Managed print services involve outsourcing document printing or printing machines, which can be organized in various ways. Benefits include reducing labor and costs. Companies may choose to rent rather than purchase machines, and service contracts can include toner supply and regular maintenance. Centralized printing areas may offer additional services.
Managed print services refer to the outsourcing of document printing or the outsourcing of document printing machines. This can be organized in a variety of ways, including offsite printing, a centralized onsite printing area, several decentralized onsite areas, or a combination of the latter. The benefits of Managed Print Services include reducing employee labor and reducing costs.
When most people think of Managed Print Services, the machines that come to mind first are copiers and printers because they are the most commonly used tools for producing printed documents. Depending on the size of the organization, one or more printers may be required, and these units may need to print in color or black and white. The same goes for copiers. In some cases, dual purpose machines, or even multipurpose machines that incorporate options such as scanning or faxing, may be the best choice for a business.
Purchasing these machines can be extremely expensive. Some companies find it cheaper to rent the presses they need. Different companies offer this type of service at varying rates.
Whether the business owns or leases the machines, copiers and printers will still require regular service to keep them running, and may even need emergency service for specific breakdowns or incidents. Many of the same companies that offer leases also offer these types of services, based on an annual or multi-year contract. Such contracts may include the supply of a specified number of toner cartridges per period and will likely include a pre-determined number of incident calls and regularly scheduled service appointments.
The use of these services has several purposes. Service charges under a contract are usually significantly reduced by the rates charged for a single call outside a contract. Most managed print services agreements specify a window in which the service response must occur. This helps reduce downtime. Having a utility company up and running also prevents employees who are unfamiliar with the equipment from trying to get it back up and running.
In larger companies, managed print services might mean a central on-site or offsite printing area. This may include several copiers or printers operated by dedicated staff. Such centers may also offer additional services such as large format printing, binding and finishing. Most often, this type of center is for large jobs and runs in conjunction with a number of printers or copiers available throughout the building for small jobs.
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