For many businesses, printing is a vital part of daily operations. From invoices and contracts to marketing materials and internal documents, the office printer stays busy. With that comes the task of managing your office print devices – from ordering supplies to scheduling maintenance and repairs – which becomes inevitably more involved if you have more than one printing device throughout your office. Which let’s face it, most organizations do. In a previous blog post, we discussed the importance of reliable printer service and repair, and a great way to find this is through managed print services providers. A good MPS provider makes it so you never have to think twice about the management of your printers and who to turn to when you have printer issues. But with many managed print services providers out there, how do you know that you’re selecting the right one for your organization? Let’s dive into 5 top criteria for evaluating managed print services providers.
5 Top Criteria for Evaluating Potential Managed Print Services Providers
A good MPS provider can bring tremendous value and benefits to your organization when it comes to the management of your print environment. Here are five essential criteria to consider when evaluating potential managed print services providers:
- Experience and Expertise
You wouldn’t trust a novice pilot to fly your plane, would you? Similarly, when it comes to your organization’s printing infrastructure, experience matters. When evaluating managed print services providers, look for a provider with a proven track record and deep expertise in the MPS landscape.
- How long have they been in the business? A longer history often indicates stability and a wealth of knowledge. It’s also important to look for providers who offer more than just hardware support – a good MPS partner should be able to assess your current print environment, identify inefficiencies, and recommend tailored solutions.
- What industries have they served? Experience in your specific industry can be a significant advantage, as they’ll likely understand your unique printing needs and compliance requirements. Don’t be afraid to ask for case studies or client references.
- What certifications do they hold? It’s important that your MPS provider has a team of qualified and manufacturer-certified technicians that can service different printer manufacturers and models.
- Responsiveness
Imagine your main office printer grinding to a halt right before you need to print documents for a critical client presentation or marketing materials for an upcoming conference. When evaluating managed print services providers, it’s important to know that you will receive a timely and efficient response to your service needs.
- What are their service level agreements (SLAs)? It’s important to understand their guaranteed response times for support requests and on-site maintenance.
- How accessible is their support team? Do they offer multiple channels for contact (phone, email, online portal)? Are their support hours aligned with your business needs? Do they provide remote phone triage prior to dispatching a technician to set you up for the most streamlined service?
- Do they offer proactive monitoring? A good provider will often monitor your devices remotely, anticipating potential issues and addressing them before they cause disruptions.
- Quality of Service
Not all service is created equal when it comes to managed print services providers. In addition to the actual labor performed by the technician to get your device back up and running, and of course their professionalism when interacting with customers, equally as important is the quality of the supplies and parts they use to service your equipment.
- What is their approach to maintenance and repairs? Do they have certified technicians? What is their first-time fix rate? Are their technicians professional and consistent with performance?
- What is the quality of the supplies they provide? Using high-quality Original Equipment Manfuacturer (OEM) supplies and parts is extremely important when it comes to the performance and lifespan of your printer. Using bargain or non-OEM toner and parts can have a severely negative impact on your printers.
- Do they offer training and onboarding? A smooth implementation process and adequate training for your staff are essential for a successful partnership.
- Cost-Effective and Customizable Offerings
“One-size-fits-all” rarely works in business, and MPS is no exception. Your printing needs will differ based on your size, industry, and workflow, so it’s important when evaluating managed print services providers that you consider not only cost but also how effectively they can meet your needs and continue to do so as your business evolves over time.
- Is their pricing transparent? Understand all the costs involved, including costs per page, hidden or bundled fees, early termination penalties, and price escalations.
- Do they offer flexible contract options? Look for managed print services providers who can tailor their offerings to your specific requirements and budget.
- Can they scale their services as your business grows? Your MPS solution should be able to adapt as your business changes, whether that’s scaling up or down.
- Customer Support
A good MPS provider is more than just a vendor, they act more like a partner and are invested in providing true value to your business. Excellent customer support goes beyond just fixing broken printers.
- Do they have a knowledgeable and responsive customer service team? Just as important as the service technicians performing the repair on your devices is the customer support staff who receive your service requests. Are they knowledgeable? Are they able to connect you to right team quickly? Are you able to talk to a human rather than an automated answering service?
- Do they assign a dedicated account manager? Having a single point of contact can streamline communication and escalate the resolution of your needs whether you have questions, need service, etc.
- Do they regularly review your printing environment and provide business reviews? This demonstrates their commitment to ongoing improvement and transparency. Additionally, a good MPS partner will continuously look for ways to provide recommendations to improve your printing efficiency and reduce costs, not just keep selling you new equipment.
Making Your Final Decision
Choosing the right MPS provider can make all the difference when it comes to mitigating the stress, headaches, and frustrations associated with managing office printers. Don’t shy away from requesting detailed proposals from your top 2-3 choices, asking for client references, and reviewing contract terms carefully, especially regarding exit clauses and cost escalators.
By thoroughly evaluating potential providers against these five essential criteria – experience and expertise, responsiveness, quality of service, cost-effective and customizable offerings, and customer support – you can confidently select a provider who will transform your printing from a source of frustration into a seamless and cost-effective operation. When you find the right MPS partner, printing becomes a strategic asset—not just a necessary expense.
