Benefits of Managed Print – A Comprehensive Guide for Businesses
In the modern business landscape, efficiency and cost management are crucial to staying competitive. That’s where Managed Print Services (MPS) come in. MPS is a solution where a third-party provider manages a company’s entire printing environment, from devices to supplies, maintenance, and workflow optimization. By adopting MPS, businesses can streamline operations, reduce waste, improve security, and most importantly, save money.
My goal is to explain the key benefits of MPS and how it can help transform your company’s printing operations into a more efficient and cost-effective process.
What Exactly Are Managed Print Services (MPS)?
Managed Print Services involve outsourcing your company's printing needs to a provider who handles all aspects of your print environment. This includes managing your printers, copiers, and other devices, providing maintenance, handling repairs, and managing supplies like toner and paper. But it’s more than just outsourcing maintenance. MPS providers actively work to assess your current print setup, optimize workflows, and help you reduce costs over time.
Here’s how MPS typically works:
Assessment: The provider evaluates your current print infrastructure, looking at device performance, usage patterns, and areas where waste can be reduced.
Optimization: Based on this assessment, they recommend better device placements or upgrades, such as replacing underutilized printers with multifunction printers (MFPs) that can handle scanning, copying, and faxing in addition to printing.
Implementation: The MPS provider installs any new equipment, sets up software for print tracking and monitoring, and automates supply replenishment like toner and paper.
Ongoing Management: The provider monitors print usage, offers regular maintenance, and provides on-demand support for repairs and troubleshooting.
How MPS Reduces Costs
One of the primary reasons businesses turn to MPS is the potential for cost savings. Printing can be a surprisingly large expense, with costs not just coming from paper and ink, but also from energy usage, device downtime, and untracked printing behavior. MPS helps reduce these costs by optimizing your entire print environment.
Cutting Waste: MPS analyzes print usage to find areas of waste. For example, some employees may print unnecessary documents or print in color when it isn’t needed. By setting up rules (like defaulting to double-sided or black-and-white printing), businesses can reduce unnecessary usage.
Optimized Fleet: MPS can also recommend consolidating devices. Instead of having multiple desktop printers scattered throughout the office, MPS might suggest using a few centralized multifunction printers. This reduces the number of devices to maintain and supplies to manage, leading to significant cost savings.
Predictable Expenses: MPS turns unpredictable print costs into a consistent monthly fee, making it easier for businesses to budget. Instead of facing sudden spikes in repair costs or toner purchases, everything is included in the MPS package.
Right-Sizing Your Printer Fleet
One of the first steps in an MPS implementation is performing a print assessment, which analyzes your current print fleet. This involves evaluating the number, location, and type of devices your company uses, and whether they are suited to your needs. Many businesses discover they have too many printers or that devices are underutilized.
Right-sizing the print fleet means reducing the number of unnecessary or inefficient devices while placing the right types of printers in strategic locations. For instance, instead of having a high-cost color printer at every desk, you might centralize a few color printers in areas where color is necessary, while placing efficient black-and-white printers where appropriate.
This strategy not only reduces the total cost of ownership by limiting the number of devices but also improves productivity by ensuring that the right printer is always available for the task.
Automated Toner Replenishment and Supply Management
One of the most frustrating aspects of managing a company’s print environment is running out of supplies like toner or paper at the worst possible time. MPS solves this problem by automating supply management.
MPS providers use software to track the usage of supplies like toner across your devices. When a printer’s toner is running low, the system automatically orders a new one before the old one runs out, ensuring you never face unexpected downtime.
This automated replenishment system also prevents overstocking and waste. Many businesses buy too much toner to ensure they don’t run out, leading to piles of unused (and often expired) toner. With MPS, supplies are managed efficiently and delivered on time.
Improved Security
Printing security is often overlooked, but it’s a critical aspect of managing sensitive information. Without proper controls, confidential documents can be left unattended at printers, exposing businesses to potential breaches. Managed Print Services help secure your print environment through advanced security features.
Secure Printing: MPS can implement “secure print release” functions, where documents are only printed when the user physically authenticates at the printer using a badge, PIN, or mobile device. This ensures that sensitive documents are not left unattended at the printer.
Data Encryption: MPS ensures that all data transmitted to and from printers is encrypted, protecting it from hackers or unauthorized users. This is especially important in industries like healthcare and finance, where data privacy is crucial.
Regulatory Compliance: MPS providers help businesses comply with regulations like HIPAA (for healthcare) or GDPR (for data protection), ensuring that your print operations meet all necessary legal requirements.
Reducing the Load on Your IT Department
Printers and copiers are notorious for causing headaches in IT departments. From paper jams to hardware malfunctions, they often require frequent troubleshooting and maintenance. MPS shifts the responsibility of managing print devices from your internal IT staff to the MPS provider, freeing up your IT team to focus on more strategic projects.
With MPS, the provider takes care of:
Proactive Maintenance: Regular cleaning and servicing of devices to prevent problems before they occur.
On-demand Repairs: Quick response to any issues that arise, minimizing downtime.
Software Updates: Keeping print-related software up to date, ensuring compatibility and security.
This not only reduces downtime but also improves productivity since your IT team can focus on driving business innovation rather than fixing printers.
Sustainability Benefits of MPS
Reducing environmental impact is a growing concern for businesses, and Managed Print Services can play a role in achieving sustainability goals. By optimizing print usage and reducing waste, MPS helps lower the carbon footprint of your print environment.
Lower Paper Usage: With print rules like double-sided printing and reduced margins, businesses can significantly cut down on paper usage.
Energy Savings: Consolidating devices reduces the energy needed to power multiple printers, and newer devices recommended by MPS providers often use less energy than older models.
Toner Recycling: Many MPS providers offer toner recycling programs, reducing the amount of waste that ends up in landfills.
Should You Invest in MPS?
Managed Print Services can transform your business’s print operations into a streamlined, cost-effective, and secure process. Whether you're a small business looking to reduce unnecessary expenses or a larger enterprise aiming for efficiency and sustainability, MPS offers tangible benefits.
By outsourcing your print management to a dedicated provider, you can enjoy predictable expenses, reduced waste, enhanced security, and less stress on your IT department. MPS turns your print environment into a well-oiled machine, so your business can focus on growth and innovation rather than dealing with printer problems.
If you’re ready to optimize your workflows, save money, and secure your print environment, Managed Print Services are a solution worth exploring.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is MPS?
MPS (Managed Print Services) is a service that outsources a company's print management to an external provider. They handle everything from printer maintenance to supply management and cost optimization.
How does MPS save money?
MPS reduces waste, optimizes the use of printers, and ensures that you only pay for what you need, often resulting in up to 50% savings on printing costs.
What security features does MPS offer?
MPS includes secure printing, encryption, and regulatory compliance features to protect sensitive data and ensure that only authorized personnel can access printed documents.
How does MPS help IT departments?
By taking over printer maintenance and troubleshooting, MPS frees up IT staff to focus on more critical business projects.
Does MPS help reduce environmental impact?
Yes, MPS can reduce energy use, paper consumption, and waste, helping businesses lower their carbon footprint and improve sustainability efforts.
