How Small & Medium Businesses Can Benefit from Managed Print Services

Managed print service (MPS) providers offer an outsourced form of print management that can help many businesses. Regardless of a company's printing infrastructure or requirements, managed print solutions help by shouldering the challenges and complexities of print environments and easing the burden of in-house IT staff. The benefits of managed print services are wide and varied, which is why it’s no surprise that the global MPS market is currently worth $45.67 billion. 

Major multinational companies can afford advanced print fleets and robust in-house print technology. However, not all small and medium businesses can afford the same. Printing needs are equally important for small and medium enterprises, and outsourcing the management of their printer fleet is a more logical and cost-effective option.  

This post focuses on the benefits MPS offers and, more specifically, how they can help small and medium-sized enterprises. No matter what printing devices, copiers, print jobs, or workflows a small business has, an MPS provider can help unlock hidden value, optimize print environments, and alleviate print-related inefficiencies. Let us explore how. 

Top 15 Ways Managed Print Services Can Help Small and Medium Businesses

The following are the top 15 managed print services benefits that can ease printing burdens for small and medium companies. 

1. Supports In-House IT Teams

Small businesses don’t often have large in-house IT teams to manage their printing infrastructure. An MPS solution ensures that in-house IT staff don’t spend their working hours on labor-intensive and time-consuming printing processes and print-related troubleshooting. In an outsourcing model, the MPS partner completely handles these responsibilities, leading to a more positive and productive in-house IT department. 

2. Limits Device and Vendor Sprawl 

If print management becomes overwhelming, certain businesses may address the problem by buying more multifunction printers and exploring products and services from multiple vendors. However, this isn’t an efficient way to maximize efficiency in print environments. By outsourcing print management services, small businesses will ensure that they are using existing print infrastructure optimally rather than procuring new devices or partnering with multiple vendors without a plan. 

3. Tracks Print Usage 

It’s easy for enterprises to lose track of their print usage and monthly print volumes. For small businesses, every dollar saved can make a difference. Therefore, it’s vital to know the exact details of print environments, from paper consumption to the frequency of toner cartridge replacement. An MPS provider will provide real-time reporting as well as periodic summaries of all print-related accuracies. This can help small businesses further refine and optimize print operations if required. 

4. Reduces Print-Related Downtime and Disruptions

Like all devices, printers and copiers are susceptible to hardware and software failure. This can potentially lead to downtime in printing environments, the ripple effects of which may have more serious implications. In an MPS program, the third-party provider typically handles maintenance and repairs. They also provide around-the-clock customer service options to ensure that no print-related challenge goes unaddressed for long. 

5. Optimizes Printing Costs

For small and medium businesses, fluctuating and high printing costs constitute a significant challenge. When it comes to printing costs, businesses need stability. For smaller organizations with limited in-house resources, it’s often challenging to prune down unnecessary costs and objectively map out printing cost optimization strategies. An MPS provider ensures the optimization and consistency of print-related expenses. Furthermore, the pricing models of third-party MPS providers will likely lead to long-term cost savings.  

6. Enhances Printer Security

Printers are increasingly in the crosshairs of threat actors. Numerous cybercriminals use printers as an entryway into enterprise networks. Therefore, print security is essential. MPS providers are skilled when it comes to printer cybersecurity. They will ensure that comprehensive security measures are in place to protect not just the printer ecosystem of small and medium businesses but the entire IT ecosystem. 

7. Strengthens Compliance

Handing over printing and document management to a third-party provider enhances cybersecurity. By doing so, it also strengthens a business’s compliance posture. Data and document privacy and confidentiality issues can lead to millions of dollars in fines. An MPS ensures that companies, especially smaller and medium businesses that can’t afford massive legal fines, abide by whatever document and data privacy laws and regulations their geography or sector demands.

8. Streamlines User Experience

No matter what printing, copying, or faxing requirements employees may have, the process must be easy, accessible, and quick. By handing over print management to an MPS provider, simple and everyday workplace activities become streamlined. No user or employee will suffer long waiting periods or printing complexities. Furthermore, MPS services will allow employees to easily facilitate print jobs from personal endpoints like smartphones and laptops. 

9. Boosts Sustainability Initiatives

Small, medium, and large enterprises are taking sustainability initiatives to the next level. Unlike previous eras, environmental impact has taken center stage. By optimizing print environments, businesses can reduce the usage of all printer consumables, including paper and toner. MPS programs will also ensure that companies don’t work with more physical devices than they need, which further brings down resource wastage. While the environmental implications of print environments may not seem dramatic, the truth is that all sustainability initiatives will benefit from MPS solutions. 

10. Improves Scalability

Small and medium businesses must be ready to scale their operations at the drop of a hat. The inability to scale IT infrastructure, including print environments, can be detrimental. Small businesses hosting their own print environments can potentially overwhelm in-house IT teams and make scaling a challenging task. However, suppose businesses hand their print environments over to an MPS provider. In that case, they can scale and change their operations ad hoc with complete confidence that their print environments will continue to thrive. 

11. Centralizes Print Management

One of the most significant and transformative benefits of commissioning an MPS solution is having a centralized print management model. With a centralized print management model, employees and teams can access all critical print-related information from a single pane. This is important for small and medium businesses with limited resources because their IT teams might not always have the bandwidth to hunt down print-related information and activities. With an MPS provider, critical print information is just a couple of clicks away. 

12. Shifts Focus To Primary Goals

A modern business’s success hinges on the efficiency of its IT department. Most of the time and resources spent by in-house IT teams should focus on critical activities, not print-related challenges and complexities. When an MPS provider takes control of a business’s print environment, it allows a business to hone in on core missions and values rather than spending time remediating printing issues. For a small or medium-sized organization, this can be a game-changer. 

13. Provides Around-The-Clock Support

In an MPS program, a third-party provider handles a business’s print management activities. However, businesses may occasionally need certain print-related information, data, assistance, or troubleshooting help. In an in-house model, this would require the time and effort of IT teams. However, with an MPS solution, businesses can simply access their provider on a 24/7 helpline to resolve their issue. 

14. Customizes Print Environments

No two businesses have the exact same requirements. This adage applies to printing needs as well. Small businesses, in particular, likely have very intricate print-related needs. By choosing an MPS provider instead of hosting print environments themselves, small businesses can achieve high degrees of customization without significant upfront expenses or infrastructure investments. 

15. Emphasizes Proactive Print Management

By choosing an MPS solution, small and medium businesses will ensure that they are one step ahead of any print-related challenge that may come their way. This is important because companies that don’t take a proactive approach to print management optimization often spend more. Since small businesses can’t afford to leak too much money, a proactive approach to print-related matters is essential. A proactive approach also results in continuous optimization, which is a must to succeed in today’s volatile markets.  

Conclusion

Managed print services benefit all companies. However, small and medium businesses will particularly benefit from MPS solutions. This is because smaller enterprises have limited resources, more nuanced requirements, and very specific core objectives and can’t afford to waste time and money on suboptimal print environments. For small and medium businesses, MPS should be the go-to option.

The benefits of managed print services are wide and varied for small and medium enterprises. MPS supports in-house IT teams, limits device and vendor sprawl, tracks print usage, reduces downtime, optimizes costs, enhances cybersecurity, strengthens compliance, and streamlines user experiences. It also boosts sustainability, improves scalability, centralizes print management, shifts the focus to core objectives, provides 24/7 support, customizes print environments, and always takes a proactive approach to print management. 

In a world where every second, resource, and dollar can make a difference, MPS solutions can transform the print environments of small and medium businesses into lean and mean powerhouses. The positive ripple effects can surprise even the most optimistic enterprises when activities like printing become streamlined.