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Initial Print

August 18th, 2010 |

Author: Baby Nursery Staff

Initial Print

Managed Print Services - Profitability Improvements Guranteed

Over time and through natural growth, most businesses reach a point where the need to address print costs becomes critical. A legacy of any organic growth is the fact that new departments or workgroups are established with their own budgets and priorities. Often this means the acquisition of photocopiers and printers is made without reference to any "bigger picture".

In parallel with this, such organisations can have very diverse print requirements, from everyday correspondence to in-house production of reports, brochures or marketing materials. Often this means the purchase of print devices for with a particular set of tasks in mind, often from different suppliers and with separate maintenance agreements.

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 vital 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 obvious cost of sourcing supplies of paper and toner, but also the 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.

About the Author

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.