doc-Q-manager is a new streamlined software package designed to automatically manage print job routing using the most cost effective printing device on a network.
Customers are becoming much more aware of the total cost of printing and are trying to implement strategies to reduce their overall printing costs. The purpose of doc-Q-route is to define rules based routing of print jobs to assist in this reduction of costs.
Where the documents are sent depends on rules created in-house relating to such factors as cost and convenience. These may include use of colour, the number of pages and the number of copies. doc-Q-route allows full definition of these to match local requirements. Use of colour printers can be blocked, or users prevented from sending jobs over a certain size to traditionally expensive printers. Productivity rises and cost per page drops. Users are informed where a print job is routed by e-mail or pop-up message whilst routing actions may be logged to a CSV for auditing.
It also means bypassing of devices that are for instance out of paper or toner. Jobs are re-routed automatically to the next most appropriate device. “Productivity is optimal at all times,” says Bert de Greeff, Manager of the Professional Copier Planning Department. “Cost saving & simplicity are the key sales points.”
Whenever there are rules, there are usually exceptions to them and doc-Q-route supports this concept by allowing for certain print jobs and users to be exempt. Equally one would not want a job redirected if the alternative device is busy, in error, switched off or between certain times - such as a printer in a room that is locked overnight.
These actions take place on ordinary Windows® print queues - there is no need to install new queues or reconfigure existing queues to implement the software; it integrates automatically with the Windows® spooler. doc-Q-route runs as a server based service and it comes with a remote administration tool that is used to define rules and routes.
doc-Q-route is a very powerful yet simple to implement tool for customers concerned about the print decisions being made by their users and it can very quickly offer an excellent return on investment in terms of print cost savings, according to Bert de Greeff. Optimal job routing and failover maximises the use of customers’ existing hardware. Reduced hardware purchases, low fault rates and high hardware utilisation mean low costs and satisfied management. “I am sure that as soon as users become familiar, the word will spread,” adds a confident product manager.
Ricoh currently manufactures one of the world’s most extensive line ups of copiers, printers, scanners, faxes and multifunctional devices, as well as advanced software solutions.
