Office printing and document management has come a long way from the days of individual desktop printers and paper piles. Today’s businesses leverage Managed Print Services (MPS) to gain control over printing costs, consolidate infrastructure, and empower mobile workforce productivity. MPS providers assess an organization’s printing needs, optimize their infrastructure accordingly, and take on the responsibilities of supplies, service, and support. This transforms how businesses approach office printing into a managed service model focused on efficiency and cost savings.
Understanding Managed Print Services
At its core, MPS is a comprehensive assessment and optimization of an organization’s entire printing infrastructure, processes, and needs. An approved MPS provider will conduct a detailed audit of all printers, copiers, multifunction devices, and server-based printing. They analyze usage patterns, document flows, and employee behaviors to understand how information is captured and shared throughout the workplace. The goal is to right-size the printing infrastructure to only what is truly needed.
Outdated or underutilized devices are removed and consolidated into a streamlined fleet of multifunction printers or copiers. High volume printers may be installed in centralized locations like print rooms. Mobile and remote printing options allow employees flexibility. The provider also installs server-based printing software for advanced management and security capabilities. With optimization complete, the provider then assumes responsibility as the managed service operator to keep everything running smoothly through an outsourced, per-click or fixed fee contract.
Cost Savings through Optimization and Responsibility Sharing
One of the biggest benefits of the Managed Print Services model is significant cost reduction. By consolidating equipment, unused capabilities are eliminated, lowering capital expenditures. Standardizing on fewer, more capable devices means less supplies are needed as multiple functions are combined. Since the provider purchases supplies in bulk, volume discounts lower supply costs too.
Moreover, operational expenses decrease as the provider absorbs costs of supplies, service, support, and repairs over the life of the contract. No more unexpected repair bills, waiting on toner deliveries, or handling of broken equipment. Dedicated MPS staff and help desk support take the weight off internal IT personnel to focus on strategic priorities. Meanwhile, transparent reporting ensures costs remain predictable. Over time, these cost saving measures through optimization, shared responsibility and economies of scale add up to major savings versus standalone printer management.
Mobile and Remote Print Solutions
For today’s agile workforce, the ability to print from any location is crucial for productivity. MPS providers deploy follow-you solutions so employees can securely release print jobs from a personal device to any compatible printer on or off-site. Drivers route documents based on secure release codes entered at the device. This empowers mobile employees, field staff, remote workers and contingent workers with instant print access anywhere.
Advanced security features prevent unauthorized access. Server-based printing infuses documents with tracking data for detailed reporting on volume, sources and departmental usage. This gives leadership visibility into print behaviors to make data-driven decisions. It also simplifies regulatory compliance for records retention. With unified mobile printing capabilities, the MPS model keeps today’s distributed workforce seamlessly connected to printing resources.
Actionable Analytics and Process Improvements
Another advantage of MPS contracts is the data and insights providers glean from managing the infrastructure directly. Their print management software monitors every transaction and user interaction with high-precision meters. This granular data is compiled into actionable analytics reports. Leadership gains a birds-eye view of document flows, busy versus slow periods, waste, and more.
Bottlenecks and inefficiencies easily stand out. Process improvements like digitizing forms, automating workflows or consolidating servers may then be recommended. Behavioral changes such as duplex printing promotions can be driven from data-substantiated recommendations. Digital mailrooms that streamline incoming mail routing and archiving is another area ripe for optimization. With MPS providers serving as an extension of internal print management capabilities, these actionable insights help organizations continuously refine processes for more efficient information delivery.
Sustainability and Security Benefits
An often overlooked advantage of MPS is the environmental sustainability it fosters. Standardizing on efficient multifunction printers reduces the number of individual desktop units. Fewer devices means lower energy consumption. Providers also implement duplex printing, auto-sleep settings and recycled supply procurement to decrease paper usage and waste. Together these sustainability measures lower carbon footprint and align operations with corporate social responsibility goals.
From a security perspective, data handled by printers presents compliance challenges. MPS contracts require providers secure all devices and information according to stringent regulatory standards like HIPAA. Centralized print infrastructure minimizes data risk from desktop systems. Advanced features encrypt communications, wipe hard drives automatically and authenticate users at the time of print. Incident response is the provider’s responsibility as well. The MPS model responsibly handles document security and compliance issues that must be navigated in today’s threat landscape.
As the nature of work changes, Managed Print Services step up to support the fluid printing, mobility and data needs of modern offices. By transforming standalone printer fleets into centralized, optimized and intelligently managed infrastructures, MPS creates significant cost reductions, process improvements and workforce efficiencies. Actionable data insights, security assurance and sustainability benefits provide even greater long-term organizational value. Overall, the MPS model empowers businesses to take full control over information delivery while alleviating management burdens - a winning combination for any printing strategy.
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What is MPS?MPS or managed print services is the program that helps in managing your printing devices, copiers, faxes etc.
Such services include monitoring of usage, consumables replacement, and meeting the printer needs of an enterprise.Advantages of MPSEnhanced Efficiency LevelYour employees need not focus on printer related issues.
Managed print services look after all these issues.Cost-EffectiveWhen you maintain individual devices, it proves to be quite expensive.
This ensures the timely accomplishment of replacements and repair works.
It helps in the consolidation of your hardware.
When you have a lot of devices, scattered all over your workplace, this will lead to high electricity consumption.
