As IT administrators, we spend our days securing networks and managing cloud migrations, yet one of the biggest budget leaks often sits right in the corner of the office: the printer.
If you have not taken a serious look at your organization’s printing costs lately, the numbers are staggering. The average organization spends between 1% and 3% of their annual revenue on printing. That comes out to roughly $750 per employee every year. With a strategic digital transformation, however, these costs stop skyrocketing; they start vanishing.
From Print by Default to Digital by Design
There is a common saying in the industry that the most expensive page is the one that did not need to be printed. At North Central Technologies, we lead the charge in shifting workflows from paper-heavy to digital.
- Standardize E-Signatures – Move away from print-sign-scan loops by implementing e-signing software.
- Encourage Dual Monitors – Many people print long documents just to reference them while typing. Providing a second monitor is a one-time hardware cost that pays for itself in paper savings within months.
- Scanning Workflows – Configure Multifunction Printers (MFPs) to Scan-to-Cloud as the primary button, rather than making copies of documents.
Take Control with Print Management Software
A good rule of thumb is that if you are not measuring it, you cannot properly manage it. By utilizing print management software, you can implement features that actively kill costs:
- Secure Print Release – Jobs are held in a virtual queue and only print when the user physically taps their badge at the device. This eliminates the forgotten stack of paper left in the tray, which accounts for up to 30% of office waste.
- Print Quotas – Assign a monthly allowance to departments or individuals. It is amazing how much more essential a document becomes when a user sees their remaining balance.
- Global Defaults – Force Duplex (Double-Sided) and Grayscale (Black & White) at the driver level. Color printing can cost 5 to 10 times more per page than monochrome.
Phase Out the Personal Printer
From an IT perspective, small desktop inkjet printers are a nightmare. They have the highest cost-per-page and create a fragmented supply chain of dozens of different ink cartridges.
- Consolidate to MFPs – Replace ten small printers with two high-efficiency, centralized Multifunction Devices.
- Right-sizing – Use your print management data to see which machines are over-utilized or under-utilized.
The Psychology of Printing
Sometimes, a little psychology goes a long way. Some print management tools allow for pop-up notifications. If a user tries to print a 100-page email thread in color, a message appears stating the job will cost $15.00 or asking if they want to print in Black & White instead. These nudges reduce high-volume waste without requiring a heavy-handed ban.
Reclaim Your IT Budget
Eliminating skyrocketing print costs is not just about saving paper; it is about reclaiming the IT budget for projects that actually drive the business forward. By combining better software defaults, fleet consolidation, and secure release, most businesses can see a 30% to 40% reduction in print spend within the first year.
For more information about how the IT experts at North Central Technologies can position you away from rising printing costs, give us a call today at 978-798-6805.
