Inside Track: Managed print garners value

While some may see print as a utility to be managed, trends indicate that there is business value to be had in full solutions, writes PAUL HEARNS

April 11, 2016

printer cloud computing concept illustration design over white — (Image: Stockfresh)

Print journey

“When rival vendors install colour devices everywhere under a managed services contract, it is a tacit invitation for that organisation’s colour printing to grow unchecked. That is not a well-managed utility”

Jason Quinn, Presales Technical Consultant, Ergo

Ergo Jason Quinn, managed print services general manager, Ergo

For print to be a well-managed utility, the relationship between customer and service provider should be transparent and trusted. Many providers in the market focus purely on lowest-cost-per-page. However, this approach delivers neither good management nor value. When rival vendors install colour devices everywhere under a managed services contract, it is a tacit invitation for that organisation’s colour printing to grow unchecked. That is not a well-managed utility; more like your electricity supplier selling you electricity and telling you to leave all the lights on. We would encourage business owners to check the small print of their existing managed print contract and we guarantee their colour volumes are far higher than originally forecast.

A true managed print service provider works proactively with the customer to help reduce overall print volumes and ensure that the print environment is running efficiently. At Ergo we continually match print usage to your business requirement, and ensure hardware/software is properly configured and always up to date, ensuring the environment is optimised for value and performance. We build appropriate levels of resilience and security into your print and imaging infrastructure, and then take care of it through proactive account management and preventative maintenance.

Ergo believes managed print is the start of a journey not the destination. With a well-managed print environment in place, your organisation is ready for exploring the even bigger benefits of document management and workflow. An often-neglected part of digital transformation, digitising paper-based processes play a key role in business improvement. This can’t happen without having print as a well-managed utility first.

Working better

“If you are looking for a managed print service to deliver value above and beyond managing a fleet of printers it is important to qualify where a potential supplier sits on the spectrum of MPS”

Alan Brown, IBS

IBS, a Xerox company Alan Brown, managing director, IBS

Outsourcing print certainly can deliver value; selecting the right partner can see that value extend beyond managing your print hardware to changing your organisational work practices, helping you work better.My advice to executives tasked with outsourcing the management of print is to invest time in clearly understanding their organisational requirements and identify a supplier that demonstrates a clear understanding of these requirements but that also has a service offering that delivers against your specific needs.

If you are looking for a managed print service (MPS) to deliver value above and beyond managing a fleet of printers it is important to qualify where a potential supplier sits on the spectrum of MPS. This can be done by asking some simple questions.

10 useful questions to ask a prospective MPS provider:
1. Do you have a proven track record in delivering the type of service required?
2. What tools do you currently use to accurately assess current infrastructure?
3. What tools do you use to monitor and manage the proposed solution?
4. How will you integrate with our IT infrastructure?
5. How secure is your solution?
6. How will you support our mobile workforce?
7. Can you manage devices regardless of manufacturer?
8. Can you provide the service globally?
9. Does the provider have a strategic vision to grow with our future needs?
10. Can the provider improve workflow automation or optimise our business process?

Areas to review include incoming documents to the client (not printed by the client); documents created and printed internally to support work processes and customer facing documents. Vendors providing services at the upper end of the MPS Spectrum will work with clients to understand how documents are used in their organisation and identify ways to help them work better.

Redefining infrastructure

“Secure document management processes can ensure that any file can be traceable by assigning an ID to the individual document. This creates an audit trail and minimises the possibility of a file being lost”

Canon Ireland Philip Brady, director head, Canon Ireland

Print is already a well-managed utility in many organisations, but Canon has the potential to add value by helping customers refine their print infrastructure, improving process, which will bring bigger benefits to the bottom line.When it comes to adding value, Canon helps customers deliver and manage print control from the cloud, deliver greater flexibility and control to organisations. We do this by:

• Working very closely with customers to examine their print infrastructure, audit what they are doing and identify gaps or potential waste in their organisation.
• Enabling effective change, ranging from device and supplier rationalisation to addressing wasteful print practices.
• This helps them maximise value, reduce cost and waste, and is done via Canon’s Managed Print Services Essentials.
We also add further value by helping customers with the following:
• Secure document management process: for Public Sector, Health and Legal Sector customers. For example, we help ensure that any file can be traceable by assigning an ID to the individual document. This creates an audit trail and minimises the possibility of a file being lost and if it is sent without authorisation, it will alert key people within the organisation.
• Automation: A lot of organisations seek to automate the mail room to increase responsiveness to customers. Canon digitises the mailroom and accelerates an organisation’s customer responsiveness to and internal decision making process by organising key information from the point of entry, to ensure their offices can run more smoothly and efficiently. The benefits of this digital mailroom range from being more environmentally (and cost) effective.

Inside Track: Managed print garners value

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