Printing, when one thinks about it, is an important part of any company’s infrastructure.

Many infrastructure elements of companies have been integrated with technology to make them more efficient, or reduce operating costs. This isn’t true for printing, many companies struggle with high printing costs, or inefficient output. Managed print services can help change this.

Managed print services is a service that’s designed to help businesses streamline their printing operations; reduce operating costs and waste, and increase productivity. It works much the same way as Managed IT services, you have a company work with you to develop a printing solution tailored to meet your needs. This could include consolidating print, scan, copy and fax into one machine, or, upgrading systems to connect to the network to allow for virtual printing.

The benefits of doing this can be far reaching and could include:

• Decreased IT costs. Many office printers and copiers are closed systems that require a qualified technician to fix, or at the very least takes up the time of current IT staff. If you have a managed service, you don’t have to pay for a technician to come fix the machine, and your IT staff can focus on priority tasks, thus reducing costs.
• Decreased material costs. Many managed print services use new technology, that while an investment in the short term, can quickly pay for themselves through increased output, decreased material cost and lower maintenance costs.
• Helps the environment. As managed print service companies use current technology, which itself uses less energy, you’ll find electrical bills to be lower. The technology also uses less ink and can reuse paper, thus reducing harmful waste and helping the environment.
• Increased productivity. By making printing systems more efficient, a company will see an increase in physical output, because they’re not constantly waiting for the printer.

If your company is looking for a new printing solution, you should ask yourself these three questions:

1. Will we see ROI? Many companies will see upwards of a 30% savings in printing costs with an optimized printing solution. It’s important to work with managed printing providers to ensure that you will actually save money with their systems, or at least see a return on your initial investment.
2. Can our technology support growth? Many small businesses are constantly changing and their current solutions may not meet needs in the future. You should analyze your current technology and see if it will be able to support you in the future.
3. How much does printer downtime cost you? If you’re using older technology that’s constantly breaking down, the cost of downtime can be quite high. This is a good indication of the need for managed print services.
4. Do you want to focus on printers? If your business is in need of a printing solution to help operations, and doesn’t focus on printing, or you want to spend less time thinking about printers and more time focusing on tasks, then going with a managed print service is a good choice for you.

If you’re looking to replace your printers, or would like another way to make your business more efficient please contact us, we may have a solution for you.