Your Team’s Back in Office, But Is Your Printer Stuck in 2020?

That printer in your office corner tells a story. For nearly two years, it sat idle while your team transformed how they work. They mastered cloud collaboration, digital workflows, and mobile productivity tools. Now they're back in the office, but is your print technology ready for their new expectations?

Across Canada, organizations face this exact challenge as teams return
to the workplace. Staff members now move constantly between digital and physical documents, expecting the same flexibility they enjoyed remotely. The disconnect between these evolved work habits and outdated office printers creates daily friction that ripples through your entire operation.

Hybrid Work Printing vs. Outdated Office Printers

Picture Monday morning. Your team arrives ready for in-person collaboration. Someone tries to print a meeting agenda. The office printer won't connect. Several people try their laptops. Nothing works. Soon they're looking for workarounds just to print a simple document.

This isn't a minor annoyance. It's what happens when outdated tech collides with new work habits. The frustration spreads through your office and slows everything down.

During remote work, your staff changed how they handle information:     

They want to print from phones and tablets, not just computers.

• They need smooth transitions between digital and paper.
• They expect security that works everywhere.
• They're used to easy cloud access for all documents.

When your office printer can't support these needs, it creates daily problems that hurt productivity. Government offices feel this pain even more with their strict document requirements.

What Changed While Offices Sat Empty

Office printer technology didn't stand still during remote work. It moved forward quickly to meet new demands.

Research shows that organizations with updated document systems have fewer workflow problems when teams return. According to Gartner, companies that implement flexible approaches to workplace technology rather than rigid mandates see better talent outcomes and productivity.

The improvements happened in three key areas:

Cloud Features That Actually Work

Remember when "cloud-ready" office printers rarely worked right? Today's systems truly connect to the cloud without the hassle.

Your team can print directly from cloud storage, scan to shared folders, and access documents from anywhere. For organizations handling everything from internal reports to client documents, this removes barriers between digital and physical formats. Government teams processing applications and meeting minutes find this especially valuable.

The difference is clear. Modern cloud-enabled systems create a smooth experience that matches how people work today. No more hunting for cables or downloading files to specific computers just to print. Documents flow where needed, regardless of format.

Security That Works Everywhere

Old office printer security often meant hoping nobody took your confidential document from the tray. That doesn't work in today's hybrid environment.

At KYOCERA Document Solutions Canada, we've seen how modern systems use authentication, secure release printing, and encryption that
work consistently whether staff are in the office or connecting remotely. This helps maintain compliance with privacy regulations, especially in government and regulated industries.

Think about what happens when someone needs to print sensitive information. With outdated systems, security blocks productivity. Modern solutions turn security from obstacle to enabler, allowing work to flow naturally while keeping information safe.

Smart Workflows That Adapt to Your Team

The best advancement is how modern office printers adapt to changing work patterns. Instead of forcing staff to adjust to printer limitations, today's systems flex to meet actual usage patterns.

This includes features like:

• Automatic document routing based on content.
• Print queues that save time and money.
• Usage data that helps place devices where needed most.
• Mobile-friendly controls that work with the devices people use.

These aren't just nice extras. They're essential tools for organizations supporting hybrid work printing models, with government agencies often leading adoption to improve efficiency.

Smart workflows mean documents can be processed differently based on their purpose. A form that needs multiple approvals can be automatically routed through the proper channels. An internal memo might be directed to any printer you want. These automated decisions happen behind the scenes, making work simpler.

The Real Costs of Outdated Office Printers

When organizations delay updating their document infrastructure, the costs go beyond repair bills. The real expense shows up in daily productivity losses. KYOCERA's workplace productivity findings reveal that technology issues like malfunctioning printers create unnecessary stress and consume valuable time that employees could otherwise spend on meaningful work.

This inefficiency directly impacts:

• Customer and citizen service times
• Internal approval processes
• Team collaboration
• Staff satisfaction
• Budget effectiveness

Modern print infrastructure has transformed how leading organizations handle information flow. Teams using updated systems complete document-heavy processes in half the time, improving both internal operations and customer service.

These findings match what we see with our clients, including those in the public sector. The gap between modern work expectations and outdated printer capabilities creates ongoing productivity drags that affect your entire operation.

The productivity drain might seem small at first, a few minutes finding a workaround, a short delay waiting for tech help. But these moments add up across your organization daily, creating significant impacts on your efficiency and service capabilities.

How Outdated Office Printers Impact Daily Operations

The real-world effects of printer-workflow mismatches appear in common scenarios that probably sound familiar:

A team member trying to print from their phone during a meeting, only to be told they need to email the document to someone with a connected computer.

Staff creating workarounds that bypass security measures just to get basic tasks done, creating potential compliance issues.

Remote workers coming to the office specifically to print or scan documents because they can't do it securely from home.

IT staff spending valuable time troubleshooting printer connection issues instead of working on strategic initiatives.

These aren't just inconveniences. They're symptoms of document systems that haven't kept pace with how modern organizations operate. They represent lost productivity, decreased job satisfaction, and potential security vulnerabilities.

Bridging The Document Technology Gap

How do smart organizations address this document disconnect? The approach goes beyond simply replacing hardware.

Start By Understanding Current Workflows

Before considering equipment changes, look at how documents flow through your organization now, not how they moved pre-pandemic.

Look for:

• Bottlenecks where digital and paper processes clash.
• Security gaps created by workarounds.
• Unnecessary manual steps.
• Disconnects between departments using different systems.

This assessment reveals what your modern print infrastructure truly needs, a process that government agencies have found valuable for compliance purposes.

The workflow analysis often uncovers surprising patterns. Many organizations discover their document processes changed organically during remote work, with teams creating unofficial systems to handle technology limitations. Understanding these adaptations shows what your modern office printer systems need to support.

Focus On Integration, Not Just Features

The most effective solutions for today's offices prioritize integration with existing systems. This means:

• Connecting with department-specific applications.
• Supporting common file formats.
• Working with identity management systems.
• Offering open APIs for custom needs.

This connects directly to how KYOCERA Document Solutions approaches client projects, starting with understanding the entire information ecosystem rather than isolated print requirements.

True integration means your office printers become a natural extension of existing workflows, not a separate system requiring special attention. When staff can print directly from the applications they already use, without switching contexts or learning new processes, productivity naturally improves.

Build In Adaptability for Future Changes

The pandemic taught us that work environments can change rapidly. Modern office printers should accommodate future shifts without requiring complete replacement.

Look for solutions with flexible licensing, modular components, and regular software updates that extend functionality without hardware changes, an approach particularly valued in budget-conscious environments like the public sector.

Adaptability isn't just about responding to crises. It's about creating document infrastructure that can evolve with your organization's changing
needs. As your workflow patterns shift, your document systems should shift with them, adding capabilities when needed without disruptive overhauls.

Making The Transition Manageable

For organizations with budget constraints, upgrading document systems can seem challenging. However, several approaches can make the transition easier:

• Phased implementation targeting highest-need departments first.
• Managed document services that spread costs over operational budgets.
• Sustainability-focused programs that offset costs through efficiency
  gains.
• Staff training integrated with broader digital initiatives.

Digital workplace specialists find that organizations starting with targeted pilot projects achieve twice the adoption success compared to those attempting full-scale implementation all at once; a practice widely adopted in government procurement.

McKinsey's research on digital transformations reveals that companies need a strategic, value-driven approach rather than technology-first implementations to successfully scale innovative solutions across their networks.

The transition doesn't need to happen overnight. Start where the pain is most acute, with departments handling high document volumes or those with complex security requirements. Success in these areas builds momentum and provides valuable lessons for later phases.

Ready To Move Your Office Printers Beyond 2020?

Your staff has evolved. Your work patterns have changed. Isn't it time your office printer systems kept pace?

Modern document solutions create an experience that matches how organizations work today, bridging physical and digital workflows, supporting both in-office and remote scenarios, and maintaining security across all environments.

At KYOCERA Document Solutions Canada, we've helped numerous organizations across Canada navigate this transition, including public sector agencies and municipal governments. The most successful transformations focus not just on updating hardware, but on reimagining how documents flow through the organization.

Take the first step today

Request a proposal and outline your document workflow needs to our team. Our experts will help you understand the specific opportunities to improve your document ecosystem and develop a practical roadmap for transformation that fits your organization's needs and budget.