Are Managed Print Services Right for Your Business?
Managed Print Services involves managing hardcopy device fleets (copiers, printers, and faxes) in a unified fashion. This is typically associated with IT outsourcing and involves controlling, optimizing and enhancing a businesses' printing systems. Utilizing an outside group to manage your company's printer services will help your business control costs, increase efficiency and lower energy consumption. Managed printer services fall into three major categories: optimization of the print environment, and the services supplies needed to use the printers, proactive printer repairs and maintenance, and management information and billing.
Optimization of printers, services and supplies-
Managed Printer Services allow for the main elements of your organization's printers to be identified, updated and managed. This allows for the correct settings, configurations and parts to be restored after notifications. The state of business printers is in constant flux. But, a good managed print services provider will develop a strategy to install and move printers between locations while ensuring that all devices are still fully managed and supported throughout the entire printer lifestyle.
Supplies Management-
Managed Print Services suppliers typically guarantee that toner, maintenance kits, and other print supplies arrive in a timely and automated way. By managing the printer system and linking up with the optimization strategy discussed above, the managed print provider synchs up every aspect of your company's printer maintenance strategy.
Proactive Printer Maintenance-
An MPS provider service can use monitoring software to send and receive alerts from a printer notifying a helpdesk team who can perform remote maintenance and support or send an engineer to the site to fix the problem. All of this is done without users needing to even call the helpdesk.
Management Information and Billing-
A managed printer provider can give extensive reporting on the usage of printers, faxes, copiers, scanners, etc. From these reports, recommendations on improving efficiencies in workflow, and configuration are generated. With MPS services, billing can also be consolidated into one bill for all printer services.
There are 3 major benefits to using an outside group to manage your printer services:
1. Efficiency and environmental sustainability.
A good MPS can train your staff to use the services in the most efficient way, and include a contract that is scalable and fits into your business growth plan. Better control over the use and consumption of supplies will also help reduce the environmental impact of your business printing.
2. User satisfaction.
Training, consistency of product and a single supply chain will allow your users to experience much easier use of your printing products.
3. Cost containment and control.
MPS will help you decide your base level printing cost. Research has shown that using managed print services can cut document-related costs by 30 percent or more. Your company will also be assured only authorized spend on printing services will actually occur.
R. Jason Dick is a native of the Seattle, Washington area. Mr. Dick graduated from Washington State University with a double major in English and Communications. He enjoys writing about technology. He's been writing for the Internet since 2003 on topics including food & recipes, new camera technology, and anti-virus security. He is currently working as a marketing specialist for Northwest Computer Support, a one-stop IT services provider serving the Greater Seattle area. He enjoys camping, hiking, travel, writing poetry, and learning.
