Managed Print Services in Manufacturing: designing the path to success
The wave of digital transformation is affecting all industries, and so the landscape of manufacturing, much as any other industry, looks very different than it did just a year or two ago.
This seismic shift in the structure of work inevitably came with challenges for manufacturing, as with any movement towards a new era of digitization.
After a period of disruption, the return to relative normality means an adjustment to a different way of doing things. Hybrid working has taken center stage and organizations now count upon a restructured workforce spread across factories, offices, and remote work environments.
This period has meant that business leaders had to devise plans that maximized efficiency and encouraged flexibility, while ensuring an organizational culture that is adaptable to meet the demands of hybrid working.
Hybrid working pains
While many employees lauded the arrival of remote working, it proved to be particularly challenging for those in the manufacturing industry. Many managers and engineers had to be equipped with A4 printing devices so they could print, scan and share documents with the factory team while working between the office and home. Managers soon realized that this solution was good in theory, but the reality still required much adjustment to be truly efficient.
If left unmonitored, print costs can spiral. Without good device management, it can be very challenging to track and control how much employees working from home spend. Some will use color when it’s not needed, while others print excessively and rack up costs if there is not a set printing plan in place.
Downtime is also problematic for remote workers. In many cases, when a home printer is malfunctioning or when it runs out of toner, it takes too much time to escalate the issue to the right person. As a result, work is disrupted, possibly for a few days. Moreover, with so many printers linked to different internet connections, the security of company databases has become a major concern.
This transition has been overwhelming for many businesses and they need help. If only there was a simple, yet complete solution…
Managed Print Services: the hybrid working gamechanger.
The good news for manufacturers is that they don’t have to go it alone. Managed Print Services (MPS) represents the missing piece of the puzzle to getting hybrid working right.
MPS provides CFOs and managers with the real-time information and insights they need to analyze printing volumes across devices and departments. Color printing can be monitored, and flexible MPS providers will enable customers to change their requirements in line with production demand.
With MPS, manufacturers have been able to digitize and streamline their workflows, thus allowing on-site and remote working staff to collaborate and work together better and quicker than ever. The automation of simple tasks such as file sharing has been shown to drastically reduce administrative bottlenecks, thus boosting productivity and turn-around time.
In the hybrid working era, staff must be able to access, share and print documents when and where they want. The ability to print and scan employee contracts, customer orders or supplier bills on the go saves precious time. At a time when many managers and engineers work between the office and home, this is proving to be invaluable.
With Managed Print Services, organizations regain much needed control over their printing devices. Providers can proactively monitor devices and address potential issues before they even happen, thus reducing frustrating downtime. They can install updates remotely during off-peak times and help keep devices secure against new cybersecurity threats. There are no nasty surprises when it comes to MPS; if a printer performance is on the wane or toner levels are running low, MPS providers let you know and take the necessary actions right away. This approach helps minimize technician site visits and, more importantly, vastly reduces downtime.
MPS providers are also on hand to help compare current printing expenses with what businesses actually need. They help identify ways to reduce paper waste, as well as providing the tools needed to gain control over color printing.
Hybrid working is here for the long-haul, and teams and departments will continue to work together, very often from a distance. Thanks to its holistic approach to document solutions, MPS helps instantly create more efficient and interconnected workflows. Staff can now print, scan and share documents with teammates in a matter of seconds, regardless of location. This not only helps boost productivity, but also helps foster an organizational culture of agile collaboration.
With Managed Print Services, manufacturers instantly address existing pains, while uncovering new ways to add value to the organization. In the digital age, a “one size fits all” approach to printing devices has become redundant. Detailed fleet assessments allow dealers to create an in-depth profile of the client, highlighting areas for improvement. These data insights ensure providers deliver innovative solutions to real business pains. With MPS, it quickly becomes evident that increasing productivity while spending less can become a reality. The future of work is, simply, to work smarter.
Picture by Clayton Cardinalli
