How Managed Print Services Support CIOs in Transitioning to a More Agile Business Environment
In today’s competitive landscape, Chief Information Officers (CIOs) face mounting pressure to drive digital transformation, streamline operations, and adapt to new technology—all while balancing cost efficiency and security. With the rapid shift towards digitalisation, printing infrastructures, often seen as relics of a pre-digital era, are under scrutiny. CIOs are asked not just to reduce the footprint of printing but to envision a print-digital ecosystem that adds value to the organisation and aligns with digital agility goals.
However, completely abandoning physical print is neither practical nor desirable for all organisations. The challenge, then, is not simply to eliminate print but to manage it intelligently alongside digital advancements. This is where engaging a Managed Print Services (MPS) provider as a strategic advisor can make a critical difference.
Understanding the Print-to-Digital Transition: Key Challenges for CIOs
For a CIO, the transition from print to digital is not as simple as replacing paper with screens. Several challenges need careful consideration:
- Balancing Print and Digital Needs: Not all business processes or departments can go fully digital. For some industries, print remains essential for regulatory reasons, internal workflows, or customer interaction. For instance, legal, financial, and healthcare sectors often still rely on physical documents for compliance and accuracy. CIOs need to find the balance between accommodating these needs and implementing digital alternatives where feasible.
- Security and Compliance Concerns: As workflows transition to digital platforms, security becomes a heightened concern. Print devices are a potential gateway for data breaches, and unmanaged or poorly monitored devices can jeopardise sensitive information. In the same vein, digital workflows require secure infrastructure to prevent cyber threats and unauthorised access. Ensuring compliance and security across both print and digital environments demands a specialised approach.
- Cost Control and Predictability: Print infrastructure often comes with unpredictable costs, particularly if unmanaged. The total cost of ownership for print includes hardware, maintenance, and consumables, which can quickly escalate if not tracked. In digital transformation, CIOs aim to make costs transparent and manageable—a goal that includes print infrastructure.
- Supporting Organisational Change: A transition to a digital-first environment often faces resistance from within the organisation. Employees accustomed to printing may be reluctant to adopt new digital workflows, which can delay digital initiatives. A well-managed print environment can serve as a stepping stone, fostering comfort and confidence as employees adapt to new technology.
The MPS Provider as a Trusted Advisor
A Managed Print Services provider with a deep understanding of both print and digital needs is uniquely positioned to guide CIOs through these challenges. Here’s how an MPS partner can make a difference:
- Assessing and Optimising the Print Environment: MPS providers begin with a comprehensive assessment of the current print setup, identifying areas of waste, high-cost processes, and security risks. This foundational analysis not only reveals opportunities to reduce costs but also allows CIOs to understand how print fits into the larger digital strategy.
- Implementing Cost-Effective, Secure Solutions: MPS providers bring expertise in managing print infrastructures with the latest security protocols, ensuring that devices are securely connected to the network and that sensitive information is protected. By centralising print management and setting up secure workflows, MPS providers help CIOs gain better control over print-related costs and security.
- Supporting Digital Workflow Integration: A forward-thinking MPS provider doesn’t just manage print; they integrate print into a seamless, digital-first ecosystem. For example, digital document capture, workflow automation, and cloud-based document management can streamline processes that previously relied on paper. This blend of print and digital gives CIOs a strategic pathway to support digital transformation without disrupting essential workflows that still depend on print.
- Driving Sustainable, Agile Practices: With sustainability at the forefront, MPS providers can help CIOs reduce paper usage and waste, moving toward greener practices that align with corporate social responsibility goals. Additionally, MPS providers help streamline infrastructure, making it more agile and adaptable to future needs. By establishing more flexible print options, they support CIOs in making future transitions smoother, whether the demand for print increases or decreases.
- Providing Ongoing Training and Adaptation: As employees adjust to new digital workflows, an MPS partner can play an essential role in training and support. They offer solutions and workflows that are user-friendly and aligned with the organisation’s needs, helping employees gradually shift towards digital solutions without feeling pressured to abandon print altogether.
For CIOs, the journey to digital transformation does not require abandoning print. Many organisations find that print continues to play a vital role, especially in sectors where physical documentation remains part of the operational fabric. A trusted MPS partner offers a balanced, agile approach—managing both digital and print workflows to optimise efficiency, security, and cost-effectiveness. This partnership provides a strategic advantage, allowing CIOs to focus on overarching digital goals without sacrificing the functionalities that physical print still provides.
In the evolving digital landscape, a strategic MPS partner can be a CIO’s ally in balancing the print-to-digital transition. By engaging with a managed print provider as a trusted advisor, CIOs gain access to the expertise, tools, and guidance needed to transform printing into an agile component of a modern digital strategy, driving efficiency while embracing the benefits of both print and digital.
Insights taken from my book Rest In Print: from office printing to the rise of Managed Services
