The MPS Assessment Phase —Will It Make Or Break You?

By Michael Heacock, VP Xerox Print Services Programs, Xerox North America

This article provides a checklist for how to gather the information necessary to determine the most appropriate MPS (managed print services) solution for your healthcare facility.

Part 2 of our series on Managed Print Services (MPS) will focus on how to gather the relevant information needed to determine the most appropriate MPS solution for your healthcare organization.

Because MPS is a continuum of offerings it's critical you select components that best match your company's objectives. And this continuum spans a wide range — from basic print services, like billing and reporting — all the way through to advanced services including help desk support, proactive monitoring, assessment, optimization, asset management, and formalized reporting.

So how do you know what you need and where do you start?

To understand what is best for your organization, you should perform an accurate assessment of your printing and imaging environment. Data gathered from the assessment forms the foundation of your cost optimization strategy and structures the implementation of your MPS solution. Gartner Group aptly noted, "Assessment is the most important and key element of the entire process." As such, it's essential to address three questions that are core to assessment methodology:

• What are the current costs, including both hard costs such as toner and paper, as well as soft costs such as the impact of an inefficient print fleet on employee productivity?
• What are the current processes that are supporting your print/copy/MFD environment?
• What are the key requirements of the users and what are their respective priorities?

The ability to accurately and thoroughly answer all of these questions is likely a daunting, if not impossible task for most. But it's a step that cannot be missed, nor can corners be cut. Consider Xerox's proven process for conducting assessments that guide you on the path to success:

• Device Discovery
• Asset Mapping
• Financial Data Collection for Total Cost of Ownership and Business Processes
• Customer Requirements

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