Is MPS Just Another Purchasing Decision?

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.