Do you know how many pages your office prints and copies in a year? Do you know how much that costs?
If you can’t (or don’t) measure something, you have no control over it. Managed print services will give you that control – at least over printing and copying.
Managed print services (MPS) results in gaining visibility into and control of your printing and copying – helping you save money and increase productivity. It also helps to improve document security and can be an asset to any environmental sustainability (green) initiatives in your company.
Not to mention it’s a growing industry, rapidly becoming a go-to solution for expanding businesses across the nation.
Managed Print Services: A Broad Definition
Managed print services is a program offered by a service provider that manages all aspects of your printing devices and oversight over your business’ document output needs.
Broad, right?
Here’s a better explanation of what managed print services is and its purpose.
How Managed Print Services Works
MPS is meant to be a holistic approach in efficiently managing all your printing devices (printers, fax machines, MFPs, and copiers) by a service partner who matches document output needs with the right office equipment (and placement of that office equipment).
When you partner with a managed print services provider, you’re basically signing up to hand over control and optimization of your print environment to the experts. Your managed services provider (MPS) will go through a process to identify areas of print waste and inefficiency in your current printing practices. Then, they’ll work with you to find solutions that cater to your business – boosting office productivity and cutting costs.
- Assessment. In order to get an understanding of your printing needs, your MPS will analyze your current printing processes and practices.
- Planning. Your MPS will draft and propose a plan to tackle inefficiencies to cut costs, reduce waste, and boost productivity.
- Implementation. With the help of your MPS, you'll implement your new printing plan.
- Optimization. Your MPS will continuously monitor and manage your printing fleet, optimizing it to your needs.
The Purpose of Managed Print Services
Rather than dedicating internal resources to business activities related to printing, outsourcing managed print services allows you to focus on your business.
MPS can save you money, increase office productivity (your IT team no longer will have to waste their time troubleshooting equipment they don’t fully understand), and make your life easier.
Here’s how an MPS plan works:
- Perfect printer placement. Easy accessibility to equipment is critical to the effectiveness of employees – placing printing equipment in easily accessible areas for an appropriate amount of employees helps improve workflow and maximizes device usage. What’s this mean? Less time wasted standing in line to print or copy documents.
- Automated supply delivery. With MPS you eliminate the need for ordering toner cartridges. Your devices are monitored so your toner is shipped automatically when your machines run low, which also eliminates equipment downtime – allowing you (and everyone else) to be more productive.
- Replace inefficient devices. Your MPS partner can help you identify which machines are underperforming and replace them with more efficient devices (staying on budget of course).
- Predictability. By entering into a partnership with a MPS provider, there will be no more surprise maintenance or unpredictable printing costs because you pay a simple monthly fee based on the printing and copying needs identified in the initial assessment. There are overage fees if you print more than your monthly maximum (these overage fees are negotiated upfront – again, no hidden costs).
- Print tracking. Know who prints and how much they print (and copy). Also, with print rules, you can establish parameters for printing black and white versus color, enhancing document security by allowing walk up release of print jobs, and more.
- Regular maintenance. Copiers are complex pieces of machinery and they need regular maintenance as parts wear and need to be replaced. Preventive maintenance will keep your copiers in action for longer between the need for repairs – keeping your office more productive.
- Training. Managed Print Service providers can assist in employee training and provide help desk support for print issues so your IT department can focus on their regular tasks.
- Mobile printing. MPS providers can help establish, maintain and provide troubleshooting support for mobile printing so you can print from anywhere, from any device.
Managed print services can be tailored to your business' needs, whether you’re a small office with limited printing and copying needs to a large company whose offices span multiple buildings.
Still have questions? Let us know – we’re happy to help guide you through the many printing solutions options you have.
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