You may know that print audits are the first step in most managed print services solutions--but do they have any other role to play? Let's find out!
Why Managed Print Services Begins with a Print Audit
One of the first things your managed print services provider will do as your official partner is begin a print audit. This initial step helps you and your provider learn more about the bones of your print environment, including:
- What you print.
- How often you print.
- What printer settings you use.
- Which machines are used most often.
- How much ink, paper, toner, and energy you consume.
- What security vulnerabilities you might be facing.
A print audit isn't a way to point out everything you're doing wrong. Instead, it's your chance to look more closely at an otherwise-complicated environment so you can understand how each element impacts the others--and, perhaps more importantly, what you can do to improve your operations.
Repeating Print Audits with Managed Print Services
Although print audits are often completed at the beginning of managed print services, they can be repeated as many times as you want. Here are a few reasons you might want another audit:
- You've made changes and you want to see the impacts.
With a managed print services provider at your back, you're free to test print solutions and try new things. A print audit helps you keep track of these changes by showing you how an individual decision impacts other, seemingly unrelated parts of the print process. As a result, you'll learn to identify missteps and mistakes before they even happen.
- You want to track your progress.
Maybe it's been some time since your first print audit, and now that your managed print services solutions are in full swing, you want to see how far you've come. This is the perfect time for another print audit because you can directly compare results to help track your progress.
- You need more information before you can make a decision.
Say you're about to make a big decision, like transitioning to a hybrid work setup. You might want to work with your managed print services provider to perform a print audit first. That way, you can understand which elements of your print environment need to stay on-site and which have the potential to become remote--and, with these details, you'll have an easier time planning your transition.
In conclusion, print audits don't just belong at the beginning of your managed print services journey. They have a big role to play at every stage, and they're a great way to improve visibility throughout your print environment.
Want to put print audits to work? Contact us today to get started with managed print services!
