Organizations are discovering that effective management of information is the last frontier in cost reduction. If you have already reduced staff, travel expenditure and other discretionary costs, effective management of document workflows and the devices that enable them offers a huge savings potential. While better document management can improve business processes, industry analysts estimate that 98% of companies do not have an effective document strategy - a strategy that could save millions of dollars in operating costs!

A document strategy is the "map" of an information process that charts the flow of documents between people and departments according to the stages of its lifecycle, including information capture, management, distribution and storage. Understanding and assessing that "map" is the first step toward improving productivity and reducing cost within your organization.

The Document Lifecycle

Learn more about document management solutions that address each stage of the document lifecycle:

Input/Capture Solutions Add information from paper and electronic documents into your business processes Learn more... Management/Layout Solutions Move information through workflows based on user requirements and predefined business rules Learn more... Output/Distribution Solutions Manage the production and delivery of print and electronic output, including managing output devices Learn more... Storage/Archival Solutions Organize, manage and retain business information with maximum accessibility and minimum cost Learn more...

IKON has developed two Document Strategy Assessments as foundational steps to achieve Document Efficiency.

• The Document Lifecycle Strategy Assessment traces mission-critical documents through all four stages of the document lifecycle. It is a comprehensive study that examines specific documents and their associated processes. In developing a Document Lifecycle Strategy, we closely examine:
• How and when the document enters your enterprise
• Who it goes to, and under what conditions, and how long it takes to get there
• Who needs access to it – and how long it takes to find it
• What format it is in and how often it is copied
• Where it is stored and how long it is retained
• How it can be rendered or delivered
• What other business processes it affects and how


• The Document Output Strategy Assessment focuses only on the output phase of the document lifecycle - producing and printing documents - and measures everything that goes through it. Typically, there are significant savings to be realized at the output stage of every document process. The Document Output Strategy Assessment helps you reap the rewards of efficient output quickly.

Gain Insight into Your Document Costs

We invite you to use the IKON Document Efficiency Analyzer (IDEA). This intelligent tool utilizes a methodology combining United States and Canadian Census statistics, industry data and knowledge-based algorithms to calculate the amount your company probably spends on office document output each year and provides potential saving estimates. Simply enter your revenue, number of employees, select your industry and IDEA will do the rest.