When it comes to the world of printing, there’s a lot of lingo and terminology thrown around. But what does it all mean?

Some people mistakenly confuse cost per page and managed print services, but these terms are vastly different print strategies.

Let’s take a look at the two to better understand the power of choosing a managed print services provider to handle it all.

Cost Per Page

When it comes to using a multifunctional printer— or a device that incorporates the functionality of email, fax, copier, printer and scanner, all in one— you really have two options.

You can:

1. Buy a multifunctional printer, outright
2. Lease a multifunctional printer and pay per click, or each page you print
   
   

Because of the hidden costs of purchasing a printer or copier outright, many businesses choose to lease their equipment and establish a fixed cost per page rate.

Cost per page (CPP), sometimes called pay per copy, is a rate of how much your company spends per printed page at the office.

How does it work exactly? Your business might determine that your cost per black and white printed page is $.03 per page, while a colored sheet costs $.16. From here, you can set limits, perhaps only allowing your business to print 3,000 black and white sheets and 700 colored sheets a month.

If you end up printing over your contracted limit, you’ll be charged an overage fee or higher cost per page rate. (See how our team at Access Systems helps to prevent occurrences like this by reviewing these real case studies).

In the end, a pay per copy contract is a single component of your leasing or maintenance agreement. There’s much more to your office-wide printing strategy than simply calculating your cost per page.

This is where a managed print provider comes into play.

Managed Print Providers

Managed print providers go way beyond determining your cost per page.

These providers are capable of evaluating your entire fleet of printing equipment and your current usage practices— helping you to create a strategy for improving efficiency, managing supplies and reducing costs and waste.

Sound like a lot? It is!

A managed print provider will often begin assessing your office-wide printing with a print assessment. They’ll observe your current print practices to see how much paper and supplies your office(s) uses on a monthly basis.

After analyzing your current usage, they might find areas of waste. For instance, you may be printing too often in color when black and white would suffice, or you may be sending documents to print that are never actually used. Or, maybe they’ll find that an outdated device is costing your more in maintenance or special toner.

From there, a managed print provider will streamline your equipment, choosing the most efficient, leased multifunctional devices for your business’ needs. This eliminates the hassle of selecting new costly devices and worrying about installation and troubleshooting headaches— as many managed print services providers often offer training and will even order your supplies, like toner, too.

Just when you thought that was it, these providers also offer security measures to help protect your data and devices from cyber attacks and theft.

For those willing to invest more in security, some providers offer a document managing software. Data from this software can reveal how your business is truly printing and what your real costs are, so you can make active improvements to save supplies and money.

The Value of a Managed Print Services Provider

In addition to helping you set a cost per page, a managed print services provider— like our team at Access Systems— can:

• Provide advanced, leased hardware that’s cheaper than buying new
• Deliver and install the devices, including application setup, driver installation, etc.
• Train your employees on the new devices
• Troubleshoot technology problems and provide on-going maintenance
• Make any necessary repairs or replacements
• Order cost-effective supplies
• Offer optimal security to protect your printed data
• Allow upgraded access to printing tools, which can improve your awareness and efficiency
  
  

With all their knowledgeable help, you’ll be able to maximize the use of your equipment and streamline your office-wide spending.

Ready to Assess Your Print Strategy?

Do you understand how much your devices are actually costing your small business?

Get a handle on your office-wide printing with these eye-opening questions and check out our helpful infographic for tips on assessing your current state.

Curious about outsourcing your print management? Our team is only a phone call away. Give us a ring at (888) 464-8770 or fill out this form to learn more today.