Quocirca's Straight Talking: Print issues in black and white

Who controls printing and imaging? Responsibility is often scattered - so control and costs go out the window. One answer is managed print services, argues Louella Fernandes.

Despite the growth in digital communications and promises of the paperless office, printed documents remain critical to most enterprises. Which is why the print environment should be managed just like any other element of the IT infrastructure and with the same strategic focus.

In fact printing and imaging are becoming more complex and costly to manage. They account for between one and three per cent of an organisation's total revenue, according to industry estimates.

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Most organisations simply do not know how much their print environment costs. Many businesses do not even know how many printers they have, how many pages are printed daily, the operating costs or the total printing cost across the enterprise.

There are several reasons why organisations have so little insight and control. First, the management of the printing environment is often split between IT, procurement, facilities, department managers and even individual users.

These groups typically operate independently, resulting in organisations owning a range of printing devices from multiple vendors with incompatible software, consumables and supplies.

Uncoordinated procurement is not only time consuming but also costly because it reduces purchasing power and complicates service control.

An unmanaged print environment also reduces productivity and creates support headaches and problems with supplies.

Uncontrolled printing also raises security issues - through the printed documents themselves but also through the data stored in device memory or hard drives.

When it comes to the total cost of ownership, most organisations do not fully understand the hidden costs of printing. This relates not only to the upfront purchase price but also the running costs - consumables, power, maintenance and support - and environmental impact.

On top of all this, few organisations have document accounting systems that accurately measure the true usage for printing and imaging.

A fragmented and disparate printing environment is unmanageable, strategically ineffective and costly - but through better print management these problems can be mitigated.

Often organisations initially assess their print environment themselves to save money. But many eventually turn to outside specialists with managed print services because of the scale, complexity and escalating costs of printing.

Managed print services control all or some of the print environment and optimise a mixture of printing and imaging equipment, efficient network controls and improved workflows.

By consolidating existing equipment, managing supplies and remote print management, businesses can reduce costs, improve productivity for IT, end-users, procurement and facilities.

Many organisations hand over only certain elements of managing their print infrastructure to a third party. Features to look for in a managed print service are:

• Document assessments
  This is the first step to understanding current printing costs and how savings can be achieved by making printing more efficient and adapting document workflows.
• Utility-based pricing models
  Contracts offer a range of pricing models, in contrast to the traditional pay-as-you-go model where consumables are bought as required. Contracts can be usage-based or cost-per-page, telling the customer upfront what the cost of printing will be each month and covering everything from the equipment and consumables, to maintenance and helpdesk support.
• Multi-vendor management
  This is important where organisations need to retain multiple brands because of functionality or cost. Independent specialists are worth considering, although some manufacturers such as HP and Xerox also offer multivendor support and a single point of contact and accountability for negotiation, procurement and management of multiple service contracts.
• Ongoing management and support
  Often managed print service providers will take complete control of the administration, monitoring, maintenance and support of the printing environment which can include an extended helpdesk facility dedicated to print-related problems.
• Document workflow
  This can involve integrating paper processes with electronic business processes using either a manufacturer's own proprietary tools or third-party document capture and workflow software.
• Change management
  Through training and education a managed print service provider needs to address the technical and cultural impact of shifting to new printing practices.

Whether printing is managed in-house or outsourced to specialists, any print strategy must gain the backing of departments to manage because it may need to evolve as business needs change.

A think-big-start-small approach can quickly demonstrate how assessing and optimising the printing practices of one department or location can eventually translate into savings and efficiency improvements across the enterprise.

For more details on how better print management can create business value download Quocirca's white paper Creating the Print Intelligent Enterprise.

A leading user-facing analyst house known for its focus on the big picture, Quocirca is made up of a team of experts in technology and its business implications. The team includes Clive Longbottom, Bob Tarzey, Rob Bamforth, Dennis Szubert, Louella Fernandes and Fran Howarth. Their series of columns for silicon.com seeks to demystify the latest jargon and business thinking. For a full summary of the consultancy's activities, see www.quocirca.com.