01732 759725 30 OPINIOM More businesses are considering subscription printing, which means it’s useful to find the right time to introduce customers to managed print services. Here, Greig Millar, General Manager of Sales, Services & Solutions at Brother UK, shares two tell-tale signs that a business needs to make the change Two signs that your customer needs managed print services Tackling these problems MPS allows you to provide a customer with a bespoke solution, based on an indepth assessment of their infrastructure and future requirements, that will integrate seamlessly to eliminate high failure rates and hand control to the management team. This will involve asking your contacts how many devices and different models they have in their business, how many different types of supplies they’re ordering and how often, and what impact that lack of compatibility is having on their business, from security to productivity. And if at any point the answer is: “I don’t know”, it’s a clear sign that they would benefit from MPS. Working with one reseller, having access to a maintenance support programme led by the vendor and automatic monitoring of supply levels, will give them the control and oversight of their print estate they need, while providing them with a solution that can reduce the downtime, cost, security threat and lack of productivity they may have been previously unaware of. Why MPS is the next step As-a-service printing provides clear value to customers in terms of finance, waste, and online security, and plans also offer comprehensive support to keep devices online and outsource the hassle of repairs and maintenance. It also boosts sustainability. Monitoring and ordering supplies automatically helps to ensure no inks, toners or paper are wasted and for those that are used with Brother, we ensure they are remanufactured or recycled at our certified net-zero facility at Ruabon, in North Wales. And while there are multiple benefits for your customers, it will enable you to strengthen your relationships and create a larger revenue stream that you can forecast effectively. We think it’s helpful to be able to recognise the signs of when customers are ready to make the change. The next step is acting on it. www.brother.co.uk We’re seeing more and more businesses realise the benefits of MPS and according to research published in the IDC FutureScape Worldwide Imaging, Printing & Document Solutions 2022 Predictions, almost two-thirds will make the switch to a subscription-based model by 2024. Vendors and the channel need to be ready to support them. And for those savvy resellers, there are two key indicators that it’s the right time to start talking about MPS. n High failure rates. Models being replaced more frequently can reveal that devices are breaking down sooner than they should be, usually because something is amiss with the customer’s print infrastructure. This can be due to compatibility issues with different models within the wider fleet, or they’re using faulty print supplies – such as third-party inks and toners – that are causing unnecessary faults. n Out of control. Most firms have diverse print requirements. But if they’re working with multiple print and scan options in different parts of the business with a range of different models, each needing specific print supplies, the administrative burden can become challenging. Such a situation creates clusters of incompatibility with network-wide software, and places pressure on IT and procurement teams to resolve the problems and make sure the business has the software and supplies it needs to avoid significant downtime. But importantly, it also compromises security. Incompatibility between certain models on a print network can present a vulnerability that hackers could take advantage of. Greig Millar
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