Making the Case for MPS
Summary: The Internet, PDF documents that can be read on any system, massive increase in electronic storage space, and Electronic Content Management (ECM) systems were supposed to result in a paperless office. However, instead of reducing the amount of paper used by organizations, this is actually increasing document production as paper moved from being an information storage tool to being a convenience item. Instead of printing a document and filing it for later use (how many of those pages do you actually file that you print each day?), we receive an electronic document, print it to read it, throw it away, print it again at some later date when we need it again, throw it away, and repeat this process many times with a single electronic document.
Among the top people Doc respects in the Managed Print Services (MPS) world is Ed Crowley, CEO and founder of Photizo Group. So when I find a long and thorough article by Ed on the subject, I feel compelled to pass it along.
This particular tome appeared on the Dataquest Website and goes into great length on the reasons for and value of MPS. Here’s how Ed sets up the case:
The Internet, PDF documents that can be read on any system, massive increase in electronic storage space, and Electronic Content Management (ECM) systems were supposed to result in a paperless office. However, instead of reducing the amount of paper used by organizations, this is actually increasing document production as paper moved from being an information storage tool to being a convenience item. Instead of printing a document and filing it for later use (how many of those pages do you actually file that you print each day?), we receive an electronic document, print it to read it, throw it away, print it again at some later date when we need it again, throw it away, and repeat this process many times with a single electronic document.
As a result, the promise of the paperless office has eluded corporations, and in fact, may never materialize. The typical company has one imaging device for every two employees. These imaging devices drive an average cost of almost $725 per employee per year. At the same time, these devices produce an average of 890,371 lbs of carbon emissions per year and consume over 52,321 Kilowatt-hours of electricity per year. Supporting and managing these devices takes up over 10% of the typical IT organizations time.
Ed goes on to make the case for MPS and looks at how the MPS market has evolved in the last ten years and takes a look at the future. It’s a great backgrounder on the subject and well worth a gander.
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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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- New White paper: Managed Print Services and Beyond: How You Can Cut Costs and Go Green While Increasing Employee Productivity
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