Author: Leah Seymour, Document Solutions/Xerox
July 2010
In the past two years, many executives have been tasked with the responsibility of searching for new areas to streamline operations to maximize profits. One area that often gets overlooked is document output, in particular office printing.
Consider the facts:
A managed print strategy (MPS) can deliver increased control, improved continuity, reduced costs and reduce waste. The definition of a managed print strategy is “a focused approach to understanding, optimizing and controlling costs related to document output.” Part of the strategy typically involves assessing the current output environment, implementing standards to enable management control and outsourcing the management of the fleet to reduce costs. An experienced MPS vendor will be able to support the entire fleet
A strategic approach to managing print can yield many benefits. Following are the main ways an organization can benefit:
Costs
Typically, the most motivating factor in moving towards a MPS strategy is the significant reduction of costs. The first area in which most companies save money is service and supplies. Consolidating all of your supply and service to one vendor can save significant dollars. In many environments, savings of anywhere from 15-25% on the supply and service costs can be realized. The MPS vendor handles all supply ordering and shipping which, in turn, reduces employee time spent ordering the correct supplies and distributing them. For large organizations this can save a lot of time and money while giving back precious time for more important tasks. Consolidating to one vendor brings increased purchasing power which can result in lower costs. Finally, consolidating devices can result is less power usage.
Control
You cannot manage what you cannot measure. MPS should include a real time reporting system that monitors the entire fleet of output devices. This information will enable management to make informed decisions about device deployment. Real-time data on supply levels and service issues allow service providers to respond proactively to ensure uptime; this also means no more running out of toner. MPS can also included controls to provide color access where needed and restrict access where it is not.
Consistency
Most organizations have a wide variety of makes/models of printers. Each printer has unique supplies, operation and training requirements. A common recommendation of MPS is to move to fewer printers and fewer models. For example, instead of twelve different models of printers, a company might choose to standardize on three to four different models. That means that only a few printer cartridges need to be stocked. If a unit goes down, the units are easy to swap out.
Inventory Reduction
Other advantages to this strategy are fewer expensive supplies to stock. In many organizations, there is not a centralized ordering process. Each department will order supplies when they are needed. Many of these cartridges are over $100, but the costs often get buried in the “office supply” budget. Users often order multiple cartridges, not wanting to run out. As a result, supply closets are often stocked with thousands of dollars of unmanaged assets. Many times, supplies are stocked for machines that are no longer in use.
One Vendor for Support Issues
Multiple brands and models of printers create support issues. End users and help desks often need to call multiple support providers to get service. However, with a MPS strategy, your vendor can service all makes and models, therefore saving users and IT administrator’s time and money. One vendor takes care of all supply and service issues.
In conclusion, organizations looking to reduce costs and enhance management controls while realizing the benefits of outsourcing printer management should consider a MPS strategy.
Document Solutions/Xerox is a MPS vendor that provides meaningful cost reduction without capital expenditures. We provide a full range of consulting, management and on-site support services to help you control and reduce document output costs.
Contact Leah Seymour at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 461-0246 x 225.