Managed Print Services (MPS) and Print Management Services (PMS)

My wife tells me that PMS means something else, but, nonetheless, the author explains the difference between MPS and PMS. Reprographers who offer, or who are interesting in offering, either service should read this author’s well-written article. I found this article on thedigitalnirvana.com

Managed Print Services and Print Management Services

By Vic Barkin on August 11th, 2011

The article's introductory paragraph:

When do two seemingly similar-sounding service offerings present completely different business models? When comparing Managed Print Services to Print Management Services. These sound the same, and in a certain situations can be used interchangeably, however the industry definitions are quite distinct and different.

In the mid-point of the article, the author says this:

For the organization that does not consider enterprise document management to be strategic to their core mission, the out-of-sight, out-of-mind approach MPS provides may seem perfect. After all, the provider of this service will always do what’s in the best interest of the organization, right?

This wholesale technology alignment/replacement strategy can even extend to in-house services where “copy” centers are present organizationally or departmentally. An adept MPS provider can be very convincing, again where enterprise document management is not considered mission-critical, with reasons why they should outsource this service.

Quite frankly, this may be true where an organization doesn’t have (or anecdotally doesn’t believe they have) the economy of scale to dedicate staff to research, identify, negotiate and implement the best solution for the best interests of the enterprise, or where little or no fiscal oversight or responsibility is required or deemed to be necessary for this segment of the organization’s business for whatever reason. What a perfect customer to have! On the other hand, a well managed operation will always know where their true, fully budgeted costs are for all facets of their hard-copy output needs, and this extends to knowing what is best printed when, and where.

You can access the complete article at this Internet address:

http://tinyurl.com/3uylcj7