For decision makers responsible for choosing a Managed Print Services (MPS) vendor, perhaps the most critical aspect of this decision lies within objectivity. The level of objectivity associated with assessments provided to vendors and dealers could be questionable, and as a result the trend is for companies to turn to external consultants for their assessment.
By its nature, an MPS deployment is a long-term engagement that may last up to four years, impacting almost every aspect of an organization. Therefore, selecting the right independent print assessment vendor should be your first step.
Regardless of where they turn for these assessments, companies are increasingly looking to MPS as a way to bring hard copy fleets of printers, copiers, MFPs and fax machines under control. This is essential to increase IT staff productivity by moving fleet management and deployment responsibilities to outside vendors, and to obtain significant environmental benefits by rightsizing fleets and optimizing deployment.
Weighing Your Options: What Do You Do After the Assessment?
The savings proposed in any print assessment report or strategic plan are merely a guideline, an indication of what is achievable. The savings your organization can actually attain through the recommendations in a print assessment report is proportional to the extent of change your organization is willing to undergo.
Consider an industry-standard metric of print efficiency: the ratio of staff-to-office equipment. Benchmarking research and assessment of hundreds of thousands of users indicates an industry-best practice of eight workers to one machine. If, for example, your organization is operating at a ratio of 2:1 but desires to be at 8:1, the level of change management will be significant, as would the prospective savings. An incremental approach may suggest a move from 2:1 to 4:1; however, while the change impacts are fewer, so too would be the financial savings generated.
Accordingly, any print optimization assessment must include an internal executive review of your organization’s willingness to proceed. This includes an assessment of the extent of change that is tolerable and the level of financial payback desired. Once your team has affirmed their willingness to act, established their tolerance profile and agreed on ROI targets, then they are ready to determine which deployment approach and strategic advisory partner best fits their needs.