By: Tom Oldfield, President of Advanced Office Solutions (AOS)
Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are the backbone of the Canadian economy—representing the vast majority of businesses in our country. However, the typical SMB usually has to deal with a limited budget and IT resources. As a result, they often struggle to control costs and keep essential technology such as printing equipment running smoothly.
This is where Managed Print Services (MPS) can offer tremendous opportunity to SMBs. A partnership with an MPS provider can allow SMBs to gain control of printing costs and tackle the huge productivity drain that can come from an un-managed print environment.

At the beginning of the partnership, a MPS provider will conduct a print assessment to determine existing printing volumes, behaviours and costs. This fact-based report will typically identify areas for improvement, offering opportunities that can reduce costs by as much as 30 percent. Just imagine what your business could do with these funds.
The information gained during the print assessment will help an MPS provider design the optimal print environment for your office, with the intentions of reducing costs, streamlining workflows and increasing productivity.
Considering that printer downtime can have a significant impact on productivity and office morale, an MPS provider uses software to detect potential issues with printing equipment and proactively addresses these issues before they interrupt workflows. Also, by managing the purchase of printing supplies such as toner, SMBs can realize cost savings and eliminate the waste that comes from employees over-ordering supplies or purchasing incorrect supplies.
Another key way that Managed Print Services can benefit SMBs is with the transition to a paperless workplace. While we hear so much about businesses going paperless, approximately 75 percent of SMBs still rely heavily on paper in their business processes. MPS can help businesses to create secure and traceable digital workflows that aid in efficiency and productivity.
An MPS provider can also help SMBs meet their sustainability goals by recommending the use of energy efficient printing equipment, significantly reducing the amount of paper used in the workplace, and implementing a recycling program for used toner cartridges.
I’ve really only scratched the surface. There are many benefits an MPS provider can offer to SMBs in regards to cost savings, productivity, efficiency and sustainability. Reach out to your local Xerox sales agent and learn how MPS can give your business a competitive edge.
This article originally appeared on the AOS Group blog.

Source:: xerox news