Tuesday, December 13, 2016

Security Breaches can be Costly for Businesses

Sensitive information leaked can equal a scandal for companies. Besides the obvious loss of customer trust, reputation, sales and lowered stock price, the non-compliance fines can spell real trouble for an unwitting business. Audit committees are voracious about protecting customer-related information and corporate sensitive data.

Companies are required to comply with data-privacy regulations, best practice requirements and industry guidelines regarding the usage and access to customer data. Privacy requirements for protecting non-public personal information include: selective encryption of stored data, separation of duties, proper access control and centralized independent audit functions.

Data security is not an option - it is mandatory according to government legislation and industry regulations. For example, the U.S. Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA) requires financial institutions and their partners to protect non-public personal data while in storage, while implementing a variety of access and security controls. Failure to comply with GLBA results in big regulatory fines for the financial institution. Equally damaging, the CEOs and directors can be held personally responsible and legally liable for any misuse of personally identifiable non-public information.

There are $4 million in losses quoted as the annual estimated loss from security breaches according to the Computer Security Institute (CSI) Computer Crime and Security Survey. Further it was revealed that over half of the databases have some kind of breach on a yearly basis. Being that these are only the security problems that companies are reporting, this percentage is staggeringly high. Organizations don't want to advertise the fact that their internal people have access to customer data and can cover up their tracks, take that data, give it to anybody, and stay undetected and employed while a crime is committed.

Download our document on How to Avoid Getting Ransomware

Monday, December 5, 2016

Is Managed Print Right for Your Company?

Managed Print Services (MPS) is an extremely valuable solution that enables a third-party provider like Modern Office Methods (MOM) to effectively manage and maintain your organization’s print environment. This can offer benefits such as enhanced efficiency, increased productivity, and reduced costs. The right MPS solution from the right managed services provider can add significant value to a company. But is MPS right for your business?

Here are some questions you should ask yourself when considering an MPS solution:

Will an MPS solution provide your business with a return on your investment? 
MPS can reduce print-related costs by up to 30 percent and reduces capital expenditures by optimizing your fleet — maximizing your ROI and your immediate savings. 

Is your current print environment adequately handling your office’s needs? 
Many offices are cluttered with wasteful and inefficient devices that aren't ideal for handling your workload and document needs. An MPS program maximizes the efficiency and productivity of each imaging device.

Is your current print strategy flexible enough to adapt to inevitable changes in technology? 
MPS provides the flexibility for your business to keep up with your competitors and evolve as technology advances.

Is the security of your data and documents critical to your business’ survival, and are you confident that this information is adequately protected? 
Nothing is more important than data security. That's why MPS includes security safeguards to protect your printed and digital documents.

Is your team wasting valuable time managing imaging devices, or are they constantly hamstrung by toner outages and out-of-service machines? 
MPS uses proactive monitoring and automatic ordering of consumables to keep your printer fleet operating at peak performance as often as possible, so your staff has more time to work on critical projects.

Contact MOM today at info@momnet.com and take the first step toward implementing an MPS solution that's right for your business needs.

Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Do You Know How Much Your Company Is Spending on Printing?

Most business owners are shocked when they learn exactly how much they spend on printing each year! It comes as quite a surprise that mismanaged print fleets can cost your company up to 3 percent of their total revenue. This means that a company with annual revenue of $5 million will spend about $150,000 on document output each year.

According to research from PricewaterhouseCoopers, the average employee: 
• Makes 10,000 copies or prints each year 
• Costs your company up to $1,200 in printing annually 
• Wastes 17 percent of all printed documents 


End users rarely have knowledge of the true cost of their printing activities, and employers rarely monitor or control employee printing output. But, without controls and measures, waste can be substantial. FleetCare Managed Print Services from Modern Office Methods can help your business achieve immediate and long-term cost savings. MPS essentially takes over the management of a company's printers to increase efficiency and consolidate printing costs. 

MPS clients enjoy the benefits of working with one trusted provider like MOM for all their printing needs. Clients receive remote monitoring of printers, supplies, and service on-demand, as well as tailored management reports regarding the company's printers. Service costs are summarized in convenient invoices that include all print-related costs for a given period of time (usually quarterly). 

Clients experience a second wave of cost savings when account managers provide expert recommendations based on reports of the printer fleet. Suggestions are made for printer placement based on utilization and strategic hardware purchases, especially when the technology in multifunction printers can improve workflow, increase productivity, save costs, and replace expensive copiers and legacy printers. This is all part of the customer-centric objective of MPS. 

All these measures can add up to as much as 30 percent savings in printer-related costs, often amounting to thousands of dollars in savings for a single client. 

Contact MOM today at info@momnet.com and take the first step toward implementing an MPS solution that saves your company money.


CLICK HERE to test out our PRINT SAVINGS ESTIMATOR and see how much you can save with our FleetCare MPS program.

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Modern Office Methods has been recognized as a Ricoh Circle of Excellence Award Winner

Modern Office Methods (MOM) is the recipient of the 2017 RFG Circle of Excellence award from Ricoh for our commitment to customer service. The MOM service team, under the direction of Ken Staubitz, Vice President of Service, has worked hard to perfect their skills and we are thrilled that this extra effort has paid off. 

Ricoh recognizes that it has partnered with the best Dealer Network in the industry and they reward the “Best of the Best”. MOM has been recognized as a 2017 RFG Circle of Excellence authorized service dealership. This program is designed to recognize dealers who provide outstanding service and support in accordance with Ricoh's guidelines.

MOM has met or exceeded the requirements of the RFG Circle of Excellence Program in the following areas:

Phase 1 - Service Engineer Skills Assessment (Prestige)
Phase 2 - Service Operations Assessment which includes the following:
   • Use of Genuine Ricoh Parts and Supplies
   • Hardware & Solutions Training
   • Relevant Industry Certifications
   • Service Organization Structure
   • Field Staff & Help Desk Productivity & Efficiency Measures
   • Customer Satisfaction Measurement Process & System
   • Effective Utilization of Ricoh Resources
   • Business Plan Management & Process Improvement

Outstanding Service: Award-Winning Legacy
Excellent client support has always been a tradition at MOM and our efforts have been rewarded many times in the past. We are a 2-Time imageSource Magazine's Perfect Image Award Winner for Outstanding Service Program. Out of 3,743 independent dealers across the nation, MOM has been recognized multiple times for our commitment to service excellence.

| About Ricoh | 
Ricoh is a global technology company that has been transforming the way people work for more than 80 years. Under its corporate tagline – imagine. change. – Ricoh continues to empower companies and individuals with services and technologies that inspire innovation, enhance sustainability and boost business growth. These include document management systems, IT services, production print solutions, visual communications systems, digital cameras, and industrial systems. 
Headquartered in Tokyo, Ricoh Group operates in approximately 200 countries and regions. In the financial year ending March 2016, Ricoh Group had worldwide sales of 2,209 billion yen (approx. 19.6 billion USD). 
For further information, please visit www.ricoh.com.

Congratulations to our 2016 Jump START Your Nonprofit WINNERS!

We'd like to thank everyone that voted for these 3 wonderful organizations. St. Vincent de Paul edged out the competition in Cincinnati. Neighborhood Design Center tallied the most votes in Columbus. Senior Resource Connection came out on top in Dayton. Each of these nonprofits will receive a $10,000 office technology makeover from MOM.

Ken Staubitz, our Vice President of Service, and Julie Italiano, Marketing Manager, presented each of these winners with their big checks on stage at The Rusty Ball on Saturday, October 15. MOM has been a proud sponsor of this event for the past 4 years and we look forward to many more years of presenting local nonprofits with big checks on stage! Congratulations again to our winners!

 St. Vincent de Paul
 Neighborhood Design Center Senior Resource Connection



Friday, September 16, 2016

Announcing the 2016 Jump START Your Nonprofit Finalist!



Help us congratulate the 2016 Jump START Your Nonprofit Finalists! Each of these great organizations have a chance to win a $10,000 office technology makeover!

Cincinnati Finalists:
  • Cancer Family Care
  • Faith Community Pharmacy
  • Magnified Giving
  • Music Resource Center
  • New Life Furniture Bank
  • Pathways to Home
  • St. Vincent de Paul
  • The Center for Family Solutions
  • Walnut Hills Redevelopment Foundation
  • YWCA Greater Cincinnati

Columbus Finalists:
  • Advocacy and Protective Services, Inc.
  • Children First, Inc.
  • Clintonville-Beechwold Community Resources Center
  • Columbus Speech & Hearing Center
  • Fairfield County TeenWorks
  • Franklin County Residential Services, Inc. (FCRS)
  • Lancaster-Fairfield Community Action Agency
  • Neighborhood House
  • PCMA Food Pantry of Pickerington
  • The Neighborhood Design Center

Dayton Finalists:
  • Brunner Literacy Center
  • Five Rivers Health Centers
  • Life Essentials
  • Lions Eye Bank West Central Ohio
  • Miami Valley Life Alliance
  • Middletown Fine Arts Center
  • Nova Behavioral Health, Inc.
  • Preble County Council on Aging
  • Safe Harbor House
  • Senior Resource Connection

Starting Monday, the MOM Team will be out visiting all 30 Finalists. Then, the voting stage of the contest begins onMonday, September 26 and will conclude on Friday, October 7. These great organizations need your help to win, so vote once per day at www.momnet.com for your favorite nonprofit! Good luck to all of the finalists!

Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Corporate Giving: The MOM Way - Jump START Your Nonprofit

At MOM, we believe in giving back to our community and because of that belief, we started a nonprofit contest called Jump START Your Nonprofit in 2010. Each year we give away 3 - $10,000 office technology makeovers to a local nonprofit in Cincinnati, Dayton, and Columbus, OH. We are currently accepting applications for Jump START, so if you know of a nonprofit in need of new technology, tell them to register at www.momnet.com

Registration ends Wednesday, September 14, so hurry and get your applications in today!

While they might not teach this in business school, giving back to your community is actually a moral responsibility of any business or corporation. Besides being the right thing to do, philanthropy just makes good business sense. It is difficult for a company to be successful if the community in which it operates is not successful. Help improve the climate in which you do business, and you will naturally help improve your business. 

In addition to positively impacting and strengthening your community, corporate giving reinforces a positive company image and reputation with clients, vendors, investors, and most importantly, the community. It has been well documented that consumers prefer to buy from businesses that give to charities and support worthy social causes. Recruitment is another area that is affected by corporate philanthropy, as your organization will be more favorable to potential employees.

Corporate giving also inherently improves staff morale, promoting a sense of overall company pride and loyalty. Employees who feel that their business supports a good cause are more likely to think highly of their employer, take pride in their work and organization, and remain working there longer. Another benefit is improved teamwork -- team building occurs when people set rewarding goals and work together to achieve them. And skills such as leadership, planning, and marketing are all enhanced as a result of philanthropy.

Here are some tips to maximize the impact of your corporate philanthropy projects:
  • Involve your employees in the planning process. Getting their input will help you identify the causes and charities that are most important to your staff and let them know that you respect and support their efforts. 
  • Offer a matching program for your employees’ donations. If they are donating their hard-earned money to charity, you should be, too. Consider a 2:1 program in which you contribute $2 for every $1 they donate. 
  • Publicly recognize and praise employees who donate their time or money to causes. This will encourage more giving by your staff and make those who give feel even more appreciated. 
  • Give to IRS-sanctioned charities so you can deduct your donations. Be sure to save your receipts in case of an audit. 
  • Donate to causes that align with your company’s mission. 
  • Plan your monetary giving strategy in advance with your accounting department to ensure you don’t run into any conflicts with your budget. 

Corporate giving is an endeavor that is both cost-effective and value-enhancing. Besides improving your community, a company that gives back will witness benefits in many different respects, including employee relations, customer loyalty, business performance, and marketing efforts. At MOM, we have been fortunate enough to see all of these benefits from our community involvement and that is why it has become a staple in our culture and is here to stay. 

Thursday, August 4, 2016

Top 4 Ways Invoice Scanning Saves Staff Time

For most businesses, staff time is by far a company's most valuable resource. Consider the following ways that business invoice scanning can make your invoice input, payment, filing, and searching faster than ever, saving you time and money.

1. Automated input - Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software extracts critical document information—like vendor name, date, purchase order, amount due, etc.—and makes it instantly available in digital format.

2. Accounts payable integration - Once business invoice information is digitized, it is ready for use in automated accounts payable processes. With rules you establish, your software can match invoices to their related purchase orders and automatically approve and send payment.

3. Virtual filing - You can save an unlimited number of business invoices easily when they are in digital format. Without having to make copies or file by hand, staff time is freed to focus on value-adding work, instead of moving pieces of paper around.

4. Lightning-fast search - A simple search by vendor or invoice number is as easy as typing in the name you seek, while advanced search capabilities can filter out similar but unwanted documents to return the exact invoice you need.

Check out our Scanning Solutions and contact us for more information on how to improve your business processes.

Thursday, July 28, 2016

Avoiding the IT Money Pit

Though many businesses still require an in-house IT manager, it might be more efficient and cost effective to outsource some of your IT functions, so that in-house IT staff can focus on critical projects.

But, choosing the right IT solution and service provider can be challenging, especially when you’re not sure what your business needs. Companies around the world pump $2 trillion into IT each year—billions of which is actually wasted on unnecessary or ineffective IT “solutions.” So, how do you know if you need state-of-the-art IT, or just the basics?

To help you keep your IT spending under control, here are some indicators that “good enough" IT might be right for your business:

 If you have a smaller budget.  Knowing how much to spend on IT can be difficult for many decision makers. So, just recognize that IT costs can get very expensive — especially if you’re paying for all the bells and whistles that many IT vendors offer. If you don’t need cutting-edge equipment or 24/7 monitoring and service, don’t pay for it.

 If IT isn’t a critical function of your business.  Could your business survive for an afternoon if your system crashed? If brief downtime won’t significantly hinder your business, you probably don’t need to pay for IT services that guarantee repairs within a few hours. Determine what your business absolutely needs in terms of reliability and responsiveness, and select an IT solution in line with your critical needs.

 If you have fewer than ten employees.  When you’re running a very small business, you have less equipment and hardware to worry about. With very few employees, you probably only need basic IT support and hardware controls to effectively and affordably manage your team. You will still need reactive on-call service to support your network if you have a problem, but proactive maintenance tracking programs might be overkill.

Let Modern Office Methods IT Service Group help you to focus on your end user’s business continuity by keeping your employees working and productive with our Managed IT Services. Check out all of our Managed Network Services and contact us for more information at info@momnet.com.

Monday, July 25, 2016

Cool Printing Trends You'll Want to Know About

When it comes to printing technologies, innovation never stops. The casual observer might not think much has changed in the printing industry in recent years, but many new print technologies have emerged that will soon revolutionize the way documents—and even objects—are produced. 




Being in the know about upcoming and transformative printing technologies gives you a competitive advantage and ensures you’ll have access to the latest advancements when the timing is right for your business.

Here are some of the emerging printing trends to look out for:

Diversity of Media Types
 

Many industries and companies need to print specialized items, such as product packaging or on-demand banners. By expanding the various media types and paper weight (gsm) that printers can accommodate, businesses have more flexibility to produce the documents and printed materials they need. 

Ricoh Pro C7110X: Media Handling Video


 White & Clear Toner 
This is cool stuff! White and clear toner gives you the ability to really add value and flare to your printed documents. With clear ink, you can flood coat a document to enhance its appearance, or you can spot coat only the headline text, so the words seem to jump off the page. Using white or clear toner also allows businesses to produce eye-catching effects—such as creating metallic designs, applying custom clear-coat watermarks, or highlighting photos or objects on marketing collateral. More and more print manufacturers are offering white or clear toner options, expanding this new technology across many different industries and applications. 

Ricoh Pro C7110X: WHITE & CLEAR Toner Video

3D Printing 
You’ve probably heard about 3D printing already, but the technology itself is quickly becoming more advanced and more attainable at the same time. The latest 3D printers are now smaller, faster, and cheaper than previous versions, which means this technology will likely find its way into more industries and businesses sooner than many experts previously thought. 3D printers will likely be integrated into many healthcare and manufacturing settings in the very near future, but with nearly endless applications, the technology will soon expand to many other industries.

The print industry is constantly changing and evolving to meet consumer needs and demands. Contact us today to learn more about these emerging printing trends and check out the Production Print page on our website for more videos and information!

Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Common IT Mistakes Small Businesses Should Avoid

In the modern business world everyone depends on technology in the office, no matter how small your business is. As such, the decisions you make regarding the technology you depend on to do business are more important than you may think. Not being smart when it comes to your company’s IT situation can create pitfalls that prevent you from being as successful as you could be.

Knowing which IT missteps are commonly made by small businesses can help you avoid making these same blunders. Here are some of the most frequently made IT mistakes to avoid:

• Failing to Protect Your Data – Your company’s data is invaluable, so there is no excuse for not keeping that information safe and sound. Is your confidential data safeguarded against potential security breaches? Are you prepared for an emergency, such as theft, fire, flood, or server failure? Are your files and records backed up for disaster recovery purposes? Adequately protecting your data includes physical security (a firewall), network security (anti-virus/spyware), and backing up your information. In addition, regularly educate and update your employees about Internet and mobile security and safety.

• Not Changing with the Times – Technology is always changing, and businesses must keep up on the latest innovations and products to stay ahead of the competition. Keeping current with the latest technologies can help prevent your company from ending up with outdated, inefficient equipment and software.

• Choosing the Wrong IT Provider – The right IT provider doesn’t just sell you equipment; they manage that equipment, as well. They have the goals of your company in mind and proactively provide solutions to help you achieve those goals.

• Employing Unreasonable Password Requirements – Passwords are essential, but your password policy must be reasonable to be effective. While weak or non-existent passwords are unacceptable, making your requirements so strict that employees must resort to writing passwords on sticky notes undermines your policy.

• Leaving Everything in One Employee’s Hands – You might be impressed that a single person in your office knows all of your passwords and how everything works, but you could be setting yourself up for an enormous problem. What would you do if that employee decided to leave, or became incapacitated due to illness or injury? As the saying goes, don’t put all of your eggs in one basket.

Don’t fall into the same traps that many small businesses do when it comes to managing their IT. Avoid these common mistakes to help keep your company up and running as efficiently as possible. For more information about MOM's IT Services, visit our website at www.momnet.com/Managed-Network-Services.

Thursday, June 23, 2016

Avoiding Threats in the Cloud

The cloud’s potential for storage and service options has created countless opportunities for businesses to expand or improve their offerings, without requiring costly changes to local networks. But, the cloud is not perfect, and it poses some security challenges.

Cloud-based applications can be very convenient, especially for accessing or sharing information when working remotely. However, precautions must be taken to protect sensitive information.

Here are a few steps you can take to protect your cloud assets:

Educate the masses. Cloud services are often adopted at the top levels of a business or within specific workgroups, without consulting individual department managers or IT staff. But, it’s critical that end-users understand how to safely use cloud applications before they are adopted to avoid any potential threats. Proper employee training and frequent email reminders regarding secure use of cloud-based applications or files helps to ensure the safety and security of your network and your business.

Know your cloud use. Many companies are unaware of the cloud services their employees are using. According to cloud security firm Netskope, 90 percent of all cloud applications are not sanctioned by IT. This opens the door for data breaches, data loss, and account hijacking—which, are generally regarded as the top three threats to cloud computing. Organizations and employees should be aware that simple Internet registration systems, phishing, and fraud schemes can allow a hacker to take control of your account. Thankfully, keeping firewalls updated and teaching employees about best practices regarding cloud usage can easily prevent most of these threats.

Protect your files, wherever they are. You can lock down access on mobile devices, but this won’t protect your information if it’s synced to the cloud. Instead, focus on protecting the files themselves with consistent security encryption policies to ensure control. You decide who can view, modify, or print your files, whether they are on a laptop, mobile device, or desktop computer.

As hackers continue to experiment with new ways to attack, it's important for all businesses to mitigate the risks associated with cloud computing by educating stakeholders, investing in data protection, and using encryption safeguards when possible. Cloud security is serious business, so make sure you take the time to get it right.

Contact us today at info@momnet.com to learn about cloud-based applications that can help grow your business, and the security solutions that can keep them secure.

Tuesday, June 21, 2016

Are Your Passwords Strong Enough?


Modern technology has made many aspects of life more

convenient. However, as with anything else, along with the pros there are inevitably cons. With so much of our lives conducted online, hackers are waging a non-stop war in attempt to gain access to your personal information. Strong passwords are your first line of defense against troublemakers, so make sure yours are up to par.

Strong passwords include:
• At least eight characters
• Both uppercase and lowercase letters
• One or more special characters (such as $, *, !)


To create a strong password, be sure to leave out:
• Names of any kind (your name, your pet’s name, your child’s name)
• Accessible personal information like your date of birth, social security number, etc.
• Numerical sequences, such as 12345
• Words that exist in dictionaries
• The word ‘password’

Finally, protect yourself even further by changing your passwords periodically, and by creating strong login names, as well. For more information regarding IT Security visit MOM at 
www.momnet.com/Managed-Network-Services.

Thursday, May 5, 2016

Are You Protected Against Hackers?

With so much of our personal data out there thanks to ecommerce and social networking, it’s no wonder hackers and cyber criminals are able to help themselves to our information, which can have catastrophic results. Hacking can lead to such quagmires as identity theft, scams, theft, and file destruction. Is your personal and business data safe?


What can you do to protect your personal and company data against hackers and cyber crime?


Make it Strong – The first step to protect your data is having strong passwords. Use as many characters as possible, both capital and lowercase letters, and at least one number and one symbol. Leave out obvious details such as your name or date of birth. Avoid easy-to-answer security questions, ones to which the answer can be easily found online (your high school, pet’s name, favorite team, etc.). Also, don’t use the same password for all of your accounts. Having unique passwords will limit the potential damage if one of your accounts is compromised.

Back it Up – Regularly back up your files locally, making multiple copies of them to prevent against hard drive failure. This is especially important for your business, because lost business data usually adds up to lost time and money. So, make sure your backup system is fail-proof. Or, get even more backup protection by utilizing Managed IT Services, offered by many business solution providers, which will securely backup and store your data to protect against hackers and other disasters.

Secure Your Network Devices - An often overlooked area that’s vulnerable to hacking is your printing and imaging hardware. Threats aren’t just limited to outside attacks from cyberspace. People both inside and outside your organization can actually hack your devices and steal information from document images that are saved on the hard drives of your imaging devices. Your office equipment provider can help you take measures to secure these devices.

Browse Facebook Securely – Facebook accounts are frequent targets of hackers, so if you use Facebook, take advantage of the security measures provided to you. In your account settings enable ‘secure browsing’ to use an encrypted connection (https://) instead of a standard connection (http://).

Watch Where You Click – Never, ever click on a link in an e-mail from someone you don’t know. Phishing creates bogus e-mails attempting to lure you to a phony website and have you enter your username and password.

In the information age your personal data is out there; however, employing these methods will make it more difficult for hackers to get their hands on it.

Tuesday, May 3, 2016

How Secure is Your Data?

Your Confidential Data Could be at Risk


Think confidential information and documents are protected by your company’s IT security policies? Think again.


A recent survey by Harris Interactive revealed that 51 percent of survey respondents said they process confidential information through printers, copiers, and multi-function devices.

Additionally, 39 percent of employees who print, scan, or copy confidential information at work are concerned whether the information on their printing and imaging devices will remain secure.

These are valid concerns considering there is a very close link between the security of your business and your printing environments. Copiers, printers, fax machines, scanners, and multi-function devices pose a serious risk to your business’ overall security. These devices retain latent document images and text, leaving sensitive information and proprietary data extremely vulnerable to a security breach.

But, securing your print environment is easy with a Managed Print Services (MPS) Program that’s designed to assess all of your devices, provide a detailed security report, and develop a highly secure strategy for your future. Your customized plan can also include usage controls that ensure private information is only accessed by authorized users, and will also help you achieve regulatory compliance. Shrewd business owners know that security breaches damage your brand and can result in heavy fines, so this is protection that pays dividends in the long run. 



Here’s the bottom line:


An MPS solution will not only optimize your output fleet to cut costs and increase efficiency, but will also provide you with the peace of mind that your entire printing and imaging environment is safe and secure.

Contact us today, and you’ll understand why we place the highest priority on your company’s data and are committed to helping you protect your valuable information. 

To learn more about how MOM can help you with your managed print services needs, visit our website at http://www.momnet.com/Managed-Print-Services1 or click here try out our FREE PRINT SAVINGS CALCULATOR.

Wednesday, April 27, 2016

CONTEST ANNOUNCEMENT: Jump START Your Nonprofit 2016



As summer approaches, so does our 7th year of our Jump START Your Nonprofit contest! We are pleased to announce the Contest Timeline for this year. Please mark your calendars and pass this along to all of your nonprofit friends!

 Monday, July 11 - 
 Wednesday, September 14, 2016 

Registration begins on Monday, July 11, 2016. Nonprofit organizations have approximately 10 weeks to register to win an office technology makeover. Go to www.momnet.com to register online.

Online registration ends at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, September 14, 2016.

 Week of September 19, 2016 

Finalists announced. MOM’s contest review committee will select 10 finalists from each market (Cincinnati, Columbus, and Dayton) to compete in Jump START Your Nonprofit. Finalists will be posted online at www.momnet.com.

Marketing materials distributed. MOM will send jump drives of downloadable marketing material to each finalist to assist in spreading the word to encourage supporters to vote.

 Monday, September 26 - Friday, October 7, 2016 
Online voting opens. Voting will begin at 8 a.m. on Monday, September 26, 2016, and close at 5 p.m. on Friday, October 7, 2016. Nonprofit employees and their friends, families and supporters are encouraged to vote once a day at www.momnet.com.

 Week of October 10, 2016 

Winners announced. The top vote-getter in each market (Cincinnati, Columbus, and Dayton) will be named a Jump START Your Nonprofit winner. The top vote-getter in each market will receive $10,000 and will be presented with their check on Saturday, October 15, 2016 at The Rusty Ball in Cincinnati, OH.

Thursday, April 21, 2016

Five Easy Benefits that Enhance Business

Concepts such as total cost of ownership (TCO) or cost per copy (CPP) do not tell the whole story about a system’s efficiency – that is if the system incurs increased costs within different areas in the company. Even technically highly productive machines become inefficient if they are no longer used as designated, as in cases caused by company reorganization or when human resources are squandered when employees carry out tasks unsuited to their qualifications.

TCO and CPP do not tell the whole story about a system’s efficiency. The key to this problem is change management, or simply a refocus from product to customer. A vendor’s refocusing answer is increasingly becoming MPS. Vendors know that a customer is no longer satisfied with just a state-of- the-art product – they also want constant and all-around support before they are willing to undergo a long-term relationship with a vendor for their fleet. A number of manufacturers are offering MPS already to their customers. The offers include status analysis, priority identification, implementation, management and constant monitoring in the areas of consumables management, process optimization and sometimes refinancing.

Benefits to you:


  1. It is estimated that the cost of print can be as much as three percent of a company’s revenue and has even been called “the last great area of uncontrolled costs”
  2. Improved work routines alone save 20 to 30 percent of printing costs.
  3. Enhance business/work processes by adding new capabilities to this hard copy fleet.
  4. Grasp control of the fleet, identify all costs and centralize decision making.
  5. Optimize the fleet by installing the right devices in each work environment.
To learn more about how MOM can help you with your managed print services needs, visit our website at http://www.momnet.com/Managed-Print-Services1 or click here try out our FREE PRINT SAVINGS CALCULATOR.

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Ensure MPS Success with These Tips



Managed Print Services (MPS) is catching on—fast. In the never-ending attempt to gain a competitive edge and maximize profits, small- to medium-sized businesses understand the value that MPS adds to their companies.

Those who have employed MPS have seen a tremendous return on their investment, with the latest data showing that the service can cut document-related costs by up to 30 percent. Moreover, businesses can rely on their MPS provider to take care of streamlining print fleets, monitoring networks for use and performance, finding solutions to issues that may arise, and providing replacement consumables on time.

If you’ve recently introduced MPS to your business, or are considering doing so in the future, it’s important to ensure you are making the most of your services. Here are some tips to help you along the way:

State Clear Objectives – Whether you want to cut printing costs in the first six months or get your dedicated IT staff back on task this quarter, make sure that you delineate specific benchmarks with your MPS provider. These goals will allow you to measure your progress along the way and evaluate the effectiveness of your services.

Consider Scalability – Is your MPS provider concerned with the future of your business as much as you are? They should be. Taking future growth into account, and understanding its impact on your business’s print infrastructure, is something that should be discussed with your provider throughout your MPS contract. As your company grows, your vendor should take the lead to manage the scaling of your print environment.

Leverage Your MFPs – Multifunction printers (MFPs) can be found in most modern offices and offer outstanding workflow tools to help with important daily tasks—particularly for HR, legal, and accounting departments. Your MPS provider should take a thorough look at your workflow processes to gain a deeper understanding of your business’s unique needs and functions, and can recommend software tools to help you maximize productivity straight from your MFP devices.

Keep in Touch – One of the functions of MPS is to make it easier to manage your print environment. By staying in touch with your MPS provider, you can ensure you’re always getting the full value out of your services. Make sure to return your provider’s calls or emails regarding the status of your MPS goals, current outputs, hardware maintenance, and consumable supplies. Regularly speaking with your provider helps to keep benchmarks on track.

To learn more about how MOM can help you with your managed print services needs, visit our website at http://www.momnet.com/Managed-Print-Services1 or click here try out our FREE PRINT SAVINGS CALCULATOR.

Thursday, April 14, 2016

Top 5 Ways Scanning Solves Business Problems




Many businesses find it difficult to strike a balance between physical documents and the often elusive dream of going paperless. Although both physical documents and digital documents offer their own benefits and drawbacks, one of the primary concerns for businesses is how to bridge the two worlds.
By utilizing scanning solutions, your business can save time and money while closing the gap between paper and digital files. But, many businesses only use scanning as an occasional supplement to business processes, when in fact document scanning can help solve business problems altogether. Here are five practical ways scanning can improve your document processes.
  1. Simplify records management. When digital documents are stored in a central location, it makes records management easy. You’ll never waste time searching for a file again. You will be able to access any document with a few clicks and rest assured that everything is protected and secure.
  2. Prepare for a disaster. What would happen if your building caught fire, or if a hurricane flooded your storage facility? Are you confident your paper documents would survive? Paper is extremely vulnerable to natural disasters and theft, but digital documents can be backed up and protected with safeguards like passwords and user authentications. 
  3. Stop losing documents. Stop wasting time running around your office trying to track down a years-old file, or having to recreate it when you throw in the towel. By scanning your documents to digital files with easy-to-use indexing features, you ensure that you’ll always find the documents you’re looking for in a matter of seconds.
  4. Get your office space back. Imagine if you could get rid of all those filing cabinets or repurpose the storage room to include more work stations. Document scanning allows you to maximize usable office space. By converting paper documents to digital ones, you can make your workspace feel bigger and more organized. This will ultimately help with workflow and departmental organization. 
  5. Save time and money. Many businesses are put off by the initial investment it takes to scan years of paper documents and files. But savings is recouped quickly by increased office efficiency and employee productivity. You also won’t need to pay for expensive storage space any longer.
For more information on our Document Management solutions, visit our website at: 

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

Properly Implementing a Scanning Solution

For companies around the world, document scanning has proved to be an invaluable asset. Converting their data into digital files and storing them electronically — and turning their offices into practically paperless environments — proves advantageous in numerous areas, including better service, faster turnaround, improved compliance, enhanced collaboration, and significant cost savings. Not to mention bidding farewell to missing or lost documents.

However, there are mistakes many businesses make when implementing a scanning solution. By simply doing your homework ahead of time and thoroughly analyzing your company and its needs, you can avoid these document scanning pitfalls.

One of the most common mistakes made by businesses when choosing a scanning solution is underestimating the size and scope of their workload. It is important to understand how your company will be utilizing document imaging, and exactly what your scanning volumes will be. Not just your average daily volume, but also taking into consideration your peak volumes during crunch times. Failing to do so can leave you ill prepared, outgunned with the wrong speed or not enough scanners.

Another trap to avoid when selecting a scanning solution is failing to involve all stakeholders within a business. Leaving end-users and departments such as IT and customer service out of the coordination of and planning for a solution is a recipe for disaster. A company can easily end up with a system that isn’t tailored to their needs or requirements, or compatible with your existing infrastructure. This can be avoided by including everyone necessary in the planning process.

Once your document scanning solution has been selected, the final major pitfall is going all in — deploying the entire solution all at once. Attempting to roll out the whole system can overwhelm a business and its staff, and result in major bottlenecks or breakdowns. A phased implementation approach is the ideal way to begin your practically paperless journey. By deploying your solution at a more reasonable pace — by department or group — you gain the additional benefit of experience to identify and implement best practices.

For more information on our Document Management solutions, visit our website at:
http://www.momnet.com/Business-Solutions/Applications/Imaging

Thursday, April 7, 2016

Creating Organizational Efficiency In Small and Medium-Sized Businesses

For small- to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) that need to handle high volumes of paper documents and records, today's scanners and multifunctional printers (MFPs) deliver new levels of organizational efficiency. Doing a little bit of homework before you shop will help protect your investment, ensuring that you end up with the right equipment to suit your office’s needs.


WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN YOUR DIGITAL SCANNER or MFP


Prior to purchasing or leasing a digital scanner or MFP, take the time to review multiple makes and models available. Find the machine that best accommodates the needs of your company and is not more or less than you need to get the job done.

Various desktop models offer a wide range of capabilities, including document capture, to help SMBs focus on increasing productivity while improving critical business processes. With the transition toward a digital workflow, many SMBs are looking for ways to increase their overall organizational efficiency. They need a flexible, reliable document capture platform for managing critical records such as HR forms, auditing records and legal documents.

Scanners and certain MFPs with flexible paper handling capabilities support the scanning of small plastic cards, delicate onionskin paper, and lengthy documents. Users who need to share and manage their essential information across multiple locations can benefit from models with one-click output destination features, enabling them to easily scan, e-mail, file and sort documents.

The accuracy of data in scanned images is another crucial component of business process management. This is achieved through dynamic image-enhancement capabilities that effectively streamline the precision and detection of color.

Investing a limited amount of time and research will lead you to the right scanner or MFP, which can vastly improve the efficiency of your organization.

For more information about our solutions, visit our website at: http://www.momnet.com

Tuesday, April 5, 2016

Document Management Basics

Your business generates large amounts of paper and electronic documents. As your business grows, so do files, and the time and effort required to manage them. Storing, managing, distributing, and accessing information from this enormous volume of data can prove to be quite a hassle.

Digital document management revolutionizes the management of information and provides the ability to rapidly find, retrieve, and share all the documents in your repository. So what is digital document management and how does it works? What are the essential components of an enterprise-level digital document management system, and the technical issues you must consider?

Digital Document Management


The process of digital document management begins with the conversion of paper or other documents into digitized images. These images can be easily organized and quickly retrieved, indexed, and archived. When files are scanned or electronically converted, a high-resolution digital copy is stored on a hard drive or optical disc. Templates, or electronic index cards, can associate information, such as author, reference number, date created, or key words, with a document. Files can still be viewed, printed, shared, and stored. Which documents users can read and what actions they can perform on these documents depend on the level of security that the system administrator has assigned to them.

Digital document management represents a significant advance over storing information on paper. No longer just ink on a page, the document becomes active content after processing by Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology. A document management system should offer effective search tools for document retrieval, including full-text search, template field searches, and a visual filing scheme that permits users to browse for documents. The best systems will allow you to find documents using a combination of all three methods.

Document management leverages the value of paper documents. Files can still be viewed, printed, shared, and stored, but with digital document management, these files have the enormous advantage of having active content. You can easily search files with active content, and you can create workflow rules to automatically route files to users.

For more information on our Document Management solutions, visit our website at: 

Friday, April 1, 2016

Choosing the Right MFP for Your Office

The multi-function printer, or MFP, has become an extremely valuable piece of equipment in the modern office. This versatile device eliminates the need for standalone printers, copiers, scanners, and fax machines, saving you space and money while benefiting the environment, as well. 

Once you’ve decided to opt for an MFP (or replace your existing unit), the next step is to find the right machine for your organization. However, with so many choices out there, this decision can appear complicated  of all the machines available, which one is best-suited to handle your specific needs? 

Selecting the right MFP is important to ensure that you end up with a machine that will meet your business needs, keep up with your workload, and prevent you from overspending on a unit. So how can you be sure to choose the right MFP for your office? Here are some things to consider: 

Define Your Needs – Take the time to go over your requirements and determine what you’ll need from an MFP. What will you be using it for, and how often? Will you be working with black and white or color documents? Which is more important to you, the speed and quantity, or the quality of your prints and scans? Which features, bells, and whistles will be beneficial or necessary to your operation? 

Evaluate Initial Investment vs. Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) – Consider not only the initial cost of an MFP but the cost of supplies and maintenance over the lifetime of the unit. What may seem like a bargain up front can end up costing you much more over the long run. Also, consider asking your office equipment provider if leasing an MFP might be more cost effective, since sometimes lease agreements include regular service and some supplies. 

Learn Your Specs – MFP specifications can seem like a foreign language (DPI, RAM, PPM, etc.). Get to know what these industry specs mean, and what they mean to you. An impressive DPI (dots-per-inch) won’t be a requirement for you if your office will only be scanning documents and forms. 

Demand Compatibility – Determine which operating systems are used by your staff and select an MFP that will be compatible. And it is essential you choose a machine that will easily integrate into your existing network. 

Seek Expert Advice – If you’re still not sure which MFP is right for your office, ask your local office equipment provider to help you make a good choice. They truly know it all when it comes to these machines, and can also support you with local, reliable service after your MFP is in place. 

Contact us today at info@momnet.com, and let us help you choose the right MFP for your business. Also, visit us at www.momnet.com.

Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Why it’s Time to Incorporate Mobile Printing


With a new reliance on mobile devices to accomplish work tasks comes a necessity to print on-the-go. Bringing a flash drive to a meeting and asking to use a colleague’s printer—or worse, emailing documents to a client and asking them to print them for you—seems antiquated and can challenge the credibility of your company in the eyes of your partners and competitors. 

Consider a few ways mobile printing can change the way you work: 
•  Print documents directly from your mobile device to any networked printer (like at a hotel or airport business center)
•  Get a jumpstart on tomorrow’s seminar by printing fifteen copies of your 50-page handout during off-hours, so they are ready to go in the morning
•  Print receipts directly to your office during business trips for easy reimbursement 
•  Print a recently updated proposal minutes before you’re due to present it

The practical uses for mobile printing are boundless. But, it is important to view mobile printing not as a luxury, but as a necessity. As mobile computing surpasses traditional PC computing, your need to print on-the-go will become increasingly crucial to stay viable in today’s competitive market.

For more information, contact us at info@momnet.com.

Thursday, March 24, 2016

Cloud Storage

How to Maximize Cloud Potential and Protect Business Data


by Evolved Office
How can you make the most out of cloud storage, while maintaining strict security standards concerning your business data? Here’s a quick overview:

Optimize Your Cloud – Cloud computing allows for continual collaboration across systems, making all of your business data available to your team regardless of physical location. Files stored in the cloud are automatically updated, or synced, across all devices, ensuring that the most recent version of your document is available at all times. When it comes to data backup, cloud services simplify the process through automation. Also, cloud storage services should be scalable, so that you only pay for the storage space you use.

Protect Business Data – If secured correctly, data can be better protected in the cloud than on the hardware containing sensitive business data in your physical office. Working with your IT partner or in-house staff to ensure that firewalls are updated and consistent security encryption policies are in place is key. Data should be encrypted both during transmission to the cloud and while “resting” in the cloud, guaranteeing that only authorized users can access, modify, or print your files.