How To Get the Best Cost Per Page for My Office Printers

We all want the biggest bang for our print management buck. However, we also want fantastic service that offers incredible results. So, how can you perfectly balance price with quality to find that ideal cost per page, or CPP?

It often boils down to awareness of how the CPP is determined, what questions to ask potential print partners, and then utilizing resourceful techniques that’ll reduce costs while also exceeding expectations.

How Is the CPP Cost Calculated?

Before jumping into how to get a great cost per page, you’ll want to grasp how an MPS team will calculate your CPP in the first place. Though many factors are involved, these are the most important:

Print Volume

A business that prints more pages will typically see a lower CPP than one with a smaller print volume. In essence, it’s easier for an MPS provider to recoup costs as their services will be more in-demand here than a business with fewer print management needs. 

Equipment

Older equipment will have a higher cost per page. This is primarily due to the difficulty of fixing aging devices, and the fact that they’ll likely have to be serviced more often. In contrast, newer equipment will almost always have a lower CPP.

If you’re not quite ready to purchase an entirely new fleet, worry not. A managed print service partner can put together a plan so you can do it in phases by eliminating inefficient devices first. It may take longer to see the final impact,  but you’ll still see a substantial price cut at each step.

Color vs. Mono

It’s more expensive to maintain color devices than black and white—also known as mono—printers, and copiers. If your business relies heavily on color prints, then your CPP will likely be higher.

Level of Service

From occasional, barebones assistance to an on-demand, in-house print technician, an MPS provider offering the desired level of service exists. As you can imagine, the cost per page increases as the services do.

But do remember—you’ll likely get what you paid for.

The above factors are blended together. This calculation, possibly along with other factors, results in your final CPP. 

7 Ways to Reduce Print

Start Asking Questions About Print Costs

Pricing structures can drastically vary between vendors. So, it’s essential to ask the right questions before signing on with any print management provider. Otherwise, you could unknowingly be comparing the equivalent of MPS apples and oranges without even knowing it. 

First off, ask how each vendor’s pricing model works. Assuming they do use a cost per page system (and some don’t) dig deeper into how that CPP is determined.

Once you have a solid understanding of the pricing model, begin inquiring about the specifics of each contract. Here are a few questions you should always ask:

  • Does the CPP include services like unlimited repairs, parts, toner refills, or software solutions?
  • What services are considered add-ons?
  • How many service calls are covered every month?
  • Is there a minimum monthly price?
  • Can the CPP be adjusted based on new circumstances?

These questions are simply a starting point and never hesitate to ask more. Any great MPS provider will happily answer any questions or concerns you might have.

How to Lower Your Cost Per Page

Now that you know how the CPP is determined, what can you do to start reducing costs? Below are several solutions that, if employed, can be rolled into the CPP and lower your overall price. An experienced print management team can assist you in launching these solutions as well.

Streamline Your Print Devices

Does your office use devices from multiple manufacturers like HP, Lexmark, or Ricoh? Then your MPS partner will have a harder time managing your fleet, which raises your costs. 

A streamlined environment filled with devices from a single manufacturer offers the MPS provider the perk of brand redundancy in regards to toner, parts, software, etc. Now, they don’t have to keep as many parts in stock. 

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The vans and trucks MPS technicians use to service devices at your site have a limited capacity on parts and supplies that they can carry. The less inventory a technician needs to have on hand, the more efficient the MPS provider can be.

Print Software Solutions

The incorporation of specific software solutions can also assist with optimization. While there might be an initial investment, in the long run, it will almost always save money. 

Secure print release software is a favorite money-saving tool, with PaperCut being an exceedingly popular option. PaperCut is a reliable, highly-regarded solution that’s been employed by organizations for years to amplify savings and security.

PaperCut requires employees to release a print job from the print cue at the device itself. This creates a decline in print as employees start thinking twice before sending a job. They can also cancel jobs at the device itself.

Another excellent feature of print release software is automatic deletion. Customers can set up a designated time period, and any pages not yet released will be deleted. As these forgotten—and apparently unnecessary jobs—are removed, the company saves on paper, toner, wear-and-tear, and more.

On average, companies can expect about a 10% to 20% inherent cost reduction. Some even report up to a 40% cut! That’s an undeniably substantial impact.

Print and Network Security 

Think of a secure print security strategy as an insurance policy against costly, reputation-killing data breaches. By prioritizing security, your organization can rest assured that your devices won’t get hacked—which quickly leads to expensive repercussions for both the company and the print management team.

From training teams against bad habits like leaving stray pages in the paper tray, to installing cutting-edge security software like PaperCut or HP Security Manager, there are many techniques that organizations and their MPS partners can use to maximize security.

Check out more of our expert print security advice here.

Ready to find the perfect cost per page for your company? Then call our trusted, reliable managed print team at imageOne! Schedule a free, 15-minute Discovery Call today.

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