In heavy printing environments, many businesses have to expend unreasonable resources on collecting meter readings. It’s a persistent nuisance that never subsides, as this monthly occurrence is required of many businesses on their office equipment leases. Fortunately, this is among the many tedious office procedures that can be completely automated. Automatic meter readings are easy, simple, and specifically designed to improve workflow.
Eliminating the Unnecessary
No one would have invested in automatic meter reading unless there was sufficient demand. Without automation, you are wasting resources on a task that is readily handled by computers. The benefits include saving costs, but they actually extend beyond the obvious:
- Data Entry – Automating data entry makes it more accurate. The readouts are also easier to read and manage than hand-crafted spreadsheets or online submissions.
- Productivity – Manually collecting readings is a waste of employee time and productivity. Personnel not performing this task are free to use their time more productively. Automation easily saves labor costs.
- Automated Billing System – If automation can improve data entry, then the philosophy should also apply to billing. This makes billing more reliable, easier to manage, and generally less expensive in terms of bookkeeping.
- Security – Automated readings need only to collect meter data. Print history and sensitive information are never transmitted, and protected data is not at risk from meter reads.
While these benefits are compelling, they fall short of answering every question. Reasonable concerns may have you wondering if the potential rewards of automation are worth the cost of implementing and maintaining such a specialized tool. Let’s address some of those concerns.
What About Devices That Don’t Have Networking Capabilities?
Even printers and other devices that lack independent networking can be automated by directly connecting them to a computer, server, or similarly networked device. This eliminates the need to spend money on networking infrastructure just to automate meter reading.
How Will it Impact Bandwidth?
Automated reading is a service. It can be scheduled around peak hours and designed to minimize any impact on office productivity.
What Data Is Gathered?
The automatic reads only gather metadata vital to billing. No content is ever read, recorded, or transmitted at any point.
How Difficult Is Setup?
While it will vary with each office, the bulk of automation can be established in a matter of minutes.
You probably still have questions and concerns about automating your meter readings. The Monster Technology team members are happy to cover every aspect of automating your meter reading to alleviate your fears and provide concrete benefits of this service. Contact us today to learn more!