Considering managed print services for your business? Learn why this service model can be extremely beneficial, helping you control costs and improve productivity, efficiency, and security.
The global managed print services market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 6.9 percent through 2025. This model is growing in popularity for a reason. With managed print services, you can hand off all the logistical aspects of your printing to a managed service provider (MSP).
This might include, for example:
In short, managed print services can completely remove the burden of printing from your shoulders and ensure your printing needs are being met effectively and efficiently by an expert. Choosing the right managed print services provider is key to reaping all the potential benefits this service has to offer.
You may feel that outsourcing managed services forces you to give up control, but when it comes to managed print services, the opposite is true in many respects—especially when it comes to controlling costs.
Most companies don’t know how much they’re spending to print documents, and in many cases, it’s a higher total than they realize. With managed print services, you pay a set price per copy, which creates a line item you can manage far more effectively in your budget. This price typically varies depending on the volume you’re printing and whether you’re printing in monochrome or color.
Since managed print services can maximize the efficiency of your printing, your total printing costs often end up being lower than they would be if you were handling printing in-house.
The pricing structure also removes all risks that can otherwise affect your printing costs, such as limited product availability or price increases on materials. These price increases have affected many businesses in recent years. Over the course of the first half of 2021, wood pulp prices rose by 25 percent. Combined with escalating fuel and energy costs, this resulted in higher paper costs for consumers. Meanwhile, managed print customers enjoyed locked-in rates per copy.
Very few companies have designated personnel for ordering toner, clearing jams, and handling other print-related tasks, but someone has to do it. This typically means employees are frequently distracted from the work they were hired to do out of necessity to keep the office running.
Outsourcing your ongoing printing needs to a service provider allows your employees to stay focused and never worry about whether it’s time to reorder supplies or figure out how to repair a printer. They can count on everything running seamlessly. And if there’s ever a problem, they don’t need to take time out of their day to address it—they can simply call their MSP who will be there in short order to fix the issue so the disruption is minimal.
Especially as your company grows, you need a managed services partner to manage your printing. Many companies rely heavily on printing in their day-to-day operations, so having someone to oversee and manage this critical function is a smart move.
The benefits we’ve already looked at can help you operate more efficiently, but it doesn’t stop there. Managed print services can also help you ensure your fleet of equipment is rightsized and that you’re using printing efficiently.
When you first partner with an MSP for managed print services, they’ll learn all about how you’re using printing right now, what machines you have, and what your goals are for improvement. Your MSP will determine the ideal setup to maximize your printing efficiency.
This can potentially help you save money, save space, and reduce your environmental impact. If you want to make your operations greener, some MSPs, such as CPI, can also assist with digital document management, so you can reduce your reliance on paper.
Your MSP may also be able to help you improve document security. Printing can leave some data vulnerable, making the right security measures essential.
Maintaining security is especially crucial for companies that print or copy sensitive documents—for example, government agencies and healthcare offices. You need to comply with data protection regulations and uphold your customers’ or patients’ trust by keeping their information secure.
It’s a major bonus if you partner with an MSP, such as CPI, that offers managed information technology (IT) services in addition to managed print services. Managing the IT aspect of your printing will ensure you’re working with the most updated and well-maintained hardware and software for secure printing.
Managed print services can help you save money, improve your productivity and efficiency, and even improve your document security. Ready to take advantage of these benefits from an MSP who can also assist your company with other managed services, including IT and digital document management? Request a quote or a consultation to get started!