As the name suggests Managed Print Services (MPS) is a managed service and, for the most part, many from our industry would expect MPS to be pertinent when the sales engagement, transaction or service provision is directly attached to the physical devices or the printed output specifically.
But, as we are now starting to see more and more, the future will not always be about the physical printed page. It could be considered, therefore, that Managed PRINT Services is deceiving from this aspect as it’s suggesting you manage PRINT only – the physical page and or the devices.
That raises the question of what a managed print service is. If you would like to understand more about Managed Print Services, the book Rest In Print: from office printing to THE RISE of MANAGED SERVICES will provide you more detail and assist in giving you a more informed view of what MPS is or could be. But for now all definitions either coming from the Managed Print Services Association (MPSA), Gartner, IDC etc, all continually suggest that MPS is about more than just print.
For this reason, we need to shift our set of lenses on the broader concept of Managed Services so we can expand the possibilities of where and how Managed Print Services will evolve.
Firstly the Managed Services model is not new and the level of maturity of what it is, how it can be shaped and scoped, how it should be managed and what to expect of a services provision is, from a customer’s standpoint, not new. The customer is far more experienced in this space.
Based on this understanding, I would like to make the point that, firstly, our industry is new to this game (Managed Services), and our customers are not. Yes we are transitioning fast, but the industry could be considered somewhat untested, potentially inexperienced and, to some extent, unproven. Therefore perception would see us trailing in this new business services capability model of Managed Services.
We will however have a greater role to play as many traditional Managed Services providers move away from the infrastructure side or the plumbing aspects of the IT network. This opportunity will create a vacuum for a number of more agile and advanced print providers who have been organically building or acquiring the IT services capability.
Secondly we need to always understand the process is not always about boiling the ocean. Some customers prefer a process of testing, incubation and controlled growth. MPS like most Managed Services may start as a single point solution in the beginning then expand their scope outward over time.
Most medium and large enterprise customers would have at least one form of Managed Services contract today and many of these would have started from this same starting point.
For example, a Managed Services contract could be as simple as providing a waste paper pick-up service to ensure secure and compliant disposal of information. This may then expand to managing an organisation’s entire internal office printing, the scanning of hardcopy originals into digital or electronic workflow systems for the client’s customer relationship management system or managing their accounts payable system and processes.
Most medium to large enterprises are choosing to outsource non-core business functions, processes or departments like human resource administration, Help Desk and Call Centers, data center management, cleaning and maintenance, office supplies, voice and data communications, IT infrastructure and so on. These strategies are usually driven to increase operational efficiencies, improve customer satisfaction and reduce cost.
Holistically, most Managed Services offerings have continued to evolve and change. That said, managed print services should be seen as a process of evolution that integrates the supplier’s business capability with the client’s business needs and requirements, starting with office printing and document imaging as a beachhead. This could be transacted at any stage as a functional requirement, an operational or technical or a service-led capability.
It can be more about how you establish and support the customer in the initial stages as well as how you and your customer adapt and transition with each other over time.
Reiterating, MPS may start with device management and may, over time, progress into additional services that are based around what the provider can deliver today or what the client would like it to deliver tomorrow. The reason for this unique change in posture is that, over time, you should have gained a position of trusted partner rather than just a single point service provider. Valued strategic partners have the opportunity to become more integrated into their customer’s business, therefore increasing the value of the relationship and services provided.
So in short, don’t define your business by the products or services you sell, but more the contribution and value you provide the customer. Don’t get stuck around print as print is not where the opportunity is going to be in the future. Listen to your customer—they know what they want or more importantly where they want to go. Help them to do this and you will have a stronger customer advocate for the future.
