Our Blog Catalogues

HP have launched a new range of MFPs which has won the Buyers Lab (BLI) A3 Line of the year award for 2023.

On top of winning the A3 laser photocopier line of the year, it has also claimed the prestigious Buyers Lab (BLI) Most Energy Efficient Laser A3 Brand award for 2023-2025 from Keypoint intelligence.

Get more done faster with HP’s industry leading printing, scanning and OCR speeds, maximum uptime –powered by HP’s custom designed quadcore processor.

 

HP Wolf Enterprise Security provides the world’s most secure printing through industry leading multi-layer, self-healing security that protects, detects, and adapts to new threats. We keep trouble out so you can keep your business running.

Bizquip are delighted to work with HP as an Amplify Power Services partner and can supply & support HP photocopiers and printers across Ireland.

Talk to one of our managed print experts and discover how by implementing a leading managed print service with the new award-winning HP print hardware you can optimise your workflows with flexibility to support your workforce today and evolve to meet your demands for tomorrow.

Click here to arrange a call with one of our specialists today.

In the competitive world of legal services, efficiency, cost savings, and data security are paramount. With the reliance on documents and paperwork, managing printing infrastructure can become a significant burden. That’s where a Managed Print Service (MPS) come into play.

Bizquip have specialised in Managed Print Services since our inception in 1984, and have a strong footprint in the legal sector, supporting a large number of legal firms in Ireland.

In the following article, we will explore the features and benefits of Managed Print Services specifically tailored to meet the needs of legal firms in Ireland, helping them streamline their printing processes, reduce costs, and enhance data security.

Tailored Print Solutions for Legal Firms: As a leading managed Print Services provider, Bizquip understand the unique requirements of legal firms and can tailor their solutions accordingly. By conducting a thorough assessment of your printing environment, our Managed Print experts can design a customised plan to optimise your print fleet, address document workflow challenges, and streamline operations.

Cost Reduction and Predictability: Managed Print Services helps legal firms in Ireland achieve substantial cost savings. By analysing your printing infrastructure, we can identify inefficiencies, consolidate devices, and implement print rules to reduce waste. Through strategic placement of multifunction printers (MFPs) and advanced print tracking, a managed print service enables accurate cost allocation, preventing overcharging to clients and ensuring cost predictability.

Enhanced Document Security and Compliance: Legal firms handle sensitive client information, making data security a critical concern. Our Managed Print service offering ensures robust security measures to protect sensitive data throughout the printing process. Features such as secure print release, user authentication, and encryption ensure that confidential documents remain confidential. By implementing MPS, legal firms can enhance compliance with data protection regulations such as GDPR, and client-specific confidentiality agreements.

Streamlined Document Workflows: The legal industry heavily relies on document workflows involving printing, scanning, and document management. A managed print service optimises these workflows, enabling seamless integration of digital and paper-based processes. By implementing automated document capture and routing solutions, legal firms can save time and reduce manual errors, resulting in increased productivity and improved client service.

Proactive Maintenance and Support: Photocopier downtime can be detrimental to legal firms. Bizquip offer proactive monitoring of print devices, ensuring timely maintenance and minimising disruptions. With remote diagnostics, our technical team can identify and resolve issues before they impact productivity. Furthermore, our managed print team offer industry leading technical support and quick response times freeing up your IT staff’s time to focus on core tasks.

Scalability and Flexibility: Legal firms often experience fluctuations in printing demands due to case volumes or client requirements. Introducing a managed print service allows you to scale your print fleet up or down to accommodate changing needs. Whether you need additional capacity during peak periods or wish to consolidate devices during quieter times. Bizquip provides the flexibility to align your printing infrastructure with your firm’s evolving requirements.

For legal firms, staying ahead requires optimising every aspect of your business operations, including printing. Our Managed Print Services provide legal firms in Ireland with tailored solutions to streamline document workflows, enhance security, reduce costs, and improve productivity. By partnering with Bizquip, legal firms can offload the burden of print management and focus on their core competencies. Embrace the power of Managed Print Services and unlock the potential for increased efficiency and profitability in your legal practice.

Our professional services team can analyse your current print infrastructure and provide recommendations to your organisation to ensure you are operating as efficiently as possible.

For a free consultation, please click here to arrange an initial call.

Given the significant changes in the working landscape experienced since early 2020, staying ahead of the competition requires companies to constantly seek new avenues for improving efficiency. One such avenue that has gained significant momentum is business process automation (BPA). By harnessing the power of technology, BPA enables organisations to streamline their operations, reduce manual effort and optimise productivity. In this article, we will explore how implementing BPA can help companies increase efficiencies and unlock their full potential.

 

• Eliminating Manual Tasks: One of the primary advantages of BPA is its ability to automate repetitive and time-consuming tasks. By replacing manual processes with automated workflows, businesses can reduce human error, eliminate bottlenecks and improve accuracy. Routine activities like data entry, document management, and report generation can be automated, freeing up valuable time for employees to focus on more strategic and value-added tasks.

 

• Standardising Processes: BPA facilitates the standardisation of business processes across different departments and locations. With automated workflows, companies can establish consistent guidelines and procedures, ensuring that each task is performed in a uniform manner. This not only enhances efficiency but also enhances compliance and quality control. By maintaining standardised processes, organisations can achieve greater reliability and predictability in their operations.

 

• Enhanced Collaboration and Communication: BPA tools often come with built-in communication and collaboration features that facilitate seamless information sharing and teamwork. By automating communication channels, such as email notifications and task assignments, employees can stay updated on project progress, deadlines, and other essential information. Real-time collaboration platforms enable teams to work together efficiently, irrespective of their physical locations, fostering a culture of transparency and teamwork.

 

• Data Integration and Analysis: Efficient decision-making relies heavily on accurate and timely information. BPA solutions enable businesses to integrate data from various sources and systems, creating a unified view of critical information. By automating data collection, processing, and analysis, organisations can gain valuable insights that drive informed decision-making. This data-driven approach helps identify process inefficiencies, optimise resource allocation, and identify trends and patterns that can lead to enhanced productivity.

 

• Scalability and Adaptability: As businesses grow, so do their operational complexities. BPA offers scalability and adaptability to handle increasing workloads and changing business requirements. Automated workflows can be easily adjusted and modified to accommodate evolving needs without disrupting the entire system. This flexibility allows organisations to respond quickly to market demands, scale their operations efficiently, and stay agile in a dynamic business environment.

 

• Customer Experience and Satisfaction: Efficient processes lead to improved customer experiences. By automating customer-facing processes, such as order processing, inquiries, and support ticket management, organisations can respond to customer needs more promptly and accurately. BPA empowers businesses to provide faster turnaround times, reduce errors, and enhance overall customer satisfaction. Satisfied customers are more likely to become loyal advocates and help drive business growth.

 

Embracing business process automation can be a game-changer for companies striving to increase efficiencies. By automating manual tasks, standardising processes, improving collaboration, harnessing data insights, and adapting to changing needs, businesses can optimise productivity, reduce costs, and ultimately drive success. As technology continues to evolve, organisations that embrace BPA will gain a competitive edge by unlocking their full potential and shaping a future of streamlined success.

Our Workplace Technology team would be delighted to conduct a free analysis of your existing business processes to determine where improvements can be made.

Click here to arrange a call.

Our Interiors team travelled to the renowned Clerkenwell Design Week in London last month to observe the key workspace trends emerging for the rest of the year and into 2024. The key trends we observed included:

• Sustainability
• Collaborative & break out furniture, such as modular sofas and lounge chairs
• Privacy booths
• Room dividers with biophilia incorporated into all
• Natural & warm colour schemes

 

Sustainability

We were pleased to observe a strong focus on sustainability, which is an ever-growing focus in our industry. The furniture manufacturers we work with and represent here in Ireland have a very strong commitment to sustainability in how they operate, manufacture and design and this was apparent in all showroom displays at CDW. Additionally, commercial upholstery fabric manufacturers, Camira launched their newest collection, “Revolution”, a recycled wool fabric made from their own wool yearn waste. This came about from Camira’s focus on circularity, demonstrating how textile waste can be turned into new products.

We loved Abstracta’s new collection of sound absorbing panels featuring contemporary art. With a strong focus on sustainability, each motif is mounted on an effective sound absorber made of recycled textile material. We felt this was a visually impressive product with dual functionality of improving acoustics in spaces that require privacy.

Collaborative & break out furniture

Proof that hybrid is here to stay! Every showroom was showcasing new break out furniture solutions. Modular, curved sofas were on display in virtually every showroom we visited. We were inspired by the modular sofas in Icons of Denmark, Muuto and Allermuir in particular. The new FourAll Lounge collection from Ocee Design stood out as a welcomed new addition to soft seating, we admired the curved back with tapered steel leg frame, along with the mix of materials, with the choice of oak, steel and upholstery. They are available with mid-back and high back options to give versatility.

Privacy

Privacy solutions were of equal prominence, with manufacturers meeting the workspace demand for quiet and private space in a busy, open-plan office. Some new privacy booths that caught our eye included the new Qyos booth collection by Actiu and Abstracta. The usual suspects also had their acoustic booths on prime display, such as Spacestor and JDD.

Grid dividers

Grid dividers continue to be a key feature of commercial interior design. Utilised to create or “zone” areas in a workspace, grid dividers are a multi-functional solution for injecting biophilia, creating visual privacy and offering storage solutions. The Outline Collection by Bisley was eye-catching, along with Bamboo by Frovi. The Bamboo collection is manufactured with eco-friendly materials including recycled ocean plastic, recycled PET felt and pressed bamboo. As mentioned, biophilia was a common theme in all showrooms, bringing nature indoors for its restorative and calming effects. It is proven that visual greenery calms the senses, focuses concentration and natural plants purify the air.

Warm colour schemes

Warm tones were a key theme across many of the showrooms we visited, with muted colours such as salmon, brown, green and aubergine. Pockets of soft colours, in pink hues were popular also. Black steel and natural wood materials continue to remain, not necessarily a new theme, its one we saw emerge a few years ago now, and it continues. We saw a huge amount of white and cream boucle material and do wonder how this is practical in a workplace setting but we admired this textured material nonetheless. There was lots of tonal neutrality, with textured materials used for creating softness and warmth. Some showrooms injected bold colours for statement pieces, colours such as mustard and blue, with coloured RAL finishes on steel including burnt orange, which was a welcomed contrast to the above. The Allermuir showroom was a highlight for this, along with their strong focus on sustainability, their showroom was a work of art!

 

In summary, the trends we observed are in line with what we are experiencing locally here in the Dublin office landscape, a continuous demand for the re-design of office space to meet the needs of hybrid working, incorporating more breakout, collaborative space whilst also ensuring that there are dedicated, quiet spaces for privacy to encourage employees into the office. Interestingly, we noted that there was little focus on desks and workstations, with most showrooms mainly exhibiting new collections of loose and break out furniture for social interaction, collaboration and privacy.

Lastly, we grasped the opportunity to spend time in Muuto’s London showroom and we loved their outdoor Linear Steel Collection. So much so, we have ordered it for our new outdoor seating area at Bizquip. We hope to reveal this collection in July, once the manufacturing process is completed.

Why?  

We have talked at length about how the world of work has shifted towards hybrid working since 2020. Initially a temporary solution, it is becoming progressively more permanent. Instead of repeating ourselves, today we want to look at the technologies designed to help you create a truly strategic hybrid workforce using real-time data for strategy and planning. Namely, workplace analytics.  

Workplace analytics help you understand which parts of your workplace are used most often and how. For example, Hot Desk utilisation reports make sure that you can improve desk usage, similarly, the same principles and technological approaches can be applied to how you manage all your spaces including your meeting rooms, break-out spaces, privacy booths, and parking spaces. This data becomes a highly valuable tool in the strategy and planning of how you use your office space, now and in the future, and crucially what those needs are versus what they need to be.  

There continues to be fluctuation in the occupancy rate, most research typically cites 30%  – 50% which is a wide stat, however, what is clear is that flexible working is the new norm and office design, as we have written about will need to change to reflect this shift from office based to flexible working. This represents a real opportunity for substantial cost savings and optimisation for your company. Only by collecting real-time data and insights of important office resources using a workplace analytics solution can a business increase office utilization, get better occupancy information, and positively improve operating costs.  

The workplace is a complex environment that requires careful planning and execution. The right tools help you and your company to make better decisions about how to manage it. 

• Collect accurate usage data and analytics of your workplace and office resources. 
• Reduce property-related costs for your company. 
• Create office space strategies based on accurate workplace analytics. 
• Produce and export detailed insight reports. 
• Right-size your office space for a hybrid workspace environment, and your teams need. 
• Increase the employee experience by creating a workspace they enjoy and find ways for easy collaboration. 

How ?  

The simplest method of monitoring comes in the form of monitor devices from partners of ours such as Flowscape.

We implement wireless battery-operated sensors in specific, pre-agreed locations which collect accurate, granular, real-time data about the precise use of every single resource throughout the day. The sensors are easy to deploy, battery supplied, connect wirelessly, and can run outside your IT infrastructure. Desks can also be equipped with USB Desk sensors that will give accurate usage data and enhance the end-user experience by automatically checking desks and presenting the name of the user on the office space map. The USB Desk sensor does not need any batteries or network. This approach is an ideal solution for open-plan spaces, meeting rooms, cellular offices, and more.  

When coupled with Flowscape’s statistical portal, FlowAnalytics, this integrated module allows you to view and analyse historical data about how your office resources are used – you are relying on real-time, accurate data to make strategic decisions about your company’s operations – these analytics can be captured in a single location or across multiple locations if your company infrastructure spans multiple sites.  

This overview of your space helps you to easily see how many resources (and buildings) you have and how they are being used in real time by your workforce. You can also get a direct overview of how many bookable and non-bookable spaces are available, how many sensors are installed, and where they are located. Space overview is an excellent tool for building knowledge and understanding your business’ real-estate portfolio to maximise both productivity and utilisation of your office space. 

Crucially, given that we are working in an employee-led market, retaining top talent will be increasingly more important in a mobile work environment – and the office environment will be one of the key tools to motivate people to stay and attract new talent. Using technology such as that offered by Flowscape can allow employees to choose when to make the best use of the physical office to benefit from connections, collaboration, or to share creativity. 

Workplace occupancy is an incredibly exciting and valuable tool for companies embracing and adopting a hybrid work policy and can give management the tools and data to make informed decisions with regard to the best use of office space.  

2022 in review, what your attention was drawn to

 

Our roots, the foundation of Bizquip in 1984 was based on workplace technology such as fax machines and printers – cutting edge technologies of the time.

Much has changed since those early days; the technology has advanced significantly, and the chances are if you ask anyone under the age of 30 what a fax machine is, they will be stumped!  What has not changed is our approach. Our ongoing evolution and our research into workplace technology solutions means that we are adapting to our clients changing needs as we have moved into a digital world.

10-15 years ago, Bizquip was focused solely on our clients’ printing needs, now we are asking the question – do you really need to print that?

We offer business process automation solutions that drive efficiencies in how they work for you and prescribe bespoke solutions that are not designed to baffle but to break through.  Most importantly, solutions that are easily integrated with your IT infrastructure and do not require you to tear up the playbook and start again.

Consultancy, is another aspect of our business that has never changed.  It is easy to assume that we do the same today as we did in our infancy, sell you printers and fax machines, but our evolution and the knowledge and experience we have gathered in the intervening 38 years have shaped us into one of the leading workplace technology providers in the business today.

Digital transformation or Business Process Automation, whatever you choose to call it, it is the application of technologies to your operations that are designed to enhance your business functions, create seamless workflows, reduce overheads, increase productivity and so much more.

But how?

Today we will focus on some of the key questions we are asked daily in relation to our Business Process Automation Services and share with you the answers.

What is digital transformation?

Digital transformation is leveraging digital technologies into various areas of a business to drive fundamental change to meet market and business requirements.

What is Business Process Automation?

The use of technology to automate repeatable and time-consuming manual tasks.  Using digital forms and workflows these tasks are done quicker by routing information to the right person at the right time through user-defined rules and actions.  Learn how BPA is something for every business of every size here

What are the benefits of automating or digitising manual processes?

Eliminate Errors

When using a manual process, the chances of human errors occurring are inevitable.  Implementing automated processes minimises errors, especially with mundane tasks like data entry, resulting in more efficient work and less time fixing avoidable problems.

Improved Employee Morale 

Automating tedious and repetitive tasks can free up employees’ time and allow them to focus on higher-level tasks which add more value to the business while also resulting in greater job satisfaction.

Make accurate data-driven decisions

Having access to reports and dashboards that wouldn’t normally be available when performing business processes manually, results in your business being able to make better decisions in a timelier manner.

Save time and money

Reducing the time employees need to complete mundane tasks allows them more hours to focus on doing work that drives profits.

• What are some examples of digital transformation using workplace technology?
• Travel Authorisations / Expense Claims
• Employees typically need to fill out authorisation forms for business trips or expense claim approvals. Time is wasted chasing incomplete paperwork and requests going back and forth.  Instead of dealing with paper, digitise these forms and automate your internal requests.  Have a full view of whose queue your request is sitting with.
• Accounts Payable
• Eliminate time-consuming manual processes by automating your accounts payable process. With automated invoice processing and automatic approval routing, there are no delays in making a payment to your suppliers.
• Employee Onboarding
• Help employees become productive sooner with an efficient onboarding process for new staff members. Instead of requesting a pile of paperwork to be completed use business process automation to complete tasks like:
• Collecting personal information
• Setting up payroll and benefits

 Why is digital transformation important to your business?

Automation reduces time, effort, and cost, whilst reducing manual errors, giving your business more time to focus on your primary objectives. Repetitive tasks can be completed faster and without the need for staff to compete mundane tasks. Automating processes ensures high quality results as each task is performed identically, without human error.

 

Additional questions revolve around the specific technologies we implement, such as Laserfiche and Square 9. The options in terms of on premise or cloud-based hosting. The benefits to a dispersed workforce, remote access, security and so much more.  These and many more questions can be answered by our highly experienced workplace technology team who are fluent in both plain English and tech talk and on hand to guide you seamlessly through your requirements for workplace technology and digital transformation.

In the meantime, learn how some of our clients have already saved significant amounts in overheads thanks to their adoption of workplace technologies and business process automation solutions here

Bizquip partner with PrintReleaf in ongoing commitment to sustainability

As we head into Q4 of 2023, a “post-pandemic” era, a hybrid work environment has become the norm. Furniture and technology are more intertwined than ever before and a blend of products is required to make hybrid work. Workplace products that support virtual and in-person collaboration, as well as autonomous activities such as private, echo-free acoustic pods from companies like Framery and JDD that address the need for on-demand privacy, enabling people to seamlessly connect, regardless of physical location.

The great thing about these privacy booths is the range and variety available.  For example, did you know that over 80% of office meetings host an average of 4 people?  Not a problem when our huddle pods accommodate 4 – 6 people. Right now, our Sandyford showroom showcases three different privacy booths, a single phonebooth for individual use, a focused pod, also for single use but featuring a desk and task chair for lengthy meetings and the Maggie Q, 4-person privacy booth by Framery.

We have been working with our clients to implement acoustic pods that are “connected” to our Flowscape based occupancy scheduling system, so that they can be easily bookable by employees in advance of arriving at the office. Framery pods offers excellent air quality thanks to the air circulation system that is certified to be well within the limits of M1 emission classification. With adjustable seating in smaller pods and enough room to house your own choice of furniture in the larger pods, they are the ultimate room within a room.

What is the difference between a Pod and a Booth?

In short, an acoustic pod is a room within a room where someone can go for privacy or “do not disturb” time, while modular phone booths provide a quiet space for telephone and video calls.

Both typically come with sound absorbency, ventilation, a motion sensor to activate the lighting, air con and a range of furniture features that can tailored to your specific requirements.

Acoustics in the office

Aside from the practical nature of meeting booths and acoustic pods for privacy and video conferencing, there is also a very compelling health and safety aspect to their inclusion in the workplace.

Author And TedTalk Alumni Julian Treasure clearly identifies that sound can impact us in 4 key ways – Physiologically, Psychologically, Cognitively and Behaviourally. So why are we telling you this?

Sound disruptions and distractions have an immediate impact on our ability to function from head to toe and in some environments, we have the means to eliminate the noise, in others we have adapted, not necessarily successfully or maybe it is more honest to state we have learned to put up with it?

Let’s focus on the continuum of sound disruption heard in open plan spaces – the vibrancy of your staff, the silent whirring of air-conditioning and the endless activity of a busy printer and all that is before we make the coffee, answer the phone and partake in the normal day to day activities and chatter of the workplace.

• Over 50% of people have a hard time concentrating in open-plan offices
• It takes 20 min to regain your focus after a small distraction
• You are 15% less productive working in an open-plan office if the right design is not in place
• Out of the 50 major countries with the highest density of open space offices as compared to their population, Luxembourg, Singapore and Ireland arise as the leaders in this category.

 

Implementing acoustics

For many years we have been installing furniture that is designed to improve the acoustic rating of a workspace such as the extensive Snowsound range by Caimi and using wonderful products such as acoustic room dividers and wall hangings from companies like Friends of Wilson and Abstracta.

Acoustic solutions can be wall-mounted, ceiling hung, or mobile, depending on the structure of a space. What is of critical importance is their effectiveness,  but they tend to be very aesthetically pleasing and come in a range of finishes to complement the décor of any space. Abstracta, in particular, create truly innovative furniture products with integrated acoustic characteristics including modular sofas and planters. Such products with an acoustic performance can help improve productivity and efficiency in meeting spaces, ensuring privacy and clear communication when it is most needed.

 

If you want to learn more about the options available to you from our range of meeting booths, acoustic pods and phone booths, our expert interiors team would be delighted to speak to you. Contact us today to discuss your requirements.

GDPR Compliant Laserfiche Cloud Goes Live in Europe

Summer is calling (& it needs us to prepare our outdoor spaces!)

Valentine Wishes From Bizquip