Le Creuset cooks up green recipe for success

Le Creuset, the manufacturer of world-famous cast iron pots, has awarded a green IT contract to South Coast digital copiers specialist Canotec.

The Hampshire-based UK arm of the cookware group, which sells its products to more than 60 countries, has tasked Cantoec with reducing paper dependency, waste and the overall cost of document creation and printing.

Under its ‘less-paper office’ solution, Canotec has installed an integrated fleet of multi function devices within Le Creuset’s sales and distribution departments, with the direct aim of reducing the business’s reliance on the need to print paper.

Licensed software, such as eCopy and SafeCom, have been deployed, enabling paper documents to be turned into the digital files and securely scanned, stored and retrieved from the IT network.

David Newman, a director at Canotec, said: “Le Creuset, a global kitchen super brand, recognised how we can strip out the fat in relation to its document management through ‘greener IT’.

“The information flows digitally rather than creating rivers of costly sheets of printing paper that either have to be recycled or physically stored at expense. This is the best recipe for print-related efficiency savings.”

Le Creuset’s Finance Director, Paul Angell, located at the group’s UK headquarters on Walworth Industrial Estate in Andover, said: “I have followed with interest how Canotec has been working with many companies in developing hardware and software support within the document management environment and I am pleased to introduce them into the Le Creuset business as our document management partners.

“Document management strategies are very much about a combination of creating the right mindset amongst company employees regarding hard copy printing as well as having the appropriate equipment to facilitate these strategies. On both counts Canotec have and continue to provide valuable input.

“The implementation of Canotec’s less-paper office solutions will undoubtedly improve productivity through reducing wastage, duplication and inefficiencies.”

According to to Canotec, the overall cost of printing and document creation at companies typically accounts for up to 3% of running costs, with a typical UK office worker getting through 1,584 sheets of paper a month - equivalent to two trees every year.