In today’s fast-paced business environment, the demand for efficiency, cost control, and streamlined operations is higher than ever. Printing, often considered a routine office task, can be a hidden drain on a company’s resources if not managed properly. Many organizations overlook the growing complexity and expenses of managing printers, copiers, and scanners, which can lead to increased costs, wasted time, and unnecessary inefficiencies. Managed Print Services (MPS) providers offer a solution, helping businesses optimize their print infrastructure, reduce costs, and enhance productivity.
But how do you know if your business needs to partner with a Managed Print Service provider? Here are the top five signs that indicate it’s time to consider outsourcing your print management.
1. Uncontrolled and Escalating Printing Costs
Printing costs can quickly spiral out of control, especially in medium to large businesses where multiple departments or locations are involved. The expenses associated with printing go beyond just paper and ink. They include equipment maintenance, hardware upgrades, employee time spent dealing with print-related issues, and energy consumption.
Signs your printing costs are out of control:
- No clear tracking of printing expenses across departments.
- Frequent and unanticipated hardware repairs or replacements.
- High consumable costs (ink, toner, paper) due to overuse or inefficient use.
- Purchasing of unnecessary printers or supplies because of poor inventory management.
A Managed Print Service provider can help bring these expenses under control by offering detailed assessments of your current print environment and suggesting cost-saving measures. By analyzing your printing habits, an MPS provider can optimize the number and placement of devices, consolidate hardware, and implement strategies to reduce waste, such as duplex (double-sided) printing or user authentication to prevent unnecessary printing.
How MPS Reduces Costs: MPS providers typically offer consolidated billing, provide preventative maintenance, and suggest strategic solutions like fleet optimization, resulting in long-term cost reductions. Some studies suggest that businesses can reduce their overall printing costs by as much as 30% through managed services.
2. Frequent Printer Downtime and Maintenance Issues
If your employees are constantly reporting printer breakdowns, jams, or software issues, it can severely impact productivity. Printer downtime leads to workflow interruptions, delayed projects, and frustration among staff. Worse, if you don’t have a dedicated IT team or print specialist, you might be diverting your valuable IT resources to handle these problems instead of focusing on more critical tasks.
Signs you have too much printer downtime:
- Employees frequently complain about malfunctioning printers.
- Regular need for emergency repairs or part replacements.
- Long wait times for repairs, causing project delays.
- IT staff spending too much time troubleshooting printer issues rather than focusing on core business operations.
Partnering with an MPS provider ensures that regular maintenance, monitoring, and troubleshooting are handled proactively. Many MPS providers offer remote monitoring services that allow them to detect issues before they cause downtime. They can automatically dispatch technicians or order supplies when needed, keeping everything running smoothly with minimal disruptions.
How MPS Minimizes Downtime: Managed Print Services reduce downtime by offering preventative maintenance and quick-response support. MPS providers also streamline device management, ensuring that your equipment is consistently in good condition and well-maintained.
3. Lack of Print Security
In the era of data breaches and increased regulations around data protection, secure printing is critical. Every document printed, scanned, or copied can potentially expose sensitive information, especially in industries such as healthcare, legal, and finance. Yet, many businesses neglect to implement proper print security measures, leaving themselves vulnerable to breaches or compliance violations.
Signs your print security is inadequate:
- Employees can print documents without authentication, increasing the risk of unauthorized access to sensitive information.
- No encrypted or secure printing options, leaving data vulnerable.
- Inadequate tracking of who prints what, when, and where.
- No policies around the safe disposal of old printers and hard drives, which may store confidential data.
A Managed Print Service provider can improve your print security by implementing user authentication, secure pull printing (where documents are only printed when the authorized user is present), and encryption. MPS providers also help businesses comply with industry regulations by offering secure printing solutions that protect sensitive information throughout the document lifecycle.
How MPS Enhances Security: An MPS provider will assess your current print security setup and suggest security protocols to prevent unauthorized access to printed or scanned documents. These include secure printing, data encryption, and secure document disposal procedures.
4. Unmanaged and Complex Printer Fleets
As businesses grow, so do their printer fleets. Without proper management, the variety of makes, models, and configurations can create an overly complex and inefficient system. Unmanaged printer fleets often result in excess hardware, underused devices, and inconsistent supply management, all of which lead to unnecessary expenses and operational headaches.
Signs your printer fleet is out of control:
- Different brands and models of printers scattered across departments, making it hard to standardize processes.
- Departments ordering their own supplies without coordination, resulting in overstock or mismatched consumables.
- Lack of a centralized system for monitoring and managing printer usage.
- No standard policies regarding printer purchases, upgrades, or replacements.
Managed Print Service providers take the burden of managing your printer fleet off your shoulders. By assessing your business’s needs, they can recommend the right mix of devices, consolidate printers where possible, and implement centralized control systems that allow for easy monitoring and management of your entire fleet.
How MPS Streamlines Fleet Management: MPS providers help optimize your fleet by eliminating underutilized or unnecessary devices, standardizing hardware, and implementing automated supply management, ensuring you only order what you need when you need it.
5. Limited Visibility into Print Usage and Inefficiencies
Without insight into how much your company prints, where the highest volumes are coming from, and what documents are being printed, it’s impossible to optimize or make informed decisions about your printing environment. Many businesses struggle with this lack of visibility, leading to inefficiencies such as overuse of certain devices, excessive color printing, or the duplication of documents.
Signs you lack print visibility:
- No reporting system to track print volumes, user behavior, or device performance.
- Inability to analyze print data and identify inefficiencies or opportunities for cost savings.
- No insight into which employees or departments are driving the highest print volumes.
A Managed Print Service provider will give you detailed reporting and analytics tools that offer visibility into your print environment. With this data, you can identify trends, optimize resource usage, and make strategic decisions to reduce waste, control costs, and improve efficiency.
How MPS Improves Visibility: MPS providers offer regular reports and detailed analytics on print usage across the company, allowing you to track spending, assess department needs, and identify areas for improvement.
Conclusion
Partnering with a Managed Print Service provider can significantly reduce costs, increase efficiency, and improve security in your business’s print environment. If your company is experiencing escalating costs, frequent downtime, inadequate security, unmanaged printer fleets, or limited visibility into print usage, it’s time to consider outsourcing your print management to an MPS provider. Not only will you gain control over your print processes, but you’ll also save your IT resources and improve overall business productivity.
