Alongside significant savings on printing costs, companies that use managed print services (MPS) also see improvements in efficiency, information security, and productivity—not to mention the switch from capital expenditure to operational expense.
It’s really no wonder so many businesses opt for MPS for their document printing needs.
But what about companies’ thermal warehouse printing needs? Thermal printing is an ideal option for countless applications, especially label printing. Thermal printers deliver excellent print quality, fast. They’re simple to use, can be easily portable, use fewer supplies than other printer types, and have fewer moving parts to break and fix.
In a warehouse or distribution center, thermal printers can be virtually anywhere, thanks to ruggedized models, wifi and Bluetooth connectivity, multiple mounting options, and reliable battery life.
And that adds up to a thermal printer fleet, which needs to be managed—configured, secured, deployed, monitored, maintained, and updated. Supplies and inventory need to be replenished. And all of that, in turn, adds up to yet another enterprise-critical task left up to your operations and IT teams.
Good thing there’s an easier way.
Why Outsource MPS for Your Thermal Warehouse Printers?
If you’re already benefiting from MPS for your document printing, it’s easy to envision the advantages MPS can deliver for your thermal printer fleet.
If you’re not as familiar, we’ll walk through a few of the key benefits here. But perhaps the most important two factors to keep in mind are these:
- Managed print services are always on, even when your team can’t be. MPS is there to monitor printers and supplies, with visibility into utilization and consumption. MPS can push security updates, initiate diagnostics, optimize printer settings, and order supplies for replenishment.
- Your MPS provider partners with you to proactively reduce your thermal printing costs. Looking out for the bottom line is part of what you pay for with complete printing solutions like thermal managed print services (T-MPS).
These two factors contribute to plenty of advantages to MPS for thermal printing, including these five major benefits:
1. Reduce Your IT and Ops Teams’ Workloads
The time spent by IT procuring, configuring, installing, troubleshooting, etc., are often a rabbit hole of complex, hidden costs and disconnected decisions that just don’t have to be. Different printer brands and models in different areas or departments multiply the familiarity your people need to acquire. They also multiply the time and attention it can take to keep all those printers supplied and running.
2. Control Operating Costs
Moving print assets out of capital expenditures and into operational costs can help your organization benefit from innovations much sooner, and a trusted T-MPS partner shares your cost-reduction goals. Automating tasks associated with print management—like the labor expense of reordering supplies—reduces costs as soon as you start. And visibility into your printer fleet enables your provider to optimize those orders based on data.
3. Optimize Printer Performance and Uptime
When printers perform optimally, they can support optimal facility performance. Unlike most in-house IT and ops teams, a thermal MPS partner has specialized expertise in thermal printers. That means less downtime to troubleshoot, diagnose, replace parts, etc., fewer print bottlenecks to slow things down, and less waste associated with relabeling.
4. Improve Printer Data Security
Partnering with an MPS provider can help you eliminate offline and “shadow IT” printers from your operations, and your MPS partner proactively monitors connected printers around the clock. They also ensure that every printer is up-to-date and compliant with the latest firmware updates for optimal security. MPS can configure access controls to prevent unauthorized access.
5. Reduce Risk of Supply Shortages or Out-of-Stock Replacement Parts
Without a dependable supply of thermal labels, thermal transfer ribbons, and other printing supplies, even the most robust fleet of printers can’t do much good. A trusted T-MPS partner ensures that your people always get the right supplies, on time. Because they’re specialized, their eyes are on the horizon for you, monitoring stock levels and sources to ensure an adequate supply (without having to dedicate your own warehouse space to prevent stockouts on the thermal printer ribbons and barcode labels you need every day).
How to Find a T-MPS Partner You Can Trust
Entrusting your thermal printer fleet to a single partner demands confidence, so be sure to choose a team of experts. Look for a solution provider that can help you select the right machines for your applications and facilities—and streamline your customer experience. Ultimately, the right thermal printing equipment, supplies, and management choices need to support warehouse workers’ productivity.
Another fundamental factor supporting warehouse productivity? Optimal labeling. Just like thermal printers that produce fast, flawless labels, a properly labeled warehouse facility makes picking and returning items faster, easier, and more efficient. Click here or below to get started with our free guide.
