- October 23, 2019
Why Should Your Company Choose Managed Print Services?
For organizations of all sizes, there is a steady push to do more with less. Successful companies are continually searching for new efficiencies and cost savings that will impact their business. What they may be surprised to learn is that managing print can be one of the most effective ways to do this. Your print environment can deliver strategic, tangible and sustainable results, and there are numerous reasons why managed print services can help.
Managing Your Print
No organization exists to purchase multifunction printers. This creates a compelling advantage for managed print services providers who don’t actually manufacture them. Instead of focusing on the core competencies of producing and selling hardware, these organizations are investing in ways to help businesses achieve results through innovative solutions, integrated IT initiatives, best-in-class support and by reducing the number of devices the organization relies upon. With a managed print environment, you are not simply purchasing or leasing devices and calling someone for service when you need toner or it breaks down, you are buying:
- Efficiencies that drive productivity and satisfaction for end users
- Significant cost reductions that allow for more impactful investment elsewhere in the organization
- Scalability for growth or change
- Peace of mind in cybersecurity
- Visibility to drive innovation
- Reduction of work required around “the business of print”
- Consistent and timely service
- Environmental sustainability
When addressing print, it can often be difficult to change course or to advance the subject from a “need” into a “priority”. However, we are seeing a lot of organizations in Canada who are going for it; they are studying the results of their peers, wanting the same for themselves, calling out the objectives they want to achieve, and selecting a strong partner with the infrastructure and capabilities that will help them succeed.
None of this is possible when simply buying devices and paying for break/fix services, and that’s the power of working with a proven partner in managed print.
What are Managed Print Services (MPS)?
There are many ways to define managed print services, but fundamentally they are a set of people, processes and tools specifically designed to deliver outcomes from your print environment—and under an all-inclusive and monthly cost per page (CPP) pricing model. For WBM Technologies, client outcomes are generated using the proven methodology depicted below.
A simple example of this work in action can be found at Farm Credit Canada (FCC). FCC initially called WBM when they received a business unit request for an unusually large number of printers. Instead of just placing the order, WBM suggested an easy visit to the department from one of our print specialists and a brief discussion to understand how people were working and what was triggering this request.
It didn’t take long to uncover the root of the problem—numerous people were standing around a single device and searching through piles of paper for their personal print jobs. Their first thought was “we need more printers”; however, instead of buying 5-10 more printers, FCC was able to redeploy two existing devices and fit them with individual mailboxes to completely solve the problem. They were put on a cost per page program to track, manage and predict print expenses, and then the “aha!” moment came—if FCC could do this across the entire organization, they could increase end user satisfaction, create cost savings, and turn their entire fleet into a managed and controlled infrastructure that would continually innovate and maintain an optimized state.
FCC’s Edmonton office enjoyed a savings of $11,000 per year from toner costs alone in switching to a managed print model. What’s amazing is that this number doesn’t even include the additional savings achieved from energy reduction, nor the fact that service, repair, parts, and labour, are now all included in the single cost per page.
A Strategic Approach to Printing
Utilizing this same approach:
- Cameco Corporation has saved over 2.5 million dollars and reduced their carbon footprint by 34%
- Enerplus has optimized and streamlined their print fleet for ease of management and operational efficiencies
- BC Cancer Centre has been liberated from day-to-day tasks to focus on innovation, introducing 3D printed molds to dramatically improve patient care
- …and the list goes on
In short, the outcomes being accomplished are eye-opening, and while the examples here highlight larger business concerns, managed print services (with the right partner) can benefit organizations of all shapes and sizes—from the public and private sector to the enterprise and SMB.
“We have all of the tools and processes that the large enterprises around us have… Our organization is leaner, our end users are happier, and our costs are trending down, not up. This is exactly the type of local partnership that Affinity values.”
The Power of Business Intelligence
Lastly, as IT and print integrate more and more, the lines between them are disappearing:
- Visibility into device and end user usage is fueling data-driven decision making
- Remote monitoring and predictive analytics (where devices effectively order their own toner and service before any user knows they’re required) are helping maximize uptime, streamline service, and extend the life of assets
- Advanced solutions like tap card authentication are protecting organizations from data breach
Advancements in print technologies are making traditional vendors obsolete—it’s no longer good enough to simply wait for a call and “show up”. Proper managed print providers will understand your business, deliver a forward-looking governance program, and have the competencies in place to ensure you are extracting the most value from your print environment. It is low-hanging opportunity that every business should explore.
If you’re ready to start moving your business forward with a Managed Print Services provider, contact WBM Technologies today. We’re consistently recognized as one of the Top Managed Print companies in Canada and we’d love to be your partner in growing your business with technology.
