"Companies are saying that managing print is one of the most effective ways to manage costs," - Frederico de Silva Leon, principal analyst at Gartner.The Print and Imaging Conference was recently held here in LA and Gartner chimed in with some observations of the MPS Ecosystem.
Based on an article over at Channel Web, Gartner is illustrating information most of us have been living with for two years now.
For instance, Gartner reports,
"Customers are also looking for ways to improve their business processes. Up to half of a knowledge worker's time could be spent printing and looking for documents,...This is a an area where we could see significant improvements."
Huh, who woulda thunk...And welcome to the party!
Maybe I am a little, what's the word, jaded - but isn't this the third generation of "johnny come lately's"? Me being part of the second.
That's fine, the MPS boat has lots of room.
In a nutshell, according to the article, Gartner believes:
- Companies should move to a three year refresh rate on printers
- Employees could be spending up to 50% of their time printing documents
- It is better to purchase a color device if monthly volume is below 5,000
- Printing hardware cost is falling
- Color pricing is falling
- Purchasing color devices that emit 5,000 images a month could save $1,000.00 per year
- Less 11x17 and more A4 devices would be better
- Keep an eye out for "smart MFP's"
Additionally, another principal research ananlyst with Gartner defined MPS as,
"...as a series of steps for cutting print costs, including an assessment of a company's current fleet of devices and printing requirements, technology and processes to optimize the management of that fleet, break-fix and management services, management of the hardware and consumables, and training..."
- I guess we can finally put this little debate aside.
But why stop at defining MPS, why not endulge in creating, I mean describing, MPS best practices:
-Create a strong corporate governance environment
-Carefully manage the transition to managed print services
-Holistic management of the service
Huh, again, who woulda thunk...Yes, I am being very sarcastic.
To be serious, I only ask, "Hey Gartner, where ya been for the last two years? Getting wine'd and dine'd by all those Upper Right Quadrant dwellers?"
'But why stop at defining MPS, why not endulge in creating, I mean describing, MPS best practices:'
ReplyDeleteHahahah! Well you know, they say it's all about creating wants. It seems to me MPS is a bureaucratic equivalent to social media: every business wants a piece of it, without knowing exactly what it entails.
I guess you get enough people talking about something and everyone else is bound to get curious. if anything, the failure to define MPS only adds to the interest!
I must say, we have been around this block so many times that now the "New" discussions are plain entertaining.
ReplyDeleteMPS was defined two years ago - and may have been correct at that time.
The MPS Ecosystem is so large and diverse it may be IMPOSSIBLE to honestly define.
But the manufacturers will try, their vision will be around hardware.
And the "pundits" will try, their vision around defining the mystery as continuously mysterious.
The Providers/Dealers will try, their vision driven by what they can provide.
Ultimately, the Clients will decide - decisions driven by needs, fueled by money.
Some definitions of MPS may be the result of a bureaucracy, which is never good.
The definition is organically grown in the field - by Clients - and fluxuates with the needs of those clients.
Pretty simple.
The Best Practices thing is starting to bubble up too. More people looking for them.
The Secret is, there are no best practices - yet.