Benefits of a Managed Print Program

A Managed Print program can help you make the most of your existing print environment, while reducing costs and enhancing document workflows. Here are some tips to help you find the right provider for your business.
Benefits of Managed Print Services
A Managed Print program is designed to oversee every aspect of your print environment, freeing up internal resources while optimizing efficiency and workflow with services that include:

In-Depth Print Analysis – Managed Print experts have the necessary tools and systems in place to analyze your print requirements on a daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly basis. With this information, your print program can be custom tailored to suit your exact needs.

Strategic Placement – Time spent waiting in line to copy, print, scan, or fax documents can be better spent growing your business. Managed Print Services can help by placing the right equipment in the right locations to relieve bottlenecks and increase efficiency.

Budgeting – Not knowing how much you spend on printing can make it impossible to budget for the year ahead. A Managed Print program helps to turn an unknown variable into a more stable, predictable, monthly expenditure while increasing your bottom line.

Streamlined Inventory – Personal desktop devices can place a strain on resources and cause vulnerabilities within your print network. Multifunction devices are more economical and energy efficient.

Supply Management – Consumables such as toner are tracked and delivered when you need them to eliminate the need for excessive inventory, prevent unscheduled downtime, and avoid ad-hoc purchasing.

Device Upgrades  – After identifying devices that are inefficient or underperforming, your provider will make recommendations for replacements, to enhance document workflow and reliability.
What Can You Expect From a Managed Print Program?
Maximize your investment by choosing a Managed Print Services provider that offers the following:

Employee training for technology and security practices.
24/7 live support.
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By |February 27th, 2019|blog|

7 Steps for Choosing the Right Managed Print Services Provider

Making the decision to partner with a Managed Print Services (MPS) provider can not only offer significant cost savings, but can also increase productivity in the workplace and reduce the amount of downtime related to printing issues.

To get the most out of your investment in MPS, you’ll want to choose a partner that understands your business and proactively offers solutions to streamline document processes.

Here are several steps to take that will help you choose the best MPS partner for your business:

Begin with analysis. Considering that MPS is certainly not a one-size-fits-all solution, you’ll want to choose a provider that uses analytical tools to give you a fact-based report about what the actual costs of your existing printing environment are.

Consider the MPS provider’s track record. Is the MPS provider experienced in working with businesses such as yours to create an optimized print environment?

Find an MPS provider that offers solutions for both hardcopy and digital workflows. While many business processes still rely heavily on paper, the trend in the future is to move towards optimized digital workflows. The right MPS provider can help your business to transition to more efficient digital workflows.

Ask about integration. Will the MPS provider’s proposed solutions be able to integrate with your existing IT infrastructure? Will you be offered features such as the ability to connect seamlessly to cloud applications and/or the ability to print from mobile devices?

Choose an MPS partner that will grow with your business. When selecting an MPS partner, it’s important that you consider how the relationship will benefit you in the long run. Will the provider be able to meet your needs a year down the road?

Ask about security. Security breaches are on […]

By |May 4th, 2017|blog|

SMBs are Ready to Embrace MPS

Small and medium businesses (SMBs) make up a significant portion of Canada’s economy. Despite having limited budgets and resources, SMBs are expected to produce the same level of service and products as their larger counterparts. This leads to SMBs having to find solutions to help keep costs under control. For many SMBs, using Managed Print Services helps them achieve this goal.
SMB Printing
Printing is a key task for many businesses, with as many as 75% of SMBs stating that print is one of the most-used business tools. Printing is also a tremendous strain on budgets and IT resources, often requiring frequent service, supplies and attention. With so much depending on printing, if a device goes down, it can have serious ramifications for the productivity of the office.

Rather than try to work within these strict limitations and setbacks, more SMBs are turning to Managed Print Services (MPS) for the management of their printers. This frees up money, IT resources, and staff to focus on more important revenue-generating tasks.
Managed Print Services
Whatever services you choose, you can expect to see simplified print management, reduced print costs and increased efficiency. Some common tasks performed by an MPS provider include:

Analysis of your print environment.
Modifications made to print environment to reduce costs and boost productivity.
Automatic supply refills.
Device management and maintenance.
Automated digital workflow solutions.

Through a combination of these services, you can achieve predictable expenses, increased printer uptime, and a decreased waste of resources.
More Services; Greater Satisfaction
More and more SMBs are realizing the benefits of outsourcing print to an MPS provider. Studies have shown that SMBs using basic Managed Print Services have a significant increase in satisfaction in the print environment. These businesses often then expand their services […]

By |January 17th, 2017|blog|

What You Don’t Know About Colour Printing May Surprise You!

When you’re running a small or medium-sized business, you spend an enormous amount of time and energy looking for ways to operate more efficiently and reach your audience more effectively.
What would you say if we told you that there is one thing that can help you to accomplish both of these objectives and more? It’s the use of colour!
Printing in colour can have a positive impact on your business.  Here are a few surprising statistics:

Research indicates that colour printing is an effective way to captivate your audience’s attention as it increases the reader’s attention span and recall by more than 82 percent.
Your audience is also much more likely to choose to read a colour document over black-and-white as readership increases by 80 percent when documents are printed in colour.
Want to get more results with your direct mail marketing efforts? Printing direct mail pieces in colour will make recipients 55 percent more likely to read it.
Colour printing can help make sure an important message is not overlooked as it will help your readers to locate information 70 percent faster.
Printing in colour can also have a profound impact on branding. By printing in colour, you can increase your brand’s recognition by 80 percent.

Printing in colour can greatly benefit both your customers and employees. But why aren’t more businesses doing this?
Many businesses view printing in colour as more of a luxury than a necessity. With the new technology available today, colour printing is more efficient and affordable than ever. And, when you factor in the increased conversions that come from printing in colour and the boost in productivity in the workplace, you may see colour printing as an essential part of your business operations.
When you use the right printing […]

By |April 29th, 2016|blog, Uncategorized|

Gain Insight Into Your Print Environment With An Assessment

A print assessment can give you immediate insight into one of the last unaudited areas of your business, your print environment.  An assessment takes an in-depth look into your organization’s printing behaviours, volumes and costs. This data is then compiled into a report that can help you evaluate your company’s current print environment and identify areas where you can potentially reduce costs, increase productivity and reduce waste.
Once the data is collected and analyzed you’re given a report that contains the following information:

Inventory of All Print Devices – networked and offline
Usage by Device – detailed breakdown of colour and black and white volumes
Actual Print Costs – by cost-per-page, device, and overall
User Activities – can be broken down by department, or by end user
Energy Consumption
Recycling Practices – paper and cartridge disposal

Once you’ve reviewed the data, you’ll be better able to make long and short-term educated decisions on opportunities to cut expenses. Depending on the size and dynamics of your organization your assessment may consist of:

Walk Around –Walk through and inventory of all devices and printing of a configuration sheet at the beginning and end of the day for each device. This will give you a snapshot of your daily usage, which can then be projected out over time.
Software Deployment– A software assessment takes a bit more time and offers a more in-depth look at your actual volume and costs. Companies can often immediately realize a 30% cost reduction at the end the assessment period.
Onsite Professional Services– Larger companies, or companies with multiple locations require a more in-depth process to collect and analyze data. Often the payoff is equal to (or greater than) the scope of the study and can result in significant savings!

The size and […]

By |March 30th, 2016|blog|

The True Cost of Inkjet Printing

Remember that inexpensive inkjet printer your business colleague was raving so much about that you ran right out and bought a few for your office? After all, the low price of entry and decent print quality of inkjet printers make them seem like a natural fit for most offices. You probably thought they were a great investment….until you ran out of ink!
Benefits of Inkjet Technology
Inkjet printers are easy to set up and have a small footprint making them good for personal use. Although their print quality is not quite as high as laser devices, inkjet printers are good enough for many office applications. And because inkjet printers are often not connected to the network, they offer a high level of privacy and security, both important in today’s business environment.
The Downside
The issue with inkjet technology lies with consumables. A recent study uncovered the shocking truth about that “inexpensive” inkjet printer on your desk. It compared the cost-per-ounce of various liquids and found:

Crude 0il costs $.015 per ounce
Milk costs $.02 per ounce
Dom Perignon costs $4.54 per ounce
Human blood costs $10.83 per ounce
Chanel No.5 costs $22.00 per ounce
Liquid ink for a common inkjet printer costs $32.99 or more per ounce!

Let’s put that into perspective; at $32.99 for an inkjet cartridge that produces 500 prints at the manufacturer’s rated yield of 5% page coverage (that’s about a paragraph) your cost per page is around 65 cents. Increase the coverage, add graphics or colour and that can skyrocket the cost per page to over one dollar! If you print that same page in full colour, increase the cost by four times as colour prints require four or more ink cartridges!
So how can you address this major hidden cost issue? A Managed Print Services provider can help. They’ll […]

By |February 20th, 2016|blog|

How to Get Started with Rules-Based Printing

Printing is a commonly overlooked area when it comes to reducing business expenses. Implementing rules-based printing can save a small or medium business up to 30% per year in energy, paper, toner and productivity. This is a significant savings, making printing an important area to evaluate for every business.
Rules-based printing applies restrictions and settings with the goal of using the most efficient printer that will meet print specifications for each job. This ensures that for every print task, the efficient option is being chosen without sacrificing the quality you need.
Some common rules include:

Using the most efficient printer for large jobs
Restricting colour printing to certain employees or departments
Changing default print settings to black and white, double-sided printing

Applying these rules allows each employee to understand the financial impact of their print jobs and participate in cost-cutting measures. With rules-based printing, you will see costs decrease while productivity increases. Here are some tips to get you started:

Evaluate your printers. Take note of each printer and print vendor your business uses. This includes shared printers as well as personal printers. You will want to note the age and manufacturer of each. Using multiple brands or vendors can reduce your negotiating power when it comes to price.
Uncover your true cost of printing. Each print job carries with it a certain expense. Paper, toner and energy are obvious expenses. However, print vendor services, maintenance, downtime and loss of productivity should also be included.
Evaluate current printer rules and usage. Look at your current print processes to determine how accessible your print environment is to those that need access to it. Once you take stock of the situation, you can begin to implement specific print rules that would make sense […]

By |January 18th, 2016|blog|

What Does Your Printing REALLY Cost?

In today’s economy, businesses are always looking for ways to control costs while increasing productivity. One frequently overlooked area is the print environment. Did you know that almost 90% of all North American companies do not know how much they are spending on print? Those costs that are hiding in your print environment could be costing your business thousands of dollars annually!
Here are five areas within your print environment that could be costing you more than you think:

Supplies – Supplies are not really a hidden cost but when mismanaged can drive up your costs.  Be sure to store all supplies securely and keep an inventory to track any unnecessary use of your expensive supplies.
Hardware – It may be tempting to purchase low-cost printers up front, but buyer beware.  These devices usually cost more in the long run, requiring expensive consumables.
Lost Productivity – Improperly placed printers can cause employees to travel outside of their departments to retrieve their documents, or wait in line to get their document from a printer that can’t handle the workload.
Unnecessary Use – Print monitoring and protocols can help to reduce unnecessary printing. Simple solutions like defaulting to double-sided prints can cut you consumables costs in half!
Energy Consumption – Placing an older, inefficient printer in a heavy use area can lead to unnecessarily high energy bills. Energy Star-rated devices are more energy efficient and sport features like energy saving which powers them down when not in use.

If you’d like learn how to your print cut costs, contact us for a free print assessment. We’ll help you uncover what your print environment is actually costing your business!

By |December 18th, 2015|blog|

Considering a Managed Print Approach For Your Business?

With the current state of the economy, more and more small and medium sized businesses are searching for ways to cut and control costs. Many are turning to Managed Print Services (MPS). MPS companies began appearing on the business scene a little over ten years ago.

As business technology has changed, MPS has become about more than just cost saving through managing the print environment, it has grown to include a full range of IT service management. In 2014 companies are looking to MPS not to just save money, but to implement strategies that can help them to achieve real business growth.

If you are considering hiring a professional MPS company for your business, becoming informed is the first step. Research your options in the marketplace. Some MPS companies specialize in smaller businesses, while others work with mid-sized to larger companies. You need to find a provider that will work with your established corporate culture.

Here are five questions to ask when you are interviewing potential vendors that can make your decision easier:

How will you save me money? Pretty simple question, but it should not be a simple answer. Probe for depth. Ask for specifics. Modern MPS needs to manage all aspects of your print environment, including technological choices as well as processes. Your vendor should be able to establish a clear total cost analysis as well as baselines from which to measure actual savings.
What about other vendors I’m already working with? Make sure your candidate is interested in selling you exactly what you need, no matter the source. To achieve the best results they need to be able to work with your existing infrastructure. They need to be able to manage competitive devices so you don’t have to […]

By |November 15th, 2015|blog|