Although it occurs most often behind closed doors and out of a customer’s line of sight, printing is a big part of business in retail. Take a peek into almost any retail backroom and among the shipping, receiving and inventory you’ll find an active print environment. While the ability to print is a necessary part of retail, all the upkeep and management that comes along with it, isn’t.
Cost Matters
Brick and mortar retail stores compete with online retailers who have significantly different operational and overhead costs. In order to stay competitive, retail chains must keep a close eye on expenses and expenditures.
This becomes increasingly difficult with retail chains operating nationally. One of the heftiest costs brick and mortar retailers face is in personnel costs, which account for 13 percent of all retail business costs. Although expensive, personnel are essential - and not having enough staff leads to additional expenses, such as:
- Increased mistakes
- Employee stress
- High turnover
- Dissatisfied customers
One of the keys to reducing personnel costs is providing each store with the tools and support to function efficiently. One overlooked area for increased efficiency is within the print environment.
National Retail and Print Costs
Many national retail businesses don’t have a clear picture of their overall print costs. In situations where individual stores handle print support, supply and maintenance independently, collecting data can be a big headache.
If you’re without adequate data, print costs are an unknown expense. But print costs don’t need to be a blind spot in your business plan. A managed print services environment can be a great alternative.
Managed Print Services for Retail Businesses
With Managed Print Services (MPS), a national retail business with hundreds of locations can operate within a single print environment. This means corporate can easily understand and control the usage and costs at each and every retail location.
It’s key to having a big picture understanding what’s going on at the store level. Managed print services allow you to better understand the individual workflow of each store along with the associated costs. And with that understanding come the data to make informed decisions.
Increase Employee Efficiency with MPS
Within all areas of industry, profit margins keep getting tighter and tighter. This is especially true within retail. But the benefits of MPS extend beyond cost savings. A managed print environment frees up employees so they can remain focused on the core goals of the business, without worrying about printer problems that arise over time. The solution to understaffing isn’t always increasing hours or hiring additional staff. Oftentimes, the problem is not in the amount of hours. It’s in how those hours are used. Taking a deeper look at how employee time is currently used can uncover inefficiencies like printer supplies and service issues.
