Managed Print Services - Print/Copy Output Costs Controlled
Posted: Wednesday, August 18, 2010
by Jimi St. Pierre
Travel Logic Associates
Most businesses reach a point where the need to address print costs becomes mission-critical. This happens over time and through natural growth. A legacy of any organic growth is the fact that new departments or workgroups are created with their own budgets and priorities. Often this means the acquisition of copiers and print devices is made without reference to any "bigger picture".
As a result, such organisations start to identify a high level of wastage and - even worse - realise that they have lost control of their print costs. With such important issues at stake, this is the time to investigate current usage and design a new, controlled environment, in short, to focus on a Managed Print Services solution.
Managed Print Services: A First Step
Instead of focusing on the current print infrastructure and equipment, it is crucial to create a profile on how each department, workgroup or business cost centre uses paper and print. Additionally it is vital to identify the current print cost base - not just the more obvious cost of buying supplies of paper and toner, but also the hidden cost of wasted resources - not least the time spent using slow machines and monopolising IT support to take care of aging print devices.
To create such a profile is a matter of expertise. This expertise is to be found in companies who have themselves evolved from the narrow remit of equipment supply and maintenance support, and have emerged as consultancies based on that experience. Such consultancies often in work partnership with one or several equipment manufacturers. Hence part of the Managed Print Service first step is to identify just such a consulting company.
Managed Print Services - Towards a Controlled Print Environment
Once the initial print usage profile is created and understood, the optimum equipment solution can be specified and sourced, including an overall maintenance agreement. The move from an uncontrolled environment to a controlled, rationalised environment, using complementary, uniform networked print systems becomes the basis of the new document print/output infrastructure.
Managed Print Services - The Bottom Line
Crucially, whatever mix of colour and mono MFD or mono printers is introduced, the decision on ownership becomes a fluid one. Is it wise to tie up capital in outright purchase? Is it wise to sign up to lease agreements which might last longer that the currency of the technology to which they apply?
Increasingly, companies are becoming attracted to the idea of outsourcing the complete control and management of its print systems, using a simple cost per copy pricing model. This pricing model combines the elements of supplies and service into one fixed Cost Per Copy (CPC) price. Taking this route, companies can very easily understand their print cots, and can allocate these costs proportionately to user groups and departments.
Whichever route is taken to finance the Managed Print Services undertaking, there is no avoiding the decision to implement the infrastructure to avoid waste, control costs and increase returns on profitability.
Jimi St. Pierre writes for several Managed Print Services companies in the UK. These include Principal I Ltd, the Horsham-based business solutions provider and Print Audit experts.
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