September 14, 2015
When working with a managed print service provider, there are some steps that will be taken before you see real changes in the print environment within your office. The first step in this process is the initial assessment. This step is not only important for building a proper MPS program for your business, but it also serves as a key measurement for the success of your managed print services now and in the future.
Let’s look at what factors are covered during the initial assessment, and what makes these concepts so important to the overall success of a new MPS program:
A - Establishing Business Goals
Any good MPS program has to start with a review of your organization's business operations and an understanding of your business goals. Your provider cannot implement a successful managed print services program if they don't know what your business is aiming to achieve.
On top of that, be prepared to discuss your top objectives, requirements of your customer base, productivity levels and potential bottlenecks in your current print environment. Discovering this information during the initial assessment allows an MPS provider to design the best program to support optimal print performance and help your company meet its business objectives.
B - Reviewing Your Current Technology
A provider's initial assessment should also include a review of your current equipment and technology. Your provider should look closely at the number and type of devices in your inventory, unique models, the age of each device and the percentage of devices on your network.
If you are like most organizations, you might be surprised to learn just how inefficient your current environment may be. With this step completed, your provider is better prepared to plan a new print environment in your office that operates efficiently, often with fewer devices.
C - Device-to-Employee Ratio
Different organizations have different requirements for their print environment. Some employees require individual devices at their desk, while other offices hope to save on print costs by using multifunction network devices. Calculating the device-to-employee ratio in your office is a great starting point to determining what your print fleet requires.
Many companies we’ve worked with have one device to every three or four employees, which is unnecessary. During the initial assessment, your provider can determine how to move your device-to-employee ratio closer to an optimal 1-to-10. This not only optimizes equipment utilization and functionality, it saves money on supplies and maintenance in the future.
D - Review Service and Supply History
The cost of new devices typically isn't the biggest issue for most organizations, but rather, the cost of maintaining and supplying a fleet of devices in the workplace. When you operate multiple devices from different vendors, the cost of maintaining and supplying devices adds up quickly. The problem comes from the variety in inventory and an unorganized purchasing process.
With various devices from multiple manufacturers, you have to stock a wider variety of supplies and service your equipment on different schedules. An initial assessment can eliminate this concern by streamlining your print fleet, which will simplify maintenance scheduling, inventory management and IT support.
The initial assessment is the critical first step in implementing a new MPS program. In this step, your provider has the opportunity to gain greater insight into your organization, clarify your goals and optimize your print environment. This allows them to design a managed print program specific to your organization that enhances efficient operation, lowers costs and streamlines your support and inventory management. If you are ready to get started now, schedule a free initial assessment with one of our print specialists:
