Businesses that do not consistently follow an efficient print strategy waste time and money on their printing processes.
Seeking help from a specialist-managed print service can help businesses to reduce their printing costs and boost employee productivity.
A managed print service achieves this by identifying problems and inefficiencies with a business’ print processes, helping them to implement changes to improve these processes, and then providing ongoing help and support to ensure consistency and efficiency.
Signs that your business could benefit from a managed print service include:
- Employees print documents just to throw them in the bin later the same day or leave them sitting untouched on their desks for weeks on end.
- Your business’ printing expenses are very high.
- Employees spend a lot of time on printing, scanning, or photocopying tasks or admin.
- Your document and print processes are slow or laborious.
- You do not know how much money or time your business spends on printing.
Implementing an effective print strategy can be particularly complicated for businesses that offer employees flexible working. Since the Covid-19 pandemic, more employees have started working remotely from home or enjoying flexible hybrid working. These new ways of working should all be factored into your business’ print strategy to ensure that your processes remain efficient, even when carried out across multiple different environments.
In this article, we will explain everything you need to know about managed print services, including what they are, how they work, and why they are so important to the success of a business.
What is an MPS?
Specialist companies, like our team here at Docutech Office Solutions, provide businesses with managed print services (MPS) to help them to streamline and optimise their printing processes.
Many businesses find that the costs associated with printing (printer ink, toner, paper, and energy) add a significant sum to their overheads. A print management service helps businesses to improve the efficiency of their business printing processes to minimise wastage and ensure that employees are using print devices efficiently.
As well as the monetary cost of printing, many businesses find that printing tasks, admin, and troubleshooting take up a lot of their employees’ time. An MPS service allows businesses to outsource a lot of print-related problems and time-consuming tasks, freeing up employee time which can then be better spent elsewhere.
A managed print service is a bespoke service that is tailored to a business’s unique requirements. The individual services that make up a managed print service depend entirely on the business type, their existing print processes, and their requirements.
Usually, a holistic approach is taken when it comes to delivering a managed print service. It is not just how print devices are used that is analysed, every step leading up to the use of the printer, scanner, or photocopier is examined too. An MPS analyses the efficiency of the entire process, from the initial input of data or information, all the way through to what is printed and how it is printed.
Managed print services are not one-off services, after a business’ print processes have been reviewed and improvements have been made, the business continues to receive help and support from the MPS with all aspects of its printing process.
How does a managed print service work?
A managed print service always begins with a comprehensive audit of a business’s existing document and printing processes, software, and devices.
During this review, a print management service highlights areas of the print process that are inefficient and identifies improvements that can be made to increase efficiency and help to save the business time and money.
Some key areas that are analysed during a managed print service audit include:
- Printers, scanners, photocopiers, fax machines, and other print devices.
- Outsourced print and mail services.
- Document management software and processes.
- Workflow solutions.
- Remote support services.
- Employee training.
- Toner, ink, and paper replacement services.
- Print device repair and maintenance services.
Once the review is complete, the MPS recommends changes that can be made to improve the efficiency of the business’ print environment and then works with the business to implement these changes.
This could involve implementing a wide range of different services and products, including:
- Updating separate printing devices to an all-in-one printer.
- Automating administrative print tasks.
- Outsourcing print tasks.
- Implementing new workflow solutions.
- Implementing new document management software.
- Carrying out staff training.
A managed print service does not end once a business’ new printing devices and systems are all up and running. An MPS continues to provide ongoing advice and technical support to the business on all aspects of its print process, essentially acting as an extension to the business.
Businesses continue to receive ongoing support with their print operations from their MPS, including the supply of toner, ink, paper, hardware, printer parts, spares, and repairs. Training, remote support for print devices and print and document systems are also usually included with a managed print service. As well as day-to-day maintenance and support, a managed print service also includes ongoing monitoring and management of a business’ print processes and systems to ensure that they continue to operate at optimum performance.
What are the benefits of managed print services?
The two biggest benefits businesses experience after employing efficient print processes are increased employee productivity and reduced costs on overheads.
However, there are plenty more advantages to be gained from using a print management service. Streamlining and optimising your print processes could have a much more far-reaching impact than you imagined.
Key benefits of using a managed print service include:
Save time and increase productivity
The main aim of a managed print service is to improve print processes so that they run more efficiently. There are many ways that this may be achieved, including updating printing devices, streamlining processes, training employees, relocating print devices, and automating print tasks and processes. When print processes are made more efficient it frees up employee time, which can then be spent on higher-value tasks, increasing the productivity of the business’ workforce.
Save money
Streamlining your business’ print processes and training employees in good print practices can significantly reduce your business’ print-related expenses. A managed print service helps your business to introduce mindful print policies and processes that encourage employees to be more conscious about what they are printing and only print out documents when necessary to do so. An MPS would also ensure that your business is using the most cost-effective print devices, upgrading you to an all-in-one printer if appropriate to do so to reduce printer running and maintenance costs.
Reduce your carbon footprint
Improving the efficiency of a business’ print processes can also help to reduce its carbon footprint and protect the environment. A more efficient print environment uses less energy and produces less paper waste, helping your business to start working more sustainably.
Improve security
As well as reducing the costs associated with printing and improving the efficiency of a business’ print processes, a managed print service also looks for ways to enhance a business’ print security to prevent a security breach from occurring. An MPS service will assess the security of your internal data storage as well as your print devices, looking for ways to enhance security and prevent cyber-attacks and data loss. Suggestions that an MPS may make to help a business to enhance its print security include, introducing secure printing technology, improving printer network-level security, implementing printer sign-in procedures, and implementing print waste disposal policies.
Dedicated and ongoing print support and advice
Many businesses find that a huge amount of their employee’s time (particularly within IT departments) is spent rectifying problems with printers. Businesses that use an MPS service receive ongoing help and support from dedicated experts with any print-related issues, maintenance, and administrative tasks. This ensures that any problems are rectified quickly and efficiently, without wasting precious employee time or negatively impacting the workforce’s productivity.
Which businesses need a managed print service?
Businesses from a wide range of different industries benefit from using managed print services.
If you feel that your business’s print-related expenses are very high or have noticed employees spending an excessive amount of time on print-related tasks, then a managed print service could help to save your business time and money.
Other signs that your business could benefit from a print management service include not knowing how much you spend on printing or not having a print strategy or workplace print policies in place.
Of course, some types of business benefit more from an MPS service than others, especially large businesses that print, scan, or photocopy a large volume of documents.
Generally, the types of businesses that get the most value from an MPS are those that are office-based. Some of the businesses that report getting the best value from the managed print service that we provide here at Docutech Office Solutions are those in the following industries:
- Law and legal
- Marketing and advertising
- Accounting and financial services
- Healthcare
- Education
- Automotive
- Hospitality
- Journalism
- Retail
If you’re unsure about whether a managed print service is right for your business, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team to discuss your business’ print requirements and any print problems that you face in more detail. Our team will then be happy to explain a little more about the different ways that a managed print service could improve your business’ print strategy.
Discover managed print services at Docutech
Here at Docutech Office Solutions, our team of experts are trusted UK providers of managed print services for businesses nationwide.
When you choose our managed print service, our team become an extension of your business, providing professional, friendly, and specialist advice and help as and when required by your employees.
At the start of a managed print service, we always carry out a comprehensive audit of a business’s existing document management systems, print devices and processes.
Our managed print service aims to ensure that your business’ print processes are:
- Efficient
- Cost-effective
- Simple and intuitive
- Environmentally friendly
- Secure
- Consistent
- Compliant with the relevant regulations
Our specialist team will transform your business’ print environment with our simple 6-step managed print service.
- Review your existing print processes – First, we assess your existing document management and print processes and identify ways that we can help your business to work more efficiently and save money on printing.
- Design your managed print service – Next, we design your new and efficient print environment, policies, and processes according to your business requirements. Some of the ways we may help your business to print more efficiently include upgrading your print devices, automating print processes and maintenance tasks, outsourcing printing, scanning, and mailing tasks, updating document management and workflow systems, and training employees. We tailor our managed print service to the requirements of each of the businesses that we work with, ensuring that the solution we provide is as unique as your business.
- Support your business in implementing the changes – Our team will then help your business to successfully implement the changes and train employees accordingly.
- Provide ongoing support – Once your managed print service is up and running, we provide ongoing help, advice, and technical support with all your print queries and problems. We will also take care of all your printer maintenance and repairs, including supplying your business with toner, ink, and paper for its printers.
- Monitor and regularly review performance – To ensure that your managed print service is always operating at optimum efficiency, we carry out regular reviews checking the efficiency, cost-effectiveness, compliance, and security of your print processes.
To find out more about the managed print service that we offer here at Docutech Office Solutions, or to receive a free consultation with a member of our team, give our offices a call today on 0844 259 6155.