What Is Meant by Managed Print Services?

Managed Print Services (MPS) is an outsourcing strategy where a third-party print expert takes over the management and optimization of an organization’s printing equipment. 

It may sound strange to outsource print management, considering that unlike managed IT, everyone in your office probably knows how to print their documents  and clear a basic paper jam. However, printing is often a silent budget killer, eating up between 1 – 3% of an organization’s revenue while going unnoticed and untracked. Printers are also notorious for causing workplace frustration, accounting for 50% of help desk calls.

Managed Print Services is that rare find that saves money and time and can improve morale all at once.

What Does Managed Print Services Include? 

All MPS providers are not the same; for example, most print providers don’t include thorough printer security as part of their standard offering like Marco does. However, in general, MPS providers will include the following services:

• An initial print assessment to identify what printers you have, how they’re being used, and where waste can be reduced
• In-depth conversations about your organization to make sure your print strategy is aligned with your long-term goals
• Ongoing print analytics
• Recommendations for tools and print policies that can help reduce waste
• Recommendations for tools and policies that can improve basic workplace security
• Supply monitoring and automatic ordering
• Help desk support 
• Employee training
• Troubleshooting, repairs, and maintenance

Although some organizations are required by law to include additional security provisions to address this significant vulnerability, we believe that every organization deserves to have its data protected by an MPS provider that knows how. It may not be required by law (yet), but it’s the right thing to do.

What Are Some Surprising Benefits of Managed Print Services? 

Managed Print Services offers a wealth of benefits to the organizations that have sought them out. Along with the obvious — saving time and money — an excellent MPS provider can have a massive impact on your organization in ways you might not think about. 

Increases the Responsiveness of Your IT Team

I mentioned earlier that 50% of help desk calls are related to the printer. An MPS provider can also reduce the burden on your IT department, freeing them up for other necessary tasks, like updating and patching software, helping you strategize for the future, and attending to other pressing matters in a more timely manner

Reduces Your Impact on the Environment

Printers burn through energy, ink and toner, and paper, and millions of spent cartridges end up in landfills each and every year. There may always be a need for organizations to print documents, but up to 30% of print jobs are never picked up from the printer. 

Your MPS provider can help you address print waste in many ways, but one great solution involves special printing software that won’t release a print job unless an employee is standing by to collect it.

Makes You Less Vulnerable to Office Supply Scams

With cybersecurity grabbing most headlines, it’s easy to forget about toner pirates and other office supply scams. With one vendor responsible for all of your print supplies, it will be much easier for your staff to spot fraudulent invoices. Office supply scammers are still fleecing organizations out of millions of dollars the old-fashioned way, so while this benefit doesn’t always make the cut, it’s definitely a nice side perk. 

You'll Get Fewer Unpleasant Surprises

Printers are expensive, and when they go down, they cause significant disruptions. A well-maintained printer will work more reliably and need fewer emergency repairs. Are you 100% sure that all of the printers in your fleet are getting the maintenance they need? If they’re in the care of an MPS provider, they will. You’ll get more life out of your equipment with fewer workplace disruptions and budget blowups. 

Finding the Best MPS Provider

It’s not always easy to find the right technology provider for your business, but as one of the top print providers in the country, at Marco, we feel like we’re a relatively easy decision to make. Organizations that work with Marco as their MPS provider typically save up to 30% on print expenses. Plus, they receive additional print security to safeguard the data of their stakeholders, employees, and clients. 

However, Managed Print Services might not be the right fit for every single organization. To learn more about what an MPS provider can do for you, we’ve written a complimentary eBook that explores this comprehensive service in more detail.