While managed print services weren’t such a big deal a decade or two ago, they represent one of the staples of modern business nowadays. If you’re wondering whether printing as a concept is still relevant in business, suffice it to say that millions of tons of paper are still being consumed worldwide every year. While paper consumption is showing a downward trend, the figures still sit at about 83 million tons in 2023, according to Statista.
With that in mind, it’s safe to say that business printing will be around for a long time. And with the massive volumes of documents being printed every day, week, and month, modern companies need a way to offload printing jobs to increase productivity. Managed printing services help you do just that.
What Are Managed Print Services and What Do They Do?
In essence, managed print services are provided by a third-party vendor responsible for your document output, managing and optimizing your printing tasks. As a result, the service helps you streamline tasks, ultimately boosting your business efficiency and sustainability.
Managed print services are helpful for companies of all sizes, but they can especially contribute to businesses with several offices. Why? Rather than engaging in the complicated (and often frustrating) organization and coordination of multiple printing stations, the service brings it all together, centralizing your printing efforts.
A managed print service can help you track your printing budget and make your printing environment more cost-efficient. In addition, the service can help with operations like supply orders and invoicing.
The first thing a managed service will do is analyze your current print environment. This means assessing the printing volume, where your hardware is, how much paper goes in and out of your printing center, etc.
After the analysis, the service provider will get to work finding tailored solutions to maximize print efficiency. The MPS can detect whether the right printers are assigned the right print volume and make adjustments accordingly.
The MPS will implement the new solutions once your new printing environment is designed. However, not every project will last the same amount of time. More extensive projects could take several months, while the more straightforward ones could be done in a week or two. In any case, your managed print service will take care of every step, including any necessary training.
However, an MPS’s job doesn’t end there. The service will also continue to look for potential upgrades to your system to improve it further. This aspect of managed print services is what makes them scalable at any level. Since the MPS constantly monitors your print setup, it’ll be able to keep up with how your business grows.
Now that you understand what an MPS does, there’s a crucial question you should be asking: Do you really need a managed print service? The answer will depend on the nature and size of your business. If you’re running a small company that only has a few printers, you might not need an MPS. However, larger organizations that handle massive print volumes will undoubtedly benefit from this service.
But what if your business falls somewhere in the middle? In that case, you should consider a relatively simple factor – whether your current setup can handle your print volume. This also includes the question of coordinating print jobs across multiple locations. If your team struggles to get everything printed in time in addition to regular business operations, getting an MPS would be the best choice.
How MPS Improves Your Business
In a nutshell, an MPS can increase printing efficiency and, by extension, your entire organization. This is possible thanks to various optimization and streamlining techniques that MPS vendors employ. Let’s look at the most significant improvements managed print services can introduce to your company.
One of the most palpable advantages of managed print services is cost reduction. Employing an MPS can make your printing jobs cheaper, especially in the long run. An MPS will detect any inefficient parts of your system and introduce optimization for everything from print volume monitoring to device optimization.
Better productivity is another key aspect of managed print services. Your MPS will know how to implement automated solutions for supply orders, maintenance, and troubleshooting common issues. For your in-house IT team, this will mean less work on menial tasks and a greater focus on other, more critical tasks.
An MPS can also increase the sustainability of your business, which is increasingly important for companies worldwide. Through intensive optimization, your organization can start spending less on paper and energy, as well as producing less waste. Of course, reduced spending is an obvious advantage here, but becoming more environmentally friendly is also a considerable plus.
The next benefit is something that often flies below the radar for many business owners: the cybersecurity aspect of printing. In recent years, printers have become one of the biggest security holes, especially if they’re on a network. Copies of sensitive documents can be stored in the printer’s memory, and the device can serve as a backdoor to your business network. With managed print services, you can rely on a secure printing setup with proper authentication systems and data breach prevention.
Your IT team will also appreciate the reduced pressure as the MPS takes control of the entire infrastructure related to print jobs. After all, your in-house experts have pressing tasks that should take priority over print. Managed print services will ensure precisely that.
Finally, an MPS has the advantage of an expert workforce acting to your benefit. The technicians providing and managing print services know everything necessary to handle even the most complex print infrastructure. They can maintain the entire system, troubleshoot pressing issues, and support your organization every step of the way.
Sort Out Your Printing With Managed Print Services
Every business with extensive printing needs will benefit from managed print services. If the possibility of alleviating the burden of everyday printing sounds enticing, KDI Office Technology is here to help. Let’s have a conversation about how we can help elevate your organization. Send us a message via our online chat to connect.