Efficient Management of Print Services Using Lean Principles

September 22nd, 2011 by Gnanaprakash Jebaraj

The basic idea of “lean” is to create more value for the customer while using fewer resources and minimizing waste.

Lean Principles:

The steps below are used for implementing the lean techniques:

• Specify what creates value from the customer’s perspective
• Identify all the steps along the process chain
• Make those processes flow
• Make only what is pulled by the customer
• Strive for perfection by continually removing waste

Lean standards can be applied to various stakeholders in the printing domain to optimize the benefit.

Examples of lean printer stakeholders include:

OEMs:

• Pitney Bowes
• Ricoh
• Xerox

Users:

• Any established commercial office/institute/organization that uses printer(s)

For a Printer OEM (to design printers in alignment with the lean principles):

With transportation waste in mind,  design the paper path, to optimize the wait time for paper availability (paper movement from paper tray to print engine)

For a Printer User:

Here we will concentrate on the availability of paper and supplies so the printer will not become unavailable due to lack of paper, toner, etc.

In the section below, we will discuss more about the application of Lean Printing for the printer user.

Examples of current printing waste:

• Uncollected print-outs
• Non-availability of printing devices due to:
  • Breakdown
  • Unavailability of toner

• Printing in offset quality when high quality isn’t required (for a draft review, normal printing in optimized toner mode should suffice).
• Using print-on-demand to print as needed, instead of printing and keeping in stock (could become outdated, requiring disposal later).

Lean MPS:

MPS, or Managed Print Services, is a defined and mature strategy designed to help manage the volume of documents flowing through an organization and minimize the costs associated with printing, sharing and updating.

MPS are contracted, third-party ongoing services to promote the uptime, maintenance and support of an organization’s entire copy and print environment. These services may include management of related software, networking, break/fix services, maintenance, supplies and part replenishment and fleet optimization.

MPS aims to drive down costs; businesses review their printing infrastructure to assess where to improve efficiencies. An organization can leverage the expertise of office equipment providers to right-size equipment, reduce task complexity and improve information flow. MPS helps vendors ensure their survival because it enables them to become more competitive and drive new business.

Managed Print Services (MPS), when extended to include electronic document management and workflow solutions, offer an opportunity for companies to eliminate up to 30% of their total print costs, increase employee productivity by enabling faster, paperless processes, and significantly reduce the environmental impact of their business. An IDC source says that though organizations have been offering MPS for a few years, it has gained more-traction during tight economic times. This has become a way for organizations to lower their costs substantially. Organizations have begun to see savings in the 20% to 30% range.

Applying Lean Principle to MPS:

Stage	Task	Sub-Task	Lean Method
Stage 1	Assessment	Resource Assessment	Using the Principles Consider the long-term point of view while doing the assessment Give more power to the employees so they can provide effective input for the assessment Visit the workplace while doing the assessment Make decisions slowly by consensus
		Cost Assessment
	Pricing Model	Decide Pricing Models
		Estimate cost for each
		Raise Invoice
		Collect Payment
Common	Device Configuration
	Updating Firmware / Software		This is a philosophy of manufacturing based on planned elimination of all waste and continuous improvement of productivity. It encompasses the successful execution of all manufacturing activities required to produce a final product (JIT approach).
	Consumable Refill	Toners Consumables	“Just In Time” approach to make consumables available when needed.

Why Lean Principles for MPS:

MPS is an evolving area, and we are yet to see all the real benefits. Due to the evolving nature of MPS, we have not yet discovered all the hurdles we may need to overcome. Following a system approach like Lean Principle will help us solve problems with minimal impact on the end-result during this course.

References:

• http://caslon.typepad.com/worth_knowing/2008/01/lean-printing-a.html
• http://www.chrmglobal.com/Articles/485/1/The-Lean-Thinking–Mura-Muri-Muda.html
• http://www.graphicproducts.com/tutorials/kanban/index.php
• http://www.lean.org/whatslean/principles.cfm
• http://www.leaningforward.co.uk/principles.htm

Source:  http://ers.hclblogs.com/2011/09/efficient-management-of-print-services-using-lean-principles/

Posted in: Lean,Lean MPS,MPS Assessment