How does managed print services help the tourism industry   by Bob Jones

Each week, we have discussed the various ways that managed print services are able to assist companies across a wide range of industries. From the education industry to healthcare organisations, entertainment companies, marketing companies and even government sectors, there is no doubt that managed prints services are able to provide a wide range of benefits. For one industry however, the benefits are seen not only within the industry itself but also for society on a larger scale. This industry is the tourism sector, which actively promotes tourism across cities, towns and countries all over the world.

Managed print services are able to provide a wide range of benefits, from cost savings all the way through to increased public perception, which makes it highly beneficial for organisations operating within the tourism sector to consider MPS solutions - especially those who operate within the public eye. Some of the ways that MPS helps tourism organisations include the following:

• Hotels and accommodation venues - hotels and other accommodation venues rely on plenty of paperwork, from booking forms all the way through to licenses and other documents. Printers, copiers and fax machines need to be in perfect working order to ensure that customers are not kept waiting, and for busy accommodation venues, time is always in short supply. No venue can afford to keep customers waiting, and wasted resources are sometimes hard to avoid. MPS packages help even smaller boutique hotels or guest houses ensure that printing practices are adhered to while also keeping devices in good working order.

• Tourism outlets - many cities are home to a number of tourism outlets, from tour agents where visitors can choose various tours within the city or country to activities centres where visitors can book scuba diving, boat trips or any other number of activities. Like hotels, these companies are very busy, and things need to run smoothly at all times. A broken printer, or one that runs out of ink when customers are waiting can present a very poor image for visitors wanting to learn more about their destination. Managed print services ensures that print devices are running smoothly, while also helping tour agents save costs and increase productivity through the use out outsourced services.

• Public perception - another way that MPS is able to assist in the tourism industry is through increased public perception. Large tourism companies that manage campaigns for major travel destinations, cities or countries are under much scrutiny, and as such, initiatives such as green printing are an excellent way to show the public and potential visitors that the destination in questions is committed to environmental practices and sustainability. Accountability is also important, and with print audits, fax audits and copier audits, large tourism organisations are able to prove that all print resources are managed in a sustainable way.

• Productivity and costs savings - of course the biggest benefit of MPS to any company is the huge cost savings and productivity increases that can be enjoyed. Many tourism companies have strict budgets to stick to, and there is not much leeway for over-spending or expensive call outs when printers are not working. MPS offers a far more cost-effective solution that also increases productivity by allowing employees to focus on their designated role rather than having to multi-task. In this way, managed print services is able to help tourism companies as well as their customers.