Hardcopy output is a significant expense for most businesses and organizations—accounting for up to 10 percent of revenues according to some studies—so understanding and controlling the full scope of document output is a key way to improve the bottom line. A print management solution allows organizations to track and account for print/copy usage to reduce (and in some cases, recoup) costs, optimize fleet deployment, and promote more environmentally friendly print practices to help satisfy “green” initiatives.

 

Print management solutions can be deployed and used either internally within the organization looking to manage hardcopy output, or externally by an equipment dealer or other reseller as part of an MPS (managed print services) engagement. The features of a print management/MPS tool can range from meter collection (for billing and analysis purposes), supplies management (for the automated re-ordering of consumables based on usage) and device status monitoring (to enable a proactive service model) to print-job rerouting (from high-cost-per-page printers to more cost-effective MFPs, for example) and behavior modification (to encourage/enforce duplex vs. simplex or monochrome vs. color printing, for example).