The following appears on LouellaFernandes.com
By Louella Fernandes – It seems that the managed print services market is going through a bit of an identity crisis. Is it managed document services, managed content services or managed workflow services? With print volumes flat to declining, MPS providers are expanding into the broader services of information management, document workflow and business process automation. Yet taking print out of the MPS equation does not take heed of the fact that many organisations remain reliant on printing, and need guidance from their provider to better understand how the once “peripheral” networked multifunction printer (MFP) is not only central to device optimisation but also a key enabler for broader workflow automation
According to Quocirca’s research, almost 30% of enterprises indicate that printing is critical to their business with a further 45% indicating it to be very important for the majority of business activities. A dependence on print is particularly high in the highly regulated financial and professional services industries. These industries are also amongst those most likely to report that expenditure in MPS will rise over the next year – 50% of professional services and 60% indicated MPS spending will rise.
Addressing escalating costs with MPS
The growth in MPS is fuelled by the need to control costs – both financial and environmental – through lowering consumable and paper usage as well as getting more control on document security.
The first step to address these challenges and optimise the print infrastructure is to leverage the multifunction printer (MFP). Clearly, reducing a sprawling printer fleet with fewer, energy-efficient MFPs is cost efficient – but they also set the stage for broader workflow automation as the MPS engagement develops. Modern MFPs are increasingly sophisticated, enabling document capture and routing to enterprise applications, together with advanced security features to minimise document security risks.
Overall, 37% of all enterprises reported that they have a well-defined MFP strategy that maximises the benefits of smart MFPs, with a further 50% starting to better utilise these devices. MPS users are far more likely to have made the investment in smart MFPs and to be utilising them to a broader extent than their non-MPS counterparts.
