IS MPS WORTH IT? | 4.5 MIN READ
Are managed print services worth it? The answer likely depends on your monthly volume, number of devices, and unique needs. This article will breakdown each of these factors, as well as a few others, to help you decide whether or not managed print services are right for you and your organization.
Not a lot of time? Skip to what you need?
What Are Managed Print Services?
Key Factors to Determine if MPS is Right for You
Are Managed Print Services Worth It?
What Are Managed Print Services?
If you're on this page and asking questions about the worth of MPS, then you probably already know what managed print services are. Still, there are some who think they know what MPS is, but in reality, there aren't very many managed print service providers in the United States.
Just a lot of imposters.
Managed print services are the partial or full management of your printer fleet by a third-party service provider. This can include copiers, but a true MPS provider will be equipped to manage all or a portion of your print devices.
For instance, if a business has Canon copiers and HP printers, and you only want the HP printers serviced by an MPS provider, then an MPS provider should be able to comply (provided the size of your print fleet or volume is something that makes sense to be managed by a third-party).
Most local copier dealers will encourage you to allow them to manage your copiers as well and "refresh" all of your devices by replacing your old devices with newer technology (partially because they may not service the brand you currently use).
Sometimes, this fits an organization's plan, and sometimes it doesn't. There are advantages for getting new equipment; for instance, savings can be found in lower maintenance costs, since new machines are less likely to breakdown.
But if your organization has newer equipment and is just seeking managed service, this option won't feel like a win-win.
But how do you know if managed print services are worth it for your organization? The answer comes down to three main factors.
RELATED: What Are Managed Print Services?
Key Factors to Determine if MPS is Right for Your Business
Not every organization is a good fit for managed print services. Whether or not your organization will see the benefits of MPS depends on a few key factors:
Number of Print Devices
Managed print services are not designed to be cost-effective for a lazy manager in charge of a handful of devices. True MPS is a bit too robust for a small fleet because monthly minimums would make it too expensive for smaller organizations, and if the cost was based on the number of devices being managed, likely wouldn't be worth the service provider's efforts.
A good rule of thumb for determining an appropriate number of devices to need managed print is 50 or more. This doesn't mean that an organization with fewer devices is automatically a poor fit, but other factors would need to be considered in order to determine the overall value.
Volume of Printing
Value can be found in MPS through volume, as well. Companies with high print demand will see increased efficiencies through automatic-toner replenishment programs and predictive maintenance.
Both of the aforementioned benefits can be automated and monitored via software that takes the human element out of the equation, and nothing against people, but we tend to be inefficient with tasks like this.
If you have fewer devices, but your organization prints a consistent and higher volume each month, leveraging managed print services could be a positive step in managing the supplies, maintenance, and overall cost of your print devices.
Locations
Finally, if your business or organization has several locations/branches throughout the United States (or even around the globe), managed print can be very helpful in ensuring maintenance is consistent and headache free.
It's not impossible for local dealers to serve businesses located outside of their immediate geography, but there are advantages in a larger managed print company having their own branches located within a reasonable distance of your other locations.
Are Managed Print Services Worth It?
By now, you probably know what I'm going to say.
It depends.
Managed print services can be very beneficial to organizations and businesses that meet at least one of the factors above, but it's important to speak with a true MPS provider to determine if it's worth your dollars.
Companies like Flex Print are examples of managed print service providers in the sense that they almost exclusively focus on it, are large enough to serve major organizations, and are located throughout the United States to be able to offer consistent and timely support.
Additionally, companies like the one mentioned above have invested in the development of their products to create proprietary advancements in the industry that afford customers the advantage of predictive maintenance and automated supply replenishment.
But you also must consider soft costs that can add up.
An employee who manages your print devices likely does other tasks as well. An MPS provider frees them from managing manual tasks like keeping up with supplies, placing service calls, etc. This creates greater efficiencies within their role, and avoids inefficiency elsewhere in the workplace.
If you are interested in learning about the additional benefits of managed print services, feel free to reach out to Standard Office Systems, today, or checkout the next article below this one.
