A lot goes into positioning your business for maximum cost effectiveness, from switching to a voice over internet protocol (VoIP) phone to migrating to the cloud. There’s no shortage of ways to make sure you’re squeezing the most out of every penny. However, there’s one cost cutting opportunity you may have overlooked: your printer. You can improve how efficiently you use your printer with the help of an MPS provider.
Managed Print Services Benefits
What does MPS stand for you ask? It’s short for managed print services, a solution that’s used to manage and optimize a company’s printing tasks. This is a type of service in which support, equipment acquisition, implementation, and more are all handled by your third-party vendor.
Even if printing isn’t a big part of your overall business operations, managed print services benefit everyone. If you’re unsure how such a solution could assist with your operations, here are just a few managed print services benefits you should be aware of:
Service Printing Assessments
An important managed print services benefit is finding ways to help you use your printers more efficiently. This is done through printer assessments where your provider examines your printing systems to identify problems in their processes. The information collected through these assessments helps your provider explain how you’re wasting resources and what you need to do to use your equipment more efficiently.
Print Monitoring
Along with assessments, your vendor can also monitor your equipment remotely. What’s the point of monitoring? If there’s a problem like a paper jam or low toner, your provider is alerted immediately so a fix can be implemented without delay. Monitoring can show your provider which departments are using the most printing resources. With this information, they can provide suggestions on how to optimize usage or recommend a tailored program based on each department.
Reduced Printing Costs
It may not seem like much on the surface, but things like reprinting and replacing toner too soon can add up quickly. Another managed print services benefit is that your vendor can streamline your printing processes to eliminate these inefficiencies. By choosing to work with a managed print provider, you could save as much as 20% to 30% on your printing costs, according to a report from IDC.
Convenience
Annoyed with having to constantly restock on printing supplies? An understated managed print services benefit is automatic restocking. Once again thanks to their monitoring services, your provider can keep track of your printer usage. This information lets them know when you’re running low on resources like paper and toner so they can order more for you and deliver it right when you need it.
Customer Service
The final managed print services benefit is customer service. Printers are complex technology that can end up malfunctioning from time to time. Occasionally, you’re going to run into an issue where your equipment refuses to work properly. If no one in your office has the expertise to fix it, the breakdown could lead to prolonged downtime.
With a managed print services provider, you don’t have to worry about equipment downtime. If there’s a problem, you can contact your vendor’s help desk to get the support you need to rectify the issue. Depending on the provider, this service may even be offered 24/7.
Easy Budgeting
Too often, printing goes unaccounted for, and costs are accrued without being managed. If you’re trying to be more fiscally responsible, you need to take a look at your printing. One of the biggest managed print benefits is knowing how much you plan to spend month to month on printing. A provider can help you with creating a budget by monitoring how you’re using your printer. As a result, you have the clarity you need to know what your average costs are.
MPS Security
Cybersecurity doesn’t just apply to computers and phones. Although it may not hold sensitive information like those devices, your printer is still technology that’s connected to your network. Protecting your printer is just as important as protecting any other piece of technology in your infrastructure because poor print security can open a doorway for hackers and malware to infiltrate your network.
How your printer is installed and its connection to your various devices can determine how productive you are. It can also determine the success of your cybersecurity measures. Having a dedicated managed print provider to handle your device setup ensures the integrity of your entire print infrastructure.
Last but not least, a print services technician can implement and oversee the security features of your print environment. This can include features like data encryption, user authentication, regular patching, and software updates.
More Available Resources
At most companies, it’s the IT department that takes care of printer support. However, there are two problems with that. The first issue is your IT department is busy with other projects, and spreading your resources thin can result in mistakes. The second problem is your IT technicians likely don’t have the training to effectively deal with printer maintenance and repair.
Instead of dedicating those valuable resources to managing your printing infrastructure, a managed print provider can take care of it for you. With managed print services, you know your equipment is in the hands of specialists who know exactly what they’re doing. Relying on managed print services also frees up your IT staff to focus on other important objectives within your company.
Experience These Managed Print Services Benefits With Americom
Since 1990, Americom has been helping clients throughout St. Louis overcome their printing challenges. From system assessments to remote maintenance, we offer all the solutions your business needs to improve its printing operations. Our team is dedicated to helping you save money through our print solutions.
Contact us today to learn more managed print services benefits.
