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The Benefits of Managed Print Services: Why Use MPS?

When faced with the laborious task of installing and maintaining a fleet of printers, it’s little wonder organisations ask for help. Thankfully, the cost and complexity of printer management can be reduced thanks to Managed Print Services (MPS). But what are they and what exactly can organisations stand to gain from using them?

7 Benefits of Managed Print Services

Managed Print Services are programmes offered by print providers to manage your printing devices, including scanners, faxes, and copiers. They enable organisations to improve their efficiency, productivity, and information security, typically by monitoring usage, replacing consumables and meeting the organisation’s printing needs. MPS offers many of the following benefits to organisations and you can read more about the 7 key benefits of managed print services below:

Save time and improve efficiency
Reduce costs and save money
Improve productivity in your organisation
Reduce capital expenditure and improve cashflow
Reduce your environmental footprint
Be more agile
Improve your information security

Illustrated clock to demonstrate time saving

1. Save time and improve efficiency

The amount of time your employees spend on printer-related tasks can be frustrating. The process of printing, scanning, copying or faxing documents on old hardware or poorly configured software is just the start. There is also the time spent fixing device malfunctions and replacing ink cartridges and toners to consider too. A Managed Print Service should identify such problems and free up staff time to focus on other things.

2. Reduce costs and save money

Maintaining individual devices one at a time is costlier than having an automated, cloud-based system for doing so at scale. Managed Print Services connect devices to one monitoring system to ensure just-in-time delivery of replacement toners and repairs.

A thorough print audit and assessment can identify ways to consolidate your hardware. After all, having too many devices scattered around your organisation will cost more to maintain and use up space and electricity. A print expert will have the ability to calculate the true cost of an ad hoc approach and identify ways to make savings.

Overall, it’s clear that the cost-savings associated with an MPS can be significant compared to DIY printer installation and maintenance. Find out more about the hidden costs of printing.

Arrow demonstrating improvements in productivity

3. Improve productivity in your organisation

The printing needs of various departments within an organisation can vary. After an initial assessment of an organisation’s current and future needs, the MPS provider should be able to recommend a tailored programme for these departments. This might include printing from mobile devices or off-site, for example, or the need to print special types of document sizes and formats which you use regularly.

Table showing benefits of managed print services

4. Reduce capital expenditure and improve cash flow

According to Computing, over half of IT Managers surveyed in 2015 already have pay-per-page for their Managed Print Service (see chart above). Plus, you can enjoy real-time usage dashboards and forecasting tools for your network of devices. This leaves you in a better position to manage your budget.

5. Reduce your environmental footprint

Reducing the amount of paper, electricity and print consumables you use is all part of being a responsible corporate citizen. With a monitoring system in place as part of your MPS package, you should be able to identify and track levels of print usage. That way, you’ll be in a better position to intervene and reduce your environmental footprint. And once you’ve done so, you can show the results of your paper-saving efforts in your Corporate Social Responsibility report.

Research shows business plans for managed print in the next 24 months

6. Be more agile

The most successful organisations look to continuously improve their processes to stay ahead. In the 2015 Computing survey, we saw this in action. Take a look at the sheer number and variety of workplace technology projects IT Managers had planned over the following 24 months in the chart above.

With the right Managed Print Service solutions, you’ll be able to optimise the workflow and add products if needed. Find out more about the benefits of a distributed printing environment.

Icon demonstrating the security benefits of MPS

7. Improve your information security

According to a group of IT Managers surveyed by Computing for Brother UK, 28% are looking to introduce secure printing technology or further enhance their print security. That’s no surprise, given the ever-present risk of intellectual property theft and information security breaches. So how does an MPS help mitigate those threats?

An organisation-wide print assessment which comes with a Managed Print Service can identify print and IP security risks your organisation faces. The subsequent MPS programme should help mitigate those risks with a tailored print security plan. This might include recommending printer sign-in procedures to minimise documents being stolen from output trays. It could involve waste disposal and document management facilities. It could also include installing multifunctional printers with automatic hard drive wiping functionality, and network-level solutions to reduce the risk of information being retrieved by hackers.

And, almost by default, having just one print provider implementing an MPS reduces the number of people from outside your organisation having access to your networked devices. This common security threat cannot be underestimated. Find out more about technology trends in 2025.

Want to see the benefits at a glance?

View 7 Benefits of MPS Infographic

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