Managed Print Services (MPS) are revolutionizing how businesses handle printing needs. Regardless of your company’s size or industry, MPS offers many benefits that can streamline operations, reduce costs, and enhance productivity. Here are some key advantages:

1. Streamlined Management: Offix’s MPS promises to streamline print management, offering cost savings, enhanced productivity, and improved security through a proactive and efficient approach tailored to businesses of all sizes³.

2. Optimized Print Management: The design and implementation of Offix’s MPS involve a thorough assessment of the current print infrastructure, device-monitoring software for continuous improvements, flexible online platforms for better management, and strict security measures, including data encryption³.

3. Real-World Success: Real-world performance indicates satisfaction among users of Offix’s MPS, with reported benefits in cost efficiency, reduced downtimes through preventive maintenance, marked improvements in security, and a positive environmental impact through sustainability initiatives³.

4. Automated Supply Management: Offix’s MPS incorporates automated supply management, a key element in ensuring businesses never face a shortage of essential supplies like toner and paper³.

5. Integration with Leasing: MPS can help control printing costs and usage with software that tracks and manages usage, enhancing routing and mobile printing capabilities⁴.

In conclusion, Managed Print Services offer a proactive approach to printing, streamlining printing times, service upgrades, operational supplies, and sustainability goals by reducing waste³. By taking a systematic approach to print infrastructure, MPS increases printing efficiency, productivity, reliability, and security³. So, whether you’re a small business or a large corporation, MPS can be a game-changer for your printing needs.

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10. Choose Wisely, Between Ink and Toner

While you can buy a printer for as little as a hundred dollars, the sticker price of your device is only the beginning: total cost of ownership (TCO) includes energy, replacement parts and, most importantly, the cost of ink or toner. If you calculate how much a page costs you, every time your print it, and compare the cost of that print between a laser printer or copier and a device that uses ink cartridges, you’ll quickly realize that, if you have an inkjet device, you’re probably spending up to 10 times (yes: ten) more per page with a little, inexpensive machine, than you would with a laser device. And that’s not counting the fact that inkjet cartridges have the nasty habit of drying out, when not in use, making them a $60 paperweight, if they become inoperable.

9. Use Color Ink Only When Necessary

This seems like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised how many people print documents or web pages that contain color images that are not needed. Black and white prints use only one toner color (you guessed it: the black one). Color images are created by mixing color toner in various quantities. This depletes toner at a much higher rate.

Our tech team often sets specific rules, when setting up a Managed Print Services program, that allows people to print in color only in specific instances and to specific devices, set up specifically to reduce wasted toner. Depending on the number of printers/copiers within an organization, this can result in thousands of dollars per year in savings. If you are setting up laptops for new employees, make sure you set they default printer settings to greyscale, or that you ask your IT department to do so.

To set black and white as your default print mode, go to: START MENU > CONTROL PANEL > HARDWARE AND SOUND > DEVICES AND PRINTERS. From there, right-click on the printer for which you want to change the default settings. Select PRINTING PREFERENCES and manage your settings as necessary.

8. Stop Unnecessary Print Commands

When you send a print command to a printer, the device starts moving, before starting the actual print. That’s when the printer makes a whirring noise, in preparation for the paper to be fed. The noise you hear is the toner cartridge rotating into position. Every time this happens, you are wasting a little bit of toner. Once the job is complete, the printer resets itself, and more toner is lost.

This happens every time someone sends a print signal to the printer. Imagine when that happens hundreds of times a day, within an organization. This is especially important if people send single-page signals for large documents. Send the document as a whole, and save toner!

7. Use “Print Preview” to Save Copier Toner

Often, entire documents are wasted because the output of the job isn’t what the person printing it expected to see. Enters “Print Preview”: it is a tool that allows you to examine the document before it’s printed. By seeing what the document looks like, you’ll be able to make adjustments before you have wasted unnecessary copier toner. This is also important when you are printing emails or web pages, which often contain unnecessary things like the website map, at the page footer, or grey boxes that waste toner without being necessary. By deciding if something is relevant and useful before printing, you are going to save on copier toner before you know it!

To use “Print Preview” in Microsoft Word and Excel, go to FILE > PRINT.

6. Use the appropriate copy and print devices for the job

Copiers, multifunction devices (MFP) and printers come in all sizes, speeds, and features, to fit a broad range of business applications. Plug and play printers you find in big office supply chains are great for occasional jobs. If you print daily, however, the cost is going to become staggering before you know it, as your Total Cost of Ownership (TOC), which includes replacement parts, supplies, energy and life of the machine, will be several times higher than with devices that have a higher price tag. If you consistently rely on your device to print, copy, scan, a larger machine is probably the best solution.

You have to look at the cost per page, rather than the sticker price of the device. Ink from cartridges can bring the cost-per-page of a device from a few pennies to nearly a dollar! Every. Time. You. Print.

Working with a knowledgeable copier and printer sales and service dealer can help you immensely. It will allow you to match you with the right equipment for your needs and budget.

Reputable dealers can also offer organizations with multiple machines (copiers, printers, etc.) Managed Print Services (MPS): a great option to save up to 30% on printing costs.

5. Print in Draft Mode and Save More Toner

Draft mode allows documents to be printed with no formatting, or minimal formatting at most. Think of it as a “test version” of your final copy, allowing you to see what your final printed document will look like while saving ink. For documents that don’t need formality (internal memos, reports to review during a meeting, etc.) this is an option that, over time, will save you a lot of money on copier toner.

To print in draft mode, go to FILE > OPTIONS > ADVANCED. Under GENERAL, select ALLOW OPENING A DOCUMENT IN DRAFT VIEW. Select OK. Under the VIEW tab, click DRAFT.

4. Use this trick, when printing webpages

Printing web pages can waste a lot of ink. Images, links, advertisements, and formatting on web pages add a lot of clutter and unnecessary printing. PrintFriendly is a free online tool that converts web pages to printable PDFs, removing advertisements, navigation, and other unnecessary elements to help you save paper and ink when you print.

3. Keep “Toner Pirates” at Bay

“Toner Pirates” represent companies that call businesses in an attempt to sell printer toner or ink cartridges over the phone using high pressure tactics and offering prices that seem too good to be true. Why? Because they’re not true.

Toner Pirates dishonestly claim to be calling on behalf of your supplier, mentioning the ability to provide better prices that you must take advantage before the end of the day. It is possible they may even know the models of equipment your company uses. The problem is that Toner Pirates are selling high-priced and/or low-quality products. Learn more about Toner Pirates, here.

2. Change your Font and Save on Copier Toner

Different fonts use different amounts of ink to print, so using the right fonts can help you use less ink and save money. According to Patrick Austin in Consumer Reports Fonts such as Century Gothic, Times New Roman, and Calibri use less ink than Veranda, Arial, and Tahoma. According to Consumer Reports, Times New Roman takes up to 27% less ink than Arial. Choosing typefaces that use less ink to print will help extend the life of your ink and toner and save you money.

1. Find a dealer that offers maintenance contracts that include supplies

The sure-fire way to save toner and save money on copier toner is to sign up for an all-inclusive maintenance plan from a reputable service provider. Through these maintenance plans, your price is calculated on a per-copy base, which means that you know exactly what printing that piece of paper is going to cost you. No more hunting for best prices (we purchase in bulk, which means that you’re not going to find a lower price from anyone) and ship toner to you before you even know you’re low, thanks to our remote monitoring system.

What’s even better, our price-per-copy includes supplies like color and black-and-white toner, all of the preventive maintenance needed to make sure your all-in-one copier is in perfect condition (no more jams, streaks and lines, or error messages) and even a replacement loaner, if your machine has to be down for a few days! Give us a call today, to see how much you can save on copier toner, maintenance and more.

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1. It Isn’t Meeting Expectations or Demand

If there’s often a line in front of your copier or if you have to frequently replace the paper or toner for a machine, it may be time for an upgrade. Owning a machine that underperforms and/or doesn’t have the capacity to meet to meet your printing demand consumes both time and money, making your business less efficient overall. Imagine owning a copier that produces 5,000 copies a month. If this copier was running just 2 seconds slower per copy, your business would spend nearly another 3 hours per month making copies, unnecessarily costing you both time and money. When your equipment can’t support the daily functions of your employees, then it can’t properly support your business.

2. It Costs More Than It’s Worth

Faulty and/or outdated equipment can quickly make an asset become a major liability for your company. Between the costs of servicing your machine and replacing parts, more often you can save money by ending a lease early and purchasing a new machine than spending money on the upkeep of an old one, contact us to find out how. Additionally, the cost of toner, paper, and ink on a machine adds up, costing businesses an average of 15% of their overall expenses. Furthermore, products such as uniFLOW and PaperCut are solutions for overspending on printing supplies. Businesses owning a printer that isn’t aligned with their needs can end up spending more than they need to on related expenses.

3. Your Needs Change

Whether your business has expanded or reduced in size, it may be likely that your current copier is not suited for the same needs your company had three to five years ago. A new machine may be the answer to a crowded copy room or a copier-turned-decoration.

4. Its Downtime and Uptime Are the Same

If your device has persistent problems and constantly needs to be serviced, it may be time to think about replacing it. Copiers with frequent downtime become obstructions to your business, consuming time and money while they are serviced or parts are ordered. While most organizations will see a significant amount of downtime on machines, guarantees, such as Offix’s 95% uptime minimum guarantee, will ensure that you never have to worry about copier or printer impeding your business again.

5. It’s Getting Old or Is Outdated

Technology that isn’t up to date or hasn’t advanced along with your company can slow you down and even become a security risk. The same multifunction printer (MFP) purchased three to five years ago more than likely has a comparable, newer model out that costs less and has more features. User friendly interfaces and faster processing speeds can make printing, copying, and scanning simple and streamlined. Additionally, as more information becomes digitized, newer printers can operate to better meet the needs of your business, storing information where you need it most.

6. It Becomes a Security Risk

If you handle sensitive information, your equipment should be able to safely and securely transmit your data to its destination. Older copiers typically have hard drives that retain the information passed through them while newer copiers automatically erase this information shortly after its use. Office technology that is outdated or defenseless is more prone to being breached and leaking information, even with cloud storage solutions such as Therefore.

7. It Becomes Less Efficient or Inefficient

Most companies don’t realize that office copiers and printers add up to their third largest expense next to  payroll and rent. This figure is impacted largely by the fact that, depending on the statistics, between 17% and 30% of pages printed daily go completely unused and 45% and 65% of documents are disposed of the same day they are printed. This cost can be reduced significantly reduced if companies are able to recognize the amount of resources used up by their document technology and replace inefficient or old machines. Managed print solutions can help track the hidden cost of printing documents and manage the resources spent.

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