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If your organization is looking into partnering with a print vendor, or if you’re interested in how managed print services could benefit you, then conducting a managed print services study is the next step in the process. Without prior knowledge, however, it can be a confusing process, and the benefits may be unclear.
As an experienced print vendor, we’ve been conducting managed print services studies for almost 30 years, and we’ve seen the ways that it’s improved office infrastructures and helped cut printing costs down significantly.
We’ve written this article to give you a better idea of what to expect when undergoing a managed print services study, and so that you can feel prepared and confident you’re getting the best assessment possible.
What is a Managed Print Services Study?
A managed print study is a deep dive into your print infrastructure. During a managed print study, your current print volume (how much you’re printing) is determined, and the cost per print is calculated. All of your equipment and their physical locations are documented as well. The result is a Total Cost of Ownership Summary and Proposal, which will help you determine what the next steps are in managing your printer fleet.
What Should I Expect from a Managed Print Services Study?
Before a study is conducted, there is an initial discovery meeting between the vendor and the customer that identifies their goals and objectives for their print environment. This way, all concerns and questions can be addressed before the process begins.
After the discovery meeting, there is a 5-step process to an eValet Managed Print Services Study, and most other studies are structured in a similar way.
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The first step is to capture device history with a Data Collection app (in this case, the eValet Data Collection app) through the customer’s network access.
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The second step is to conduct a facility walkthrough, in order to record device locations and collect page counts from non-networked devices.
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The third step involves gathering all financial expenses related to the current fleet, and this way a thorough evaluation can be performed to keep the company’s objectives and challenges in mind.
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Step four is the summarizing of all current costs and different ways to potentially save money or reallocate expenses.
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Step five is presenting the findings to customer management, along with a Total Cost of Ownership Summary.
How Can an MPS Study Benefit My Organization?
A Managed Print Services study is the first step in working with a print vendor and receiving managed print services (MPS). These are additional services that are provided by your print vendor in order to help your office processes run smoother and keep printing costs at a minimum.
Some benefits that come with MPS are automatic toner replenishment, proactive device monitoring, increased productivity for IT staff, and many more which you can read about in our article 5 Reasons Why You Need Managed Print Services.
Completing an MPS study will help your print vendor evaluate what your needs are, and the best way for your organization to not only save money but increase productivity.
What Are the Next Steps After a Managed Print Study?
After receiving the information gathered from the study, we recommend reviewing it in detail with an experienced business consultant. They can then present you with a proposal that will highlight the different ways your organization might be able to save money on printing costs.
Savings can come in the form of actual spending reductions, improved productivity, electricity usage, and most importantly, minimizing security risks.
What's Next?
Having a managed print services study completed on your print infrastructure is the best way to ensure you’re getting the most out of your MPS agreement, and from your devices overall. Now that you’re informed about the process, you can know what to expect when your organization undergoes a study, and how it will benefit you in the long run.
If you’d like to learn more about managed print services in general, read our article Managed Print Services: Defined, and 5 Reasons Why You Need Managed Print Services.
