Why Invest in Managed Print Services?

Organizations strive to reduce expenses and increase efficiency, but one area that is often overlooked is their print environment. According to Small Business Trends, 64% of small businesses can't track printer usage or cost. Managing a fleet of printers can require a significant amount of work, especially since printer management is rarely centralized. And, when multiple departments are involved with managing a fleet of printers, it's challenging to fully understand and keep tabs on critical elements like unforeseen issues, uptime, cost and productivity.

Rather than dedicating internal resources, organizations can consider subcontracting the management of their print environment. When outsourced, external providers can implement Managed Print Services (MPS) to manage and optimize an organization's document output so internal teams can focus on business development. In fact, Gartner states that implementing MPS can help reduce print spend by up to 30%.

If your organization is on the fence about implementing MPS, here are some things to consider.

Lighten the Load for Internal Resources

According to Enterprise Strategy Group, 77% of SMBs stated their IT environments have become more complex. Yet, IT professionals still need to manage the overwhelming amount of helpdesk support tickets to fix printer issues as they arise. An MPS provider oversees the entire print environment to provide more than just a break-fix service, allowing IT teams to focus on critical tasks like network security and strategic initiatives.

Improve Security

Did you know that copiers and printers are often vulnerable to security risks that threaten you and your customers' data? Organizations can experience data loss due to outdated firmware, paperwork left behind at a printer and the lack of visibility into print activity. An MPS provider analyzes assets to find areas of weakness and puts controls in place to increase document security and regulatory compliance.

Control Costs & Optimize Print Environment

MPS can help recover funds by reducing and replacing outdated, over or under used, and redundant office equipment and tracking print activity to alleviate overpaying on excessive print volume. A good MPS program can also look at those devices and make recommendations for optimal placement. An MPS provider monitors the lifecycle of each device to make recommendations on when to schedule maintenance and upgrade or replace a machine to ensure continuous uptime and efficiency. And instead of receiving invoices from multiple vendors, MPS simplifies billing with one invoice from a singular provider.

Automate Supply Replenishment

Gone are the days when toner replenishment lies in the hands of an internal employee or team. A vendor proactively manages all aspects of the print environment, including supplies. When levels are low or reach a certain threshold determined during the initial MPS assessment, shipments of the corresponding toners are sent directly to the organization or appropriate employee to maintain device efficiency.

Overlooking your print environment can be costly and inefficient, hindering your organization in the long run. Whether you are a small business or a large corporation, an MPS provider can serve as an advocate for all your print-related needs and help to keep costs low, maximize equipment uptime and boost workplace productivity and security. To learn more about Sharp's MPS program, click here.