Selecting the Right Managed Print Services Solution - Part Fourteen

This series discusses some of the key factors in selecting the right MPS solution for your organization. As an independent, time is precious. Having fewer resources than national service organizations and the OEM's, you need to quickly assess your options, make your selection and implement it. Hopefully, the questions we are posing help you in this process.



The goal of this series is to present a list of potential requirements you would have for a complete MPS solution. Some of the items on this list may not pertain to you at the start, but you should still consider them when evaluating and selecting the right solution. Our next item on the list is:

Do you have the choice on who services your account?

You have a variety of options when selecting an MPS solution for use in your organization.  Many of them offer to manage toner fulfillment.  Others will provide a network of service providers to manage the service needs of your MPS customers.

These kinds of solutions can seem ideal for the independent dealer, particularly those that don't have a servicing arm to their organization.  What could be easier than to sell the deals and have your solution provider manage the back end management part?

When evaluating these types of solutions, make sure you are asking the right question to ensure that you will get the backend support you need without losing the ability to make important business decisions, or worse, exposing your client list to a potential competitor.

A few things you should consider:

1. Is the solution backed by an OEM?  Printer manufacturers have a robust service network in place that can cover most of the country.  Most of these companies have started bypassing the dealers to sell MPS direct to corporate accounts.  This makes them potential competition in your market for business.  
2. If the solution provides toner fulfillment, do you have any say in this process?  Can you choose compatible cartridges or must you use OEM?  What if there are quality issues?  
3. Can you manage some service tickets in house and send other service requests to the solution provider for management?  Is it an "all or nothing" proposition?
4. Do you have the option to select which provider in their network is sent out?  Can you prevent a direct competitor from being sent to your customers' facilities?
5. Are you given the contact information of the service provider in case you have questions or need clarification on work performed?
6. Will the solution manage your customers' entire environment?  Do they place restrictions according to manufacturer, technology (laser versus ink) or billing mechanism?  If so, how to you manage the rest of their needs?

What other factors related to your selecting an MPS solution should be considered?  Are the benefits of using a solution that provides toner and service outweighed by the restrictions that are often in place?  What has your experience been?