The definition of a partner is one who works with you towards a common goal, or endeavor. In the case of Managed Print Services, the provider you partner with should not only know all there is to know about MPS, but have a genuine interest in helping you to succeed.
Your ideal partner will get to know you and your business in order to find the best opportunities for cost savings, streamlining workflow, and reducing your impact on the environment.
Read on for some great tips on what to look for, and how to find, the best MPS provider for your business:
- Experience matters. Ask your potential hire how much experience they have with businesses similar to yours. Don’t be afraid to ask for references: those who are proud of the work they have done will be happy to provide them.
- It’s all about you. No two businesses are exactly alike, including their print needs, or infrastructure. Ask the MPS provider how they will go about defining your needs and what tools they’ll use to determine your usage and costs.
- Flexibility is key. Your provider should have a plan that incorporates both hard copy and digital documents, integrating both processes seamlessly.
- What about integration? Ensure your MPS provider has a plan of action that integrates well with your existing IT infrastructure, with access to cloud applications and mobile printing capabilities.
- Look towards the future. Choose a partner who can easily meet your needs as your business continues to grow over the next 6 months, year, or beyond.
- Stay safe. Internal hard drives in print equipment, wireless technology and cloud computing, can all place your confidential client and company data at risk for a security breach. Ask how they will keep your information safe.
- Respect the environment. Does your potential partner have a plan for waste reduction, and recycling? Is the print equipment energy efficient? Do they plan to utilize cloud technology to reduce print volumes?
Partnering with the right Managed Print Services provider allows you to focus on other aspects of your business while being secure in the knowledge that the management of your print environment is in good hands.
Need help managing your office printing volumes and costs? Allied can help!
One of the most important things to do when it comes to looking for the perfect managed print service provider is to look for a partner who can easily meet the needs as the business continues to grow over time and into the future as well as finding one who’s flexible enough when it comes to having both hard and digital copies of your documents. Another thing to look out for is experience definitely matters and it’s completely okay to ask for references so that you can be assured of the services that they’re willing to give you. If I had the chance to be able to ask about more details on how to become a managed print service provider I would take these criteria and use it to potentially look for a partner willing to help keep the business afloat.