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Working with IBM, OKI
is providing a nationwide
MPS for the Department for
Environment, Food and Rural
Affairs (Defra) as part of an
overall strategy to reduce the
Government department’s
operating costs and carbon
footprint.
IBM advised Defra to
move away from the ad hoc
procurement of print devices and
consumables and to implement
a managed print service (MPS)
featuring remote monitoring of
devices, automated consumables
supply and a specific service
level agreement (SLA) with
telephone helpdesk and on
site engineering support when
required. It recommended OKI
as it is an experienced printing
solutions manufacturer and MPS
provider with proven expertise in
managing large projects.
Defra’s existing printer
estate was typical of many
unmanaged environments: it
had a fleet of approximately
1,384 printing devices including
different makes and models,
locally attached inkjet devices
and standalone copiers. The
department had little visibility
of print activity, volumes and
costs and was reliant on internal
technicians to service and
support the printers.
To start with, IBM and OKI
carried out a comprehensive
print audit in 170 Defra sites,
cataloguing all of Defra’s printing
devices, their precise location
OKI helps Defra cut
carbon emissions
PRINT.IT
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www.binfo.co.uk
broad range of print devices to
meet any need, from A4 desktop
printers to departmental A3
MFPs, plus a full range of print
solutions from secure print to
job accounting.
Clear differentiation
To meet the diverse needs of
end users OKI has segmented
its MPS proposition into three
clearly differentiated services:
1. Managed Page Services.
This entry-level offering meets
the need of customers who
want a simple solution that
gives clarity of print costs and a
reduced management burden.
Key features include the supply
of devices with a fixed cost per
page, remote monitoring, just-
in-time delivery of replacement
toners and on-site servicing of
print devices;
2. Managed Print Services.
A more comprehensive printing
service, this includes an
assessment of the customer’s
existing printing needs and
infrastructure and a proposal
for a new printer fleet optimised
for costs savings, lower energy
consumption and reduced paper
waste; and
3. Managed Document
Services.
The next level up goes
beyond print and considers how
a customer’s business processes
can be improved. Key features
include job tracking, accounting,
pull printing, mobile print
solutions and on-going reviews
and assessments throughout the
term of the contract.
“We have always delivered
our managed services like this,
but we weren’t making it clear
to the market that they were
differentiated in this way. A lot
of needs were lumped under
MPS, which created uncertainty
especially for the 70% or so of
customers that only require a
basic service,” Brown explains.
Working in partnership
Another way in which OKI
is different from many MPS
providers is that it only sells
through the channel. It provides
the back-up, infrastructure,
resources and expertise
needed to deliver MPS but the
service itself is managed by the
channel partner, be it a dealer,
IT reseller, managed service
provider, value added reseller
(VAR) or stationery/office
supplies company.
This approach has clear
benefits for OKI’s trade partners.
It gives them confidence that
they are working in co-operation
not competition with OKI and, as
Brown explains, allows them to
leverage OKI’s infrastructure to
expand their own service offering.
“A small IT dealer might
recognise the client benefits of
MPS but not have the expertise
to put a proposal together or
work out per page pricing. We
can do that for them. We also
work with a number of very
large resellers who don’t want
to dedicate their own resources
to MPS. They can maintain their
relationship with the client and
we will deliver the service on
their behalf. Larger clients are
happy for us to do that.”
According to Brown, this
approach has big advantages for
end users, too.
“It means that a business
can use a dealer/reseller as a
one-stop-shop for everything. It
means that they can go to the
supplier that they are already
using for networking, telephony,
desktop PCs, stationery and
use them for print as well.
They can have one invoice
from one service provider and
have one point of contact for
everything, instead of having to
run print outside the corporate
procurement policy.”
In the final analysis, print
is fundamental to business
operations and managed print
services must reflect this by
supporting each customer’s
specific needs. The knowledge
resellers and dealers have of
their customers, allied to the
flexibility, product range and
expertise of OKI is the ideal
combination for MPS success.
www.oki.co.uk
and the number of printed
pages output. Staff were
interviewed and employees
completed questionnaires to
gain an understanding of users’
print/scan/copy requirements.
Based on the results, OKI
recommended a balanced
deployment of A4 and A3 colour
and mono devices with default
two-sided and mono printing.
New functionality includes
confidential print release to
improve security and reduce
waste; scan to email; and sleep
and deep sleep power modes to
reduce power consumption and
CO2 output.
In total, OKI cut the number
of print devices used by Defra
from 1,384 to 548 devices. This
represents a significant saving
in hardware, consumables and
running costs and has delivered
CO2 savings of 47%. In addition,
Defra now has much greater
control over its print operations
and for the first time knows
exactly what printers it has,
where each one is located and
exactly how much they are
costing.
To ensure that the benefits
are maintained and Defra’s
evolving printing needs
continue to be met, OKI, Defra
and IBM hold quarterly printer
effectiveness meetings.