Print expenses can make up a significant part of your budget, eating away at your bottom line. You have to account for the cost of your printers and their upkeep, as well as paper and toner and energy usage to understand the full scope of what your printers are costing you. Fortunately, there are some easy ways you can reduce print costs and get your print budget under control.
- Replace old printers. Just because your old printer still works doesn’t mean it’s working for your business. Older devices tend to use more energy and break down more frequently. Fixing them can also be more expensive as manufacturers retire older models to make room for the newer technology. Though upgrading can be a significant investment, it can pay for itself with increased productivity and efficiency, less maintenance and lower energy costs.
- Streamline print supply purchases. Ad-hoc supply purchasing can be hurting your budget. Many companies that do this find themselves in a “feast or famine” situation where they either have too many supplies or run out completely – with both situations costing your business. Not having supplies on hand can mean printer downtime where your employees can’t get their work done, but having too many may mean having to find the storage space and risking supply waste. Identify a single point person to manage print supply ordering, rather than letting each department do it themselves. This will allow you to best use your resources and take advantage of volume discounts.
- Go paperless. Much of what you print in a day ends up in the recycling bin – so stop printing it! By automating document workflows and changing your document management protocols, you can greatly reduce the amount of printing you do in a day, which in turn reduces your costs.
- Identify problem areas. Most printer troubles will recur, causing frustration and lost productivity. Try to identify the problem areas in your print environment and work to find solutions to them so you can spend less time troubleshooting your printer.
Print can be expensive, but it doesn’t have to blow your budget. By using these money-saving tips you can reign in your print costs and enjoy greater productivity and efficiency. Contact us for more ideas!
