It is time to put the finishing touches on your business’ 2015 budget. Did you know that printing is one of the biggest undocumented expenses in American corporations? Most companies will keep a close eye on the costs for transportation and travel, energy, and broadband usage. These same companies will basically ignore their printing costs. Typically, this is because expenses for service, support, hardware, software, and supplies are hidden among various budgets. Every office, large or small, must have reliable printing in order to function in this increasingly competitive market. Many larger enterprises can afford to have employees dedicated to running their company’s printing operations. A practical and cost-saving option for companies that do not have the extra staff, is to contract a provider to manage their print services. In fact, at least 40 percent of the costs associated with printing can be reduced by outsourcing the management of your service, supplies, and equipment.

Benefits of Managed Print Services (MPS)

 

Improve document security.

Document SecurityPrint management strategies allow employers to incorporate user authentication systems to ensure the security of every printer. This provides organizations with a system that can monitor usage via print job tracking and audit trails by either swiping an ID badge or entering a PIN code. All network users can be authorized from a single location. Documents no longer have to sit in an output tray, thus protecting non-public information and confidential documents. This also decreases the amount of unclaimed printouts. Rules can be set up for usage, such as requiring management approval for printing which prevents data theft. Regardless of your business’ security requirements, an assessment by a managed print services provider can come up with a solution to safeguard your organization’s security needs.

Reduce carbon footprint.

Reduce Your Carbon FootprintManaged print solutions are helping companies reduce the harmful environmental impacts of printing. It takes 60 percent of a tree to make a case of paper. The average employee will print out 10,000 pages per year. This amounts to 1.2 annually, per employee. Not only do managed print solutions cut down on wasteful printing but they also help in reducing the amount of electricity used. Printers and copiers require heat during the print process and are the biggest consumers of electricity in any office. It takes over 1,000 years for a printer cartridge to decompose and it takes 3 quarts of oil to produce. Managed print solutions will work to reduce the output of paper and electricity and ultimately, cut down on the amount of print cartridges needed. Some companies will provide products that have recycled components and will also offer recycling services for your used supplies.

Free up IT resources.

IT Support50 percent of help desk calls are related to printers and copiers. Time is definitely equitable to money. Let’s say your employee earns $50,000 per year, essentially this means that person’s time is worth $24 per hour. Best case scenario, your employee spends approximately two hours per week trying to fix or figure out what is wrong with your printing equipment. This equates to around $1300 wasted annually, per employee. The worst part, is that usually the problem with the printer is mechanical and your IT person has to call in a third party to fix the machine. Most companies have several brands and models of printers, meaning that each one has different modes of operation. Print infrastructure consolidation and management will result in less time spent on administration and support, allowing your valuable IT department to concentrate on more strategic projects.

Effectively manage your accounts and measure your costs.

Measure CostsYou cannot manage what you cannot measure. Managed print solutions can provide your company with a comprehensive assessment which includes the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) for all printing equipment, as well as any expenses associated with outsourced printing. You will finally be able to create a benchmark with which to assess the effectiveness of your current situation and make the necessary improvements. The ability to track all print, copy, scan, fax and email activities will enable you to allocate internal and external expenses. In some instances, printing costs can be passed onto clients as some print management software comes with a “bill back” component which will not only cover your existing costs but become a source of profit.

Boost Productivity.

Boost ProductivityIn a busy office, printer and copier malfunctions, paper outages and toner depletion can account for costly work interruptions. Oftentimes, employees will have to spend countless hours on the phone with a support specialist trying to find the root of the problem. Managed print solution providers can boost productivity by providing the support necessary to eliminate these problems. Productivity is increased by also reducing the time spent managing and storing documents. It is estimated that 20% of the work week is spent looking for or recreating paperwork. Managed print strategies can create automated processes that allow for specific documents to be found in one central location, effectively freeing up your staff to do more important work.

Ready to stop wasting money on printing? Inquire about our manager price services.