The next generation of managed print services - Canon

By Valerie Belli

The idea of managing output to reduce operational costs is not a new concept. While Managed Print Services (MPS) is a newer term, this concept is a mature service offering that was introduced over a decade ago. Today, most MPS programs claim to save customers between 10-30% by reducing total print devices. But what happens when you look beyond the immediate cost savings and consider a long-term vision? What can a next generation strategic output services program deliver?

To start, far greater returns than the simple immediate reduction in invoiced print costs. It is a long-term transformation plan and partnership with a vendor that manages beyond the device that will allow you to achieve real cost savings, business process improvement, and environmental benefits. Still not sure? Here are some questions to consider:

Can you see beyond your print hardware to the critical document workflows that support your business?

The historic MPS program places emphasis on supporting images on paper across the enterprise. This type of program focuses on reducing device counts, but not necessarily volumes. While this offers an opportunity for savings, the vision is limited. The more valuable, next generation Strategic Output Services program, not only focuses on reduced devices, but also on reduced total output, your document workflow, and how this workflow ties into critical back office systems. This new program allows you to think about the workflows that are important to your business and guides you toward optimization based upon Industry Best Practices. 

Do you receive pointed, custom reporting that reveals strategic insights regarding your output environment and measures against Industry Best Practices?

The historic MPS program offers web-based tools that allow an organization to manually pull down reports that provide basic data on fleet volumes and service level activity. The information is valuable but the process to thoroughly analyze and build an effective solution is a time-consuming one. The next generation of programs is more strategic in its approach and therefore understands enterprise business goals and develops custom reports that reveal output activity pertinent to both the MPS contract and the long term goals of the program.  Analysts at the services provider will interpret and advise within the reports. This allows you to remain in the driver's seat, while letting your industry-expert navigate you through your output services strategy.

You have achieved initial savings through MPS, but what is your long-term vision for transforming your print environment?

The historic MPS program presents organizations immediate but limited cost saving opportunities based upon a one-time change or installation. The initial hard-cost savings is immediate, but short-sighted. Far from a one-time project, the process of optimizing workflows must remain ongoing; processes must be in place to continually review changing core business requirements against your strategic output strategy. The more valuable, next generation strategic output services program focuses on the long-term end-game, working with you to develop a 3-5 year vision that offers long-term hard and soft cost savings, business process improvement and environmental benefits that are concrete and measurable.

It's time to look ahead and make decisions that will have a real impact on future processes & costs.  It's time to look beyond a one-time change to the opportunity for future gains. It's time to look to your provider to deliver a bold new solution that goes way beyond a technology and offers the vision to develop a strategic output services program. And that bold next step is about great workflow design, about people who can execute both onsite and off-site, and about the application of the right software and technology to make it work in your environment.

Real savings and improvements are possible. But this opportunity isn't about the easiest or cheapest solution. To get where you want to go, you need to take this seriously and be willing to make the right change up front. Because a bad decision, a poorly executed plan or the wrong program will set you back 3-5 years.

This new approach has generated proven success. Review the case study below.

BUSINESS CHALLENGE

In 2009, Canon Business Solutions, Inc., a Canon U.S.A. company, was given the opportunity to prepare a formal presentation for a major global information technology management software company. This organization was very interested in best practices, cost recovery, green initiatives, and a total output management plan. With no current strategy in place, this client wanted to reduce its overall footprint, track spending and track device usage, but was very concerned with obtaining end-user buy-in to this new approach. The opportunity was a perfect fit for the capabilities of the Business Services Division for Canon Business Solutions, (BSD).

SOLUTION

BSD presented a solution to Director and VP level Executives from the client's Procurement, Global Facilities and IT groups. The recommendation offered immediate opportunity for savings but what made the biggest impact to the solution and the client was the more efficient long-term strategies for managing the current print environment. This approach provided the perfect balance of design, people and technology needed to optimize multi-function device (MFD) usage, reducing machine counts, increasing utilization, increasing efficiency, and decreasing impact on the environment.

To address the end-user concerns, BSD presented a complete change management program consisting of communication plans, training documents for end users, training for IT Staff, site signage, user guides, voice-over tutorials placed on the client's intranet, on-site training and web-ex training.  Change Management was a vital part in winning this business.  Getting top level buy-in not only with the concept, but the actual implementation of the plan was what made this a successful project.

Benefits

As a result of BSD's strong solution design, exemplary people supporting the account, and cutting edge technologies implemented, this client has reduced their MFD fleet from over 300+ units throughout the US to 225 devices; a significant savings, but that was just the beginning.

Because of the strategic plan developed, this client has been able to achieve the following successes:

• Removal of an estimated 60% of their single function devices with plans for further fleet rightsizing
• Overall printing reduction by about 40%
• Increased duplexing by an estimated 70%
• Removal of hundreds of thousands of lost printed pages due to the removal of banner page printing and the ability to delete unnecessary/incorrect jobs through use of a queue management system (prior to printing).

The savings experienced by this client have been significant.  One key performance measurement has been page volume and it has been equated to the number of trees saved by the reduction.  To date, this client has saved over 1,000 trees and several hundred thousand dollars directly linked to a reduction in total output. To commemorate the savings, the client has begun a tree planting program on its premises as a reminder of the impact their strategic output services program is having on its financial health and the environment.