Managed Print Services (MPS) has come a long way over the past few years. Initially, its sole focus was the supply, management and maintenance of a company’s print fleet, including printers, copiers and multifunction devices (MFDs), with the key goal of reducing a business’s cost-per-page.
But with a shift towards digital-only documentation, the increasing mobility of workers and the inundation of data from artificial intelligence and IoT all transforming the flow of documents through the workplace, the way in which Managed Print Services works has changed and is no longer solely looking at driving down print and print-related operational costs. In order to make a real impact on today’s businesses, the biggest opportunity for cost savings lies in improving the entire document workflow, from capturing to processing to storage.
Let's take a closer look at how Managed Print Services works and why it had to move towards Managed Document Solutions (MDS).
How MPS has evolved towards MDS
The potential for cost savings was limited by the previous scope of MPS, which focused purely on print costs. While this approach could certainly help cut the costs of operational necessities like consumables, energy and support (by, for example, consolidating devices throughout the organisation), it did little to address other aspects of document workflow, such as inefficient or manual processes causing bottlenecks, or lax security intrinsic in paper-based processes.
This is why the traditional way of how Managed Print Services worked has had to evolve towards MDS, which takes a holistic look at the entire document process from end to end, optimising the ways in which documents are captured, processed, secured and archived. It even looks at the environmental impact of the document process. At Kyocera, we have seen this type of holistic approach to reduce output costs by around 30%. Indeed, some companies see even greater results – Greenbank RSL, for example, was able to decrease their invoice processing costs by 50% by implementing many of the same principles as a MPS.
The benefits of MPS evolved to include MDS
We’ve already mentioned the dramatic impact the movement of MPS towards MDS can have on cost savings, but there are many other benefits this can bring to the business.
Greater oversight and control over the entire document environment
Implementation of MPS involves a thorough audit, and this alone is of significant benefit to an organisation, as it highlights all aspects of the document environment – including those of which they may not have been previously aware.
Knowledge of things like bottlenecks or inefficient processes can help an organisation make targeted changes that can have a great effect on overall productivity.
More automation
Today’s MPS make great use of automation to drastically speed up all aspects of document management, such as data capturing, processing and archiving. Relieving employees of these previously manual processes can have a marked effect on productivity, drastically cutting down the time it takes them to perform routine tasks and leaving them free to focus on tasks that contribute more value to the organisation. Greenbank RSL, for example, found that by automating their invoice processes, they were able to reduce the time a single employee spent on invoicing from 25 hours a week to just 4.
Increased security
While many companies now appreciate that unsecured devices, like printers and MFDs, can put them at significant risk of a data breach, safeguarding such devices remains a challenge.
The audit that is performed at the start of MPS implementation includes a thorough look into any vulnerabilities that may exist so that MPS providers can recommend the most appropriate measures in order to secure the print infrastructure and document workflows in the organisation.
Reduced load on the IT department
With technology an essential aspect of business, and many organisations undergoing digital transformation, your IT department is likely under a great deal of strain. MPS doesn’t just relieve the IT department of the stress of managing the organisation’s print operations, but it also puts those print operations in the hands of experts, who understand the devices and the environment in which they operate.
The growing scope of MPS means even more aspects of document management are being taken off the hands of IT, allowing them to focus their resources on more important technology initiatives.
How Managed Print Services works, has moved well beyond simply managing and maintaining print operations – it has come to incorporate just about all aspects of document management, thereby helping organisations to reduce costs, improve efficiency and productivity, increase security and encourage innovation.
Managed Print Services is a flexible and scalable print solution that can meet the changing needs of your organisation in the new era of work. To learn how you can reduce your costs, minimise risk, improve your environmental footprint and gain greater control of your print environment, download our Managed Print Services Fact Sheet.
