So, you might have heard about Managed Print Services, but maybe you’re not sure whether it's a service your business would benefit from. After all, how complex can it be to take care of a few printers and copiers? How about this, instead of asking how hard caring for print equipment is, ask yourself the following questions and uncover the value that a Managed Print Services program can provide to your business.

1. Do You Have Print Technology In Your Office?

Whether you have three devices in your local small-town office or hundreds of printers in 10 offices across the country, Managed Print Services can help you. The benefits of print management can apply to any business, regardless of size and print equipment quantity.

2. Do You Have A Print Strategy?

Most organizations do not take time to define a print strategy. It is time-consuming and typically falls low on the priority list. Still, the costs associated with printing can add up: ranging from 1-10% of an organization’s total revenue. Putting a print strategy in place that effectively monitors and manages your fleet of equipment can provide your organization with cost savings of up to 30%.

If you do have a print strategy in place, not only are you ahead of the curve, you already know the value print management is providing your business. Now the question becomes, are you benefiting as much as you could? At its core, a Managed Print Services program is a print strategy, and experienced providers have mastered print efficiency. They can provide the additional knowledge and expertise to provide the most value.

MPS benefits take shape in many different ways. For instance, your managed print provider can take a burden off of your IT staff’s shoulders, so they can stay focused on initiatives that are more closely tied to your organization's strategic initiatives. Plus, it never hurts to have print experts to help ensure you aren’t missing out on any cost-saving opportunities.

3. Do You Know How Much You Spend On Print Costs?

Most businesses don’t have an accurate understanding of their print costs. Commonly, we find businesses only take into account the cost of equipment, service and supplies.

However, these hard costs are only a portion of what makes up your total print expenses. When determining this number there are several indirect costs that can significantly impact your total expenses. Take into account all components: equipment, supplies, maintenance, employee burden rates and equipment life. These generally add up to a much larger figure than many businesses expect.

Knowing the true total cost of ownership gives you the ability to effectively manage and reduce your print costs. Managed Print Services providers could assist you in identifying these details during a print audit; they then compare these numbers to an optimized print environment. More often than not, an MPS program offers ample cost-saving opportunities that are currently being overlooked.

4. Do You Want To Save Time And Money?

As we’ve already mentioned, implementing a print strategy could save your business up to 30%. Additionally, a print audit likely will uncover unknown print costs and missed opportunities to save even more. Many MPS programs save organizations money because they allow employees to focus on their priorities and leave these print technology responsibilities to experienced professionals, who perform these tasks on a daily basis. These cost-saving benefits are achieved by:

• Consolidating vendors, equipment and contracts
• Improving workflow
• Automating supply replenishment
• Providing support, help desk access and maintenance
• Cutting outsourcing costs
• Eliminating the need for personal printers
• Determining optimized equipment placement
• Tracking and adjusting usage

These questions are positioned to get you thinking about your current print environment and how it is currently being managed. Every business has a unique situation, but we believe Managed Print Services can provide value to most businesses. Request a free print technology assessment to get a more concrete answer to questions like, “What is managed print services and is it right for my business?” Your assessment results will give you your answer.