What are Managed Print Services

Have you ever heard your colleagues say: “I’m so tired of Marketing monopolising the printer to print their brochures” or “I’m in the middle of a big run, can you print some other time” or, worse, “Oh no, I’ve left the payroll report on the copier”?

Fortunately, through managed print services, you can solve all of these issues. But what is Managed Print Services or MPS?

MPS is a third-party service which aims to assess, monitor and manage the printing needs and document management of a company to increase productivity, make document printing more efficient and cost effective. It’s something many companies are now considering but if you’re not sure it’s for you, take a look at the key benefits and what you can expect by partnering with an MPS provider.

The Benefits of using Managed Print Services

Analysing the usage of your printers by examining paper flow, toner usage and an in-depth view of how much departments are spending on print, it’s possible to manage the efficiency of your organisation, whatever size it is, and see where there is room for improvement.

It’s possible to make your print equipment work better for you by placing it in the right environment for it to be used properly. For instance, you don’t want a small desktop printer to be overworked and the toner being replaced constantly when you have a 30ppm MFP machine sitting idle across the room or in an area that only needs printouts occasionally. Your provider will be able to demonstrate the most productive use of your existing equipment and make the changes possible by re-installing the equipment in the right place.

Similarly, your MPS provider will be able to save you money and productivity by advising you on the right machine for the right job. You may have an enormous production machine in your central printing department but is it really necessary and is it cost-effective? You may find that two smaller machines would be better suited in that area to allow for high volumes of one print job to be sent to one printer while the other is able to carry out smaller, quicker tasks so no-one is held up and it may cost half as much to have the two MFPs instead of the one production printer.

Automated delivery of supplies helps to alleviate the most common problem of running out of toner, paper or other important supplies that your printer needs to run smoothly. By carrying out a full audit of your requirements, and by setting up remote diagnostics of your equipment, your provider can see when your machines are running low and make sure toners, paper and other supplies are delivered before you run out.

If you need to ensure your prints and data are kept secure and that waste is reduced as part of your environmental policy then your provider can help to set up machines that have built-in functions, like Follow-Me printing, so that your staff have to use a PIN or card to access their prints. This serves two purposes. Firstly, prints can be stored on the server until the member of staff, who sent the document to print, goes to collect their prints, so it means your sensitive company details are not left on the copier for everyone to see and the machines can be set up to print out anywhere in the building, when accessed securely, so if you need a report for a board meeting on another floor, and you’re running a bit late, the document can be printed nearby, saving even more time and effort. You may also need functions that can scan in, store and archive your documentation so that it’s easy and quick to locate

What can you expect from your MPS provider, during the analysis process?

One of the first actions they will take is to review your existing print equipment to see how active it is, how secure it is and whether it’s serving your needs efficiently and cost-effectively. They will need to make sure that anything concerning your office equipment is fully accounted for, even down to the age of the machines – especially if they are really old, as it may not be possible to get supplies and parts for them any longer and may require many hours of maintenance.

You will be provided with a list of savings that your organisation will make by following a planned strategy.

Once your needs have been reviewed, a plan can be implemented, based on your agreed strategy and budget requirements which may involve combining your existing equipment with some upgraded or replacement models and maybe more security features. If your existing document flow systems are problematic, your provider can also install and manage more suitable software and mobile solutions and work closely with your IT team to ensure your network is more secure and your company’s workflow productivity is enhanced. You may also need staff to be trained on the new systems and your provider will be able to arrange that at times to suit you.

Once installed and working you will receive regular reports showing the health and cost-saving benefits of your equipment. As touched on earlier, in many cases your provider will be able to arrange for your equipment to be linked remotely to their maintenance system allowing them to arrange maintenance calls, supplies and check to see if there are any issues with the equipment, allowing you to get on with your day.

For more information about Managed Print Services, contact us on 01283 735300 or email: hello@wdslimited.com or visit our website: wdslimited.com