The Productivity of Print
I know what it takes to be my most productive self at work and at home. When I’m at my best as a mom and employee, I’m equal parts focus and organization. I need to be accurate and efficient because I don’t have time to waste.
Over the years I’ve found that the best way for me to achieve that balance is to print things out. They help me focus on the content at hand, edit faster, and understand and retain information better. They help me communicate more effectively, gain consensus faster and keep everyone on the same page long after a verbal discussion is over.
Everything from my kids’ carpool schedule to my itemized budget spreadsheets benefit me more when they are printed. And let’s face it, if I’m on my screen all day not only do my eyes get tired, but I’m likely to have notifications and emails popping up constantly to distract me from my goals. Print is one of my best productivity tools.
As it turns out, many of you share this same feeling about the productivity of print. We recently partnered with INNOCEAN to conduct an anonymous, non-branded, 12-minute online survey of over 500 full-time employees across five verticals (healthcare, finance, government, legal and education) from different age groups across the nation, and the results were compelling. Print helps the vast majority of us be more productive.
Across all five industries respondents said print helps them be:
More Efficient
- 81% said they pay more attention in meetings with a printed copy
- 75% say it’s easier to focus on print outs as opposed to on a screen
More Productive
- 79% find proofreading easier on printed documents
- 75% say they are more productive in meetings with a printed copy
More Focused / Less Distracted
- 75% say they are more likely to multi-task when on a device
Now not all documents need to be printed, and the survey did show a decline in presentations being printed out post-COVID (likely due to fewer in-person meetings). But the survey also showed us that the desire to print has remained very strong post-COVID.
The results showed that taking notes and collaborating with others are the most common main reasons for printing documents and that print also makes many tasks easier, especially reading and highlighting important information.
Respondents also agreed that printing in color is critical for garnering attention and achieving efficiency. Several replied how color-coded charts allow them to more quickly assess data or bring focus to important details. One healthcare employee even said, “Black and white just doesn’t always cut it when we want simple, fast, and efficient medical staff.” When conveying important information, color printing makes productivity even greater.
The results are clear – printing makes us more productive. As employers, ensuring the highest levels of print accessibility for our teams should be a top priority because when something is great for employee productivity, it’s great for business.
Join me back here in a few weeks when we will introduce a radically simple, super easy way to make print even easier and more accessible. See you then.
Source: B2B Printer Research Survey; April 2022; By Innocean
