Basic HTML Version
22 Print.IT Reseller
01732 759725
mps
business.
“MPS is all encompassing, includes
consumables and service support and is
delivered under one very simple and clear
contract,” says Derrick Murphy, Managing
Director of Reading-based Reflex Digital
Solutions.
“An MPS solution could cover just the
office environment, or could stretch to
centralised facilities such as mailrooms and
printrooms. An MPS provider should be linking
environments together to get the best for the
customer helping them to understand, control
and manage document costs so that the total
cost of ownership can ultimately be reduced.”
Single point of contact
Through the assessment, optimisation and
proactive ongoing management of the print
environment, businesses gain visibility into
print usage and costs, and can minimise their
IT burden by handing over administrative and
service tasks to an external provider. The key
element of a proactive MPS is one that uses
technology to monitor the print environment,
offering pre-emptive service and automated
supplies replenishment.
“More and more of the organisations
we talk to simply want a single point of
contact and accountability for all their print
requirements. At the end of the day, they
need the machines to work and when they’re
broken, they want them fixed,” says Goodall.
“Remote monitoring tools that enable
automatic toner replenishment and provide
fault notifications makes our job easier;
while manufacturer-led back-up and training
enables us to deliver a better customer
experience; all of which contributes to our
high customer retention levels.”
Spiralling costs, compliance concerns and
sustainability initiatives are pushing many
organisations to review the management
of their print infrastructure. The choice of
provider will depend on the MPS maturity
roadmap for each organisation. Those that
wish to avoid a rip-and-replace approach and
are looking to leverage existing investments
in a mixed device fleet should consider an
independent MPS provider.
Quocirca expects the landscape to
become more competitive as it broadens
to also include hardware vendor channel
partners and managed IT services providers,
all looking for a piece of the evolving MPS
opportunity.
www.quocirca.com,
www.m2.uk.com,
www.officeevolution.co.uk,
www.cos-nw.com,
www.reflex-digital.co.uk
M2 and Balfour Beatty
Business challenges
Balfour Beatty’s Managed Print Programme
is a fundamental part of the group’s Head
Office approach to drive efficiency across the
business. Previously, operating companies
within the group acquired desktop printers,
consumables and ancillary items on an
individual basis, while also obtaining some
equipment from a host of other suppliers
and channels. This meant there was no
central repository of print assets and there
was a significantly higher cost to Balfour
Beatty of procurement through disparate
channels.
Balfour Beatty sought a MPS with
the aim of reducing the cost of print,
rationalising the printer fleet, providing cost
transparency, improving sustainability and
integrating MPS with the IT infrastructure.
To identify the most sophisticated and
proficient MPS solution, Balfour Beatty
engaged in a competitive tender process
over a period of six months, including all
the key UK suppliers. Following that process,
M2 was awarded preferred supplier status
and asked to complete a proof of concept
over an eight month period. Once M2 had
successfully completed this it was given an
ongoing contract and asked to migrate the
entire Balfour Beatty UK business to MPS.
MPS delivery
The first step was to identify the
requirements at each Balfour Beatty
site. Initially the focus was on the main
offices. M2 visited each site appraising
the requirements of each department and
interviewed employees to understand their
print needs.
As an independent provider, M2 used its
wide range of manufacturer agreements to
advise Balfour on the best device options
depending on the individual needs of each
department. M2 rationalised the printer
fleet from 40 suppliers to one main supplier,
consolidating the printing estate into a
series of ‘central’ multifunctional devices.
The MPS also included pull printing, which
enables documents to be released only
when a user authenticates at a device.
Benefits gained
M2 has addressed Balfour’s cost reduction
objectives, reducing its cost of printing
by over £750,000 in the first year of the
agreement. Further benefits gained included:
Improved service quality.
As a
centralised supplier, M2 provides a single
point of contact for device maintenance and
support. Remote management minimises
device downtime.
Visibility and transparency.
By
consolidating the fleet to one supplier,
Balfour Beatty now has complete visibility
of the entire print estate through centralised
reporting tools provided by M2. This allows
the business to review and plan for future
business changes. Individual service level
agreements have been made around core
deliverables and these are reported on a
monthly basis.
Optimised sustainability.
Through device
consolidation and the use of energy efficient
equipment, Balfour Beatty is forecast to
reduce energy consumption by 45% at
the end of the first year. To meet Balfour’s
enterprise-wide carbon reduction policy, M2
helped the company save approximately
965,000 sheets of paper in 2011 and 2,600
kilograms of CO2.
Reduced IT burden.
M2’s software
captures meter readings from all devices,
eliminating the need for the IT department’s
involvement. Rather than contact Balfour
Beatty’s IT department with printing
problems, users now call M2’s help desk,
enabling Balfour Beatty’s IT staff to focus
on other areas of their IT infrastructure.
Spiralling
costs,
compliance
concerns and
sustainability
initiatives are
pushing many
organisations
to review the
management
of their print
infrastructure.
...continued