Reduce Costs with Managed Print Services
December 4th, 2023 by admin
In today's fast-paced business world, efficiency is key, and one area where companies often overlook potential improvements is printing.
Imagine a seamless, streamlined print environment where your printing infrastructure works in harmony, optimizing resources, reducing costs, and boosting productivity. Sounds too good to be true? Not with Managed Print Services.
No two businesses are alike, and the same holds true for their print environments. From selecting the right devices to implementing security measures that align with your industry's standards, MPS offers it all.
Let's discuss MPS and its benefits in detail:
What Are Managed Print Services?
Businesses utilize Managed Print Services (MPS) to optimize their printing infrastructure and document output. It involves the strategic oversight of a business's entire printing environment.
You outsource the management of a business's print fleet to a third-party provider. This provider takes responsibility for monitoring and maintaining printers, copiers, and other imaging devices, as well as managing the associated processes and workflows. The goal is to streamline printing-related tasks, enhance security, and provide cost savings.
Benefits of Managed Print Services
Monitoring Printers
MPS providers use specialized software to monitor the status and performance of all printing devices in the organization. They help ensure that all the printers are running smoothly.
Proactive Maintenance
Your MPS provider will proactively address issues such as paper jams, low toner levels, or technical malfunctions before they disrupt the workflow.
For example, a meeting is to be scheduled in the conference room that will include all the company's managers and the client the business is trying to land. The administration has been tasked with making copies of the brief so that everyone knows what needs to be discussed. After a couple of copies, the printer stops working. When the user troubleshoots the problem, the MPS provider will receive a notification and will either guide you on how to fix the issue or ask for remote access.
Controlling Costs
MPS analyzes the business's print usage patterns to identify opportunities for cost reduction. This includes understanding who is printing, what is being printed, and when printing occurs.
For example, users can be assigned codes. They can only use the printer if they enter the code. If they print unnecessary documents for personal use, the MPS software will record this.
Many MPS arrangements operate on a cost-per-page model, where organizations pay a fixed fee for each page printed. This helps in budgeting and cost predictability.
Optimizing Workflow
MPS providers assess the existing document workflows within an organization. This includes processes related to document creation, distribution, and storage. For example, Follow-Me printing is a feature that allows users to print to a shared print queue and release the print job at any enabled printer. This enhances document security by preventing unauthorized access to printed documents and reduces unclaimed printouts.
As for storage, cloud-based MPS solutions enable organizations to access documents anytime, anywhere.
Mobile Printing
After the COVID-19 pandemic, remote working has become a norm. In fact, many job seekers look for this job benefit before applying to a company. MPS takes this into consideration and offers a simple solution – mobile printing.
MPS ensures employee devices are compatible with the printing software. Whether it's iOS, Android, or Windows, employees can seamlessly print from their preferred devices.
Reduces Burden on the IT Staff
According to a report by the National Academies Press, 12% of the IT budget is spent on printer maintenance and care. IT professionals don't like dedicating their time to printer-related issues. MPS saves them from these tedious calls and ensures they focus on other important matters with interruptions.
Keys to Choose an MPS Provider
Understand your business's printing needs, including print volume and the types of documents produced. Evaluate your workflow and determine if you need additional services such as document management or mobile printing.
Look for reviews and testimonials about potential MPS providers. Ask for references from businesses with similar needs. Define clear service level agreements. Metrics, such as response and resolution time, should be clearly outlined and agreed upon.
As technology continues to advance at an unprecedented pace, so does the landscape of print management. However, the human factor remains crucial.
Employee productivity and satisfaction are directly influenced by the tools they use, including printing services. The convenience and user-friendly features of MPS contribute to a positive work environment, allowing employees to focus on their core tasks without being hindered by print-related issues.
With a proven track record and a team of experts dedicated to optimizing your print environment, the Lang Company stands out as an industry leader in managed print services.
If you want to learn more about Managed Print Services, contact us today.
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