Deloitte consulting recently conducted a survey of CEOs from around the world and the consensus that emerged is that the U.S. is no longer the most competitive location for manufacturing. In the last two decades as global manufacturing has increased, the U.S. share of manufacturing has fallen. Companies are moving offshore in order to remain competitive.
U.S. manufacturers have become increasingly savvy in employing methods to reduce costs while increasing productivity. Successful companies are becoming more sustainable and more globally oriented as markets traditionally closed begin to open up. For many U.S. manufacturers this has meant automating factories, and streamlining sales operations and marketing efforts in a bid to remain competitive.
One of the last un-audited aspects of many manufacturing concerns is their cost of internal office printing. Companies may be unaware of exactly how much they are spending on printing and print related technology. By addressing these areas, many companies can save significant money by instituting changes and monitoring their print environments. The U.S. continues to install regulatory controls over manufacturers and as a result costs are increasing as more time, and money goes towards compliance.
Managed Print Services in the Manufacturing Industry
As manufacturers continue to find ways to control costs, many are turning to Managed Print Service (MPS) companies to address their internal and external print costs.
One of the first steps a good MPS provider will take is to do a full assessment of a company’s assets. By first addressing output devices, your MPS provider can realize immediate savings by eliminating redundancy and upgrading existing assets. Many companies are still relying on a roomful of machines to handle copying, faxing, scanning and printing. By replacing existing assets with multifunction devices many companies can realize significant savings by eliminating lease expenses, and cutting down on inventory usage and energy costs.
Once print assets have been addressed, your MPS provider will begin to put print protocols in place. As companies begin to equip their mobile sales force with the latest devices like smartphones and tablets, MPS providers will work to integrate this new technology into your company’s existing infrastructure. Through software solutions by companies like Xerox, many business processes, like compliance can be addressed, streamlined and automated for additional cost savings.
For example, your MPS provider can put in place streamlined order delivery. Your sales team can be on the road and through the cloud, can access the print device directly in the warehouse shortening order fulfillment times resulting in not only saved time, but lower fulfillment costs.
Other MPS Benefits
In addition to infrastructure and procedural protocols, MPS providers can help your business to take advantage of the benefits of big data. By putting in place systems to track and monitor all of your companies digital information, from orders, to supplies, to manufacturing output, your MPS provider can work to adopt analysis procedures to give you a better understanding of exactly how your business operates.
By outsourcing your print environment to a proven MPS provider, you can lower inventory costs, streamline procedures, put print protocols and controls in place, and begin to transition to a more sustainable, paperless future. It is a smart business decision that can address the last un-audited part of your business. By monitoring and controlling your print environment, and automating key business processes, you will realize significant bottom line savings that can help make your business more competitive in the expanding global marketplace.
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