Xerox

We often hear about Managed Print Services as an example of the Internet of Things. We discuss how analytics drive the MPS roadmap, and how document security reduces breaches in digital workflows. These sophisticated topics we now associate with MPS, but let’s not forget what started it all — the devices themselves.

In your job, you may never have to pay much attention to the printers, scanners and MFPs that share the office space. And that’s as it should be, but don’t underestimate those devices. They’ve come a long way, and now they contribute to many corporate initiatives:

When you’re running a busy print shop, it’s easy to be so focused on getting the work out that you don’t have the time to look at the bigger picture and ask some important questions.

How has the market changed? Are you keeping up or falling behind? How do you stack up against the competition? Does your business model still make sense? Where will you be in a year – or five years?

Often, the answers to these and other questions come down to the technology you’re using. After all, you’re only as productive, efficient and competitive as your press(es). And if you haven’t upgraded in the last few years, you may be missing out on new business, or new opportunities with existing clients.

Let’s look at four signs indicating it may be time to upgrade your print technology.

1. You’re selling on price

You may have seen coverage like this of another printer hack job. The hacker’s program scoured the Internet for printers that were online, but didn’t have basic security controls enabled. Over 150,000 networked printers were compromised, but this hacker appeared to want to alert people to the risks, rather than do actual harm.

Still, it’s a wake-up call for organizations to be responsible for the security of their endpoints. If you have Managed Print Services, your MPS partner should offer specialized support to protect your devices and the information and processes they touch.

Checklist for MPS Security Capabilities
When you have device fleets, paper and digital workflow, and employees who use both, it’s essential to work with an MPS professional who understands how to secure information in a complex workplace. Here are some things to consider as you evaluate the security skills of an MPS provider:

Everywhere I look, companies are introducing new digital services and re-engineering business processes to capture the value of technology innovation. But with the challenges of this transformation, it’s also easy to see how opportunities get missed – even when you think you’ve got every base covered. One critical factor I frequently see overlooked is the value of document analytics in transformation programs.

Document analytics opens up a whole new level of business intelligence – it’s a real hidden gem. I work with a lot of companies that use document analytics to unlock strategic value through having a better understanding of how, where, and why documents are used across their business. They can benchmark these insights against their peers, identify the potential for additional savings and efficiency, and get a clear view of which processes need to be improved.

When it comes to saving money and boosting productivity, most small and medium businesses (SMBs) tend to think big. Their focus goes to large equipment, workflows, and concerns about overhead costs. Suddenly cost cutting seems complex and challenging. What if there was one small, simple change that could add up to big savings? There is.

The humble toner has undergone a makeover in recent years, becoming easier to use while also growing less expensive. Everything from the way you use it to the way you replace it has evolved. Are you keeping up?

1. New advancements mean lower costs