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BROTHER
SOLUTIONS
PLAYBOOK

for the Way Work Now Works

Brother is How Work Now Works

It's (past) time for businesses to rethink their approach to document management to meet the challenges of the new work environment. Today mid-sized and large enterprises operate across multiple locations, using both digital and paper document workflows to meet the unique requirements of each workgroup — efficiently, securely, and cost- effectively.

Meet the new needs of how work now works with robust and reliable printers, all-in-ones, and scanners, as well as document management solutions for workgroups any size, anywhere. This Playbook explores how Brother solutions can help meet your changing workgroup needs.

How Work Now Works

The new kind of office demands a new approach to document technology — less bulky, less centralized, and a lot less costly. Brother devices are built to support today's distributed workforce and to streamline both paper-based and digital processes, so companies can stop overpaying for the oversized copiers they no longer need.

Man working at his laptop

Independent workgroups

The traditional office is gone, probably forever, which means oversized, centralized copiers may no longer be needed. Decentralize your office tech and give each workgroup their own robust, reliable Brother printer or enterprise class all-in-one — customizable for each workgroup.

Man holding up his authentication card

Triple Layer Security

Keeping sensitive documents and data secure is always a business priority, but it’s even more critical for distributed workgroups. That’s why Brother devices offer security at three levels: device, document, and network.

Woman working at home

Hybrid working

Maria works from home Tuesday / Friday. HR comes in alternate weeks. Chris in Legal? Depends. Give your workforce the tools they need to work from anywhere. Brother offers document management technology and solutions for workgroups of any size.

Centralization is out — Balanced Deployment is in

To help provide a more comfortable and secure print environment in the future workplace, Brother recommends a Balanced Deployment approach, which means placing the appropriate number and type of devices within close proximity to the people who actually use them. This approach helps to reduce employee interactions by decreasing the number of people sharing the same device.

This solution delivers smaller, more flexible "pods" comprised of a number of Brother printers, all-in-ones, and scanners. Our robust printers and all-in-ones also offer a low total cost of ownership (TCO) with the same functionality as larger, "big iron" devices — but at a fraction of the cost.

Who are the buyers?

Professional business woman

General Manager

Values:

Speed, efficiency, and low cost of ownership

Opportunity:

  • Could potentially use any Brother product, depending on business and department
  • May be open to try a business-grade device if a trusted reseller strongly recommends it
Professional businessman

IT Director

Values:

Speed, no downtime, and intuitive use

Opportunity:

  • Could potentially use any Brother product, depending on business and department
  • May be open to try a business-grade device if a trusted reseller strongly recommends it
Professional business woman

Procurement

Values:

Easy acquisition and preferred purchasing vendor

Opportunity:

  • Could potentially use any Brother product, depending on business and department

Who are the buyers?

Man smiling in front of a rack of servers

IT Manager

Values:

Productivity, reliability, and low / no support needed

Opportunity:

  • Could potentially use any Brother product, depending on business and department
Woman holding a clipboard

Department Manager

Values:

Department productivity and enhanced workflow

Opportunity:

  • Could potentially use any Brother product, depending on business and department
Professional businessman

Finance

Values:

Optimal solution within the budget

Opportunity:

  • Could potentially use any Brother product, depending on business and department

Get to know your buyer's journey

The typical Brother customer’s journey is about finding the right devices, at the right price, for the right job. Customers want to find the right solution quickly and without hassle. Ease of doing business is what helps set Brother apart in the marketplace.

Awareness

Business need triggers receptiveness to the Brother brand.

Research

Customer initiates high-level research to gain further insight.

Customer Thoughts:

  • Where can I find what I need?
  • What is the cost vs. quality?
  • Does this product get the job done?

Consideration

Customer contacts a Brother dealer to validate solution appropriateness.

Customer Thoughts:

  • Does this product work with my network?
  • Does it fit my needs and my budget?
  • What mobile capabilities does it include?

Conversion

Customer purchases and prepares to integrate their chosen solution.

Customer Thoughts:

  • This is a good deal.
  • Does this product plug and play?
  • Is this solution scalable?

Relationship

Customer enters a deeper engagement with Brother as a source of information and support.

Discovering customer needs beyond the device

This essential shift is about taking a consultative approach to understanding a customer’s workflow needs versus only talking about the capabilities of a device. Their specific workflow will drive the device feature set needed and expose needs for software and services that, when combined with Brother hardware, address the customer's entire problem — not just their device capabilities wish list. Consultative selling requires workflow and system knowledge and a good deal of listening. Is your customer looking for audit trails, simplifying processes for users, or better accountability? Understanding customer workflow is key to recommending the right combination of Brother solutions.

Will my Brother devices scale as my needs change?

Brother is committed to providing products and solutions that support the needs of enterprise organizations while solving their business challenges — both now and in the future. We know that companies are looking for devices and solutions that can adapt and scale as their needs do, and our enterprise-class hardware and solutions deliver.

We support a wide range of capabilities that span the connectivity, mobility, and security requirements that companies need — all while helping to reduce costs.

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I have corporate employees working from home

Brother covers:

  • Device Management
  • Document Security
  • Mobile Productivity

Key topics:

  • Ensure employees can operate productively at home
  • Offer similar device capabilities as the equipment in your corporate office
  • Offer advanced connectivity options like wireless networking and mobile device printing and scanning1
  • Print from and scan to popular business cloud services directly from the touchscreen of select devices2
  • Keep home offices organized and save time with Brother label printers
  • Help limit device / document access and protect against network intrusions with Triple Layer Security features
  • Enable remote access to the control panel for troubleshooting or training3
  • One-year exchange limited warranty: if a machine breaks, a replacement device will be shipped directly to the employee's home

1 Requires connection to a wireless network.

2 Requires an Internet connection and an account with desired service.

3 Network access required.

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Sharing devices and the future of work

Brother covers:

  • Hybrid Work Environment
  • Decentralized Printer Configuration
  • Minimized Device Contact

Key topics:

  • Drive business continuity for employees in the new office environment
  • Meet the needs of future work environments, both in-office and remote
  • Improve employee productivity with a Balanced Deployment that places the appropriate number and type of devices within close proximity to the people who actually use them
  • Deliver smaller, more flexible "pods" comprised of Brother printers, all-in-ones, and scanners
  • Limit device access and ensure social distancing through a smaller, decentralized employee-to-device ratio
  • Enable smart features — including print job release via badge, workflow shortcuts, and remote management and configuration
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Visitor Management

Our location needs visitor management

Brother covers:

  • Visitor Badges
  • Indoor Signage
  • Labeling

Key topics:

  • Produce visitor badges with high print speeds using versatile connectivity options
  • Ensure key information (such as valid dates on visitor badges) is highlighted with black / red printing
  • Produce labels for custom signage, envelopes, packages, shelving, and more
  • Create labels the size you need them to be
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Control and Govern Documents

Enable Digital Transformation

Brother covers:

  • Print Management Services
  • Capture Services
  • Output Management Services

Key topics:

  • Kofax ControlSuite integrates best in class document capture, print management, and output management capabilities
  • Gain the security to manage and protect your business document information
  • Increase productivity by ensuring documents get to the right people at the right time
  • Meet compliance regulations with automatically generated audit trails
  • Drive end-to-end process orchestration across the enterprise
  • Enhance your digital transformation with intelligent capture capabilities
  • Improve information management with secure print release, usage tracking, and auditing

Brother offers Kofax ControlSuite on select Brother devices.

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Device Management & Deployments

Expand visibility with additional insights

Brother covers:

  • Device Status and Alerts
  • Device Management
  • Driver Packaging / Automation
  • Batch Machine Deployment

Key topics:

  • Gain insight into a business' printing and scanning fleet using reliable and scalable solutions
  • Manage status change notifications and receive information on events and alerts
  • Maximize uptime with automated deployment and easily configure multiple machines at one time
  • Improve document management efficiencies across the entire business
  • Minimize downtime, while providing a better customer experience overall
  • Simplify fleet administration
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Advanced Security

I am concerned about security

Brother covers:

  • Device Security
  • Document Security
  • Network Security

Key topics:

  • Help eliminate outside threats while supporting the latest protocols
  • Control device sharing with convenient badge authentication
  • Limit device access at the group, individual, and activity level
  • Protect sensitive data sent over networks
  • Enable users to safeguard printed confidential data
  • Keep your devices secure
  • Protect documents in transit to and from print and scan devices
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Brother Workhorse Series

Which printer should I select?

Businesses need durable, reliable, and secure devices that provide exceptional output while being economical to own and easy for a diverse workgroup to use. Brother business products are scalable to meet the needs of your growing business while delivering the professional results you expect.

The Brother Workhorse Series is comprised of robust monochrome and color laser printers and all-in-ones to help meet the needs of how work now works.

To ensure employees can operate productively in a hybrid work environment, remote employees will need access to compact printers that offer similar features and capabilities as the devices in office.

From corporate office to home office, Brother is at your side with a complete portfolio plus the tools and technology to manage your printers wherever they're located.

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More Value

What can Brother devices do besides copy and print?

Brother offers software solutions and services related to print, mobile, security, device management, meter reads, scanning and document workflow, and more. Many solutions are built into the Brother device customers already have, while others can be added as apps or web services. Our message to customers is "Your Brother device can do more to help your business."

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Print Efficiency

How can I maximize printing efficiency?

Brother covers:

  • Print from Cloud Services1
  • Help Protect Printed Information
  • Print Workflow Improvement
  • Mobile Printing2
  • Time Saving Utilities

Key topics:

  • Monitor departmental print costs while maintaining document security
  • Reduce print waste levels
  • Scalable input and output paper handling accessories (optional)
  • Improve productivity across the business

1 Requires an Internet connection and an account with desired service.

2 Requires connection to a wireless network.

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Document Capture

I am looking for fast and easy scanning

Brother covers:

  • Mobile, Compact, and Desktop Scanners
  • Back-end Document Capture Solutions
  • Devices with Networking, Cloud, and File-Sharing Capabilities

Key topics:

  • Intuitive operation, image optimization, fast scan speeds, and exceptional reliability
  • Digitize single and double-sided documents, business and plastic ID cards, receipts, photos, and more
  • Meet specific workflow demands and help ensure document security
  • Easy integration into document management systems, applications, and workflows
  • Expand security with secure documents, safeguarding networks, and restricting device access
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Mobility

I am interested in mobile solutions

Brother covers:

  • Mobile Device Use With Cloud Services1
  • Scan to Mobile2
  • Mobile Printing2
  • Mobile Data Workflows

Key topics:

  • Meet remote workgroup demands with advanced connectivity options — from network solutions to printing while on-the-go
  • Encourage productivity virtually anytime and anywhere with scalable mobile solutions
  • Make it easy for users to connect, print, and share information — quickly, easily, and securely
  • Print and scan wirelessly from smartphones and tablets2
  • Offer users advanced mobile and cloud solutions ideal for the remote workforce

1 Requires an Internet connection and an account with desired service.

2 Requires connection to a wireless network.

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Mobile Support

I want to use my mobile device

Brother covers:

  • AirPrint® from Apple® iOS® devices
  • Mopria from Android devices
  • Brother Mobile Connect app for both Apple
  • iOS and Android

Key topics:

  • Advanced printing from and scanning to a smartphone and tablet1, including cloud services2
  • Wi-Fi Direct® connection between a machine and mobile device
  • without accessing a corporate network

1 Requires connection to a wireless network.

2 Requires an Internet connection and an account with desired service.

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Cloud Services

Can I use my Brother device with cloud-based services?

Brother covers:

  • Google Drive
  • Box
  • Dropbox
  • OneDrive
  • Evernote
  • OneNote

Key topics:

  • Connect directly to popular cloud services without a computer1
  • Scan a document to and print documents directly from the account
  • Scan to PDF, searchable PDF, Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and other popular file formats

1 Requires an Internet connection and an account with desired service.

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Tracking / Reporting

How can I improve tracking and reporting?

Brother covers:

  • Third-party Integrations
  • Device Management
  • Network Configuration
  • Automate Status Reports

Key topics:

  • Expand visibility with additional insight into the print environment
  • Meter reading and cost recovery solutions
  • Extensive data collection with advanced reporting capabilities
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Document Workflow

I need to improve document workflow

Brother covers:

  • Barcode Processes
  • Scanning and File Routing
  • Cloud Storage Integration
  • Workflow Automation
  • Document Management
  • Fax Processing

Key topics:

  • Workflow efficiency can help streamline a wide range of processes across an entire organization
  • Scan and send documents directly from a Brother device to a selected destination with ease
  • Enable secure transmission to help meet document handling regulations and protect sensitive or confidential information
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Third Party Software

Can I use third-party software with my Brother device?

Solutions from Brother integrated partners are represented across every major software category in our portfolio. Get more work done from the Brother Workhorse Series with best in class third-party software solutions. Plus, our solutions team can analyze your needs and specify a solution that's exactly right for you.

  • status monitoring icon Status monitoring
  • cost control icon Cost control
  • charge back icon Charge back
  • secure printing icon Secure printing
  • electronic documents icon Electronic documents
  • workflow automation icon Workflow automation
  • data capture icon Image / data capture
  • plus sign icon And more!
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I am looking to sell into a specific vertical

Buyer goals and challenges can differ for customers in a specific vertical market like Healthcare, Education, Retail, Government, Financial Services, Food Service and Restaurants, and Legal. In each case, Brother can serve as the friendly, approachable experts. We are committed to demonstrating that Brother is a quality, value-driven player that can relate to customers and provide the right solutions.

Discover how our reliable, secure solutions can help your customers in various industries increase productivity, improve profit margins, and reduce costs.

Verticals:

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Healthcare

Healthcare buyers are understandably concerned with security and reliability. They can benefit from smaller, more agile products that support their teams' day-to-day operations without sacrificing patient time.

Brother Healthcare Solutions

  • Cerner Validated Devices
  • Robust Printing in Small Spaces
  • Maintain Compliance and Security
  • Improve Point-of-Care Efficiency
  • Labeling Solutions for Healthcare Facilities

Questions to Consider:

  • What are you doing to help protect patient information?
  • Are your devices supporting electronic health record (EHR) compliance?
  • How are you managing admissions including patient ID wristbands?
  • How are you printing prescriptions?
  • How are you managing specimen labels and tracking lab results and requisitions?
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Education

Education buyers are interested in IT solutions that meet strict technical specifications while helping reduce costs, which allows them to redirect savings toward student programs and other needs.

Brother Education Solutions

  • Visitor Management
  • Office Administration
  • Creating the Always-On, Connected Campus
  • Labeling Solutions for Education

Questions to Consider:

  • What are you doing to help protect student information?
  • Are you enabling students, teachers, and administrators to easily connect, print, and share information?
  • How are you processing student assessments?
  • How are you printing visitor IDs?
  • How are you archiving materials and labeling files and folders?
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Retail

Retail buyers need reliable, small-footprint hardware that can handle secure transactions and allow employees to spend more time helping shoppers — all while navigating challenging margins and staying competitive.

Brother Retail Solutions

  • Robust Printing for Small Spaces
  • PCI Compliance and Elevated Security
  • Print On-Demand
  • Manage a Mobile Workforce
  • Labeling Solutions for Retailers

Questions to Consider:

  • What are you doing to help protect critical customer data and comply with PCI Security Standards Council?
  • How are you facilitating communication between brick-and-mortar stores and corporate?
  • How are you managing inventory and material asset tracking?
  • Are you easily updating point-of-sale displays including shelf edge labels and product tags?
  • How are you managing invoices and cash out history?
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Government

Government buyers often find it easier to renew existing contracts for short-term simplicity. They need long-term reliable technology that can integrate with their existing infrastructure without going over budget.

Brother Government Solutions

  • TAA Compliant Products
  • EPEAT® Rated and ENERGY STAR® Compliant Hardware
  • Manage a Mobile Workforce
  • Barcode Scanning

Questions to Consider:

  • What are you doing to help protect against internal and external security threats?
  • How are you managing data capture of reports, records, and contracts?
  • Do you have a TAA compliant product requirement?
  • How are you managing document capture, print management, and output management?
  • How are you enabling a mobile workforce?
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Financial Services

Financial Services organizations deal with customer data and confidential information every day. Buyers need the ability to protect this data, whether paper-based or digital, in an efficient manner.

Brother Financial Services Solutions

  • Protect Critical Data and Information
  • Meet Security and Compliance Requirements
  • Streamline Document Management
  • Transform Paper to Digital Formats
  • Secure, Manage, and Right-Size Printers

Questions to Consider:

  • What are you doing to help protect customer data and confidential information?
  • How are you enabling data capture of reports, records, contracts, and files?
  • How are you managing document capture, print management, and output management?
  • How are you printing office visitor IDs?
  • How are you archiving materials and labeling files and folders?
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Food Service and Restaurants

Food Service and Restaurant buyers know that having high-quality output and reliable technology performance is key to ensuring customer satisfaction — while improving their bottom line.

Brother Food Service and Restaurants Solutions

  • Print On-Demand
  • Address Safety Concerns
  • Accurate, Real-Time Labeling Solutions
  • Accelerate Workflow

Questions to Consider:

  • What are you doing to help protect customer information?
  • How are you converting paper documents to easily store, organize, retrieve, and share information?
  • How are you providing MRD (made / ready / discard) labels?
  • How are you printing menus, receipts, and food delivery orders?
  • How are you managing bills of lading, pick lists, and inventory reporting?
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Legal

Legal environments are shifting away from paper-based documents and moving toward sharing and storing documents electronically. Legal buyers need solutions that can help them keep up with these demands.

Brother Legal Solutions

  • Streamline Processes and Optimize Workflows
  • Facilitate Digital Transformation
  • Protect Critical Data

Questions to Consider:

  • What are you doing to help protect customer data and confidential information?
  • How are you managing data capture of client correspondence, contracts, and case files?
  • How are you tracking documents to charge back printing costs to particular clients and accounts?
  • How are you printing court dockets, documents, and orders?
  • How are you enabling a mobile workforce?
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Brother Assessment Services

The changing nature of work is driving the transformation of workspaces. The rise of the hybrid office has had a major impact on where, why, and how employees print, scan, and copy, and new technologies are evolving to accommodate these changes.

As a result, there has never been a better time to understand your current print environment and develop a strategy for improvement. Brother Assessment Services can help you reimagine your print and imaging environment for the way you work today. From predictive analytics to full, on-site infrastructure optimization assessments, our consultants will help you develop strategies to increase productivity, lower costs, strengthen security, and help reduce your environmental impact.

Predictive Assessment example
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How to find answers and overcome challenges

Brother makes a variety of tools, programs, online information, and other resources available to its partners. In addition, your Brother team is committed to your success and is available to provide guidance and direction when you’re looking for answers to your customers' challenges.

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Brother Solutions & Services Portfolio

Access the entire portfolio of
Brother solutions and services

Find solutions for a particular
device model or category

Get the details on each solution
and see related content

See which solutions support the
topics in this playbook

Visit the Brother Solutions & Services Portfolio
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Brother Developer Program

Software developer partners develop integrations with Brother hardware and their solutions. Developers can create applications to provide new solution capabilities while improving existing operational workflows and enhancing security.

Get the education, tools, and support needed to build solutions for Brother devices.

More Partner Resources

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Brother at your side

Visit brother-usa.com/business for more information on Brother Business Solutions.

©2024 BROTHER INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
All trademarks and registered trademarks referenced herein are the property of their respective companies. AirPrint is a registered trademark of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Mopria is a registered or unregistered trademark of Mopria Alliance, Inc. in the United States and other countries. Unauthorized use is strictly prohibited. Android and Google Drive are trademarks of Google LLC. Wi-Fi Direct® is a trademark of Wi-Fi Alliance®. ENERGY STAR is a registered trademark owned by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Evernote is a trademark of Evernote Corporation and used under a license. All specifications subject to change without notice.

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