Best Managed Print Services

Woman in yellow top scanning a book with a photocopier

Printing is an important aspect of almost any business, and such importance comes at a high price – literally. Printing accounts for approximately 15% of a business’ annual expenditure in the UK, but managed print services can provide a solution for reducing your costs – and also do much, much more.

Woman in yellow top scanning a book with a photocopier

What are managed print services (MPS)?

Managed print services (MPS) are provided by third party printing companies who handle your business’ entire printing operations, covering everything from installation to managing stock levels and ongoing maintenance. The service also takes care of your fax machines, copiers and scanners.


How can MPS benefit my business?

Managed print services can help your company succeed in many ways. Before we go into detail, we’ll quickly summarise how MPS can benefit your business:

  • Saves time and boosts staff efficiency
  • Reduces printing costs
  • Gives your company flexibility
  • Lowers your environmental impact
  • Makes documents more secure

As well as boosting productivity by letting your staff focus on other tasks, MPS can lower your printing costs through expenditure tracking, and reduce your carbon footprint by using less paper, electricity, and other printing waste.

Essentially, MPS involves a team of printing experts who help to streamline the printing within your business. By outsourcing your printing management you can stay ahead of your competitors, and MPS’ flexible, contract-based structure makes paying for the service easy.

On top of that, MPS can make your documents more secure by identifying security risks and implementing certain safety measures. For example, the printing company may suggest sign-in procedures, or they may organise some waste disposal management to ensure your sensitive documents aren’t exposed.

In summary, MPS gives you eyes on your printing, and helps you to keep track of your spending. With MPS, you can save up to 30% on your printing expenditure. The benefits are clear – cut costs, save time, be green.


How to choose an MPS provider

As we’ve said, MPS can have a huge positive impact on your business – so it’s worth taking your time when deciding on the right printing company. No two businesses are the same, which means there are some things to consider.

Unsurprisingly, you should think about which particular services your business needs. For instance, you may want to reduce your overall printing costs, or upgrade your photocopiers to the latest range of models to save the strain on your IT department.

Also, you should think about what the future holds for your business. On average, an MPS contract lasts between three and five years, so make sure your chosen provider has the flexibility to go with your business.

Now, let’s dive into our top four managed print service providers below…


The best managed print service providers

Canon

A household name when it comes to printing, Canon fires itself into our list of best MPS providers for good reason. With such a respected brand name, you’re guaranteed a level of service to match, and it has the stats to back it up – indeed, Canon recently helped a UK college cut its printing overheads by 37%, saving them up to £100,000.

For more information, read our full Canon review.


Midshire

Midshire is one of the largest tech reseller companies in the market, with over 14,000 printing installations around the UK. When it comes to maintenance, it provides a four-hour response time, and uses OneStop software to automatically reorder stock. In 2016, 99% of customers rated Midshire’s MPS as ‘good’ or ‘excellent’.

For more information, see the Midshire website.


XBM Ltd

XBM Ltd is one of the biggest names in the printing business, with over 30 years of experience in the field. As well as printing installation, maintenance and repairs, you can also benefit from Sharp MX copier refurbishments, and printing equipment relocations if you’re moving to a new office.

For more information, see the XBM website.


Xerox

Based in over 160 countries, Xerox is a global player on the printing stage. Xerox uses a three-step system for MPS – it assesses your printing needs, securely integrates its machines into your IT system, then automates your printing workflow even further. Xerox also offers an MPS workflow app, helping you to manage your printing on the go.

For more information, see the Xerox website.


Expert verdict

Printing is an important part of professional life, accounting for almost 15% of a business’ annual spending in the UK. That’s a sizeable chunk, right? With this in mind, it might be time to think about minimising your printing costs with managed print services.

Money no issue? You may be thinking about MPS to help boost productivity within your team, and to let your IT department focus on other tasks. Couple this with the fact MPS can make your documents more secure, as well as reduce your carbon footprint, and it’s no wonder more and more companies are outsourcing their printing management.

All the suppliers we’ve mentioned above can help your business achieve a better printing environment. As we’ve said, there are things to consider when picking a supplier, like your current needs and the future of your business – but it may just come down to costs.

Don’t like the idea of outsourcing? No problem. Click here to easily compare photocopier quotes, and find the best solution for your business today.


Written by:
Dan’s a Senior Writer at Expert Market, specialising in digital marketing, web design, and photocopiers, amongst other topics.