Printers are a major investment for any organization. Unfortunately, decisions about how to manage or upgrade your printer fleet are often made without the input of the staff who rely on print technology for their day-to-day jobs.
Most important decisions about office technology are made by purchasing or technical staff. These people obviously have important insights and knowledge but may not be the best informed about print technology.
Before investing in new print technology, consider who are the important business stakeholders who make big decisions about the businesses print needs. Why should they be involved? What do they know that makes them valuable?
We believe that C-suite, IT managers and administrative staff need to be on the same page when choosing your printer technology solution. Here are the roles each must play.
Unfortunately, technology purchasing decisions are often made without the full input of the team that uses it. We believe it is vital to find out how your staff works and what they need print devices for. Do they:
Today’s office workers want more digital collaboration, according to Quocirca’s Print 2025 Report.
Choosing a printer, copier or multifunction device demands more than speed and resolution- it needs to have workflow capabilities to match the way your company works. For example, given new remote working and cloud communication tools, your print devices also need to be cloud enabled. This is why new Canon, Ricoh and Lexmark devices which all have enabled cloud printing or offer a cloud printing app which can be downloaded from the Apple or Android Store onto a mobile device.
In addition, uniFLOW, users can scan documents and send them via email or directly into a folder or into backend systems, including Microsoft SharePoint®, RightFax, FileNet®, Hyland OnBase® and various others. Furthermore, it is possible to scan to cloud-based destinations like Microsoft OneDrive®, Google Drive™, Evernote®, Dropbox.
Executives may not use your office printers terribly much, but their input is necessary to align your purchasing decisions with your long-term business planning. For example, MPS offers a greener printing solutions. More efficient (i.e. newer) equipment means less waste and more efficient use of power, which lowers the carbon footprint, which can help meet sustainability initiatives. And of course, one of the most attractive aspects of MPS for many companies is predictable costs, which can make budgeting easier.
Managed print is all about integrating the right combination of hardware and software to help you save time, money and resources. Print vendors need to become strategic partners working with IT decision makers to identify what business units really need, offering services that satisfy those requirements, while also responding to the security and control requirements of IT decision-makers.
Outsourcing print servicing should lead to a significant weight being lifted from your IT department, freeing them to focus on more meaningful tasks. Just as importantly, it will ensure that documents and information are secured with the most advanced and effective processes possible. An MPS partner will be able to optimize and take advantage of the latest print technologies- something most IT people don’t have the time or interest in managing.
Unfortunately, there can be a disconnect in priorities between those who use print technologies and those who purchase them. This creates a satisfaction gap where office workers don’t get the productivity tools they want, and IT decision makers see their investments failing to have the positive impact they anticipate. An MPS partner can bring all these people together for maximum satisfaction.
If you are ready to have the discussion about Managed Print Services, GFC would love to talk to you and all the relevant stakeholders in your company. Reach out to us today for a free, no obligation print needs assessment.
