How to Control Printing Costs
Understanding Printing Costs
Printing costs often represent a hidden drain on company resources. The first step to controlling them is understanding what you’re actually spending.
Cost Components
Visible Costs
- Equipment purchase or lease payments
- Paper purchases
- Toner and ink cartridges
- Maintenance contracts
Hidden Costs
- Energy consumption
- IT support time
- Wasted prints
- Employee time at the printer
- Storage of printed documents
Strategies for Cost Control
1. Implement Print Tracking
You can’t manage what you don’t measure:
- Install print management software
- Track usage by user, department, device
- Monitor colour vs B&W ratios
- Identify heavy users and waste patterns
2. Establish Print Policies
Create and enforce guidelines:
- Default double-sided printing
- Black and white as standard
- Colour printing with approval
- Personal printing limits
- Draft mode for internal documents
3. Optimise Your Fleet
Right-size your equipment:
- Audit all devices
- Remove underutilised printers
- Consolidate to multifunction devices
- Position equipment strategically
- Standardise brands and models
4. Control Consumables
Manage supplies effectively:
- Use high-yield cartridges
- Negotiate volume pricing
- Implement automatic replenishment
- Consider compatible cartridges carefully
- Recycle used cartridges
5. Reduce Print Volume
The cheapest print is no print:
- Promote digital alternatives
- Use electronic signatures
- Implement approval workflows
- Encourage screen reading
- Archive digitally
Technology Solutions
Print Management Software
Features to look for:
- Usage tracking and reporting
- Cost allocation by department
- Policy enforcement
- Secure print release
- Mobile print support
Secure Print Release
Benefits:
- Eliminates uncollected prints (10-20% waste reduction)
- Improves document security
- Enables follow-me printing
- Provides accurate usage data
Digital Workflows
Reduce paper dependency:
- Document management systems
- Electronic forms
- Digital approval processes
- Cloud collaboration tools
Cost Allocation
Allocate costs to departments:
- Creates accountability
- Identifies high-use areas
- Enables targeted reduction
- Supports budgeting
Methods:
- Per-page charging
- Fixed monthly allocation
- Hybrid approaches
- Cost centre tracking
Measuring Success
Track these metrics:
| Metric | Target |
|---|---|
| Cost per page | Reduce 10-20% |
| Pages per employee | Reduce 15-25% |
| Duplex percentage | Increase to 75%+ |
| Colour percentage | Reduce to 10-20% |
| Waste rate | Below 5% |
Building a Cost Control Programme
Phase 1: Assessment (Month 1)
- Inventory all devices
- Baseline current costs
- Survey user needs
- Identify quick wins
Phase 2: Quick Wins (Months 2-3)
- Implement default settings
- Remove unused devices
- Start tracking
- Communicate policies
Phase 3: Technology (Months 4-6)
- Deploy management software
- Implement secure release
- Set up reporting
- Train users
Phase 4: Optimisation (Ongoing)
- Review metrics regularly
- Refine policies
- Address issues
- Continue improvement
Communication and Training
Key Messages
- Why cost control matters
- How individuals can help
- What’s changing
- Benefits for everyone
Training Topics
- Using new features
- Sustainable printing practices
- Digital alternatives
- Reporting problems
Avoiding Common Pitfalls
❌ Focusing only on equipment cost ❌ Ignoring user behaviour ❌ One-time effort instead of ongoing ❌ Too restrictive policies ❌ No measurement or accountability
✅ Holistic cost view ✅ User engagement ✅ Continuous improvement ✅ Balanced policies ✅ Data-driven decisions
Controlling printing costs requires a combination of technology, policy, and behaviour change. With consistent effort, most organisations can achieve 20-40% cost reductions while maintaining or improving productivity.
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