Printware forges ahead with MPS
Portsmouth player seeks more retail rollouts following deals with Harveys and Connells
Cameron Mitchell: MPS is not a huge part of our business at the moment, but it should be, and it will be
Portsmouth VAR Printware has notched up two large managed print solution (MPS) deals and is gearing up to add more, with the aim of targeting retail and real-estate opportunities.
Cameron Mitchell, managing director of Printware, said its contracts with furniture retailer Harveys, which has seen it deliver MPS to its 160 stores for three years, and estate agency Connells for its 500 offices, are only the beginning.
“We are now looking to try to roll out MPS to other retailers, and are targeting real estate,” he said.
“MPS is obviously going to be the future. It is not a huge part of our business at the moment, but it should be and it will be.”
Mitchell said that its MPS deals include all hardware, consumables and service for one fee, across a customer’s entire printer fleet, including legacy machines. Printware promises on-site service nationwide and the flexibility to change devices.
Peace of mind is another advantage, as the customer knows the whole print operation is covered and avoids spending capital on kit, only paying for what is used.
Printware’s MPS includes planning, management, ongoing maintenance, support and device monitoring.
“It is bespoke; every MPS contract is subtly different,” said Mitchell.
Mark Spicer, head of IT at Harveys, said in a statement that the retailer believes its print volumes will continue to rise.
“The cost of consumables is increasing rapidly. It is therefore a huge advantage to be able to effectively cap our costs over the contract period as part of a carefully planned MPS approach,” he said.
“An MFP at each site also means any hard copy that comes into the store can be scanned into the system for emailing to head office. We no longer have to rely on faxing,” he added.
Harveys was seeking cost-savings and improved efficiency, so it consolidated its printer fleet, using just the one brand rather than several. It had previously struggled with multiple diverse service agreements and warranties yet had little idea of volumes printed and cost, the statement said.
Each purchase in Harveys translates into up to seven pages of printing, with a possible nine more for associated finance agreements. The retailer also uses printers to create point-of-sale and marketing documentation, according to the statement.