Is MPS Just Another Purchasing Decision?
Summary: Doc has made it a point to highlight the human element in Managed Print Services – this isn’t just a case of more efficient purchasing of machines and supplies. MPS is about cultural change within an organization, and if you don’t have folks on board, the results won’t be as good.
Doc has made it a point to highlight the human element in Managed Print Services – this isn’t just a case of more efficient purchasing of machines and supplies. MPS is about cultural change within an organization, and if you don’t have folks on board, the results won’t be as good.
So I was pleased to see a good overview piece on MPS over at Print CEO, penned by Clint Bolte. Clint has a lot to say and it’s a pretty lengthy article, so I’d recommend following the link. But here’s a glimpse of a few of Clint’s thoughts:
A major human tendency objection to be overcome by all corporations trying to realize maximum savings from Managed Print Services precepts is getting knowledge workers to give up their desktop printers/faxes/scanners. Sprint has successfully eliminated desktop units by telling employees that they could buy their desktop units for home use by making a $25 contribution to the Sprint Foundation. The employee would then be responsible for the toner expense of their home units. Justin West of Nationwide said that his firm offered a series of prizes to employees who turned in their desktop inkjet units.
Though started only a decade or so ago with the advent of specialized software and multi-functional devices, Managed Print Services is quickly becoming the genre for the transition from a hardware concentric management issue to that of a knowledge worker productivity opportunity. Whether it is entirely outsourced or a blend of services from specialty vendors providing maintenance or supplies, MPS will surely be embraced by corporations of all sizes sooner rather than later. Many corporate in-plants can expand their mission and benefit the overall corporation as a result of closer relationships with their corporate IT departments to assist in the training of users on the MFD/MFPs.
Clint gives a lot of good examples including an interesting case study at Bob Jones University, which had 250 networked printers and 85 multi-function devices to serve 1,700 employees and 5,000 students before tackling an MPS program.
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ZDNet introduces Doc (The DocuMentor), sponsored by RICOH. Through his blog, Doc will educate you about Document Management. So who is Doc? Doc is something of an enigma. He was born to a Russian ballerina and a German electrical engineer who some believe was running covert operations for shadowy corporate interests. Doc grew up in various locations in the United States, although no one seems to know precisely where, least of all Doc. His early schooling was unremarkable except for the time he was caught trying to replace all the mimeograph machines with high-tech color copiers that had mysteriously disappeared from a shipment to Albania. At MIT, he made a name for himself by transforming a large printer into a robot that hunts and eats Roombas. Professionally, he reportedly has seen the insides of more brands, versions, and generations of printer and printer-related hardware than almost anyone. Some say his obsession with paper, printing, and mechanical movement was either started by, or evidenced by, a traumatic childhood episode when he crawled inside an old Xerox 2400 and tried to print himself.
Anyway, Doc has hands on experience with stuff like printer maintenance and fleet management, but his mastery of document management leaves no stone unturned. Important issues like sustainability, security, and regulatory compliance are top of mind for Doc, as are other business technology needs like networking and IT services, making him a true blue IT renaissance man.
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