Does anyone else see the dysfunction in the Imaging Channel’s SMB’s MPS, (Managed Print Services) deliverable? MPS is at least 20 years old. Here’s the reality, MPS was an enterprise deliverable, and its complexities were never accepted in the SMB space and continuing to peruse this like it's 1995 is a waste of time and money. It's time to face the realities of print equipment and their services to SMB customers.
Most of the SMB market understands that printers their supplies and their service represent less than 2% of their technology spend. My friends! All logical thinking would conclude that managing the lowest cost of a process is, in fact, the lowest priority of management.
Something for all dealer owners in the Imaging Channel to ponder is this. Why is it that your dealership's internal business processes are void managing who in your company prints, what they print, or how much they print? It is a simple answer; you don’t see this as a priority, you realize that print is declining every day, and you have more issues to managed that what your organization’s associates are printing less of every day. My point dealer owners, you realize the same thing as 85% of all SMB printer and copier end-users realized a long time ago.
Today we see all the articles and experts talking about the tremendous growth in MPS. We have seen the headlines “Managed Print Services a 50-billion-dollar business by 2025.” It seems that all those saying these things intend to deliver the past to the future.
“A company goes obsolete when they focus on delivering the past to the future instead of delivering the future to the present.”
Managed Print Services has been around for over two decades and now all of a sudden MPS, is going to be a 50-billion-dollar business by 2025. As I hear this, I can’t help but think, the industry could not secure Managed Print Services agreements in the SMB space when print was growing and had out of control cost. But now, that the whole world is on the same page in understanding that the needs of printed pages are in-fact declining, and the cost of its equipment and its supplies have never been lower and continue to reduce every day. So, now what has changed to insight this MPS success prediction?
Folks, here is my thinking. The definition of Managed Print Services as defined by this future 50-billion. Means. That nearly all print output devices will be contracted to end-users in some form of a re-occurring billing model. A model which includes the equipment its supplies and its necessary service. In reality-nothing will be managed. It will just be sold using a billing contract type called Managed Print Services.
I am also a believer that many end-users will buy A4 devices through a pull-economy process and have a completely different billing agreement than the legacy print channel resellers or its predictors anticipate or can even imagine. Again, these predictions of future Managed Print Services revenue numbers are calculated on the merits of delivering the past to the future. The facts are that many new Innovative Processes regarding print equipment and its services will surface and challenge the rules set it 1990. Staples/DEX are just the beginning.
Those today who describe the results of the print services business in the year 2025, unfortunately, are thinking that nothing changed in the industry. This thinking is no longer logical considering the recent and continuous changes to the industries infrastructure.
I look forward to speaking at ITEX April 24th-25th at the MGM Vegas. It has never been a better time to begin delivering print equipment and their services as long as you do it based on the realities of today and tomorrow’s market. The time is NOW to break the rules and change the game. It is time to deliver the future of print services to the present, and not the other way around.
If your organization is, an office supply reseller, a Managed IT Services reseller or a member of the Imaging Channel, and you are ready to take advantage of the new circumstances which in-fact changed the model of selling and servicing printers. Come join the discussion at ITEX. April 24th-25th at the MGM
If you wish to connect here on LinkedIn send me an invite.
Ray Stasieczko
CEO TEASRA, The Innovation Channel
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