What "Value" Should Your Managed Print Services Program Provide?

While there are many ways of demonstrating value in your MPS solution, it all starts with understanding the everyday business problems of your customers relative to the proper management of their print environment. So what business problems should your MPS solution help solve? Here's five (5) for consideration:

1. Cost Identification: First and foremost, it should assist your customer in properly identify ALL costs of print in their current environment. This should be broken down by categories:

Hard Costs - Direct and Indirect

Soft Costs - Direct and Indirect

Helping them to understand ALL costs of print and to appropriately quantify the "hidden costs" they may not be aware of (few are), is key to the process of demonstrating value.

2. Fleet Management: Help your customer to understand how they can better utilize their existing print devices. Fleet management is an important element of a strategic MPS solution. There's little sense in throwing new devices at a solution until you understand what you have; what's working and what's not! Focus on process management.

3. Device Optimization: Right sizing is made easy with the right print management software. Helping your customer to identify over and underutilized devices goes a long way in becoming strategic. Right sizing of print environments is a business problem that your customer should deal with; one that your solution should help solve.

4. Reducing Operational Overhead: Help your customer quantify the inefficiencies associated with the misuse of resources associated with a poorly manage process. Again, focus on the process; what are they doing; what are their current processes for problem resolution; how does your solution change the process; what impact will your MPS solution have; how will it save them hard dollars and/or improve resource allocation.

5. Data Transparency: Data will make you strategic and data transparency will foster trust and deepen your relationship with your customer. This is their print environment and their information; make it easy for them to access and understand.

What would you add to this list? Your input is valued and appreciated.