Apogee events blurry convention photo
2018 LUPC & SUPC Conference
3 May 2018
Apogee employees
Managed Print Services (MPS) Accessible to All Organisations
13 June 2018
Apogee events blurry convention photo
2018 LUPC & SUPC Conference
3 May 2018
Apogee employees
Managed Print Services (MPS) Accessible to All Organisations
13 June 2018

What to Expect From a Managed Service Provider

Have you been considering using a Managed Service Provider? Our blog will share everything you need to know before you commit to a partnership - discover the role they play, the benefits of bringing them on-board, and the criteria you should use to choose one.

 

What is a Managed Service Provider?

A Managed Workplace Service provider is a company who handles the outsourcing, on a proactive basis, management responsibilities and functions and a strategic method to improve operations and control business costs.

The managed workplace services business model differs from other types of channel companies, such as value-added resellers (VARs). Managed workplace service providers typically use a number of differing pricing models such as a per-device, per-user and all-inclusive pricing, with responsibilities contracted under service level agreements (SLAs).

handshake-between four businesspeople around coffee table

There are a number of different services that fall under the "Managed Service Provider" umbrella, such as:

  • Managed IT Services. Never stress over faulty and inefficient technology again - these Managed Service Providers take on the management of all your PCs and other devices. They are monitored for threats, repaired if any issues arise, and replaced once they become outdated. 
  • Managed Print Services. These Managed Service Providers handle all aspects of an organisation's document infrastructure, including printing devices, scanners, faxes, copiers, software and all support services. Key areas of focus may be security - to keep important information under wraps - or long-term efficiency and cost-saving.
  • Outsourced Document Services. If you've assessed that it would be easier to take your complex printing needs off-site, these Managed Service Providers can ensure your needs are always met, with the output completely scalable to your requirements.
  • Digital Workplace Solutions. These Managed Service Providers find the perfect digital solutions to optimise your workspace. You may choose this because your workplace technology and processes do not match your needs, or because you want to find new ways to make work more efficient and seamless for in-person, hybrid and remote workers alike.
 
 

What to Expect

Organisations who work with a managed service provider will have different levels of expectation depending on the nature and extent of the service provision, but can typically experience various contractual obligations relating to:

  • Service levels
  • Support levels
  • Device uptime
  • Account and management duties
  • Routine technological updates
  • Backup and business continuity
  • Continual development

Managed Print providers will deliver their services in accordance with the contracted SLAs which can be tailored to the organisations specific requirements. Service response times, the frequency of support or preventative maintenance visits and many other key performance indicators (KPIs) are agreed beforehand and contracted within the SLAs so that customers are clear on what they will receive from the service and how they will benefit.

print photocopier engineer opt

The service performance is continuously monitored, assessed and reported on by account managers so that both parties understand if the SLAs are being met and how the service can be adapted to better suit the organisation going forwards.

If any aspect of the service requires modifying – such as adding additional print devices to the contract, configuring new software to the print infrastructure or adjusting the levels of support needed – then this will typically be handled by account managers or customer service teams. Most Managed Workplace Service contracts are flexible enough to be updated if and when required.

 
 

Benefits of working with a Managed Workplace Service provider

Adopting Managed Workplace Services is an efficient way to stay up-to-date on technology, have access to skills and address issues related to cost, quality of service and risk. Here is a more detailed look into the main benefits of working with a Managed Workplace Service provider:

Security

In the digital age we live and work in, it is surprising how many organisations still don’t have effective control over information security, their data, and multi-functional devices (MFDs). An established Managed Workplace Services provider will recommend numerous security measures to safeguard your company's data and work towards GDPR compliance.

Green Printing

Printing is inherently wasteful in-house - errors are made, paper and ink are wasted, and large jobs sent to small printers skyrocket the cost per page. Outsourcing your document printing with a Managed Service Provider therefore reduces the environmental impact of your print function, but can also reduce excessive costs, improve efficiency and cut waste and misuse.

overhead forest green trees print releaf

Optimise Efficiency

Document assessments will immediately identify any wasteful practices within your organisation and focus on implementing changes to improve this. Too many organisations still waste valuable staff time handling documents that could be replaced by a simple process or even a cloud-based document management solution that removes the need to handle physical documents entirely.

By combining the latest software with best-of-breed hardware, Managed Workplace Service providers can offer a range of benefits to your organisation including improved cost control, reduced waste and an innovative approach which all results in a more efficient philosophy.

Cost Control

A Managed Print Service will allow your organisation to take complete control of printing expenditure and understand precisely how much it costs to produce each page of printing, copying or scanning. It is widely reported that MPS solutions can help companies save up to 40% on all document-related activity.

Print management software can help minimise waste and reduce expenditure, while providing centralised control of printing and copying. The introduction and enforcement of a flexible print policy, whereby restrictions can be set on who prints what and with automatic routing of print jobs to cheaper devices, allows you to reduce your printing costs significantly. It also allows department or document-type rules to be set, in instances where print jobs need to be sent to devices with specific finishing options or higher quality outputs.

 
 

How to Choose a Managed Workplace Service Provider

Before Reaching Out to Managed Service Providers

Before you even begin to look into Managed Service Providers, there’s important work you need to do internally so you’re thoroughly prepared:

  1. Conduct an internal assessment of your processes, workflows and systems.
  2. Establish a growth mindset - be prepared to make changes and trust expert opinions.
  3. Set clear goals your chosen partners can work by - consider what your KPIs are from this endeavour.

After Reaching Out to Managed Service Providers

When researching which Managed Workplace Service provider to select, undoubtedly, there will be numerous company-specific questions you will want to ask to identify which is best suited to your organisation and document requirements. It is also important to understand and benchmark key common criteria to decide which company has the best credentials, values and business practices. 

Once you have a shortlist of Managed Service Providers, there are many questions you should start asking them to assess whether their organisation is a good match for yours, including:

  • What’s their onboarding process like?
  • How do they price their services? 
  • Is their solution scalable, to accommodate your projected growth?
  • How do they ensure compliance and cybersecurity?
  • What kind of experience do they have in your industry?
  • Which channels will they use to communicate with you?
  • How do they manage reporting?
  • What are their processes for disaster recovery?

But there are three key areas you need to interrogate. Here are the most important questions that you should ask prospective Managed Workplace Service providers.

HP BPS Elitebook 8 Windows 11

1. Accreditation/Certification

Every Managed Workplace Service provider worth their salt should have various credentials awarded by external bodies that evaluate their quality and ethical business practices. Our accreditations include: ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 27001, Cyber Essentials, and Safecontractor. If a prospective service provider cannot demonstrate sufficient industry standards, then you might consider speaking to other organisations.

2. Partnerships or Independence

A critical question to ask is what partnerships the Managed Workplace Service provider has with OEM’s or software providers. Typically, companies are known as manufacturers, mono-brand, multi-brand or independent Managed Workplace Service providers – referring to the amount of different solutions they are able to offer.

If you’re considering a manufacturer, mono-brand or even multi-brand Managed Print provider, then you are going to be limited to the amount of solutions they can provide. This restricts the possible offerings to your organisation and means that software, hardware or support service combinations may not be best-in-class, best-of-breed or the most ideal available.

Independent service providers have access to the whole of the market and blend the perfect mix of document technology and services to meet your organisations current and future needs.

3. Contingency

No matter how reliable a service is, there are times when disruptions are unavoidable. It is important that you understand what measures your Managed Workplace Service provider has taken to mitigate risk and assist your business with keeping core practices like printing up and running in times of need.

Managed Print companies that offer additional layers of contingency, above and beyond normal service procedures, can be a very attractive option to organisations. These might include outsourcing capabilities or disaster recovery facilities.

Having the peace of mind that document processes can be outsourced to dedicated facilities to produce, or even taken directly to specialist DR sites by staff to complete, can make all the difference to forward thinking organisations.

outsourced it services woman at computer with multiple monitors

 
 

A Managed Workplace Service Provider for Your Organisation

Does your organisation currently leverage a Managed Workplace Service provider to handle all the responsibilities of your print and document infrastructure?

The advantages of using a Managed Workplace Services provider are attractive and it’s rare for companies to not benefit from using a specialist provider to handle a core business practice like printing.

If you would like to find out more about how Apogee can help your organisation optimise its performance, then speak to our Strategic Accounts team today by completing the contact form below.

 

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