5 Surprising Ways to Reduce Operating Costs with Your Printing Strategy

Operating costs can quickly add up, and though it’s often overlooked, printing is one area where businesses tend to hemorrhage money. It’s so ingrained in business operations that it tends to be left unchecked.

But just how much is printing costing your business? On average, it accounts for about 3–5% of operational costs. Many companies don't actually know how much they spend on printing, and a large percentage of printed pages go unused. 

How can these costs be brought back under control? It’s important to assess your existing printer environment to craft the right strategy for your organization, as no two businesses will have the same needs. That said, here are 5 best practices to get you started:

1. Digitize your documents

When you implement digitization in your organization, you won’t just reduce printing costs — you'll also save on storage and disposal of those documents. Digital-first processes can lead to:

Easier access and sharing — Digital documents are easier to access and share among team members. This eliminates the need for physical copies, which can be lost or misplaced, thus saving both time and resources.

Simplified permission protections — Digitized files offer simplified permission settings, allowing you to control who has access to what. This added layer of security reduces the risk of unauthorized printing and distribution.

Less printing overall — When your team gets used to finding and sharing documents digitally, the urge to print every little thing diminishes. This shift in habit alone can result in significant cost savings.

2. Standardize your printer fleet

Rather than maintaining a variety of printers, standardizing your printer fleet can help you:

Lower repair costs — Standardizing your printer fleet means fewer models to maintain, resulting in lower repair costs. Unified printer models make it easier to keep spare parts and supplies on hand.

Reduce maintenance time — With a standardized fleet, your IT team can focus on a single type of machine, reducing troubleshooting and maintenance time.

Simplify employee training — When everyone uses the same printer model, training becomes more straightforward, reducing the time employees take to learn how to use different machines.

Managed Print Services (MPS) can offer a short-term fix for standardizing your fleet, but without an organizational print strategy, the benefits will be limited. An effective print strategy ensures that your printing resources are aligned with your business goals, optimizing efficiency and cost-effectiveness in the long run.

3. Default your print drivers to black and white

Black and white documents have a lower printing cost per page than color. For high-traffic printers and smaller desktop units, consider setting the default to black and white. Making this change requires minimal effort, making it a quick win for reducing your average cost of printing per page.

That’s not to say color printing should be off the table altogether! Ensure that color printing is available but reserved for necessary situations, and validate when users actually need color. This approach reduces unnecessary color prints, saving on expensive color toner.

4. Improve visibility around printing habits

Most companies are unaware of how much printing is really being done. Improving your visibility can help you understand how many pages are printed per user, per device, and by type of print job.

Print job logs, for example, enable you to track precisely who is printing what, which can shed light on high-volume users or unnecessary print jobs. This information can be compiled, along with other details, into a print report that tracks overall printing trends, providing essential insights to inform policy changes.

Additionally, print jobs from personal devices often fly under the radar. Having a system in place to track this activity — and clearly establishing a policy on printing from personal devices — can help you prevent unwarranted or needless printing.

5. Opt for a service agreement

Unexpected downtime on machines can disrupt workflows, create friction, and lead to unplanned costs. Selecting a quality provider who offers regular maintenance and upkeep ensures your printing equipment runs at optimal efficiency, minimizing unexpected breakdowns.

Often, companies are reluctant to invest in a maintenance plan, opting instead to handle maintenance on an hourly ad-hoc basis with the intention of saving money. However, a comprehensive service agreement can be more cost-effective in the long run, as it prevents larger, more expensive issues from arising and keeps workflows running smoothly. 

Ready to bring down your printing costs?

At UBEO, we’re always looking for efficiencies in your processes to ensure you’re getting the most streamlined printer ecosystem possible. By implementing these strategies, you can save time and money while creating a better working environment for your team.