Achieve Managed Print Services Immortality "...Simply By Doing One...Great...Thing..." - Keep Walking

1/2011

There is a great deal of "automation" in our little niche; auto - fulfillment, remote monitoring, M2M communication, auto-generated assessments, proposals, SOW's, Twitter-bots, RSS, on and on.

Hi-technology effects the basic tenants of human existence; both eroding basic, physical contact and expanding our "social network".

Doesn't leave all that much room for us humans, eh?

Fear not, take a walk.

Extend that Human Touch

No matter how fast data moves around the globe. From fax to pager to alphanumeric pagers, carphone, bag-phone, brick, mobile, laptop, tablet, to nano-implants, hopefully, it all boils down to two people sitting across a desk from each other engaged in a selling process.

It's only human.







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CIO's: What to Look for In A Managed Print Services Company. The Perfect 10.

2011 -

The pressure is on.  The role of a CIO is, or should, be evolving into "...one of managing relationships rather than managing technology and getting lost in the detail..."

Your refresh project has been delayed for two years now, server upgrades lagging, storage running low, your DC is over heating.

Meanwhile, the number of open, output related tickets is approaching 40% - wow -  and to top it off, printers just aren't sexy.

And now your role is "evolving"? Wonderful.

Managed Print Services to the rescue.

By now, you have heard about this new, Managed Print Services thing.  It sounds like something that would benefit your team, reduce some costs and make your users happy.

Before you google-tize "managed print services" consider this: What is MPS?

More importantly, what is your flavor of MPS and what should you look for in an MPS partner?

Here are 10 simply aspects to reflect upon. Arguably, there are hundreds of angles, processes and actions to consider.

But these are a good start.

1. Define your Managed Print Services.  MPS is an IT initiative, not a printer/refresh project.  MPS is also a process that simply begins with the roll-out.
2. Define the "M" in Managed Print Services and be prepared to understand exactly how your prospective MPS partner manages your engagement. (PM,SOW, Milestones, Benchmarks, etc.)
3. Take control of the entire fleet.  Yes, this means the copiers.  Wrest control from Purchasing.

Managed Print Services, the Copier and the Traditional Copier Dealer : End of Days

2011

I've been saying it for years now.

For my observations, I have been chastised, rebuffed, chortled at, poo-pooed, and mocked.

Heck, the first time I took, TheDeathOfTheCopier "out in public" (Lyra, 2009), some guy looked at my name badge, cocked his head, and practically yelled, "...Death of the copier? Do you know who we are? We're all dealers!" Like I knew his sister, biblically or something. Yikes.

Well, it doesn't make me all that happy to report the name of this blog is starting to look more prophetic than humorous. The Fourth Horseman is soon upon us.