Calculate the Real Cost of Printing Before You Buy

Most New Zealand organisations underestimate how much they spend on printing.

The purchase price of a printer is only a small part of the total cost. Paper, toner, maintenance, IT support, downtime, energy consumption, security risks, and device management often account for the majority of long-term expenses.

A Managed Print Service (MPS) replaces unpredictable printing costs with a proactive, managed service that improves efficiency, security, and visibility across your print environment.

This guide explains how to build a business case for Managed Print Services and includes a downloadable New Zealand cost model that helps organisations estimate potential savings.

What Is a Managed Print Services Business Case?

A Managed Print Services business case demonstrates the financial and operational benefits of outsourcing print management.

Instead of focusing only on printer pricing, an effective business case evaluates:

• Total cost of ownership (TCO)
• Cost per printed page
• Fleet utilisation
• Toner and consumables
• Service response times
• IT administration costs
• User productivity
• Security and compliance risks
• Device lifecycle management

The objective is to determine whether the current print environment delivers value—or whether it is costing the organisation more than necessary.

Why Organisations Often Underestimate Print Costs

Many organisations only budget for printer purchases and toner.

However, hidden costs can include:

Employee Time

Staff spend valuable time:

• Waiting for printers
• Reprinting failed jobs
• Ordering consumables
• Reporting faults

IT Support

Internal IT teams often manage:

• Driver installations
• Firmware updates
• Network configuration
• Security patches
• User support

This diverts resources from higher-value projects.

Unplanned Repairs

Without proactive monitoring, devices fail unexpectedly, leading to:

• Lost productivity
• Emergency service calls
• Replacement equipment

Security Risks

Modern printers store documents, connect to corporate networks, and process sensitive information.

Without proper management they may create:

• Data leakage risks
• Compliance concerns
• Unpatched firmware vulnerabilities
• Unauthorised document access

New Zealand MPS Cost Model

A simple cost model measures the complete cost of printing.

Step 1 — Calculate Annual Print Volume

Multiply:

Average monthly pages × 12

Example:

• 60,000 pages per month
• Annual volume:
  720,000 pages

Step 2 — Calculate Current Printing Costs

Include:

• Printer leases
• Consumables
• Paper
• Maintenance
• Repairs
• Energy
• IT labour
• Outsourced servicing

Example

Step 3 — Calculate Cost Per Page

Formula

Annual Print Cost ÷ Annual Print Volume

Example

$62,400 ÷ 720,000 pages

= $0.087 per page

This benchmark helps organisations compare existing costs with a Managed Print Services proposal.

Step 4 — Estimate Productivity Savings

Ask:

• How many printer issues occur monthly?
• How many IT tickets relate to printing?
• How many hours are lost resolving printer problems?

Even reducing printer support by several hours each week can deliver measurable labour savings across a year.

Step 5 — Include Risk Reduction

A business case should also consider avoided costs, including:

• Security incidents
• Compliance breaches
• Printer downtime
• Lost documents
• Emergency hardware replacement
• End-of-life equipment failures

These costs are difficult to predict but often have significant financial impact.

Example MPS Savings Scenario

Understanding Cost Per Page

Cost per page (CPP) is one of the most common ways to compare print environments.

It measures every printing-related expense divided by the total number of pages produced.

A complete CPP calculation includes:

• Toner
• Ink
• Maintenance
• Parts
• Hardware
• Service
• Consumables
• Energy
• Device management

Many organisations only calculate toner costs, resulting in an artificially low figure.

Managed Print Services provides a more accurate CPP by incorporating all operational costs into a single reporting model.

What Does Service Coverage Include?

A comprehensive Managed Print Service typically includes:

Device Monitoring

Continuous monitoring identifies issues before they become business interruptions.

Preventative Maintenance

Regular servicing extends device life and improves reliability.

Automatic Consumables

Toner is automatically shipped before devices run out, reducing downtime.

Help Desk Support

Users have access to specialist print support, reducing pressure on internal IT teams.

On-site Service

Qualified technicians resolve faults according to agreed service response times.

Fleet Optimisation

Usage analytics identify:

• Underused devices
• Overloaded devices
• Opportunities to consolidate fleets
• Opportunities to reduce costs

How Managed Print Services Reduces Business Risk

An effective MPS is about more than saving money.

It also lowers operational risk by improving:

Security

Modern print environments include:

• Secure print release
• User authentication
• Firmware management
• Device encryption
• Audit logging

These controls help protect confidential information and support compliance requirements.

Business Continuity

Proactive monitoring reduces unexpected downtime by identifying faults before they disrupt operations.

Compliance

Managed print environments help organisations demonstrate stronger governance through reporting, document security, and controlled access to devices.

Sustainability

Fleet optimisation can reduce:

• Energy consumption
• Consumables waste
• Paper usage
• Device replacement frequency

This supports environmental goals while lowering operating costs.

Questions to Include in Your Business Case

When evaluating Managed Print Services, decision makers should ask:

• What is our current cost per page?
• How much time does IT spend supporting printers?
• How many printers are underutilised?
• What security controls exist today?
• Are service costs predictable?
• Can print analytics identify unnecessary spending?
• What would downtime cost the business?
• How often are devices replaced?
• What opportunities exist to consolidate our fleet?

Download the New Zealand MPS Cost Model Template

To help organisations evaluate their print environment, Sharp NZ provides a downloadable Managed Print Services Business Case Template.

The template allows you to:

• Calculate total cost of ownership
• Estimate cost per page
• Compare current costs with a managed service
• Measure IT time savings
• Identify hidden operational expenses
• Build an internal business case for investment
• Present projected ROI to finance and executive teams

CTA Button:

Download the NZ Managed Print Services Cost Model

Why Choose Sharp NZ for Managed Print Services?

Sharp NZ combines intelligent print technology with nationwide service, analytics, and proactive fleet management to help organisations reduce costs, improve visibility, and strengthen print security.

Our Managed Print Services include:

• Fleet assessment and optimisation
• Cost-per-page analysis
• Automated consumables management
• Proactive remote monitoring
• Nationwide service coverage
• Print security and compliance support
• Detailed reporting and analytics
• Ongoing optimisation reviews

Rather than simply supplying printers, Sharp NZ works with organisations to continuously improve print performance, reduce operational risk, and deliver measurable business outcomes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I calculate the total cost of printing?

Add together all hardware, consumables, maintenance, IT labour, energy, repairs, and service costs over a year, then divide by your annual print volume to determine your cost per page.

What is included in Managed Print Services?

Most Managed Print Services include fleet monitoring, maintenance, consumables, help desk support, reporting, security management, and ongoing optimisation.

Is cost per page the best way to compare print providers?

Cost per page is an important metric, but it should be considered alongside service quality, security, response times, analytics, and long-term total cost of ownership.

How does Managed Print Services reduce IT workload?

By outsourcing printer monitoring, maintenance, consumables, and user support, Managed Print Services can significantly reduce the number of print-related tasks handled by internal IT teams.

How often should a print fleet be reviewed?

Many organisations benefit from quarterly or annual print reviews to identify opportunities for optimisation, remove underused devices, and adapt to changing business needs.