Kristina Chan
In many businesses, printing is an overlooked area—until something goes wrong. A printer runs out of toner mid-project, a device breaks down, or costs slowly creep up without notice. For organisations looking to improve efficiency, cut costs, and enhance security, Managed Print Services (MPS) offers a strategic solution that goes far beyond simply managing printers.
A modern print environment needs more than reactive fixes—it requires full visibility and ongoing optimisation. Companies ready to scale or restructure must also rethink print workflows to match their evolving operations.
Key Highlights
- MPS cuts costs by consolidating devices and reducing waste.
- MPS improves productivity with proactive support and automation.
- Security enhancements protect documents and user data.
- Sustainability goals are easier to reach with usage tracking.
- Full visibility supports smarter print policy decisions.
- Scalable MPS works for both large and small businesses.
What Are Managed Print Services?
Managed Print Services is a comprehensive approach to overseeing an organisation’s entire print environment. This includes printers, multifunction devices, scanners, copiers, print supplies, maintenance, and even document workflows.
Rather than handling these responsibilities in-house, businesses partner with an MPS provider who monitors, manages, and optimises all aspects of printing. The result? Reduced costs, increased uptime, stronger security, and improved sustainability.
The Key Benefits of Managed Print Services
- Cost Control and Reduction
Printing expenses can account for up to 3% of a company’s revenue. MPS helps cut unnecessary costs by consolidating devices, reducing paper and toner waste, setting print quotas, and optimising usage. Most organisations experience cost savings of 20–30% after implementing MPS. - Improved Productivity
How much time do employees and IT staff spend fixing printer issues, ordering supplies, or troubleshooting errors? MPS takes these headaches off your team’s plate by providing proactive maintenance, automatic supply replenishment, and fast support. - Enhanced Security
Printers are often overlooked as security risks. MPS solutions add safeguards like user authentication, secure print release, encrypted data transmission, and tracking of print activity—helping to protect sensitive documents and meet compliance requirements. - Sustainability
With increasing focus on environmental responsibility, MPS helps organisations reduce paper consumption, energy use, and waste. By analysing print behaviour, providers recommend sustainable practices such as duplex printing, reducing unnecessary colour printing, and retiring inefficient devices. - Visibility and Control
MPS provides detailed reporting and analytics, giving businesses a clear view of how much is printed, by whom, and where. This insight enables smarter decisions about print policies, budgets, and resource allocation.
Who Should Consider Managed Print Services?
Managed Print Services is valuable for:
- Organisations with multiple locations or large print fleets
- Businesses with rising or unpredictable print costs
- Companies needing tighter control over document security
- IT teams looking to free up resources from printer maintenance
- Any business seeking to align printing with sustainability goals
Even small and medium-sized enterprises can benefit, as many MPS providers offer scalable solutions tailored to business size and industry needs.
Strategic Print Audits Uncover Hidden Inefficiencies
Before launching an MPS programme, a print audit is crucial. Most providers begin with an in-depth assessment of current devices, supply usage, maintenance cycles, and print volumes. This exposes inefficiencies that may not be visible to internal staff.
Typical areas where costs can spiral:
- Redundant or underutilised printers.
- Frequent maintenance on outdated devices.
- High reliance on colour prints.
- Lack of rules for employee printing.
- Unmonitored access leading to excess use.
The audit creates a data-driven foundation to build an efficient, cost-effective print strategy tailored to the organisation’s real usage.
How to Choose the Right MPS Provider
Every business has unique needs, so selecting the right MPS partner is critical. Look beyond price alone and examine the provider’s ability to deliver long-term improvements.
Key things to evaluate:
- Can they provide support across multiple office locations?
- Do they offer real-time reporting dashboards?
- Are they brand-neutral or locked into certain device manufacturers?
- How quickly do they respond to maintenance and supply issues?
- Will they train your staff and provide transition support?
A strong provider builds a collaborative relationship that adapts as your business evolves.
Optimising Document Workflows
MPS is not just about printers. It’s also about documents. Many organisations rely on paper-based workflows that slow down operations. A modern MPS plan often includes solutions for digitising documents and automating workflows.
This means:
- Reducing paper forms by switching to digital versions.
- Enabling scan-to-email or scan-to-cloud features.
- Connecting MFPs with document management systems.
- Removing bottlenecks in approvals, sharing, and storage.
Less paper means faster processes, better compliance, and lower storage costs.
Common Mistakes to Avoid in MPS Implementation
Even with the best intentions, businesses can misstep during rollout. Avoid these pitfalls to get the most from your investment:
- Failing to involve department heads in needs analysis.
- Skipping change management and staff training.
- Ignoring print security during setup.
- Choosing the cheapest provider instead of the best fit.
- Not tracking usage trends after implementation.
Success depends on clear goals, regular evaluations, and strong internal communication.
MPS and Compliance: Staying Ahead of Regulations
Regulatory compliance isn’t just an IT concern. Print environments often hold sensitive data. An MPS solution helps maintain compliance by enforcing print rules, retaining audit logs, and protecting confidential documents.
Industries like healthcare, finance, and law must safeguard client data. MPS offers the tools to restrict access, set print permissions, and log all document activity. It ensures that even hard copy handling supports data privacy rules.
As remote and hybrid working models become more common, MPS is evolving to support printing across various locations. Some providers offer cloud-based print management, enabling secure printing from anywhere while maintaining centralised control and reporting.
This flexibility ensures businesses can continue to manage and secure their print environments, even as employees work from home or different offices.
Final Thoughts
Managed Print Services is not just about managing printers—it’s about creating a smarter, more efficient, and secure print environment that supports broader business goals. By partnering with an MPS provider, organisations can reduce costs, improve productivity, protect sensitive information, and contribute to sustainability.
If your business hasn’t evaluated its print strategy recently, now is the time to explore how Managed Print Services could transform the way you work.
