There are certain requirements to consider in achieving a successful Managed Print Service. Some vendors simply want to realize the goal of device replacement with their new ones. This doesn’t best suit the needs of their client.

Beneficial discussions for a Managed Print Service should include providing better customer service through improved access to information, enabling the improved quality of the documents and giving the client a competitive edge. This would include effectively incorporating color in documents while being mindful of compliance laws, regulation and overall security. All clients benefit from processes that are streamlined with a right-sized and right-purposed output fleet.

Controlling supply costs and automating meter reporting devices will lesson frustrations down the road. However, that should go hand in hand with provisions for proactive service to reduce or eliminate downtime. Finally, some other important points to discuss are managing the lifecycle of output devices, reducing or eliminating desktop printing, providing cost effective print output based upon rules and permissions, decreasing waste/environmental impact and developing an ongoing review schedule to measure, manage, and improve.

The next step is measurement of hard costs involved in document output. Information gathered now includes meters from the output devices, current practices on toner ordering and stocking, device maintenance specifics (internal or outsourced), purchase order and invoice process, and document output trends within the business.According to Gartner Research, 10% of document costs relate to supplies and service and the other 90% are spent on overhead costs such as IT and helpdesk support, infrastructure, procurement, end user time, and management expense. Next in line is analyzing the data.

Analyzing the data collected requires a high degree of objectivity. Without this objectivity, the document and print assessment will likely be focused on hardware technology, not the business needs of the client. Use the data to determine ways that processes can be improved such as Identifying and retiring legacy or problem prone devices.Finally, continuous monitoring and ongoing measurement is required to ensure that products and processes are meeting the defined benchmarks. The goals of Managed Print Services should be to reduce total costs, reduce the amount of printing, reduce the number of devices, reduce the number of manufacturers and models, and to reduce the number of vendors.