Find your documents in seconds and never lose them again

Find your documents in seconds and never lose them again At the start of a business, manual document filing can be quick, easy and necessary. However, as your business grows manual filing can become a very cumbersome practice and, with the speed of change in today’s business world, it is important that you can file, find, and store vital business documents in a quick and effective way. Fortunately, there is help at hand, to keep your business documents organised with a high level of productivity, security and that all important space and cost saving. One of the services WDS provides is PowerRetrieve, an information management system like no other. It’s designed for businesses whose staff need to file and find paper documents. From small businesses to multi-national companies, local authorities, education establishments and police forces, handling information efficiently and simply has always been a constant issue of lost files with lack of recovery, inefficient business processes, which take up time and affect productivity and, more recently, businesses have been more acutely aware of unauthorised access and problems with data confidentiality. Some interesting statsResearch has shown that over 10 weeks of the year are spent retrieving documentation in the office. Even if you’re already scanning documents into a file management system.  According to research, by IT Pro magazine, into the paperless office, figures suggest that the average UK worker goes through 10,000 sheets of paper – annually. Research has also shown that the average document in an office gets copied 20 times, with 7.5% of all documents getting lost and 3% of the remainder misfiled. It’s also been reported that employees typically spend 5-15% of their time reading information but up to 50% of their time searching for it. PowerRetrieve’s unique indexing technology allows the indexing of every character of up to 7,000 A4 pages per minute to enable retrieval of information of any document within seconds. Fuzzy search logic, used within PowerRetrieve ensures you’ll never lose a document again. It’s even capable of overcoming OCR errors or misspelled words to pinpoint important information at the touch of a button. WDS customers say that they have chosen PowerRetrieve for its speed, its efficiency and the ability to improve company processes. Other systems they looked at didn’t match up to the value PowerRetrieve offered them. A major benefit is the ability to process multiple documents in one go, which adds to improved productivity, freeing up staff to do their jobs, instead of standing at the MFP or scanner and manually scanning a page at a time. With PowerRetrieve, text of scanned and electronic documents, turning the entire content into searchable data. With just a few words, dates or letter combinations you can search the full content of email message files, word processing documents, spreadsheets, PDF files, plans, drawings or photographs, even scanned documents, to find the information you need. The system is available as a standalone application, with software and files residing on the PC that PowerRetrieve is loaded onto or can be embedded into core business systems via the API. There is no limitation to the number of search licences that may be purchased with any mix of Fixed Thick Client Search, Concurrent Thick Search and/or Web Search Concurrent users and is designed to run on Microsoft Windows and utilises the .NET framework; in both 32 and 64bit on client PC’s and 64bit on the server. All in all, PowerRetrieve gives businesses the flexibility of powerful retrieval without all the indexing, space and paper supply overheads. And, what’s more, it’s simple and fast and there’s no need to change your existing IT systems in order to use it. Find out more by contacting us now: hello@wdslimited.com Latest News Stay up to date with WDS by exploring our latest posts. Find your documents in seconds and never lose them again Find your documents in seconds and never lose them again We’re delighted to announce that we have been awarded “Highly… Read More WDS awarded Highly Commended at the 2021 Print IT Awards wds-announced-as-a-finalist-in-2021-print-it-awards We’re delighted to announce that we have been awarded “Highly Commended” at the prestigious 2021 Print IT Awards. We… Read More What are Managed Print Services What are Managed Print Services Have you ever heard your colleagues say: “I’m so tired of Marketing monopolising the printer… Read More Load More

WDS awarded Highly Commended at the 2021 Print IT Awards

WDS awarded Highly Commended at the 2021 Print IT Awards We’re delighted to announce that we have been awarded “Highly Commended” at the prestigious 2021 Print IT Awards. We were selected to enter the Awards in the category of “Managed Print Solution of the Year” , back in July. We were shortlisted with 5 other companies, in September, and on 7th December, at a glittering Awards Ceremony at the Lancaster Hotel in London no less than 30 different categories were recognised. As well as the winners, in those categories, there were 2 categories where the Judges decided it was a very close call at the top, so a “Highly Commended” award was required. Only “Managed Print Solutions” and one other category received this award and WDS Midlands was the proud recipient for the Managed Print Solutions category . Rachel Pollard said “I am absolutely over the moon that WDS has been Highly Commended in the category of “Managed Print Solution”. We understand there were many entrants in this category so be shortlisted and then to be Highly Commended is more than we could have hoped for. I’m dedicating this to the WDS team, who have worked incredibly hard, and to our amazing customers, some of whom have been with us since we began.” The Publisher of Print IT Magazine, part of the Kingswood Group, Neil Trim, said “The PrintIT Awards celebrate the achievements of a most vital and ever changing technology sector with a comprehensive programme of awards, covering all aspects of the industry. The judging process was a marathon, with so many entrants. The standard of entries was extremely high and companies like WDS Limited epitomise the strength and experience in the Print and Document Solutions industry. Congratulations to them, and the other winners, and we look forward to following their continued successes in the future.” To find out more about more about WDS’ Managed Print Solutions, please contact the team: hello@wdslimited.com Latest News Stay up to date with WDS by exploring our latest posts. Find your documents in seconds and never lose them again Find your documents in seconds and never lose them again At the start of a business, manual document filing can… Read More WDS awarded Highly Commended at the 2021 Print IT Awards wds-announced-as-a-finalist-in-2021-print-it-awards We’re delighted to announce that we have been awarded “Highly Commended” at the prestigious 2021 Print IT Awards. We… Read More What are Managed Print Services What are Managed Print Services Have you ever heard your colleagues say: “I’m so tired of Marketing monopolising the printer… Read More Load More

What are Managed Print Services

What are Managed Print Services Have you ever heard your colleagues say: “I’m so tired of Marketing monopolising the printer to print their brochures” or “I’m in the middle of a big run, can you print some other time” or, worse, “Oh no, I’ve left the payroll report on the copier”? Fortunately, through managed print services, you can solve all of these issues. But what is Managed Print Services or MPS? MPS is a third-party service which aims to assess, monitor and manage the printing needs and document management of a company to increase productivity, make document printing more efficient and cost effective. It’s something many companies are now considering but if you’re not sure it’s for you, take a look at the key benefits and what you can expect by partnering with an MPS provider. The Benefits of using Managed Print Services Analysing the usage of your printers by examining paper flow, toner usage and an in-depth view of how much departments are spending on print, it’s possible to manage the efficiency of your organisation, whatever size it is, and see where there is room for improvement. It’s possible to make your print equipment work better for you by placing it in the right environment for it to be used properly. For instance, you don’t want a small desktop printer to be overworked and the toner being replaced constantly when you have a 30ppm MFP machine sitting idle across the room or in an area that only needs printouts occasionally. Your provider will be able to demonstrate the most productive use of your existing equipment and make the changes possible by re-installing the equipment in the right place. Similarly, your MPS provider will be able to save you money and productivity by advising you on the right machine for the right job. You may have an enormous production machine in your central printing department but is it really necessary and is it cost-effective? You may find that two smaller machines would be better suited in that area to allow for high volumes of one print job to be sent to one printer while the other is able to carry out smaller, quicker tasks so no-one is held up and it may cost half as much to have the two MFPs instead of the one production printer. Automated delivery of supplies helps to alleviate the most common problem of running out of toner, paper or other important supplies that your printer needs to run smoothly. By carrying out a full audit of your requirements, and by setting up remote diagnostics of your equipment, your provider can see when your machines are running low and make sure toners, paper and other supplies are delivered before you run out. If you need to ensure your prints and data are kept secure and that waste is reduced as part of your environmental policy then your provider can help to set up machines that have built-in functions, like Follow-Me printing, so that your staff have to use a PIN or card to access their prints. This serves two purposes. Firstly, prints can be stored on the server until the member of staff, who sent the document to print, goes to collect their prints, so it means your sensitive company details are not left on the copier for everyone to see and the machines can be set up to print out anywhere in the building, when accessed securely, so if you need a report for a board meeting on another floor, and you’re running a bit late, the document can be printed nearby, saving even more time and effort. You may also need functions that can scan in, store and archive your documentation so that it’s easy and quick to locate What can you expect from your MPS provider, during the analysis process? One of the first actions they will take is to review your existing print equipment to see how active it is, how secure it is and whether it’s serving your needs efficiently and cost-effectively. They will need to make sure that anything concerning your office equipment is fully accounted for, even down to the age of the machines – especially if they are really old, as it may not be possible to get supplies and parts for them any longer and may require many hours of maintenance. You will be provided with a list of savings that your organisation will make by following a planned strategy. Once your needs have been reviewed, a plan can be implemented, based on your agreed strategy and budget requirements which may involve combining your existing equipment with some upgraded or replacement models and maybe more security features. If your existing document flow systems are problematic, your provider can also install and manage more suitable software and mobile solutions and work closely with your IT team to ensure your network is more secure and your company’s workflow productivity is enhanced. You may also need staff to be trained on the new systems and your provider will be able to arrange that at times to suit you. Once installed and working you will receive regular reports showing the health and cost-saving benefits of your equipment. As touched on earlier, in many cases your provider will be able to arrange for your equipment to be linked remotely to their maintenance system allowing them to arrange maintenance calls, supplies and check to see if there are any issues with the equipment, allowing you to get on with your day. For more information about Managed Print Services, contact us on 01283 735300 or email: hello@wdslimited.com or visit our website: wdslimited.com   Latest News Stay up to date with WDS by exploring our latest posts. What are Managed Print Services Let’s talk about telecoms… Telecoms in business, and in the home for that matter, has become less focussed on the… Read More Let’s talk about telecoms… Let’s talk about telecoms… Telecoms in business, and in the home for that matter, has become less focussed on the… Read More Avoid getting caught

Let’s talk about telecoms…

Let’s talk about telecoms… Telecoms in business, and in the home for that matter, has become less focussed on the voice in recent years, and increasingly more focussed on video, text and data. High-speed Internet access, which delivers computer-based data applications such as broadband information services and interactive entertainment, has rapidly made its way into businesses and homes all over the world, making the globe a much smaller and better-connected place. The main broadband telecoms technology is Digital Subscriber Line (DSL), from which the fastest growth has been derived from services delivered over mobile networks. In the home, there is a greater reliance on the big telecoms companies as the most important aspects of the phone in the workplace tend to be broadband, TV and, to a lesser extent, these days, line rental for calls. At home people tend to use their mobile phones to contact family, friends and services probably because it’s more convenient but also packages cost less and less these days, thanks to the big telecoms brands fighting over the packages they offer. At the opposite end of the scale are the huge multinational corporations and the public sector. These spend heavily on telecoms infrastructures to support far-flung operations and bespoke requirements. They are also happy to pay for premium services like high-security private networks and video conferencing. In these cases, the big telecoms companies are less forgiving and can charge a great deal more because, they know that corporations and the public sector can afford it. In small to medium sized business, it’s a different matter because the operations are not so big and they need more flexibility and cost-effective services. In any business, no matter the size, the internet and business systems are all connected and rely on each other for the business to function efficiently, it’s also become so important to have data security built-in to any network. However, nothing is standalone anymore. IT and telecoms are inextricably linked to anything on a network from PCs, printers, the Internet and all the various accounting and logistics systems. What has happened, over the last 10 to 15 years, has been the emergence and solid growth of the small independent IT and telecoms service providers who do a great job because they are usually local, reliable and have a flexible approach. What is more, being independent, they offer greater choice when it comes to the equipment they supply. They are also highly manoeuvrable because they have to move with the technology and, as we’ve seen, wireless and cloud technology are having a profound effect on the future of telecoms. Wireless communications is a very fast-growing sector within telecommunications; more and more communications and computing methods have shifted to mobile devices and cloud-based technology. The sector’s biggest challenge is to keep up with people’s demand for faster and more reliable data connectivity, higher resolution, quicker video streaming, and the growing onslaught of multimedia applications. Through the pandemic, many independent IT and Telecoms companies have struggled to supply physical office equipment such as multi-functional print devices and their consumables, due to manufacturing issues in the Far East, but because of the heightened need to link workers at home with their business head offices and branches, demand for telecoms installations has increased. In the last 2 years, local IT and Telecoms service suppliers, have seen more of the inside of people’s homes than they have office buildings, as the need to get home workers connected to VOIP (Voice Over IP) phones, Microsoft Teams and Zoom became the priority. At the end of the day, local providers are able to ensure they provide their customers good quality service, cost-effectiveness and reliability and, now, as world economies start to stabilise, local IT and telecoms providers are getting back to being the ultimate ‘one-stop shop’ for local businesses. For more information about Telecoms Solutions, contact us on 01283 735300 or email: hello@wdslimited.com or visit our website: wdslimited.com Latest News Stay up to date with WDS by exploring our latest posts. Let’s talk about telecoms… Let’s talk about telecoms… Telecoms in business, and in the home for that matter, has become less focussed on the… Read More Avoid getting caught out by the Big PSTN Switch-off Avoid getting caught out by the Big PSTN Switch-off It’s already the end of February 2022 and everyone is saying… Read More WDS and the Environment WDS and the Environment WDS Ltd. has a long history of ensuring its products and practices are effectively helping to… Read More

Avoid getting caught out by the Big PSTN Switch-off

Avoid getting caught out by the Big PSTN Switch-off It’s already the end of February 2022 and everyone is saying “where is the time going!” The telecoms industry is gearing up for a revolutionary change, the “Big PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) Switch-off” in 2025 – that’s only 3 years away and we know, from experience, that many home and business owners will be scrabbling around, at the last minute, trying to prepare themselves, wishing they had acted sooner. The fact is the work has already started – you may have noticed more Open Reach vans around than normal recently – and in some European countries the PSTN switch-off has already happened so the UK needs to be ready. We have been researching the facts and are able to share what we’ve found to help prevent that mad scramble at the 11th hour. What is the PSTN Switch-off all about? British Telecom (BT) has operations in around 180 countries and is the largest provider of fixed-line, broadband and mobile services in the UK. In a bid to catch up with the latest technology it will be moving all its customers away from the old analogue Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) to a fully digital network. This also applies to the ISDN (Integrated Service Digital Network) lines too. ISDN may be a more up to date technology than the traditional switches system, but everything will be transferred to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) in 2025. New digital technology is just so much better. At a basic level, using the flexibility of the Cloud, people will be able to make and take calls on any device, from anywhere and everyone can keep the same number they’ve been using. Business applications and systems will link smoothly with video chats, calls and group collaborations making conference video calls to customers and colleagues much easier. “Time and tide wait for no man”. The English poet, Geoffrey Chaucer, coined this phrase back in the 15th century and epitomises how quickly time moves on without us even noticing. With the switch-off in just 3 years (and counting…) there is a lot to do before the switch-off happens. You may well be saying “that’s ok, we don’t really use the landline system that much, we probably won’t notice it.” Sadly, the switch over will affect more than just the phones; anything connected to your phone line, such as door entry systems and security alarms, will also need to be updated. It needs planning to make sure, when the switch is flicked, businesses and homes are not plunged into telecoms darkness. Switching to IP reduces cost all round. The PSTN infrastructure is vast, expensive to maintain and, in many cases, unsightly and bad for the environment. It’s become the norm to see telephone cables hung across streets but, underground, there are thousands of miles of cabling to consider – most of it dates back over 100 years. Now, with the advent of mobile and internet communications for everyone, money will be saved and steps are being taken to repair the environment. What should you be doing to prepare? In the first instance, it’s important to future-proof your connectivity.Your connections need to be robust with a high bandwidth and low latency (in other words, no lag or delay) which is adaptable with changing technology. Cloud-based communications demand resilience and digital voice services are no different because connections need to be good and reliable, voices need to be heard clearly and data security tools and collaboration systems operate in “real-time”. So, there is no time like the present to check the systems you have and ensure they will be able to cope with the changes – are they robust enough to handle today’s applications and systems and will they cope with upgrades and (as yet unknown) new technology? Make sure your other services are not left out.As well as door entry systems and security alarms, businesses use phone lines for any system that requires data and information passing in and out of a premises, through a wire, such as fire and smoke alarms, cash machines and payment tills at banks and shops. 3G is being phased out and power cuts could be a potential disaster, so it’s really important to work out, now, what is running on your PSTN or ISDN line and consider one of the following actions to take.(i) You could switch all your systems to IP mode – if that’s available.(ii) You could also upgrade your services to equivalent systems that are IP enabled or(iii) You could use an Analogue Telephone Adapter (ATA) device is a device for connecting traditional analogue telephones, fax machines, and similar customer-premises devices to a digital telephone system or a voice over IP telephony network. Consider your equipmentThis could be the ideal opportunity to look at how your business uses your current equipment, especially if you may have staff working from home, if you employ hot-desking or have several satellite offices or branches. Like any business equipment it’s worth carrying out an audit of what you have to see if it performs as you need it to and if it’s fit for IP activity. It’s also a good idea to investigate accessories like headsets or more mobile phones. There is so much choice it’s worth thinking about now. We have an extensive range of IP devices and solutions for you to choose from as part of your upgrade. Depending on what you’re using at the moment, you may be able to reuse some equipment with your new digital service. Ask us for advice if you’re not sure. Planning ahead will pay off in the long-termUpgrading to a digital phone service will allow you to run your business as you do at the moment, but it will also provide you with the opportunity to improve the way you work and communicate. It can be quite daunting to imagine the scope of cloud-based systems because they offer features you may not be used to or had even thought possible, such as fully integrate your system with mobile devices

WDS and the Environment

WDS and the Environment WDS Ltd. has a long history of ensuring its products and practices are effectively helping to preserve the environment. Managing Director Rachel Pollard said, “We are working hard to maintain sustainable practices in our own business environment to help reduce our impact on the global ecosystem.” WDS only supplies products that have been designed and manufactured with the environment in mind which is why they have been supplying the range of Olivetti, Develop, and Konica Minolta business printers and multi-functional printer-copier-scanners (MFPs) for 19 years. To the uninitiated, printers and MFPs could be viewed as being less caring and more damaging to the environment but, in fact, the opposite is true. Production processes and the way they operate actually reduce the impact they make. Working with caring manufacturers For a start, the manufacturers of the products supplied by WDS have to meet incredibly stringent criteria and compliance standards set by international standards bodies, including Energy Star and the European Blue Angel mark. WDS’ products have received ISO 14001 certification for their fast and efficient handling of environmental issues at every stage of the product life cycle—from the selection of raw materials and components through development, production, and distribution to service and disposal. What is more, manufacturers like Develop and Konica Minolta are driven by their eco policies, with all system components being recyclable, the implementation of a “zero waste” principle at manufacturing sites, and a carbon-neutral policy towards printing. WDS’ multi-functional print-copier-scanners feature duplex printing as standard and polymerized toner, which is cleaner than standard toner and fuses to the paper at very low temperatures. In fact, all WDS models operate to reduce carbon emissions by operating with low power consumption. They also feature measures to reduce paper wastage. Prints can be previewed at the operator panel, prior to being printed, to reduce errors and the unnecessary discarding of paper. Meanwhile, the automatic deletion of blank pages during copying and scanning processes reduces paper usage even further. There are many modes that these products can be set to, such as “toner save” mode and various “energy save modes”. For instance, the MFPs can be set to only enable the printer, scanner, copier, or fax facility to function, as required, when in “sleep mode,” so the entire machine does not have to power up—which is a great way of saving power. The printers and MFPs are now much quieter when operating than in previous years. There are fewer moving parts and in-built fan-based technology reduces the heat produced by this equipment as well as avoiding paper jams. Air is passed across the paper, allowing it to remain separated from other sheets and flow smoothly through a simple, straight paper path. With fewer working parts and longer lifetimes on consumables, reliability is greatly increased and the need for maintenance call-outs is reduced, along with the overall total cost of ownership, because there is less waste and less energy consumed. Greater attention to the environment has benefits in other areas for our customers It’s fair to say that as lengths are being made to increase care for the environment, it is also true that the products themselves are becoming better for business—in terms of reduced waste, greater productivity, increased reliability, and a healthier working environment. Everyone wins—especially the planet. For more information about how we can care for your environment, contact us on 01283 735300 or email hello@wdslimited.com or visit our website: wdslimited.com