Yes, for printing businesses in the United States that use 3,000+ pages per month and 2+ printers, managed print services is worth it, as it can save 25-40% over self-managed printing. It is not suitable for companies that have just one printer and print less than 1000 pages per month. This guide has the exact criteria you need to decide if it’s your situation.
Most articles about managed print services are written by MPS providers, so the answer is often the same: managed print services is always worth it. In reality, that’s not true for every business.
If you’re asking, “is managed print services worth it?”, the answer depends on factors such as your print volume, number of devices, maintenance costs, and the amount of time your team spends dealing with printer issues.
In this guide, Ovron Inc. gives you an honest assessment of when managed print services delivers real ROI for small businesses—and when it may not be the right investment.
The Hidden Costs of Owning Your Own Printers
MPS provides tangible and quantifiable benefits for businesses that have the majority of these characteristics:
| Criteria | Why It Matters for MPS ROI |
|---|---|
| 2 or more printers in regular use | MPS monitoring and management costs are distributed across devices — more devices = better value per device |
| 3,000+ pages printed per month | At this volume, the per-page savings of professional supply management and maintenance coverage exceed the cost of the contract |
| Someone spends 2+ hours/month on printer issues | MPS eliminates this time cost entirely — that’s real dollars recovered every month |
| One or more printer repairs in the past 12 months | MPS includes repairs — if you’ve had one $200+ repair call, MPS likely pays for itself |
| You don’t know your true monthly print cost | MPS provides this data automatically — and the data usually reveals 30–40% in recoverable waste |
| Downtime has cost you productivity or client deadlines | MPS proactive monitoring prevents the failures that cause this — one prevented crisis often covers months of contract cost |
When Is Managed Print Services Not Worth It?
Before deciding whether MPS is right for your business, it’s important to understand the managed print services pros and cons. While MPS can reduce costs and improve efficiency, it is not the best solution for every organization.
Here are situations where we would recommend against managed print services:
- If you only use one printer and print less than 1,000 pages per month, your true print cost is likely to be less than $60 per month and a maintenance plan is probably more suitable.
- Your printers are consumer printers still in their warranty period — the cost of MPS doesn’t bring much during the warranty period.
- Your IT person is dedicated and available to deal with printers — if he really has the time and expertise, the time savings of MPS are already accounted for
Most MPS contracts have caps on print volume, and per-page pricing can lead to unstable budgets.
The 3-Question Test: Does Your Business Need MPS?
Question 1: What did you spend on printing last month?
If you can answer this accurately — including toner, repairs, and staff time — within 5 minutes, your printing is well-managed. If you can’t, that invisibility is itself a cost.
Question 2: How many hours did your team spend on printer problems during the past month?
Count all the printer-related interruptions such as calls to IT, waiting for a repair tech, emergency toner runs. Multiply by an average hourly staff cost. MPS pays for itself on this category alone, if this number exceeds $100/month.
Question 3: Have you missed deadlines, client meetings or deliverables due to a printer issue in the last 6 months?
If the answer is yes, the cost of that incident, be it loss of staff time, loss of client relationship or loss of deadlines, is probably more in months of MPS contract cost.
MPS is definitely something to consider if you answered ‘I don’t know’ to question 1, ‘more than 2 hours’ to question 2, and ‘yes’ to question 3.
Real ROI Numbers by Business Type
| Business Type | Avg Monthly True Print Cost | Avg MPS Contract Cost | Monthly Savings | Annual Savings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5-person law firm (2 printers) | $280–$380 | $160–$220 | $80–$180 | $960–$2,160 |
| 10-person medical office (3 printers) | $420–$620 | $220–$320 | $100–$300 | $1,200–$3,600 |
| 15-person accounting firm (4 printers) | $380–$540 | $200–$290 | $90–$250 | $1,080–$3,000 |
| 20-person corporate office (5 printers) | $560–$750 | $280–$420 | $140–$330 | $1,680–$3,960 |
| 30-person insurance agency (6 printers) | $680–$920 | $360–$520 | $160–$400 | $1,920–$4,800 |
What to Watch Out for in an MPS Contract?
MPS is only a value-creation when the contract is both equitable and transparent. Before signing, confirm:
- Minimum page volume commitments — some contracts have overage fees when you are exceeding the minimum number of pages; some contracts have no minimum number of pages
- Length of contract — 12 months works for the initial contract, but 36 months is a risky proposition until you have had some experience of the service.
- Include in the contract or get a written list of inclusions/exclusions before signing
- Commitments in terms of response time — understand exactly what you are getting when it comes to on-site support as opposed to remote support.
If your printer breaks down and the first tech person can’t fix it, what do you do?
Ovron Inc. tell you honestly whether MPS will save your business money before you sign anything. Our free print assessment calculates your true current cost and compares it to what an Ovron MPS contract would cost. If the numbers don’t work in your favor, we tell you — and we recommend an alternative that does work.
Get Your Free Consultation: https://ovroninc.online/printer-troubleshooting/
Frequently Asked Questions
Most businesses see positive ROI within the first 60–90 days of an MPS contract. The savings are immediate — toner costs drop, the first prevented repair saves money, and staff time recovered from printer troubleshooting starts on day one.
Yes. If you’re evaluating whether managed print services is worth it for your business, it’s important to understand the contract terms first. Most MPS providers offer termination options, although the conditions vary. Ovron Inc provides 12-month agreements with clear termination clauses, allowing small businesses to assess whether managed print services is worth it before committing to a longer-term contract. Always review cancellation policies and contract length before signing.
There is no minimum requirement. It’s not about the number of employees, it’s about the number of devices and the volume of printing. A 3-person law firm printing 10,000 pages/month is a better MPS candidate than a 20-person office printing 1,500 pages/month.
Large MPS vendors such as Xerox, Ricoh, and FlexTG are geared towards enterprise deployments (usually 100 or more employees, large device count, and multi-site). Ovron Inc is a company specializing in US small businesses with 5-200 employees. You can enjoy the same technology and service quality at an SMB friendly price point and response time – and we answer the phone when you call.
Yes. Managed print services use proactive monitoring to identify issues before they cause failures. Automated toner replenishment, preventive maintenance, and faster support response times help minimize printer downtime and keep employees productive.
Conclusion
So, is managed print services worth it? For many small businesses, the answer is yes—especially if you operate multiple printers, print thousands of pages each month, or regularly deal with printer downtime and maintenance issues. The cost savings, improved efficiency, and reduced IT burden can deliver a strong return on investment. However, businesses with a single low-volume printer may not gain enough value to justify the cost. The best way to determine whether managed print services is worth it for your business is through a professional print assessment that compares your current printing expenses with potential MPS savings.
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