AN OVERVIEW OF MANAGED PRINT SERVICES
Jean Winslow, Director of Corporate Exchange Systems
Services for Conway Health, led the charge
for her organization’s partnership with Copierkats’s Managed
Print Services program. Due to Conway Health’s
ongoing growth and their need to provide care services
to more and more people, they needed a print program
that could support their growth while helping them do two
things: be more efficient and reduce print costs.
Copierkats’s Managed Print Services helped them redesign
their print environment and reduce their fleet of printers
by 64 devices during the first year of their partnership.
According to Jean Winslow, “We are continuing to save in the neighborhood of $250,000-300,000 a year with
Copierkats’s Services.” Beyond the cost
savings, Copierkats’s has also helped them integrate confidentiality software to protect sensitive information.
MPS DEFINED
MPS, or Managed Print Services, is a program that streamlines printer management, monitors usage and
minimizes costs associated with printing. These costs can add up to between 1-3% of your total revenue;
MPS programs work to minimize these costs by supplying you with the quality technology your business
goals require and monitoring the use of this equipment to see where performance changes can be made.
These programs are offered by experienced print
providers who are experts at managing and monitoring printing technology
.
Many MPS programs save organizations money because they allow employees to focus on their priorities by
leaving printing technology responsibilities to experienced professionals who perform these tasks on a daily
basis. There are many components involved when you enter a Managed Print Services program, and this
eBook will dive into each one individually to give you a comprehensive understanding of how MPS programs
work and how they can save you money.
MPS PHASE 1: INITIAL ASSESSMENT
Each MPS program begins with an assessment
of your current print technology and your desired
business goals. This allows your print provider to
understand your current print costs and what your
organization needs to be successful.
Before you agree to work with a print provider
and enter into a MPS program, an assessment
should be performed to uncover inefficiencies and
identify cost saving opportunities.
Document productivity, distribution and output
are
some of the last un-audited expenses in
an
organization, yet its expenses are 1-3% of the total
revenue of an organization. Through a comprehensive analysis of your print environment, there is a potential
to reduce those costs by up to 30%, while increasing worker productivity. One of the best parts of the
assessment is that it depicts, in the form of an actual dollar amount, the estimated savings your company
could experience.
BUSINESS GOALS REVIEW
Your prospective MPS services provider should take the time to get to know your business so they can most
appropriately connect the right technology solution with your business objectives. You may have to gather
some information in order for your MPS provider to assess and
recommend the best plan for your organization. Your key operator or office manager will be your best source
of assistance in gathering the following information:
• Monthly equipment and supply invoices
• Employee burden rates (Time your employees spend on printer-related tasks.)
• Print outsourcing costs
Additionally, be prepared to answer some questions that will give your MPS provider insight into your current
print environment and indicate what technology is necessary for optimal business performance. These
questions may include:
1. What are your top business objectives that are impacted by your print technology?
2. Do you have any major customer requirements that need print technology?
3. What measurements do you use for productivity management?
4. Are there any bottlenecks in business workflow that need to be addressed?
5. What is your most significant technology challenge?
TECHNOLOGY OVERVIEW
During the initial assessment your MPS provider will inventory your current equipment. This
includes documenting the type of printing devices, the number of devices, unique models, age and if the
device is networked.
The results often surprise many organizations. This is because many organizations lack an overall strategy
for
their print environment and equipment purchases are made as needed, without regard to any long range plan.
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DEVICE TO EMPLOYEE RATIO CALCULATION
Next, the number of employees will be determined to calculate the device to employee ratio. Most organizations
employ one document imaging device per three and a half to four employees. Organizations that utilize a
managed approach can increase the employees per device ratio to the optimal range of 10 to one.
During the technology overview and device to employee assessment your service provider will
note the
placement of your printing equipment. A Managed Print Services program will develop a placement strategy
that optimizes equipment utilization and functionality per your employees’
needs.
SERVICE AND SUPPLIES AUDIT
Among the hidden expenses of your print environment are the costs of purchasing and internal support.
During an initial assessment, your provider will gather these costs, with your assistance, in order to reflect the
most accurate summary of your total print costs.
PURCHASING COSTS
The number of vendors you purchase from can affect your costs. The more vendors you have the more likely
you are to have excessive costs used to process purchase orders and invoices, provide internal user support
and maintain each device individually.
Also, equipment model variety usually adds to your vendor quantity. The more variety you have,the more supplies you will have to stock, plus each will likely have its own service and maintenance policy or contract. This typically increases costs related to IT support, procurement and administration and supplies inventory management, spoilage and obsolescence and more.
Your MPS provider will assess these costs and take them into consideration when proposing changes for improvement.
INTERNAL SUPPORT
IT Support Help Desk and administrative support, such as invoice processing, is a cost associated with
managing your print fleet that is often overlooked and can play an important part in effectively managing your
print environment. The typical burden rate of IT Support Help Desk is $49/hour and Invoice Processing is
$29/hour. Your MPS provider will calculate the number of hours you use these support services to determine
your total monthly internal support cost; this figure will likely decrease with the implementation of your
proposed Managed Print Services program.
Your MPS provider must understand how your business currently handles information in order to make
recommendations for improvement. This thorough assessment sets the stage for successful implementation
of the solution while acting as a tool for measuring and managing your document distribution and output.
From here they can propose a plan that offers cost-saving changes and workflow improvement benefits.
Start your initial assessment now:
THE COMPONENTS OF A MPS PROGRAM
After taking your current print environment and business goals into account during the initial assessment, a
MPS (Managed Print Services) provider can propose a plan designed for your business workflow
. The list
of services and supplies provided in a MPS program are important, and when they are put into action, their
value becomes even more apparent.
WHAT A MPS PROGRAM IS MADE OF
A MPS program is paid monthly, with no initial investment. Your MPS provider will supply any necessary
equipment and manage your fleet, in addition to providing the following recurring supplies and services.
SIMPLIFIED PURCHASING PROCESS
With a Managed Print Services program the
confusion caused by vendor variety and the time
spent paying multiple invoices every month will be
eliminated. You will have one vendor for supplies,
maintenance and other services.
Additionally, your toner usage will be tracked
remotely by your MPS provider, so supply
replacement becomes auto
mated. Your
replacement toner cartridges will arrive at your
office shortly before your existing cartridges
are empty.
USAGE MONITORING
Based on your initial assessment, your MPS program will recommend proper copy/print volume usage and
print load balance to extend the life of your equipment. After implementation your usage will be monitored.
This information will allow your MPS provider to point out cost-saving opportunities as well as make adjust
–
ments to your program.
MAINTENANCE, PARTS REPAIR & EQUIPMENT REPLACEMENT
Eliminate down-time and have all maintenance costs covered through Managed Print Services. Your MPS
program will cover all travel time needed for on-site maintenance and repair as well as all equipment repairs,
parts replacement and equipment replacement needed due to issues caused by normal use.
All maintenance will be performed by a certified technician and comparable equipment will be
used as
replacements if repairs cannot be made cost-effectively.
HELP DESK SUPPORT
A quality MPS program will offer help desk
support, available for your use during normal
business hours. This is an extremely valuable
resource for events that may occur that affect your
printing technology, such as hiring (and training) a
new IT employee, upgrading software or changing
IP addresses.
These services and the support offered through a
MPS program will improve workflow and save your
organization money. The goal of a MPS print provider
is to help you achieve your productivity goals. They will
make recommendations for equipment reconfiguration or
relocation and usage for maximum efficiency. Additional
recommendations may include functions and features for
areas within your organization that would benefit from
multifunction device capabilities.
MPS PROGRAM IN ACTION
A Stn Mountain, GA organization implemented a MPS program that serves as a basic, easy to understand
example. Their initial assessment documented the following:
• 1 Ricoh Mp C4502 on the lower level of their building; this was the only piece of
equipment that could handle media varieties (different paper sizes and weights)
• 1 Ricoh Mp C3002 in their traffic department
• 1 Canon MF84050c on the upper level of their building
All printers were networked, which is good, but the placement of machines wasn’t ideal. Also, their monthly
payments were just over $1000, but they consistently paid overages that brought their monthly costs to
almost $1500. This amount did not include services or supplies for two of their printers.
Their Managed Print Services program provider proposed a plan that brought their monthly cost
down only
slightly, but increased their number of machines for workflow efficiency and increased function capabilities to
those that needed it.
Their new program included four multifunction printers and a flatbed scanner needed in their
creative
department. Based on their MPS provider’s recommendations, the new equipment was relocated and
allocated across departments and levels for increased efficiency. Also, this price included any service and
maintenance they may need throughout their contract period. Entering into a MPS program was an easy
decision after these cost savings and workflow improvements were detailed and compared against their
previous print environment.
Even if you are in a current contract or you don’t think a MPS program will work for your
organi
zation, it doesn’t hurt to have a free assessment done to compare to or to provide options for the future.
You may be surprised at the cost-saving opportunities waiting for you.
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IT’S MORE THAN A SERVICE, IT’S A PARTNERSHIP
Managed Print Services, or MPS, is an
ongoing
partnership between you and your print provider.
A MPS program is specifically designed for your
organization’s printing needs and budget. Because
your printing needs will change as your
organization grows and evolves, your MPS
program should too.
When initially evaluating your printing
needs, you
most likely established goals
you would like to
achieve over time. Common goals companies set
pertain to productivity, workflow, document
management, security and controlling and reducing
costs. One of the most important aspects of goal setting is establishing a process to measure and analyze
progress.
RECURRING BUSINESS REVIEWS
In order to accomplish these objectives, your Managed Print Services provider will conduct
regular business reviews. During the review process you will analyze current performance data and how it
may have changed since your previous business reviews. Your print provider will be able to identify areas
where improvement was made and areas that still need attention.
Here are some of the main components of a recurring business review and examples of how this
information
could help you make improvement adjustments.
SERVICE CALL HISTORY
MPS providers will provide a report of all the service calls made for your organization’
s print fleet. This data
can be assessed to identify any common issues that may be occurring, as well as any major device or user
concerns.
For example, if the Help Desk is getting numerous calls about setting up emails on your print
ers, it may mean
your employees could benefit from additional training or a provided “Cheat Sheet”, enabling them to address
this issue themselves.
Or you may find, due to employee location changes, it may be time to reassess the placement of
your print
technology.
SUPPLY ORDER HISTORY
A history report of your supply purchases will also be provided. This will allow you to compare these costs
against your previous purchase history and budget. If you are like most
organizations, you will most likely realize significant cost-savings at your first recurring business review
.
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DEVICE UTILIZATION REPORT
The device utilization report can be run by device,
user or department; which data is relevant for you
will depend on your initial established goals. This
report will provide user and usage informa
tion by
device:
• Total pages
• Total color and black and white prints
or copies
• Total single or duplexed pages
• Number of scanned or faxed
documents
• Types of media used
• And more…
This information will give you a very comprehensive understanding of your organization’
s current print
performance and could help determine adjustments to equipment placement. For example, you may wish to
move a specific device to be placed more closely to those who use it most frequently
. In addition, you may be
able to assess who is using what equipment most and determine if their usage is relevant to work type; if not,
you can address the issue with supporting data.
DEVICE UTILIZATION EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This report will provide a high level utilization overview of all managed devices.
This general
overview will highlight any major issues or concerns which can help you and your MPS provider define which
issues need attention first. More detailed information can be found in the Device
Utilization Report.
AVERAGE MONTHLY COPY/PRINT VOLUME BY DEVICE
As its name suggests, this report will provide the average monthly copy/print volume for each device on your
Managed Print Services program.
As you track this over time, you will be able to see if any devices are becoming less efficient with
age. At a
certain point, which varies per device, your MPS provider may recommend equipment relocation for aging
devices, to a less active print area in your office. Or, if equipment is too old or unable to keep up with demand in
any location and repairs are no longer cost effective, your
provider will recommend replacement.
MPS AGREEMENT COVERAGE
Finally, you will review your agreement with your MPS provider and address any questions or
adjustments that arose during your recurring business review.
MPS providers can help you save time and money and eliminate print-related frustrations for your organizations.
Talk to an advisor today to see how a MPS program could help
your organization.
CONCLUSION
The average company invests thousands of dollars
on printing, copying, faxing, scanning and
distributing information. Managed Print Services
can help you develop, plan, service and support
your organization’s print strategy.
We believe that our passion, experience and comm
itment to every project are why our custom
ers
count on us for their technology needs.
MANAGED PRINT SERVICES WILL OFFER
YOU:
• Cost saving opportunities
• Complete discovery of all current printing devices
• Management of printing equipment and supply usage
• Monthly usage and support reports
• Equipment replacement when necessary
• Six-month recurring business review
• Help Desk support
• Automatic supply ordering and shipment
To learn more about our Managed Print Services, start by requesting a consultation with one of
our
Copier/Printer specialists.