Printing. It’s one of those mundane, everyday office tasks that many people don’t pay much attention to. But it’s worth focusing on, especially if your business does a lot of it, as you could be wasting time, money, and effort on printing when a better alternative – managed print – is available. This guide explores what managed print is and some situations where it could be the right choice.

An Introduction to Managed Printing

We’ll start with a look at what managed print actually is.

A managed print service (MPS) is, in the simplest terms, a company that handles printing and print-related tasks on behalf of business clients.

It’s basically like outsourcing your printing, letting a team of experts take care of it, so you don t have to worry so much. A managed print service may include:

  • Tracking, monitoring, and managing your printer fleet
  • Carrying out printing, as well as related tasks like copying and scanning
  • Managing printer security to safeguard against attacks
  • Keeping printer (and other hardware) firmware updated
  • Troubleshooting issues as they arise
  • Recommending printer upgrades and additions to the fleet, when needed
  • Ordering and delivering new ink, toner, and other printing supplies
  • Providing reports so businesses can see how much printing they do (and how efficient it is)

In a world where 9 in 10 businesses don’t even know how many printers they have or how much printing they do, the benefits of a managed print service are clear to see.

Signs It Might Be Time to Switch to a Managed Print Provider

Now we know what managed print is all about. Now, let’s look at some clear signs it might be time for your business to make the switch.

You Don’t Know How Many Printers You Have or Need

As stated, the vast majority of business owners aren’t aware of how many printers they have. They also don’t tend to know how many they need or even how much printing their offices tend to do in the average day, week, or month.

If that sounds familiar, it’s a clear sign that your printing situation isn’t optimized. If you don’t understand your printing needs, you may be overspending on devices you don’t need, or failing to provide the printing resources your workforce requires. Either way, it’s not a good situation.

Your Printing Costs Are Spiraling Out of Control

Printing costs money. There’s the price of the paper, the ink, the toner, the devices themselves, the energy they use, and even the amount of time and effort it takes to use them, which workers could instead put towards other tasks and duties.

All that adds up. Even if you’ve got a big budget, you won’t want to spend more on every page printed than you really need to. An MPS can transform your printing operations and save you huge amounts – up to 30%, according to reports.

You Waste a Lot of Paper

Printing also demands resources like paper, and if it’s not carried out correctly, that paper gets wasted. Stats show that thousands of sheets of paper are wasted annually, primarily in office environments, and that accounts for over a quarter of landfill waste.

It’s no good for the environment, and it’s no good for your business, either. Wasted paper means wasted money and time. By working with a managed print provider, you should be able to cut down on wastage enormously.

You Regularly Encounter Hardware Issues

Jams, bugs, breakdowns. Printers can suffer a lot of problems, and if you find that your devices always seem to have one issue or another, you’ll know how annoying it can be. Printer problems lead to delays, drops in morale, and costly downtime until they’re fixed.

Again, this is something that a managed print service can sort out for you. If you hire a managed print provider, part of their duty is to ensure that your printer fleet is operational and optimized. With that in mind, they’ll work tirelessly to keep all your devices up and running.

You Regularly Run Out of Ink or Toner, Causing Delays

It doesn’t matter whether you opt for inkjet office printers or laser printers, you’re going to need either ink or toner to keep them stocked and capable of printing. But if you print a lot each day, those supplies soon run out.

Unfortunately, a lot of offices can’t always predict when their ink and toner cartridges are at critically low levels. So discovering they’ve run out often takes them by surprise, and they have to wait around for new cartridges to be bought, delivered, and installed. Again, with an MPS, this isn’t a concern.

Your Printing Needs Are Growing

Is your business growing? Are you bringing on more clients, taking on more projects, and making more profits? Those are all good signs, of course, but if you fail to adapt to your company’s growth, progress could slow down or things could even start going backward.

As businesses grow, their printing needs often expand too. They need to print more documents at a faster rate than before, and it’s often tricky to keep up. A managed print service helps you scale up your printing resources to suit your changing situation.

You’re Worried About Printer Security

Concerned about printer security? If not, you should be. Studies show that printers and other office hardware solutions often have weaknesses or loopholes that hackers can exploit to access business networks. They may target an unprotected printer to see what documents it has printed or even produce their own copies, all without you knowing.

It’s scary stuff, especially for businesses that print and handle a lot of sensitive information, like customer addresses and other personal details. Once more, a managed print provider can save the day, carrying out security audits and improving cybersecurity standards across your printing fleet.

Invest in Managed Print Solutions

If any of the signs or scenarios listed above seem familiar to you, the answer is clear: invest in managed print today and get your printing back on track. You’ll be able to enjoy faster, smarter, safer, and significantly more efficient printing, all at a reduced cost.

Kelly Office Solutions can help you make it all happen. We offer an array of managed IT services, including managed print, for businesses in and around Winston-Salem, Charlotte, and Greensboro. Contact us today to find out more.