There are several benefits that come along with working with a print management provider, and some of the primary advantages include:

 

●     More Secure Prints

●     Flexible Printing Environment

●     Remote Printing Capabilities

●     Increased Efficiency Around The Office

●     Long-Term Cost-Effectiveness

 

Simply put, working with a managed service provider is a great way to help your business maintain an edge over other competitors, but there are certain things that you must consider before you sign the dotted line of a service contract. Make sure you take these critical factors into account before you enter into your next service agreement:

Services and Maintenance Costs:

Installations, repairs, and maintenance. This is a service bundle that might burn a hole in your bank account if you don’t budget appropriately. When it comes to printing services, you must account for the type of service offered, the device that it’s performed on, and the amount of time that it takes to complete the task. Make sure to get a fixed service estimate before you commit to any of these printing solutions.

Equipment:

Do you need one primary network printer or an entire fleet of multi functional printing stations? What brands do you want to utilize? When it comes to your printing environment, you need to be extra conscious about the type of equipment that is adopted. These are fundamental pieces of your office. If you enter into a service agreement with a managed printing service, be prepared to purchase equipment in bulk amounts, lease payments, or by a cost-per-page basis.

The Lifespan of the Equipment:

Supporting your printing environment is not a cheap expense, but if you want to save big over time, you’ll need to factor in the longevity of your print infrastructure. Knowing how many pages you print in a month can usually provide you a with a good indication about how long your equipment will perform at an optimal level. This allows you to prepare for any replacement purchases that will affect your long-term printing environment.

Toner Supply:

Keep track of the average prices of the toner cartridges that your printers function with. You can figure this by keeping an invoice from each toner cartridge purchased. If you misplace any of those invoices, configure the average retail price of the toner cartridges equipped for your specific printer model. Keep account of black-and-white and colored cartridges.

Cost-Per-Print:

After you have figured the cost of any printing services, equipment purchases, and toner supply, then you’ll be able to accurately calculate the cost of each page printed. Once the information has been gathered, you’ll be able to yield the page printed from the amount of toner used in order to figure the cost of each printed item. This is another fixed number that you’ll be able to configure within your monthly printing budget.

The Printer Manufacturers:

A cost per print will vary depending on the printer manufacturer that you work with. You can locate those details by looking at the printer up close. If for some reason, you cannot determine what printer manufacturer you use, either open the printer manual, pull up the control panel, or contact your managed printing provider.