NEWS


Driving operational efficiency through the print network


In the first of a series of articles, Graham Cox takes a look at the latest trend in document imaging – managed print services. Here he looks at the case for managed print services, and some of the challenges to be overcome…


P


ressure to strip out unnecessary costs and drive


operational efficiency


is leading many public sector organisations to scrutinise their IT infrastructure. With the potential to impact everything from employee productivity and efficiency to energy consumption and carbon emissions, IT represents a large target to aim at when seeking improved performance and reduced costs.


While great strides have been made in reducing power consumption in data centres and developing thin client solutions, one of the quickest and most substantial wins where IT is concerned lies in the more prosaic world of the print network.


Recent research by Kyocera showed that, on average, IT departments spend a third of their time dealing with printer and copier problems and that the average employee prints around 10,000 sheets of paper per year, two thirds of which they admit is wasted.


These two factors alone demonstrate the general inefficiency of printing. Add to this the fact that, despite the hi-tech alternatives available, printing is increasing exponentially in the workplace, and the case for deploying a leaner and more efficient printing system is easily made.


Talk to anyone in the document imaging industry at the moment and it won’t be long before the


Jul/Aug 10


topic of MPS - managed print services - comes up.


Legacy print networks often suffer from poor management information, distributed and uncontrolled supplies purchasing, outdated hardware and a disconnect between hardware and document management systems.


In contrast, a managed print service neatly wraps up all elements into a single, transparent and streamlined contract that, at best, can reduce operating costs by up to 30%. It can also have a dramatic effect on productivity and efficiency through the deployment of print management software, the development of a comprehensive print policy and the outsourcing of support provision.


Despite these obvious benefits of managed print services, there remain challenges to be factored in before embarking on a major project. These relate to issues such as user acceptance, speed and scale of deployment, scope of the project and the


identification of organisation- specific requirements that need to be catered for.


Rationalisation


Deploying a managed print service generally entails a rationalisation of the number of printing devices – indeed, a large element of the initial cost saving is derived from having less hardware and consequently lower energy consumption.


In the past, printers have had a habit of sneaking into the workplace, to the extent that many organisations have no definite view of how many devices they have and in which locations they are sited.


One of the first steps in the MPS process is a comprehensive audit of the current infrastructure to determine the devices an organisation possesses and the usage of those devices. Thus


FOR MORE INFORMATION


More information about MPS can be found at: W: www.kyoceramita.co.uk/index/mds.htm


pse 11


a picture is built up of the flow of documents around the organisation and a design can be created that ensures the right device is located at the right point.


Rationalising the number of devices reduces the amount of printing carried out by default. Kyocera’s survey showed that those with personal printers printed on average three times more than those who shared a printer with ten or more colleagues.


Whatever the economic case for reducing the number of printers in an organisation, however, there is an important communications exercise to be carried out with users before you deprive them of “their” printers.


Kyocera’s survey showed that 57% of office workers who don’t currently share a printer were concerned about the security and confidentiality of their documents if they were required to share a printer. If users don’t understand the benefits of changing the way they work, resistance could derail the benefits of the project.


User engagement is just one of the challenges in undertaking an MPS project. In future articles we will look more closely at this and other challenges involved in moving to a managed print service.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68