Johannesburg, 07 May 2013
While the definition of managed print services (MPS) is quite broad, the end result of true MPS is quite simple, but significant: gaining visibility and control of your printing, which helps you save money and boost productivity. Managed print also helps you improve environmental sustainability and document security, says Warren Mande, Bytes Document Solutions Sales Director.
In defining MPS, we need to be clear about what printing is. When we talk about printing, we mean the total cost of managing and optimising your printers, their outputs, and the people and processes that support these devices. This includes:
* Pages produced by office workers, mobile workers and production print operations
* Office desktop printers, multifunction printers, copiers, scanners, fax machines and high-volume printers
* Materials sent out for quick printing, offset printing, mailing and distribution
* IT helpdesk support, technical service, maintenance, and add, move and change requests
* Paper, ink, toner and other supplies and consumables
When we add up the costs of all these printing functions, it accounts for a large portion of a business' annual spending - as much as 15%. Through implementing MPS, businesses can cut costs by as much as 30%.
The common misconception though is that MPS is only about overseeing printers. This could not be further from the truth. The best MPS companies also:
* Conduct a thorough, upfront assessment to analyse your current printing infrastructure
* Monitor, manage and optimise your total print output environment, end-to-end, regardless of printer brand
* Provide a roadmap to reduce the number and types of printing devices and supplies while meeting the needs of your business
* Proactively identify and solve potential printing problems and replenish supplies before employees are affected
* Reduce your environmental footprint through printing on less paper, consuming less energy, generating fewer greenhouse gases and keeping waste out of landfills
* Give telecommuters and mobile workers easy and secure printing access
* Continuously monitor your printing environment and use ongoing process improvements to save you time and money
* Provide network management and information technology (IT) integration, from platform support to cloud-based solutions
* Train your employees for a smooth transition through change management so they are more satisfied and productive
* Have a proven track record in deploying MPS anywhere in the world through a global network of highly skilled experts
* Turn slow, paper-based processes (like routing and approvals) into automated, digital ones
So, as you can see, MPS is geared for delivering continuous improvement and optimisation, and companies are embracing a new norm where printing is no longer merely a business tool.
Share