You can’t manage what you don’t measure. If you don’t know how much you print, then you don’t know how much you’re spending on print – in either time or with your budget.
A commonly used and accepted statistic based on research from industry analyst Gartner is that you can save up to 30% of your printing costs by partnering with a managed print services (MPS) provider.
But what does that number mean? It’s so abstract. And what are some of the hidden printing costs?
Here are 8.
1. No Print Rules
If you aren’t using rule-based printing to control print output, you’re literally printing money – pennies at a time. An effective system of rules will reign in your printing costs, whether controlling who can print in color or defaulting to draft quality output. Want ideas for rules? Read Fatten Your Bottom Line With Office Printing Rules.
2. Running Out of Toner
Constantly having to remember to order ink and/or toner is just one more thing on your already too-long to-do list. You can schedule automatic delivery of supplies or engage with an MPS partner in which part of the service is proactive management of supplies.
3. Color Outsourcing
When properly managed, in house color production can be more cost-effective than outsourcing color print jobs (just keep an eye out on printing to a color copier or printer when black and white will suffice). Color documents provide a pop that attracts customers and attention to your documents (Read Printing in Color: A Little Dab’ll Do Ya)..
4. Troubleshooting
Your IT staff will have to take time out of their day when the copier goes down or a device doesn’t connect to an employee’s PC. Though connections are usually a simple fix, many times an issue with a piece of hardware still requires a call your service provider. Interruptions in your IT staff’s day such as these are a productivity drag.
5. Personal Printing
We’ve all printed something personal at the office – concert tickets, a field trip permission form for school, a recipe – but widespread personal printing will cost your office money.
6. Multiple Manufacturers and Models
Maintaining different consumables, service and/or maintenance contracts, driver updates, etc. can be a logistics nightmare. While having a mix of devices to meet different office needs is often a good strategy, a hodgepodge of devices thrown together over the years is a productivity drain.
7. Personal/Desktop Printers
While there are understandable arguments for productivity (not having to walk down the hall to a printer) and security (sensitive documents remain close by), they are outweighed by the cost of ink cartridges over time, that security concerns can be negated with walk up release of print jobs, and the fact that larger volumes can be printed more economically and quickly on larger copiers/printers. Allowing employees their own printers is false economy.
8. You Have No Idea
You can’t manage what you don’t measure. If you don’t know how much you print, then you don’t know how much you’re spending on print – in either time or with your budget. You can download free print logging tools that will track your printing if you’re curious to see how much you print now. On of our key components of many of our managed print services partnerships is software from PaperCut, one of our partners. The company has basic print logging software available as a free download. This tool, and others like it, provides a glimpse into the analytics available in a well-managed printing environment.
Odds are, at least one of these eight reasons is familiar to you. If you found yourself nodding your head as you made your way down the list, learning more about how selecting the right mix of office equipment will make your life easier and save your office money is a good first step.
Get started by reading Your Guide to Printers, Copiers, and Scanners by clicking on the image below (it’s free).
