Office Process Automation

What Is a Document Management System (DMS)? A Practical Guide for Businesses

Submitted by Keith Metzler on

Think about how much time employees spend searching for information instead of doing their actual job. If you’re losing hours every week to shared drives, filing cabinets, email attachments, and “final_v7_REALLYFINAL.pdf,” it’s time for a change.

Most businesses don’t have a document problem because they lack documents. They have a document problem because they lack control.

Contracts live in inboxes. Records sit in boxes. Scanned forms are saved “somewhere on the network.” And when someone needs the right version, at the right time, it turns into a scavenger hunt.

What Is Xerox’s Configuration Watchdog Security System?

Submitted by Byanka Ramos on

Have you ever had a printer mysteriously “act up” after someone changed a setting or discovered a security feature turned off without anyone knowing? Misconfigurations are one of the most common causes of security vulnerabilities in office technology. Something as simple as an incorrect setting can lead to a cybersecurity incident.

Printers are no exception; in fact, they’re some of the most vulnerable devices. It’s easy for settings to get tweaked, features to get disabled, and security gaps to quietly open. Most teams don’t realize anything happened until IT is troubleshooting or a risk assessment reveals an exposure.

This is where Xerox’s Configuration Watchdog becomes a powerful safety net for organizations that rely on secure, well-managed print environments.

Before we get into the details, the goal of this blog is simple:

Who Should Manage Your Print Environment: IT or a Print Vendor?

Submitted by Byanka Ramos on

If you walk into a growing business and see a different printer in every corner, with some new and some barely hanging on, you can usually guess what’s happening behind the scenes. It’s a situation where the print environment is managing the business, not the other way around.

And here’s a stat worth considering as you think about your office: organizations can waste up to 3% of their annual budget on unnecessary printing expenses. If your business doesn’t “own” the print environment, it can hurt your bottom line.

As businesses scale past 15+ devices, this problem will only get worse. A badly managed print environment can lead to costs rising, downtime becoming normal, IT getting buried in random printer tickets, and leadership starting to wonder, “Is this really the best we can do?”

What Are the Most Important Security Features on a Printer?

Submitted by Byanka Ramos on

Can you say for certain whether the documents you send through your office printer are 100% secure? Printers can seem harmless, but as they modernize, they behave much more like networked computers than simple office appliances. And like computers, they’ve become real targets.

In fact, according to Verizon’s 2025 Data Breach Investigations Report, exploitation of vulnerabilities now accounts for 20% of data breaches. Even more concerning is that 22% of those attacks targeted edge devices like printers and VPNs.

In other words, printers are no longer “set it and forget it” devices. They should be active parts of your security measures, and if they’re not properly protected, they can quietly become one of your biggest vulnerabilities.

As a print vendor, we specialize in securing print environments. And as Xerox partners, we know that the right security features can make all the difference.

How to Print Sensitive Documents Securely

Submitted by Byanka Ramos on

If you’ve ever printed something sensitive like a tax form, a patient record, a student report, or even your own Social Security number, you’ve likely felt panic at the thought of leaving it sitting on a tray for anyone to see. It’s the same uneasy feeling many employees experience in busy workplaces where dozens of print jobs pile up, mix together, or get picked up by the wrong person entirely.

And with today’s mix of remote work, shared devices, and growing compliance demands, the stakes are much higher than a misplaced page.

At Strategic Technology Partners of Texas (STPT), we’ve spent nearly 40 years helping organizations tighten their print security and build workflows that protect confidential information at every step.

Top 5 Business Challenges in 2025 and How Local SMBs are Solving Them

Submitted by Byanka Ramos on

It’s not easy running a business right now. Between rising costs, technology growing faster than budgets, and the ongoing tug-of-war between in-office and remote work, many small business owners in Texas are feeling stretched thin. While the goals of profitability, growth, and stability remain the same, the path to reach them has become less predictable.

At Strategic Technology Partners of Texas (STPT), we work daily with local businesses such as independent medical practices and school districts, as well as marketing agencies and construction firms. While every organization is unique, we’ve noticed five recurring challenges that nearly every Texas SMB is trying to overcome, and more importantly, the smart ways they’re tackling them.

Print Management Software: What Is It?

Submitted by Karla Metzler on

Printing is one of those things that quietly eats into your budget. You often don’t realize it until toner bills rise, supply closets overflow, and your IT team is repeatedly fixing jammed printers. For schools, hospitals, law firms, and busy offices, printing costs can take up 1-3% of yearly revenue. That’s thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars that could be better used elsewhere.

Many print vendors (like us) often see this issue. Businesses and organizations struggle to track their printing expenses accurately and identify areas where costs are being wasted.

If you’re managing dozens of printers and struggling to get a clear picture of who’s printing what, print management software might be the missing piece you’ve been looking for. It can help you not only print less, but also print smarter.

From Texas to Oklahoma: 5 Lessons in Smarter Print and Workflow Management

Submitted by Karla Metzler on

If your organization has more than one printer, you know things can get complicated pretty quickly. It can start with small things like one team printing differently than another, scanned documents being saved in different folders, and workflows relying on memory instead of process. And before you know it, you’ve lost track of time and your budget.

The challenge isn’t only about printing; it’s also about what happens to documents once they've been printed or scanned.

As a print vendor serving organizations across Texas and Southern Oklahoma, we’ve seen these patterns play out in offices, schools, healthcare networks, manufacturing facilities, and local government environments. The needs vary, but the root issue is often the same: the print environment isn’t functioning as a system. And when print and digital workflows don’t align, people work harder than they need to.

How Texas and Oklahoma Businesses Can Maximize Tech Investments Before 2026

Submitted by Byanka Ramos on

Every year, businesses in Texas and Oklahoma reach the final stretch of their budget cycle and face the same dilemma: upgrade aging technology now, or push the decision into next year and “make do” a little longer. The problem is that waiting often leads to higher long-term costs such as unexpected downtime, mounting repair bills, or missed tax advantages that could have reduced the total cost of ownership.

With 2026 quickly approaching, now is a perfect time for organizations to plan smarter. It's an opportunity to maximize their technology budgets and to leverage financial tools that reward proactive investments, especially when it comes to essential equipment like printers, copiers, and workflow technology.

How to Prepare for End-of-Year Printing Demands (Without the Stress)

Submitted by Karla Metzler on

Year-end can be a chaotic enough time without worrying whether your printers can keep up. Between financial reports, HR packets, donor letters, student materials, tax documentation, and marketing projects, many organizations see their highest print volumes in the final six to eight weeks of the year. This is when even minor print issues can feel major.

Trust us, as print vendors, we’ve seen the challenges.

But you don’t have to be caught off-guard. With some preparation, you can avoid toner emergencies, surprise expenses, and last-minute equipment breakdowns.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through practical steps to help you stay ahead of your year-end printing surge. This will ensure your team remains productive and your printers continue to operate smoothly.

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