29 Nov 2011
The government has outlined a wide-ranging framework for managed print services for public sector bodies worth up to £904m.
The framework will list suppliers that public sector organisations can use if multifunctional printing devices, managed printing services and print audit services are needed.
The majority of the framework is set to last four years, but the printing audit that services will be set to will last two years.
The services will be available to central government departments, NHS bodies, educational establishments, the emergency services, the third sector and local authorities.
The online tender states that the framework is both targeted at small customers who have simple printing requirements, and large ones who may need independent advice, networked or managed print solutions and outsourcing capabilities.
The tender is divided into four lots that outline the following services required from up to 24 suppliers:
• Mono and colour-capable multifunctional devices, all with standard network interfaces;
• Maintenance and support, including on-site training;
• Software enabling product management; eg, remote diagnostics;
• Auditing software for print management and accounting purposes; and
• Managed services for optimising print devices, supplies, maintenance and information and billing.
Interested parties have until 9 January 2012 at 15:00 to submit a tender to participate.
The news that the government has outlined a framework for managed print services (MPS) for public sector bodies shows how prevalent the deployment of MPS is across the sector. It also highlights how widely accepted it now is that the approach can bring significant business benefits to the public sector.
It is perhaps inevitable that, at a time when the focus remains on the impact of government cuts on public sector budgets, the cost efficiencies that this approach can bring are highlighted most strongly. All of this, however, should not be allowed to obscure either the wide array of additional benefits that MPS can deliver or the fact that private sector businesses can benefit just as extensively as their public sector counterparts.
By tailoring the printing fleet to their business processes and operational workflow, organisations can drive up productivity levels and benefit from access to the latest print technologies. This will cut their carbon footprint, contribute to a more secure print environment and also save money for the organisation itself. In addition, the approach allows organisations to plan expenditure more effectively. Bringing together the cost of equipment and on-going supplies with service and maintenance into a monthly budgeted expense can ease the upfront capital costs of refreshing technology every three to five years.
In achieving these benefits, private sector businesses will not be able to rely on framework agreements. They will need to actively seek out the services of printing solutions vendors, expert in both the technology and the approach and capable of delivering solutions that drive business and operational efficiencies.
Graham Lowes, Marketing Director, OKI
Posted by: Graham Lowes 06 Dec 2011
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