UXBRIDGE – Printing is one area in most businesses that can still be mined for cost savings, according to the latest report from Quocirca and Xerox. The report, entitled 21st Century Enterprise Print Services, says getting a handle on all print costs – not just those in the office – is an untapped opportunity for most businesses to save money and operate more efficiently.

The report highlights the fact that, despite the huge growth in electronic communications, printed output is still widely used in business. However few organisations have visibility into enterprise-wide print costs due to a fragmented approach to managing desktop printing, the print room and external printing.

“We estimate that only 15 per cent of large enterprises currently use managed print services (MPS) to reduce office printing costs, and most aren’t controlling and managing printed output wherever it is produced - in the office, at a remote location, in the print room or in commercial print shops,” said Louella Fernandes, analyst at Quocirca. “This represents a huge unnecessary cost, but also an area for easy potential savings for large businesses that have complete print transparency.”

To take advantage of MPS and gain visibility of overall print costs, operational efficiency, and protect document security, Quocirca recommends the following best practices to organisations considering MPS:
  • Ensure provider has a level of maturity: select a provider that has the experience delivering office MPS, print room services and external procurement. They must also have the agility to respond to changing business dynamics and the expertise to deliver services on a global scale, including technology depth and local experience to facilitate global transactions.
  • Conduct a detailed evaluation: go beyond analysing print volumes to understanding what type of documents are being printed, where and by whom. This will ensure that effective transformation programmes can be implemented, predicted cost savings are realistic and the need for document workflow solutions can be assessed, based on existing business processes.
  • Think beyond cost per page: an enterprise-wide print strategy should avoid simply focusing on reducing acquisition costs and cost per page. Implement a flexible and sustainable print strategy that delivers ongoing cost savings through a standardised technology platform and optimised business workflows.
“This report highlights that there are still cost savings to be made,” said Shaun Pantling, director and general manager of Xerox Global Services, Europe. “All too often printing is managed in silos across the business by different stakeholders, with separate budgets. By taking control of the print environment, businesses can look to save costs, operate more efficiently and ensure document security.”

As a leader in MPS, Xerox was first to offer Enterprise Print Services (EPS) to embrace all elements of an organisation’s print infrastructure – from the networked office to the in-house print center to the virtual worker. Xerox was positioned by Gartner, Inc., in the Leaders Quadrant in the “Magic Quadrant for Managed Print Services Worldwide” for 2009 and the company was recognised as a leader in IDC’s 2010 MPS MarketScape report .

The Xerox MPS portfolio is extended to small and mid-sized businesses through the company’s global network of channel partners. With a client list including Fiat, Procter & Gamble, Reuters, and The Dow Chemical Company, Xerox is the only MPS provider to monitor as many as 1.5 million devices from multiple vendors around the world.

For a full copy of the report, go to http://www.quocirca.com/reports/474

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About Xerox Europe
Xerox Europe, the European operations of Xerox Corporation, markets a comprehensive range of Xerox products, solutions and services, as well as associated supplies and software. Its offerings are focused on three main areas: offices from small to large, production print and graphic arts environments, and services that include consulting, systems design and management, and document outsourcing. Through ACS, A Xerox Company, which Xerox acquired in February 2010, Xerox also offers extensive business process outsourcing and IT outsourcing services, including data processing, HR benefits management, finance support, and customer relationship management services for commercial and government organisations worldwide. The 130,000 people of Xerox serve clients in more than 160 countries.

Xerox Europe also has manufacturing and logistics operations in Ireland, the UK and the Netherlands, and a research and development facility (Xerox Research Centre Europe) in Grenoble, France.

For more information visit http://www.xerox.com or http://www.acs-inc.com

Media Contact
Sonia Panchal, Xerox Europe, T: +44 (0) 1895 842 877
email: sonia.panchal@xerox.com

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