Managed Print Services (MPS) An Overview

With Managed Print Services (MPS) you get a partner that will be able to help you design, deploy and debug any and all of your print (and digital document) processes and needs.

What is Managed Print Services (MPS)?

Printing issues can account for 40 some percent of your help desk and IT related tickets. A paper jam, driver installations and scan fails all attribute to this factor. A MPS partner will be able to handle the print related issues while your technical staff focuses on their work and improving your business.

Knowing where and which devices should be placed is not as easy as it sounds. A MPS partner will be able to collect and provide the data to design a deployment with you that has productivity and scalability first in mind. Things change, with a MPS partner you can sleep easy knowing that no matter what happens, your printing fleet will be optimized and looked after every step of the way. 

The following is a list of what you get with a Managed Print Service agreement. These can vary depending on what MPS partner you have, you might get more you might get less, but generally this is standard MPS practice and what you can expect if you are thinking about getting a partner. If you feel that anything has been left off this list, please email me at [email protected]

1. Research and Data

A managed agreement should begin with a print and workflow assessment for the partner to gain data on your fleet of devices. A Data Collection Agent (DCA) should be deployed to collect print and scan volumes and user interviews should be conducted to understand their needs and how they work. This process can take 2 weeks to 2 months depending on the size of your fleet and how much data is needed. 2-4 weeks is the most common time frame for a successful assessment.

2. Coauthored Design

After the data is collected, it is time to design the printing fleet. This should be done with you, the client, to have the best result.

The process should include which devices are going where, any software solutions to be worked out and the framework for how to get service and supplies is developed. This is the blueprint for how your company will print, copy, scan and however else they work, so this is an incredibly important step in the process. 

3. Deployment

After the fleet has been designed, it needs to be put in place. The deployment stage is where all the pieces are put together in your business to make a working infrastructure for your documents.

Deployment doesn’t always mean new equipment going in. Most times, a MPS partner will be able to take the machines you already have in place under their wing. Maybe a move here or there may be needed or nothing needs to happen at all. This is all planned out in the design stage.

4. The Big Three

Supplies

Printers and copiers go through a lot of ink and toner. One of the main reasons you want an MPS partner is for printing supplies and not having to worry about them anymore. Supplies are included in the monthly service fee and will be delivered to your business by the method crafted in the design stage. 

Parts

Like all things, printers and copiers can break down. There are actually a few (to a lot) of moving parts in these boxes and one of them even is meant to get pretty hot while it spins. With MPS, parts for repairs are covered in the monthly service fee saving you the headache of trying to order the right thing. 

Labor

With parts comes the labor of putting them into the device and all other repairs. Labor for repairs is covered in the monthly service fee and conducted by a trained, certified, technician. Response time should be agreed upon during the design stage.

Should be noted, not all parts and labor are always covered. If it is an end user that decided to act out the scene from office space or the dreaded “Act of God”, then chances are that is not covered by the service agreement.

5. Business Reviews

Once the deployment is finished and the agreement is up and running, it is time to monitor your fleet. Your MPS partner should schedule regular business reviews with you to report data on your fleet, bring up any service issues and discuss any possible moves or replacements based off this data. Business reviews should give a snapshot looking back at the last few months while also providing a plan for moving forward. The review can, and should, be a mini version of the research/data and design stages. 

For more information visit - https://www.lasersresource.com/managed-print