Want to Reduce Printing Costs? Here Are 6 Questions to Ask Yourself

If you’re like many small and medium sized companies, taking the time to create and/or review your organization’s print policy is most likely low on your list of priorities. However, implementing a print policy is a simple and effective way to reduce your printing costs.

 

When you’re drafting your print policy, here are six important questions to ask yourself:

 

  1. How many prints should each department be allowed to make? It’s likely that some departments within your company will have a higher printing need than others. For example, your accounting department may need to keep copies of contracts and invoices while the operations team, if their processes are software based, may have less of a need for printed materials.

 

  1. Which departments need access to colour printing? – Not every department in your organization will have the need to print in colour.  Restrict the use of colour by department or user to keep costs down.

 

  1. What are the default settings for the printers in your workplace? – By making your printer default settings double-sided and black and white you will realize immediate cost savings while also reducing paper volume. If necessary, users can easily change these settings on an as-needed basis.

 

  1. Is there a procurement policy in place for buying printers and supplies? – By incorporating a procurement plan into your overall print policy, you’ll be better able to manage arbitrary purchases that don’t align with your broader IT investment plan.

 

  1. How do you service printers? – Your print policy should include a clear plan for troubleshooting printing problems to help minimize the number of costly service calls and printer downtime.

 

  1. How do you communicate your print policy to your employees? – While creating a print policy is one thing, enforcing it is another. How will you communicate your policy to your staff? A best practice is to send out weekly emails with reminders for appropriate printer use and helpful security tips.

 

Contact us to learn more about reducing your company’s printing costs!

 

Are you wondering how your printing practices compare with other small and mid-sized businesses?  Take our SMB Office Challenge and find out! You could qualify to win one of five Xerox multifunction colour printers and receive a FREE 2016 Office Print Policy Guide full of money saving best practices!

 

SMB Office Challenge, West X, Vancouver, BC