Printing is one of those ubiquitous tasks that can also feel overwhelming to manage. If you fall in this camp with your business, you aren't alone. In a recent study of over 1,000 small to mid-size companies, 64% can't track their print device costs or usage. This is where a "managed print services" solution may benefit you. It's estimated that each employee wastes up to 13 hours each year dealing with printer issues. Perhaps most compelling, 90% of businesses blame unsecured printing as causing a security breach.

An IT partner can help implement a comprehensive managed print program to resolve these common challenges. The fact is, optimizing your print capabilities improves productivity, saves money, and maintains security.

What are Managed Print Services?

Managed print services (MPS) covers a lot of ground. When you work with an expert partner, they take on routine maintenance, repairs, and ensuring industry compliance. Your MPS partner will assess your current capabilities and needs, optimize existing resources, and remain proactive regarding maintenance.

Improved efficiency

A full fleet evaluation maximizes your existing assets and operational procedures, while recommending process and equipment improvements. Ensuring wireless print capabilities is an important part of this process that is no longer just "nice to have" – it is a "must have" to stay competitive. Smoother operations allow your internal IT and support staff to focus on your business, as Michigan's Neapco Drive Line recently discovered.

Neapco Drive Line designs, manufactures and distributes OEM and aftermarket driveline products for automotive, light truck, heavy truck, off-road, agriculture, and industrial/construction applications throughout the globe. Between the world headquarters in Farmington Hills and their OEM facility in Belleville, they have a total of 42 printers in the UTEC managed print services agreement.

Dennis Hollingsworth, IT Director of Neapco, has seen immediate results since recently implementing MPS. "UTEC monitoring system determine when a toner drops to 25% of supply level status. At that point, they ship us a replacement to the specific address with the location of the affected printer. Administrative personnel receive the toner and can easily and quickly replace it as needed. We have also been able to identify exact usage count of black and white and color copies per printer to determine if any printers are under or over utilized, which enhances productivity." With managed print services in place, the Neapco Drive IT team can devote time and resources to areas of greater need.

Enhanced security

Staying ahead of industry compliance regulations is critical to maintaining tight security in your business and can be a full-time job in and of it self. Your MPS partner takes on that responsibility and vigilantly monitors printer usage for proper security protocol. Confidential documents are protected and user errors – the main source of security breaches – are quickly identified and resolved.

Increased profitability

Implementing managed print services quickly uncovers nearly a third of your operating budget. Your true cost of printing is identified during your initial evaluation. You and your MPS partner will use this as a benchmark for improved budgeting and monitoring ROI. User error and printer abuse is easily identified and lost work time due to printing issues is reduced. Supplies are automatically replenished in reasonable quantities and time frames. Through MPS, many companies are able to understand their actual print ROI and accurately forecast their budget for the first time.

SHARP offers a very informative Managed Print Service brochure. Click here to download.

Simplify and improve operations for your SE Michigan business this year. Contact Dan Heimler, Sales Director at UTEC or call (734) 434-5900 to learn how managed print services can help you.