This one happens to be with my daughter. :) The horse's name is Dyno.

Just what is this horse thing?

Our horse non profit is called Standing in the gap. Standing In The Gap endeavors to be fully equipped and financially able to rehab and retrain injured thoroughbreds. Click on any horse picture in the blog and you will be taken to the website.
Darla almost lost her life in July 2006 due to a severe staph infection called MRSA. Darla was bed ridden for 5 months and to this day lives with chronic pain. To face death, one can change their outlook on life. Horses have taken Darla on a path that she never dreamed of walking.
Darla's first horse Dolly, resided at a private thoroughbred training and lay over facility for racehorses. It was here that she found a natural ability which the horses drew out of her. Spending most of her time in the barn or at the side of the pasture, she quietly and carefully observed and learned their language.

Several months after Darla bought Dolly, a large quarter horse arrived at the barn without a name. Day after day she noticed that he kept his head low to the ground in the back corner of his stall. "Charlie" would not turn around and seemed to be locked into a depression. Bringing this to the attention of her family, they worked as a team to get this horse to interact. Darla's husband Fred sought out information about "Charlie" and learned that he had raced for a couple of years and then moved into a career of ponying racehorses for over 10 years. Due to arthritis in his knee, "Charlie" lost his job at the track...and he seemed to know that his career was over. Fred bought "Charlie" and renamed him Moses, who would then help lead Standing In The Gap's first injured racehorse to recovery.

During the spring of 2009, Standing In The Gap relocated to a smaller, peaceful farm named Heiland Hill Training Center. At their new location the horses are exposed to a whole new way of life. It is here where Maverick begins his training and Standing In The Gap takes in their second injured racehorse on July 1, 2009...Solo Tour.

Standing In The Gap endeavors to be fully equipped and financially able to rehab and retrain injured thoroughbreds. Presently, their team is small but every day they work diligently to get the word out. Darla and VP Leslie Morley are working on building positive relationships with the owners and trainers of racehorse thoroughbreds. Standing In The Gap is supportive of the racing industry and knows that like any sport...there are sometimes injuries and they endeavor to give owners and trainers a positive alternative and a chance for the horse to lead a full life. Most thoroughbreds love to work, it is Standing In The Gap's passion to retrain these broken athletes as therapy horses for military vets.

Like I said, check out the website.
Now enjoy a great picture of a horse...

Money leaking out?

Many companies in the Twin Cities are spending a ton on their printers and their copiers.  The Gartner Group estimates that 3% of a companies revenues are spent on printing and copying.  This is a massive number.  Especially if you consider for a $5,000,000 a year company, we would expect $150,000 to go to printers and copiers.  The biggest issues is most of these remain unmanaged.
If you own a company, do you know how much each page costs you?  If you are like 95% of the customers without a print management strategy in Twin Cities, you do not.  This would be like owning a fleet of vehicles and having NO IDEA what gas and maintenance was costing you.  Laser Printers which are unmanaged, are almost always expensive.  Copiers are just as bad.
How do you know if your company is using effective document workflow? What do you need to do?

1. Stop Buying!!  Assess where you are, how many pages are being printed, by whom, why, etc
2. Have analysis (either internal or external) done so you can look for cost savings or headache saving measures for your organization
3. Call us for a free on site assessment!

Now enjoy a horse picture....

My Blog Introduction...

We will cover items from Copiers (MFPs), printers, Document Management Solutions and managing all between.
MFPs are generally purchased based on price. There are many, many factors that should be considered before choosing on what to buy and from whom. Traditionally, copier purchasers get bids from various vendors that include the price of the copier or copiers themselves and the price per page charged for maintenance. Now we call them MFPs and should be considered as a device that is part of the network and should be planned just like purchasing a server or major software program. Let's face it, most are placed on a five year lease and at the rate that technology changes, this is becoming a more important decision within companies. Stay tuned for specific post dedicated to this subject alone.
Printers are necessary items within companies. These are usually purchased based on the price of the printer alone. A big consideration when purchasing printers should include total cost of ownership. Toner, cartridges or just supplies are by far the biggest expense. My printer blogs are geared toward how to make smart printer decisions and managing the print environment for effective work flow, yet controlling costs.
Document Technology Solutions are a huge overlooked item in most companies. In the past, this software/hardware solution was a costly endeavor, not only in the price of the software but the installation and upkeep also. Today, there are many, many competitors in this market. The prices range from a few hundred dollars up to several thousand for bigger installations. There are many considerations in this solution. You'll want to end up with a product that is not only effective in your company's work flow but set you up for future growth and integration to your companies software and backend programs.
Another item to be addressed in this blog is the management of all these items. Whether it be keeping up with industry news or seeking advice on purchases, the goal is to make life easier for people who have to focus on other important items and not be worried about making the correct decisions in these categories
Please contact me for any questions or to express your opinions. I appreciated the opportunities. My email address is fjeffery@dtsimaging.com. Thanks!

A Novel Idea - self training on a copier

I always thought having resources quickly available to copier/MFP end users would make them more efficient and effective in their use of the MFP AND in their daily workflow. The Sharp company has released a great way to achieve this. Sometimes, during bigger installs, I also fill in as a trainer. After presenting a vast amount of information, I leave then with 5 resources to get answers and continued training. Besides a live help desk, manuals, C.D's and a website, Sharp provides a website and, now, video that runs right on the large color screen that walks you through the most used functions. Here is a statement from Sharp.

When your users have questions or need training, the My Sharp website is available 24/7 to provide them with the answers they need to be more productive. The My Sharp website features helpful demonstrations about using the scan, copy, print and fax capabilities found on your specific Sharp products, as well as using related software solutions and ordering replacement supplies.

The My Sharp dedicated customer training website is not only customized for your Sharp product, it provides information specific to your exact configuration to help you maximize your investment. And as your business needs evolve, the My Sharp website provides the flexibility to grow with you into the future.

Click HERE for a demo look.

Imagine your end users not having to tie up other people who have better things to do besides hold hands with someone at a copier. Your IT help desk not having phone calls concerning things end users should know. How about someone calling for help with scanning and all you do is email them a link to a video to show them exactly what they are trying to do. We even take this a step further as a company, but thats another blog. Stay tuned!

This is one of the many reasons we partner with Sharp.

Now enjoy another beautiful picture of a horse. This is one of our non profit's horses.