Understanding the True Cost of Printing

Even the most conscientious business owner can miss out on calculating the actual costs associated with printing. A comprehensive overview probably includes supplies like paper and ink, the price of repairs and maintenance, and the hardware itself, but there’s actually much more to it than that.

While printing may not be quite as prevalent as it once was – we’re doing so much more digitally these days, and many businesses are working toward greener practices – most print environments are overspending and less productive than they could be. That’s where managed print comes in. Managed print helps you get a handle on your entire print fleet, the overall environment, and the total costs related to printing.

Let’s take a closer look at that last one.

Where does the money go?

A significant portion of companies have no idea how much they are spending on print. Many aren’t even sure how many printers they have. When print environments are unregulated, there are numerous ways that overspending occurs. Here are a few of the possible areas where print spending might happen.

• Erroneous or unauthorized printing: From accidentally printing unneeded documents to utilizing work printers for personal projects, unchecked print habits can be costly.
• Few or no rules, or unenforced policies: Without clear print policies, employees don’t think to watch consumption, and do things like print only on one side or in color.
• Mismanaged supplies: Over- or under-ordering, multiple vendors, theft – these are just a few of the ways supply mismanagement can impact costs.
• Poorly located or unmaintained printers: Not updating software regularly, not optimizing location, or only servicing printers when they break – these issues can be money pits.

As you can see, most of the time the money spent on printing stems from a lack of control. Fortunately, any of these issues are easy to address, through ongoing maintenance requires work.

Managed print takes care of the initial changes by helping you understand your actual costs and by working with you to set up a long-term plan. Managed print also makes that long-term maintenance much easier and more effective.

Ready to learn more about the hidden costs of printing and how managed print can help your office? Contact EDGE today!