IT faces a
dilemma. Budgets are shrinking, even as companies increase their expectations
that IT organizations innovate and deliver on business objectives, according to
Angèle Boyd, group VP and general manager of Imaging/Output Document
Solutions and SMB at research firm IDC. Mobile devices and cloud-based
applications, the explosive growth of unstructured data, and the demand that
social media be integrated with key business functions are all creating
security concerns and adding to IT workloads.
The impact
of managed print
services solutions on these challenges was discussed during a recent
InformationWeek webcast, sponsored by Lexmark and featuring Boyd and John
Crandall, Lexmark VP and general manager of Worldwide Enterprise Business and
Global Services.
What’s
driving MPS 2.0?
The highest
level of managed print services — MPS 2.0 — helps optimize a company’s business
processes to make employees more effective and efficient. Several industry
trends are behind the ascent of MPS 2.0, according to Boyd. The doubling of
digital content every two years, largely due to compliance requirements, is
causing companies to look closely at costs. Employees and customers also expect
that content to be available anytime, anywhere.
Companies
are also moving many applications to the cloud and enabling business processes
to be used on tablets and smartphones. With multifunctional devices, companies
can capture a large variety of information and introduce this content into
common digital workflows. According to Boyd, the need to manage and secure this
vast amount of content is driving the demand for management services, which IDC
expects to grow from today’s $12 billion worldwide to $19 billion over the next
three years.
Boyd also
notes that IDC found that 37 percent of employees use cloud-based file services
such as Dropbox, often without permission from IT.
“Storing
valuable data in a potentially insecure way is a big risk, but business process
improvement software can manage smart multifunction printers, which scan and
store documents and then trigger a sophisticated workflow with rules and routing,”
says Boyd.
Strong
savings and proactive management
According to
Boyd, MPS 2.0 takes a holistic approach to printing, scanning and managing
documents and tying it to business optimization.
“MPS 2.0
delivers 25-50 percent of sustainable cost savings, and reduces the number of
pages your organization produces, saving printing, storing and warehousing
expenses,” Boyd says.
What’s more,
MPS 2.0 reduces bottlenecks and business process cycle times. Companies that
take maximum advantage of MPS save an average of 29 percent of their printing
and document handling expenses, enabling IT to shift resources to more
strategic activities. As Boyd points out, “MPS is really about helping you grow
your business and differentiate your services from your competitors.”
MPS 2.0 goes
beyond addressing a company’s cost-per-page printing expenses. A key benefit is
that it brings all of a company’s output devices into one view. Most managers
do not have good visibility into their printing and document
management costs, says Boyd, which are usually much greater than they
think.
Part of the
problem is that many groups share ownership of these costs — IT, facilities,
operations, lines of business and procurement — so it is typically difficult to
get an accurate roll-up.
Understand
the entire business process
MPS 2.0
helps companies better focus on process optimization to enable employees to
spend more time with customers. A key part of MPS 2.0 is change management,
which includes incentivizing and motivating employees to embrace the changes
that are necessary.
Although
many customers who implement MPS go into it with a focus on procurement and
consolidating devices, hardware expenses are really a small part of the overall
costs, according to Lexmark’s Crandall. He emphasizes the importance of
understanding the entire business process, the role that documents play in it
and why and when users need to print.
“It’s
critical to understand how users are doing their work and to consider the
technology that supports business processes before you do a quick push to
consolidate devices,” explains Crandall.
Choose a
provider with a broad understanding
Customers
should look for a solution provider that has a broad enough portfolio to
deliver MPS 2.0, says Boyd.
“Don’t base
your search only on who has an impressive portfolio of hardware, but look for a
provider with the software tools and experience — business process management
software, intelligent capture — that are necessary to optimize workflow. Professional services
skills are also important.”
Make sure
the provider offers capable proactive services to maintain equipment and
replace consumables before employees have to get involved, adds Crandall.
“Your
environment should be automated to detect when it’s time to replace
consumables, order them and schedule their installation. This way, employees
can be more productive.”
Seek out
expertise and excellence
Choose a
vendor who can deliver a workflow solution — not just “scan to archive.” The
solution should be specific to a company’s industry, and work in both the front
and back office, so it can streamline workflow in an end-to-end manner.
Companies should also make sure the solution can scale globally, Boyd says.
Finally,
companies should do business with an MPS 2.0 provider that has demonstrated
operational excellence in their industry and has business process expertise.
The provider should understand the importance of helping employees be more
effective and productive.
- See more
at: http://memphiscommunications.net/blog/?p=1696
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