Modern businesses have shifted from physical documents stored in file cabinets in offices to digital documents stored in the cloud and dispersed teams that are often located in different geographic areas. This has changed the way they operate and manage documents.
Increasingly, businesses are turning to managed print services. Small-business owners, in particular, can use managed print services to cultivate a high-performance work environment, even when their teams are working on different schedules and in different locations.
Managed print service (MPS) providers streamline printing and document management by consolidating hardware, software, and maintenance, allowing you to outsource this service to reduce your costs and increase your efficiency and security. MPS providers handle your copiers, printers, scanners, and other devices related to printing, including maintaining them and making sure you have adequate supplies of paper, ink, toner, and other essentials.
The core components of managed print services include the following.
An MPS provider will work with you to analyze your existing printing system and where it’s falling short. It will assess how many devices you have, what types, your printing volume and workflows, and your costs.
An MPS provider will determine what devices you need, where they should be located, and what purposes they should serve. It may consolidate multiple devices into multifunction printers and get rid of outdated machines. The MPS provider will also handle maintaining your devices to make sure they're in optimal working condition.
Your MPS will handle ordering and tracking your supplies, including consumables such as paper, ink, and toner. You don’t have to worry about running out of paper in the middle of printing a big report. The MPS will handle all of this through remote monitoring, so you can rest assured that you’ll have what you need when you need it.
Your printers are privy to a lot of sensitive and proprietary information. An MPS provider will secure your printers so your data is encrypted and can’t be accessed by bad actors.
In a hybrid or fully remote work environment, managing your print infrastructure can be especially challenging. Since your office is scattered, connectivity and supply management can be an issue. Remote troubleshooting can be particularly difficult, especially if your teams aren’t trained in diagnosing and repairing certain machines.
MPS providers are experts in managing print-related infrastructure and know how to streamline your workflows and expenses. By choosing the right MPS, you can avoid expensive price fluctuations and unpredictable costs. Instead, you’ll have a regular, predictable expense that you can easily budget for.
Environmental concerns are coming to the forefront for businesses of all sizes. MPS providers can help with environmental initiatives such as reducing waste and energy consumption. Digital tracking and efficient device usage will allow you to accomplish more with fewer resources.
For small businesses that switch to managed print services, these are the biggest benefits.
With an MPS, you can focus on your core business functions and outsource your day-to-day print management needs. This means your staff can spend more time doing what they were hired and trained to do and less time worrying about whether a printer has enough ink to finish a job. You’ll also eliminate wasted time and disruptions due to maintenance issues and supply shortages.
An MPS may seem like an extra expense, but it can actually help you save money by eliminating hidden costs, such as excessive toner use, paper waste, and unnecessary machines. Streamlining your devices and processes will also help reduce your costs over time.
As threats continue to increase, cybersecurity is more important than ever. Remote work also increases your vulnerability by providing more attack surfaces for hackers. MPS providers give you secure printing capabilities through stringent user authentication, making it simple to comply with data protection regulations.
An MPS can help you meet your sustainability goals through digital-first and data-based approaches to printing, supply management, and equipment recycling. You’ll be able to reduce your carbon footprint while meeting your printing needs.
An MPS provider can scale with you as your company increases in size. You can also scale back down when you have fewer printing needs. Your MPS can easily adjust as your business changes.
With the business landscape rapidly changing, many leaders don’t understand how managed print services can benefit their companies.
Smaller organizations tend to think they don’t need an MPS because of their size. However, they can still save money, reduce their waste, and increase their efficiency through managed print services.
It’s also easy to think that printing is a simple operation that doesn’t need much more than an off-the-shelf printer to handle it. However, data security is an obligation even for small businesses. Unsecured printing can expose your data and open you up to compliance violations. Even though many business functions have moved to the cloud, physical printing is still important across industries.
Choosing the right MPS provider can make your business more efficient. Standley Systems offers managed print services that will transform your print and imaging technology. We’ll help you save money, streamline your workflows, and support your digital transformation.
Reach out today to find out how we can help you.