MPS Spreading Like Wild Fire

May 27, 2009 - PRLog -- As large industry leaders adopt MPS, organizations searching for cost-savings have more and more choices.  HP and Xerox have announced their intention to move to the Managed Print Services field.   This is an effort to follow the lead of their successful channel partners, like Reliable Technologies.  http://www.reliabletechnologiesinc.com/mps/mps.php

Managed Print Services started with small, local channel partners and vendors who are keenly “tuned in” to the consumer.  Local vendors like Reliable Technologies listened, and customers said they didn’t like spending so much on printing and they didn’t like their lack of control over the print devices.  As with many things, local providers throughout the world collected information and then provided a solution.  Reliable Technologies has been doing Managed Print Services since 1991.  Only within the past few years have manufacturers started developing MPS programs.

In an interview with printandimage.com, Chris Casinella, VP of HP’s MPS division says; “Our customers are looking for managed print services now.  They want to better manage their fleets and buy printing resources in a different way – by paying for a service versus paying for assets and toner cartridges…They look for cost savings as the Number One requirement we can provide them in a managed print services offering.” [1]

HP’s large enterprise customers have the same issue our local customers seem to have- they don’t know what their print environment actually costs.  “They [enterprises] haven’t been able to manage it [print environment].  They don’t know what they have, and so when they go to the marketplace, they don’t know what to ask for.  They can’t tell us we have X number of printers, and each of those printers prints X number of pages.  So our total page volume is Y” says Casinella. [1]

In many organizations, copiers were purchased by facilities managers, printers by the IT department and fax machines by office managers.  That resulted in multiple service contracts and a wide variety of brands and supplies – especially ink and toner cartridges, which are usually the biggest expense. [2]

No matter whom the provider is – one thing stays consistent: organizations always have room for improvement in the way their print-space is functioning.  Casinella from HP says: “When I started in this area in 2000 there were many standards that we used.  We felt that between 1 and 4 percent of a customer’s total revenue could be related to output, and somewhere around 20 percent of that could be related to the output for the office.  We always felt that managed print services could deliver savings somewhere in the 20 to 40 percent range for office printing.” [1]

Xerox says its research shows the same, that companies spend between 3% and 4% of their revenue on producing documents, or $3,400 per employee. [2]

With so many choices now emerging, what are the advantages for organizations that choose a local provider like Reliable Technologies for Managed Print Services over the big-boxes?

   Predictability: With Reliable’s Managed Print Services, you are billed only for what you use.  Other MPS providers charge a minimum cost-per-page, or monthly service charge as a standard, and they don’t necessarily allow for other options.  Reliable Technologies puts the customer’s needs first and allows the customer to choose the managed print service components that best align with those needs, so you only pay for what you need.

   Flexibility: Choose to have your full print environment completely monitored by Reliable Technologies, or choose programs a la carte.  It’s your choice.  Have a special need or specific problem?  Their programs are customized for your organization.

   Local: Have a pesky print device problem?  You will always get someone at the customer service support center in Manchester NH, and many times same day on site service or toner delivery is available.

   Vendor Neutral: Some big box MPS programs require you to eliminate all your machines and convert to their brand.  Not Reliable- they work with whatever you have until YOU are ready to replace it, no pressure.

   More Options: Compatible or Original Manufacturer toner?  New or used print devices? http://www.reliabletechnologiesinc.com/products/printerin... Lease or outright purchase? Repair or replace?  These are all options open to our customers- with big-boxes rigid programs you might not get a choice.

Sources:
1.Printing and Imaging Innovations: Cost Savings Are Key For Managed Print Services Customers, www.printandimage.com/managed_services/costsavings.jhtml, 5/12/2009
2.The Wall Street Journal: Xerox Tries to Go Beyond Copiers, William Bulkeley, www.online.wsj.com/article/sb123544246272655641.html, 2/24/2009

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About Reliable Technoligies: Reliable Technologies has helped the community reduce costs, increase efficiency, and increase environmental sustainability through Managed Print Services including software, supplies and service since 1991 and for over 15,000 printers. They have funded a research report about administration, IT and document production to help the other organizations understand their costs and environmental impact and how to reduce them. For more information, please visit http://www.reliabletechnologiesinc.com or call 800-346-7890.