There’s no one-size-fits-all solution for managed print services (MPS).
This is partly because MPS covers many different service types, from managed fleet services where the focus is on keeping devices running, to managed print services that aid with digital transformation.
To find the best MPS solution for your business, you need to ask yourself a few questions.
What’s your main objective?
What led you to seek an MPS solution?
Do you have a fleet of unreliable, old printers, or are you concerned that your digital transformation efforts aren’t as structured or advanced as they should be?
Equally, you need to think about the outcomes you’d like from an MPS contract.
Here’s some common objectives businesses seek when engaging with MPS:
- Better devices: an old printer fleet can be extremely detrimental to productivity.
- A helping hand with maintenance: maintaining scanning devices and printers is complex and time-consuming when undertaken in-house.
- Print reduction: too much printing increases overheads, reduces team efficiency and widens your carbon footprint.
- Cost reduction: the cost of poorly managed printers can quickly mount in terms of consumables and paper.
- Sustainability: how harmful is your current printing infrastructure on the environment?
- Digital transformation: you know you’re using too much paper, but how do you simplify digitisation?
What level of reporting do you need?
There are typically two levels of reporting required when it comes to MPS.
Let’s assume you need to produce reports for the board each month on print and cost reduction, sustainability and the overall progress of digital transformation. In that case, you’ll need reporting that goes well beyond high level printing statistics.
Conversely, if you simply need to periodically check everything is ok with your fleet and keep an eye on paper usage, those high level stats will do just fine.
Are you looking for change?
If you look ahead five years from now, do you want to see a completely different printing environment and approach to digital documentation?
How significant does the change need to be?
It’s important you define what change means to you. For some, it’ll be the ability for the print environment to grow gently with the business via continual improvement and optimisation.
For others, an MPS contract is designed to make the company look very different several years down the line with a completely radical approach to printing, digitisation and sustainability.
How (and where) do your employees work?
Mobile printing and cloud document storage are important elements of most businesses, but it’s sensible to give thought to exactly how and where your employees work before engaging with an MPS partner.
If you only have a small, ad-hoc remote workforce, the ability to access documents and print remotely will probably suffice, but if you have remote departments and travelling salespeople, your printing and security needs will likely be far greater.
How much help do you need?
Finally, think about how much assistance you need with your printing infrastructure and digital transformation efforts.
The best MPS providers will have the option of project management and ongoing support that essentially turns them into an extended member of your team.
If you know you can’t do this alone, reaching out for extra help from an MPS partner could be one of the best things you do.