Most businesses we talk to have no idea what they actually spend on printing. Toner, paper, maintenance contracts, energy, replacement hardware - it all adds up, and it's almost always more than you think.
A managed print audit gives you the full picture. It maps every device, tracks usage, and shows you exactly where money is being wasted. Here's how to use one to cut your print costs by 30% or more.
Why Print Costs Spiral Out of Control
Printing is one of those expenses that nobody owns. Individual departments buy their own devices, toner gets ordered ad hoc, and maintenance happens reactively - usually when something breaks at the worst possible time.
The result? Businesses with 50 staff often have 20+ devices, half of which are underused and all of which are costing money in energy, supplies, and support.
If that sounds familiar, a structured print audit is the fastest way to get control back.
Step 1: Map Every Device
The first step is knowing what you actually have. That means documenting every printer, copier, scanner, and MFD across every office and floor. Include:
- Make, model, and age of each device
- Location and which team uses it
- Monthly page volumes (most devices track this internally)
- Cost per page including toner, maintenance, and energy
This baseline is what makes everything else possible. Without it, you're guessing.
Step 2: Identify the Waste
Once you have the data, patterns emerge quickly. Common findings from our audits include:
- Underused devices sitting in corners, still consuming energy and toner
- Colour printing where mono would do - colour pages cost 5-10x more
- Desktop inkjets that cost far more per page than shared laser devices
- Duplicate devices in the same area serving the same team
- No default settings - meaning everything prints in colour, single-sided, at full quality
These aren't edge cases. We see them in almost every Birmingham business we audit.
Step 3: Right-Size Your Fleet
Right-sizing doesn't mean taking printers away from people who need them. It means making sure you have the right devices in the right places. Typically, this means:
- Replacing ageing desktop printers with shared, managed MFDs
- Consolidating devices in areas where two or three units serve the same team
- Moving to managed print contracts that include toner, maintenance, and support in a fixed monthly cost
The goal is fewer, better devices - which means lower costs and less downtime.
Step 4: Set Print Policies
Technology alone won't fix behaviour. Simple policy changes make a big difference:
- Default to mono and duplex - users can override for specific jobs, but the default saves money every day
- Secure print release - documents only print when someone taps their badge at the device, eliminating waste from forgotten print jobs. Our secure print solutions make this straightforward
- Departmental quotas - not to restrict people, but to create awareness of usage
These changes typically reduce page volumes by 15-25% on their own.
Step 5: Monitor and Optimise Continuously
A one-off audit is useful, but the real value comes from ongoing monitoring. Managed print services give you:
- Automatic toner replenishment before you run out
- Proactive maintenance that prevents breakdowns
- Monthly usage reports so you can spot trends and adjust
This is where the 30%+ savings sustain themselves long-term, rather than creeping back up after six months.
What About Security?
Print security is consistently overlooked. Documents left on output trays, unencrypted print data crossing your network, and devices with default admin passwords are all real risks - especially for law firms and other regulated businesses.
A proper audit covers security alongside cost. Our secure print solutions address pull-printing, encryption, and access controls as part of the same project.
If you're handling sensitive client data, this isn't optional - it's a compliance requirement under standards like ISO 27001 and Cyber Essentials Plus.
How Much Can You Actually Save?
Based on our audits across Birmingham, Solihull, and the wider West Midlands:
| Area | Typical Saving |
|---|---|
| Fleet consolidation | 15-20% |
| Default print policies | 10-15% |
| Managed toner & maintenance | 5-10% |
| Energy reduction | 3-5% |
| Combined | 30-40% |
These aren't theoretical numbers. They're based on real audits with real businesses.
When Should You Get an Audit?
If any of these apply, it's worth a conversation:
- You don't know your total monthly print spend
- You have more than 10 devices across your business
- Your current maintenance contracts are up for renewal
- You've had compliance questions about document security
- You're moving offices or consolidating locations
Getting Started
A managed print audit from LeapIT takes 2-3 weeks and gives you a clear, costed plan. There's no obligation to act on every recommendation - but most clients implement the majority because the savings speak for themselves.
We also tie this into your broader IT strategy so print sits alongside your cloud, security, and communications planning.
Ready to find out what you're actually spending? Book a free print audit and we'll show you the numbers.