How is your current MPS program faring?
Are your seeing the results you had hoped for? From competition to business fundamentals, Managed Print Services is the single most important initiative for leveraging your document technology to maximize profits in today’s market. Before embarking on a company-wide change in Managed Print services or machines, consider an important strategy that will save you money and ensure employee’s ease of use. Consulting with a dealership after you’ve gathered important information can prove valuable in expediting your process and profitability. When it comes to analyses, phases can be broken down into 3 important ideas.
1. Qualitative Phase
This will determine user needs by holding group sessions and one on one interviews with your employees.
2. Quantitative Phase
This will measure what features are important to your people and current satisfactions of user needs through surveys.
3. Features Use Phase
This will measure the importance and usage of specific features of the current print, copy, scan and fax as defined by the users.
Many companies find similar needs such as availability (device ready when user walks up), ease of operation (trouble-free, user maintenance free), support (quick access to “how to” information), a product that is appropriate (clean, readable, professional look), time to deliver (getting their needs met in a timely manner), ease of use (no training required for basic operation) and convenience of location. By completing a thorough analysis you can determine what basic needs need to be met and at what level is the current satisfaction, problem resolution time and proximity of devices. Points to remember from a human change perspective are to obtain support from senior leaders first.
It is critical to develop a communication plan and emphasize what is “in it for them”. From a technical change perspective, remember that each operating platform will have different challenges in transitioning printing. It’s important to represent each IT platform on your team. Look for suppliers that provide drivers for aged platform environments (some don’t). Finally, be certain that applications work with new technology. Nothing is more frustrating than the constant start and stop of “improved technology”. Make a smooth transition by consulting with a dealer for the best solution to fit your needs.