Your printer fleet is the backbone of your business operations and also can be a swollen cost item on your budget every year. It isn't uncommon for printer fleets to grow and become inefficient over time, and therefore costing your business more money than is necessary. But, what options do you have to shrink your fleet and where should you start? A managed print services provider can help you highlight some inefficiencies and maximize your printing network. Here are three practical tips to get started.
1. Assess Your Needs
The first step in the process is to collect and analyze your printing needs for each department. You can't take steps to downsize without knowing what you need. This process will enable you to understand your printing demands for each department and each employee and will give you actionable data that you can use to cut costs.
2. Networking
You should work with your IT department to analyze the state of your printer fleet and how networking your devices can drive some efficiencies that you may be missing out on currently. A managed print services provider can also help highlight new technology that can make this easier, or make for a more efficient system.
3. Understand Your Total Cost
This step is often overlooked but can yield some of the most useful information regarding your devices. Considering the total cost of your printing, from paper to toner and repairs you can understand the true cost of your current printing situation. This step can really bring the growth of your printer network to the forefront and may even seem shocking to some business owners. However, this data will give you the opportunity to make adjustments that will drive efficiencies and cost savings to your bottom line and lead to increased productivity.
Last Words
Your printer fleet can quickly spiral out of control over time, and understanding that is the first step in taking control of it and reigning those costs in. Whether you do it yourself or work with your managed print provider, you can take the first steps in attaining some savings.