Hyundai’s printing system makes eco-sense

Throughout its 20 years in the Australian automotive market, Hyundai has continued to evolve itself and its market offering to reflect the company name, a Korean translation for ‘modern era’. It is a company that reflects the spirit of innovation fostered and celebrated since its inception.

A major component of this innovation is the company’s approach to environmental responsibility and efficiency, which it promotes to the wider market through its vehicles, services and programs.

Hyundai recently moved into a newly built, state-of-the-art head office in Sydney. In making the move, the company’s senior management tasked its IT department with ensuring that all ICT elements in the new premises offered the company maximised efficiency, security and environmental responsibility.

One area where this has been very noticeably achieved is in the upgrade of the company’s print and document management environment.

To do that it required a new solution that would be easy to implement and maintain, and above all be completely user friendly to ensure all new features could be leveraged for maximum measurable benefit.

Canon Australia was invited to provide recommendations on how Hyundai could achieve these improvements to its print and document management environment.

The recommended solution principally included Canon’s uniFlow Output Manager software and 11 new Canon imageRunner multifunction print devices.

uniFlow is a modular document accounting software that allows businesses to build their own tailored solution. In this case, it was accompanied by uniFlow Secure Print and Statistics modules, and has provided Hyundai with the ability to monitor and control its print fleet. The server-based solution is housed in the company’s Sydney office, but links up Hyundai’s other offices to ensure national efficiency.

Canon deployed 10 imageRunner 3580s and one imageRunner 2550i throughout the building to provide easier usage, faster print speeds and greater reliability. They also align closely with the uniFlow software, making its integration simpler and more effective.

“Our people have completely changed their behaviours when printing and copying documents,” said Kawa Farid, Hyundai’s Network Administrator.

“While technology has enabled and encouraged this to a point,” he said, “a new attitude amongst employees seems to be making even further efficiencies, as wastage becomes unacceptable on a team and a personal level. People are seeing the benefits of the new print solution and are proud of their own role in reducing their environmental impact.”

The combined effect of the new zero print waste attitude and the switch to double-sided printing for half of the company’s printed output is that each pallet of paper ordered is lasting 30% longer, with the facilities manager needing a new pallet every eight weeks instead of six.

“It’s hard not to be impressed by the difference Canon’s solution has made,” said Balasundaram Kothandaraman, Senior Manager ICT. “I was expecting many of the statistical improvements, as forecasted in the research phase; what I didn’t expect was the radical and positive change it’s made to our people and our office environment. Everyone here is noticeably proud of the savings they’re making and the associated environmental benefits.”