Emerging trends in managed print services
Recent surveys have confirmed a trend that we started to detect toward the end of last year in
the area of Managed Print Services.
While customers are already convinced by the cost savings and energy efficiencies that can
be gained by rationalising a fleet and having one point of contact for support, they now want
more from their Managed Print Service. But what do they mean by ‘more’? Well, we’re
seeing a growing demand for tailored extra value services to be layered on top of the core
managed print services propositions, layers that further help a customer’s business to grow
and develop.
By way of example, customers want tailored solutions, rather than a one-size-fits-all to their
managed print service (MPS). They want to tap into our print knowledge and market
expertise to understand whether the latest developments in printers and print technology can
benefit their business. They want more innovation with respect to optimising new or existing
workflows, and how these can embrace or be integrated with technology trends like Bring
Your Own Device or the shift to cloud or mobile printing. In short, they want their managed
print services provider to continually and proactively match its industry knowledge with its
technical know-how, in order to help their business drive ongoing print-based process
efficiencies.
Part of this drive for more getting more from a managed print service is fuelled by the fact
that companies are starting to realise just how useful their multifunction device is. Recently,
the multi function printer (MFP) has come from the side lines to play a central role in an
organisation’s digital document workflow, from scanning documents, printing them, to
emailing them directly from the device. Mix these functions with features like secure print
and cost recovery applications and the multi function printers new found capabilities - and the
vital contribution they make to key initiatives like the creation of electronic archives, digital
paper trails, or to honour corporate governance responsibilities - means it is vital that the
managed print service supporting the device is as sophisticated as the MFP. It needs to be
agile and responsive, and constantly evolving to fully support the function of the MFP in a
business. A recent Xerox-commissioned white paper from research and analysis company
Quocirca Ltd, illustrates this shift in more detail, by identifying what it refers to as The Next
Frontier For MPS.
There’s no doubt that this demand for more from a managed print service bodes well for
dynamic resellers who can scale their services to meet this new requirement. And of course, it
bodes well for companies that understand – and demand - a tailored managed print services
solution. We believe it can make a dramatic impact not just on their bottom line, but also to
how successfully their business operates in the future.