Many business owners don’t pay too much attention to their office printers, apparently believing “if it’s not broken, don’t touch it.” So, these printers sit in their spaces, cranking out invoices, contracts, reports, scanned documents and correspondence. Over time, though, an aging printer fleet can become a drain on productivity, security, and overall operating costs.
Technology has changed dramatically in the last few years, so that what may have passed for “state of the art” five or ten years ago could well be obsolete today. Modern multifunction printers (MFPs) are no longer just copiers. They are connected hubs to your business lifeline and infrastructure. They support secure workflows, remote work, and digital document management. If your office is still relying on machines purchased years ago, not upgrading may be costing you more than you realize.
How, you may wonder, do you know when it’s time for an upgrade? Here are five signs that should guide your decision.
If you have frequent paper jams or error codes, that’s a red flag. Older printers naturally experience more wear and tear, but frequent service calls could be a sign that the equipment has reached the end of its practical lifespan. In addition to the burden of extra repair costs, breakdowns create additional expenses, including having employees waiting for documents to print, missed deadlines, and needing to call upon IT or administrative staff to troubleshoot instead of focusing on other tasks.
Modern printers are more reliable and more sophisticated. They offer remote diagnostics and predictive maintenance capabilities. Many times, issues can be identified and resolved before the users even notice the problem. If downtime is becoming routine, upgrading can restore consistency to your office workflow and reduce the number of those annoying disruptions.
Many business owners may assume older equipment is cheaper because it’s already paid for. In reality, aging printers often cost more to operate due to higher toner consumption, inefficient use of power, expensive replacement parts, and emergency service visits as opposed to a planned maintenance program.
Newer MFPs are designed for efficiency. They use toner more effectively, consume less energy, and often come with managed print programs that provide predictable monthly costs. This makes budgeting easier and eliminates surprising expenses.
Are your printing costs difficult to track? Do they seem to creep up every quarter? If so, it’s worth evaluating whether newer technology could actually lower your total cost of ownership.
The modern office looks very different than even five years ago. Remote and hybrid work, cloud applications, and digital document workflows are now standard. If your printers struggle to integrate with how your business operates today, they’re holding you back.
Older printers come with limitations, which include:
Newer MFPs can be the bridge between paper and digital processes. Employees can scan documents directly into workflows, route files automatically, and print securely from laptops or mobile devices. If your office printers do not seem to integrate well with the rest of your technology stack, it’s time for an upgrade.
It’s important to remember that printers need to be included in cybersecurity. They are network-connected devices that store and transmit sensitive data. Older machines may lack basic protection such as user authentication, secure print release, encrypted data transmission, and automatic firmware updates.Without these security options, your network may be subject to cyber threats and data leaks, which can be problematic where compliance issues exist, such as for businesses handling financial, legal, medical, or customer information.
Modern office printers offer strong security features. These include PIN-based printing, user access controls, and integration with network security policies, all of which help protect sensitive documents. For business owners focused on risk management, upgrading your printer fleet can be a critical step in strengthening overall cybersecurity.
Your business has probably changed a lot over the last few years. Maybe you’ve expanded, added a location, and most likely you have changed how your teams work (remotely, in-person or a combination of both). If your printer fleet has not evolved alongside your business, it’s time to re-evaluate if your printer fleet is still the right fit for your business.
Warning signs to watch for include document sharing devices that are constantly overloaded, machines too slow for your current volume, underused printers sitting idle, or no flexibility to scale up or down.
Want to learn more about upgrading your printer fleet?
Upgrading doesn’t always mean “bigger” or “more expensive.” In many cases, it means deploying the right devices in the right places in your network, with usage-based leasing or managed print solutions that adapt as your business changes. A modern fleet can scale with you, instead of forcing you to work around outdated equipment. The office printer touches every part of your company’s technology network. When your printers are outdated, inefficient, or not protected, it can impact your business in a negative way. If any of the signs mentioned in this article apply to your business, it’s worth having a conversation to learn what you can do to have your printer fleet run more efficiently and economically.
We are the go-to people for questions about printers and copiers, and MPS (Managed Print Services) programs. An upgrade does not mean just “replacing machines.” It is aligning your document generating technology with how your business works now, and where you want it to be in the future.
If you have questions, let’s have a conversation. Please give us a call at 888-357-4277 or visit https://pulsetechnology.com. With seven decades of industry experience, and specializations that include both Managed Print and IT, we can help you with whatever your technology needs are. As the new year approaches, it is a good time to take stock of your printer and copier needs. We are here to help. Let’s talk!