Can you ever have too many printers? Unfortunately, the answer is yes. With a little help from printer fleet management, it's easy to tell when it's time to downsize for the good of your entire print environment (and your employees, too).
What Is Printer Fleet Management?
Printer fleet management is part of the much larger managed print services, but the two work together to help you take control of your machines.
It all begins with a print audit. This is where you and your managed print provider will learn more about your habits, needs, and budget. You'll also have a chance to take a closer look at each individual machine, how it's being used, and how much it costs to operate. That's where printer fleet management comes in.
While other parts of managed print are helping you streamline your workflow or improve your print habits, printer fleet management is helping you decide which machines are carrying their weight and which are dragging you down. Sometimes that means upgrading, other times it means downsizing--and occasionally, it means both.
The key is to remember that you don't need more printers--you need the right printers (and a good print environment to back them up).
Downsizing with Printer Fleet Management
Although a print audit is an effective way to identify your needs, there are more things to pay attention to when it comes to your fleet. Here are a few signs that it might be time to downsize:
#1: Your needs have changed
Maybe you've just switched to a hybrid or remote work setup and aren't using your print environment in the same way. That doesn't mean you should get rid of your entire fleet, but sometimes it does mean you can cut down on the number of printers you have to maintain.
#2: Your costs are sky-high
An easy way to tell something is wrong: Your budget is all over the place. If you're paying way too much for printing, it's possible that you have too many machines that are all eating up paper, ink, and energy--which means downsizing might be in order.
#3: You have old, unreliable devices
If you have a lot of older machines that all work together to get the job done, it might be time to replace them with one newer machine. This is more efficient and cost-effective, it takes up less space, and you'll have an easier time with print security.
In conclusion, downsizing is an important tool to keep in your printer fleet management arsenal. Just remember that whether you're downsizing, upgrading, or both, you need a solid strategy to support your entire fleet--and that's a job for managed print.
Ready to see what printer fleet management and managed print services can do for you? Contact us today to get started!