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There are many services out there that claim to be beneficial for your business. However, each and every business is different, and what may be helpful to one company may not be as beneficial to another. This is why it is so critical that you put in the time to research the different types of business services that are out there. This allows you to see what services are available and which may be the best fit to improve efficiency and productivity within your business. One of the services that can benefit a wide array of companies is Managed Print Services. If your business has a printer, fax machine, copier, or a fleet of imaging devices and you use these machines on a regular basis, Managed Print Services may help you. Read on to learn more about this service, what it is, and how it can improve your business.

Managed Print Services: An Introduction

In order to decide if Managed Print Services is a good fit for your business, you must first understand what it is and how this type of service can benefit your company, regardless of industry, size, or budget. Take a minute to think about the printers in your office and all of the expenses associated with their upkeep. Printers, copiers, and fax machines all use paper, and they all use ink or toner. On top of that, your IT professional may spend time teaching employees how to change their print settings or fixing a printer that is not operating correctly. You then spend money when it is time to replace a printer, or if a new printer comes out that you think would benefit your business, you purchase it. All in all, you may spend a lot of money on your printing needs, but you may not be tracking how much you spend.

With Managed Print Services, your provider will assess your company’s printing habits and needs, as well as your budget, and put together a plan that makes sense for you. This plan typically looks at utilizing your existing printers and office equipment to determine if it is cost-effective and meets your workflow demands. Your provider also will help you track and determine how much you are spending on your imaging fleet, including total outputs per machine, the cost of your current printer leases, ink/toner, and paper. You can then see if you are overspending and work to cut down on that waste by implementing appropriate printing rules to curb unruly usage. Finally, Managed Print Services oversees the maintenance and replacement of your printers and similar office equipment. This helps you to budget how much is spent on your office printing needs appropriately.

How Will It Impact Your Business?

Now that you know what Managed Print Services is, you may next find yourself wondering how implementing it will impact your business. One of the most significant changes you will see when working with a Managed Print Services provider is supporting device set-up and training employees to use that device. Your IT professional probably spends a lot of time setting up printers and helping employees change their printer settings as needed. Your Managed Print Services will handle all of that for you and put together a training course to help employees learn to manage print options and settings independently. This works to free up your IT professionals’ time.

Another way that Managed Print Services will impact your business is by putting together a long-term print strategy. A professional can help you determine when maintenance is needed or when your printers should be replaced. Properly caring for equipment helps to prevent downtime and minimizes disruptions to your office. Additionally, as part of the print strategy, a professional can help you determine how frequently you should be ordering things like ink and toner, allowing you to better track your printing expenses. As mentioned above, your provider can also help you determine and implement appropriate printing rules, like defaulting to black and white printing or requiring duplex printing, which further cuts costs. Having a print strategy in place ensures you regain control of your print environment and your print costs.

So, Is It Right for You?

Now that you understand what Managed Print Services is and how it can impact your business, you may find yourself wondering if it is a wise investment for your company. Take a moment to ask yourself a few questions. Do you have any printing technology or equipment in your office? Do you know how much you spend on your printing equipment and associated consumables every month or every year? Does your business have a print strategy or plan to install, maintain, and replace your printing and imaging equipment? Do you want to increase efficiency and productivity within your office? If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, Managed Print Services might be a good fit for your business.

Just about every business utilizes office equipment, such as printers, copiers, and fax machines, within their daily workflows. However, most companies have no idea how much they spend on their imaging fleet and do not look at whether the equipment that they own is the most efficient and affordable for their business. This is where Managed Print Services can step in and benefit you. Managed Print Services can work to decrease your printing costs, help make the expenses related to printing more predictable, and increase the effectiveness of your existing devices machines, ensuring your employees work efficiently. To learn more about implementing Managed Print Services in your Houston business, contact Stargel Office Solutions today.