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                     4 Keys to 
a 
Successful 
Printer 
Upgrade
#MoreThanPrint
4 Keys to a Successful Printer Upgrade 2
Business research giant Gartner recently published its Top 10 Strategic Technology Trends for 2020, 4 Keys to a 
and not surprisingly the report puts hyperautomation at the top of its list. Successful Printer 
While automation isn’t new, hyperautomation increases the speed of systems integration. In Upgrade:
the case of a printer upgrade, hyperautomation means combining features and functions of Goal 
multifunction printers with secured data storage, workflow management, remote intelligence setting
and support—and that’s just the short list.
When people in traditional office environments start thinking beyond basic printing and Get 
scanning functions, and consider the advantages of dynamic cloud-connectivity, they realize stakeholder 
buy-in
how many opportunities they have for improving workflow, data storage and retrieval, content 
management, and remote access. Plan for the 
Successful upgrades to intelligent print solutions follow four steps for maximizing the benefits of best
digital document management. Together, they help you set a clear course, gain and maintain 
internal support, plan for the best outcomes, and maintain transparency for a satisfying Communicat
transition. e!
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1. Goal setting 3
Determine your goals for
A company’s digital journey is remote access and productivity
its path to the future. Remote access drives productivity by eliminating obstacles that slow or 
stop the flow of information. When you estimate needs for print and scan 
volume, you can make informed decisions about required device 
Moving to the cloud is fundamental to any growth strategy specifications. For example, when you know printing volume and purpose, 
because no other resource is as flexible and scalable as a you can select equipment that supports everyone’s productivity by 
cloud-based platform for the intelligent devices in your providing access when people need it from wherever they need it, with the 
operational infrastructure.
But how will you measure features they want, including converting scanned files to text, routing 
success? documents directly to secured storage applications, and a host of other 
productivity tools.
Copyright © 2020 Ricoh USA, Inc. All rights reserved.
1. Goal setting 4
Meet protection and compliance Set workflow automation goals
requirements
As a significant contributor to cost savings, workflow automation 
Today’s connected work environments make information protection eliminates redundant tasks and frees up employees to engage in 
an ongoing priority. Protection should include a layered approach more rewarding, productive activities. Answers to the following 
that starts at the device level and expands to include protection for questions about workflow automation goals will get you off to a good 
the network, your server, and applications.
Cloud-based protection and compliance provides a standardized and start:
cuosenrs iesxtepnertience across intelligent devices, regardless of location. As a 
• Which manual operations eat up valuable time?
result, standardized authentication codes, access keys, and remote 
password protection provide the most flexible and secured access to • Which document-based processes need streamlining?
documents stored in the cloud. • Which financial controls (usage, waste, estimating) 
need tightening?
• Which processes are exposing the greatest security 
risks?
Asking the right questions has a way of raising concerns from the 
people you ask, and those concerns are invaluable because they lead 
to insights about what you really need from a cloud-enabled print 
solution.
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1. Goal setting 5
Don’t forget about the 
future
While understanding current needs is 
essential, successful upgrades also 
account for future business planning 
needs, which questions like these help 
you measure:
• Approximately how many new 
employees will need access to 
printing, scanning, and related 
cloud applications?
• How are needs for remote access 
likely to change over time?
• What role will digital 
transformation play in changing 
my future print requirements?
Business growth relies heavily on scalability. 
Cloud- based services scale to meet 
projected growth in
a cost-effective way — quickly and with 
minimal disruption to workflow.
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2. Get key stakeholder buy-in 6
No intelligent printing device is an island, so stakeholder buy-in is essential to a successful 
Intelligent printing upgrade. Because most departments are familiar with basic printer functions, most people 
will have some idea of the value that an upgrade can bring.
devices have advanced 
so quickly that Departmental needs and interests
some might not Listening to people’s unique document management requirements always reveals what you 
have a clear vision need to know to get and keep buy-in; namely, opportunities for taking full advantage of 
of the intelligent device features. Taking
steps to learn about department-specific needs is therefore a good place to start. What do 
advantages, such as people in different departments print, manage, scan, store, retrieve, and distribute? What are 
cloud- based their needs for process automation and remote access?
Sometimes, people aren’t able to put their needs into words, so you can ask, “How would you 
workflows and use scanning, data capture, document storage, retrieval, and distribution if you had a system 
document that could do all of that?”
management.
Copyright © 2020 Ricoh USA, Inc. All rights reserved.
2. Get key stakeholder buy-in 7
Executive sponsorship IT support and maintenance
How does a printer upgrade align with executive priorities? When you assess MFP needs, IT managers will always raise questions 
Productivity advantages of today’s cloud-based devices help about maintenance and support, and rightfully so. Fortunately, today’s 
people do more, period. And, they automate usage monitoring cloud devices offer intelligent tools, applications, and services to 
and analytics that drive cost savings. remotely support device users and maximize device uptime. This 
An upgrade enables organizations to protect, manage, and connect 
includes instant access to customer service, automated updates, alerts 
with information more efficiently—an advantage that benefits 
and self-help tools providing you a number of options for 
everyone. An upgrade can also improve customer experience by 
troubleshooting to keep print, scan, copy and fax processes running 
enabling employees to be more responsive, with more current 
smoothly and efficiently.
information, in less time. In addition, by coupling the device with fully managed, cloud-based 
applications for your workflow and content management needs, you 
can free up your IT personnel to add more value to other strategic 
business initiatives.
Copyright © 2020 Ricoh USA, Inc. All rights reserved.
3. Plan for the best 8
Plan for E-waste disposal
A successful Disposing of electronic devices, or e-waste, in an environmentally friendly way is the right 
upgrade relies on thing to do, and in some states, it’s the law. Recycling of end-of-life consumables and 
the plans you supplies reduces environmental impact.
If your state doesn’t have a local program, Ricoh’s free program for returning used e-waste 
make for several such as toner cartridges and maintenance kits is easy for you to use, and it operates in 
important details: Paclcaonrd afnocer  wtitehs sttianteg recycling laws.
waste disposal, Budgeting time for testing is a smart move that ensures processes run smoothly, across 
testing, transitioning, platforms and sites, for the people who use them. When testing occurs throughout the 
process—from assessing needs, devising user scenarios, specifying functionality, syncing with 
communicating, and online services, and accessing protected documents— most people will have the answers they 
managing risk. need by launch time. Because time is money, frequent testing helps ensure productive, 
satisfying launches.
Copyright © 2020 Ricoh USA, Inc. All rights reserved.
3. Plan for the best 9
Transitioning:
A rollout isn’t an event; it’s a process
The rollout shouldn’t be the first time users see upgrades. Phased 
rollouts that include testing in limited environments help you catch 
glitches that sometimes remain invisible until someone’s specific 
needs surface. Finding those glitches before THE rollout is a good 
thing. Similarly, a phased approach helps people get familiar with just 
a few changes at a time.
Plan for risks
Failing to plan is planning to fail, people often say. On the other 
hand, planning to fail can be a wise move if you think about it as 
a risk assessment. Knowing what can go wrong helps you plan for 
contingencies and meet challenges before they worsen.
Choose your timing carefully
Timing is key. Organizations must choose their timing carefully to 
avoid disruption and downtime. In some cases, you might move to 
the cloud during the day to ensure support coverage. In other cases, 
you could take advantage of predictably slow periods of the week, 
month, or year
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4. Communicate, communicate, communicate! 10
When you keep the following guidelines in mind, you support a 
Intelligent device evangelists play a transition that is satisfying for everyone and enables a faster return 
on investment.
central role in the adoption of new 
Communicate goals and vision early and 
business processes, managing often
expectations
Communicating the stages and goals of the upgrade process helps 
and maintaining transparency through people predict and account for changes in routines—and it helps 
frequent communication. remind everyone of the features, advantages, and benefits of the 
changes you’re making. And stakeholders are sure to be on the lookout 
for specific plans and milestones.
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4. Communicate, communicate, communicate! 11
Maintain great documentation Give people plenty of notice and time to 
Process documentation serves the important goal of getting adjust
and keeping everyone on the same page during what can be a Did we mention the importance of communication? Change is bound 
complex process. to create some mild anxiety and occasional frustration, but advanced 
Documentation helps you measure progress, and it can be a big notice and frequent reminders are simple ways to engage everyone 
time saver, especially when you can direct people to it for in the transition while allowing questions and issues to arise without 
answers to their frequently asked questions. Compiling and the additional stress of unannounced change. The phased rollout 
updating FAQs are valuable references for people as they gain approach we discussed earlier will also give people time to adjust to 
familiarity with upgrades. FAQs also minimize the need for new routines and can help tremendously by eliminating the pressure 
outreach on common issues or recurrent meetings and to make lots of changes all at once.
communication about common questions.
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4. Communicate, communicate, communicate! 12
Don’t forget to thank everyone
The most successful Thanking everyone for their input, patience, flexibility, and cooperation helps to 
printer upgrades rely preserve positive attitudes by acknowledging the challenges that come with 
on a collaborative innovative change.For more detailed information on managing printer upgrades, read our 
process white paper
More Value More Quickly from Your Printer Investment.
of assessing needs, 
Download the White Paper
meeting goals, and 
maintaining 1Alexander Benlian, William J. Kettinger, Ali Sunyaev, Till J. Winkler & Guest Editors (2018) Special Section: The Transformative Value of Cloud 
Computing: A Decoupling, Platformization, and Recombination Theoretical Framework, Journal of Management Information Systems, 35:3, 719-
transparency. 739, DOI: 10.1080/07421222.2018.1481634
Copyright © 2020 Ricoh USA, Inc. All rights reserved.