Are Managed Print Services Still Relevant in This Era of Declining Page Volumes?

Let’s take a trip back in time to October 2024 and The Cannata Report’s 2024 Annual Dealer Survey, specifically the sections on managed print services (MPS) and diversification. According to our Survey, 79% of dealers offer MPS, while 65% still view it as a viable diversification opportunity.

When discussing the relevance of MPS in an era of declining print volumes (and let’s be real, print volumes aren’t coming back to pre-COVID-19 levels), I don’t want to rely only on the results of our Survey to make a case for why MPS remains relevant. We need opinions from various segments of the office technology industry.

The Case for MPS Irrelevance

One indicator that MPS may no longer be relevant is West McDonald, the former president of the Managed Print Services Association and an MPS advocate with virtually every company on his résumé. McDonald spent much of his time doing MPS consulting. Seeing the writing on the wall, he ditched that gig and acronym for a new one, AI. I could rest my case there, but it would be foolish not to delve deeper into why MPS may no longer be relevant.

Consider these reasons:

1. The Shift to Digital-first Workflows: With companies prioritizing digital transformation, document management, cloud storage, and e-signatures, the need for printing is shrinking. Many businesses are actively eliminating paper-based processes to improve efficiency and reduce costs.
2. The Remote and Hybrid Work Model: Centralized office printing is declining as more employees work remotely. Home offices and digital collaboration tools have reduced the reliance on traditional print environments, making MPS seem less essential.
3. Environmental and Sustainability Concerns: Organizations are prioritizing sustainability initiatives, and reducing paper consumption serves as an easy way to meet carbon footprint goals. This push for greener workplaces could make MPS seem obsolete.
4. The Commoditization of Print Hardware and Supplies: With declining print volumes, some businesses see MPS as unnecessary, opting to buy printers and supplies as needed rather than committing to long-term managed contracts.
5. Advancements in Printer Technology: The latest imaging devices are smarter, more efficient, and require less maintenance. One can argue that MPS is less necessary with self-monitoring features, automated supply replenishment, and built-in security.

The Case for MPS

We no longer have a shortage of industry thought leaders willing to advocate for MPS. “Managed print services is absolutely relevant,” opined Kerstin Woods, vice president of solutions and outbound marketing, Toshiba America Business Solutions. “From my perspective, what an incredible way to offset print volume declines by embracing more of your client’s overall environment.”

She added that this can help dealers supplement their revenue streams while helping clients. “In fact, to me, MPS is a no-brainer, especially if you’re with someone like Toshiba,” said Woods. “We use a data-driven approach to help optimize the overall print environment. And this is something that everybody cares about. How do you get the most out of your current resources? And in doing so, how do you meet your cost, security, and sustainability goals?”

She explained how Toshiba’s MPS program works with multi-vendor environments. It even covers thermal barcode label printing, enabling dealers to expand their reach with clients and offset the decline in print volumes. “I highly recommend it as a growth strategy for dealers,” observed Woods. “You’re already talking print with them, so why wouldn’t you take that opportunity to expand and embrace the entire print environment, including thermal?”

“At Distribution Management, Managed Print Services continue to be a dynamic area of growth year after year,” revealed Sarah Custer, vice president, sales operations, Distribution Management. “While there are multiple definitions of what MPS should look like, many of our partners have evolved their offerings significantly from where they began a decade or more ago.

“When done right, an MPS program delivers streamlined efficiency and cost savings—not just for our partners but for their customers as well. By wrapping services and solutions around print, we create a seamless process that customers come to expect, allowing our partners to set a high bar for the competition.”

Custer continued, “In recent years, our ability to manage both A4 and A3 supplies replenishment within the same environment has empowered our partners to fully support their customers through a single, efficient process. This approach drives significant savings through order aggregation. And while overall print volumes may be declining, the managed/contractual space remains a powerful way for our partners to protect their business and expand their market share with both existing and new clients.”

Bob Burnett, director of B2B solutions deployment and planning at Brother USA, also makes a case for MPS. “It is relevant and brings value to the corporate customer,” he said. “It’s taking that headache, frankly, off their plate. Even though volumes are down, it’s still part of their workflows. You’ve got to make sure you have print available in that space, and obviously, scan is increased in that type of document workflow. Dealers that expand MPS to include more document management services are the folks that are more successful at it.”

“If you would’ve asked me that question three years ago, I would’ve said it’s probably on the decline in a big way,” said Chris Bilello, vice president, business solutions development, Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A. “But we’re in discussions internally about resurrecting, on a big scale, our managed print services program. One reason is we see volumes picking up as people return to the office. That’s pretty good for our industry because in the back office, they need to print, and they need to manage that print.”

The most succinct response to the question came from Vince Jannelli, associate vice president, software product management, Sharp Business USA, “Yes. Why? Because I’m inheriting a fleet, and how am I managing that fleet for the customer? And customers, are they buying printers, or are they buying printing?”

Counterpoints

Okay, so those are valid arguments for MPS’s relevance. But before we render a decision, let’s return to the earlier arguments about how the shift to digital-first workflows, remote and hybrid work, environmental and sustainability concerns, commoditization of print hardware and supplies, and advancements in printer technology make MPS less relevant and examine the counterpoints. But this time, let’s refute those arguments.

1. The Shift to Digital-first Workflows: Although digital workflows are increasing, many industries (legal, healthcare, government) still require printed documents due to compliance, security, or workflow preferences. MPS can help businesses optimize both digital and print processes.
2. The Remote and Hybrid Work Model: MPS providers can extend their services to home offices, providing secure printing options, monitoring usage, and optimizing fleets across decentralized workforces.
3. Environmental and Sustainability Concerns: MPS supports sustainability by reducing waste, managing energy-efficient devices, and implementing print policies that help organizations meet their environmental goals more effectively.
4. The Commoditization of Print Hardware and Supplies: Without MPS, unmanaged print environments lead to inefficiencies, higher costs, security risks, and a lack of predictability around expenses.
5. Advancements in Printer Technology: Although technology has improved, MPS goes beyond device management—it provides analytics, security oversight, workflow optimization, and cost control.

The Decision

Is MPS still relevant? The answer is a resounding yes. Although the decline in print volumes is undeniable, the need for print management hasn’t disappeared—it’s simply transformed. As long as organizations rely on a mix of print and digital processes, MPS will remain a vital service. MPS isn’t just about print, it’s about productivity, security, and efficiency. And that’s why, contrary to my snarky arguments about its relevance, MPS remains as relevant as ever.