Printing isn’t flashy. But it’s the heartbeat behind purchase orders, client forms, and compliance paperwork — the stuff that keeps your business moving. When it’s unmanaged, it quietly taxes your budget, slows teams down, and opens doors to risk.
Top 7 printing challenges for small to medium-sized businesses
For Midwest business leaders, especially in manufacturing, healthcare, and finance, the costs of ignoring print add up fast with wasted supplies, avoidable downtime, audit headaches, and an IT help desk stuck clearing jams instead of innovating. The upside? With the right Managed Print Service (MPS) approach, these pain points can turn into quick wins for your organization.
1) Costs spiraling out of control
Toner, paper, maintenance, energy - small leaks can sink big ships. Without usage data or purchasing controls, unnecessary prints and inefficient devices inflate spend across departments and locations. MPS brings visibility, rules (like duplex defaults), and automated replenishment so you only buy what you need — and waste far less.
2) Lack of print visibility is creating chaos
If you can’t answer “how many printers, where, and who’s using them,” you’re flying blind. Centralized fleet portals and usage reporting reveal duplication, underutilization, and over-printing - and make it simple to set policies that stick.
3) Sensitive documents sitting uncollected
Printers and copiers are networked endpoints. Unsecured queues and abandoned output can expose customer data, proprietary designs, or patient information. Features like secure print release, user authentication, and encrypted transmission close those gaps without disrupting daily work.
4) Failing an audit because of the print environment
Regulated businesses know the drill - if you can’t prove who printed what and when, you’re exposed. MPS adds audit trails and access controls, aligning everyday workflows with requirements and making audits a lot less stressful.
5) The copier is down again
Aging devices and reactive service slow everything down - production paperwork, new account processing, classroom materials. Proactive monitoring, preventive maintenance, and fast dispatch keep uptime high and employees focused.
6) IT staff tied up with jams
Your IT team didn’t sign up to be “printer and copier support.” Offloading driver installs, firmware updates, supply tickets, and troubleshooting to an MPS partner frees them to tackle cybersecurity, cloud, and automation projects that move your business forward.
7) Wasting paper
Excess printing burns paper, toner, and energy which is at odds with sustainability goals and stakeholder expectations. Print policies, digitized workflows, and energy-efficient devices shrink your footprint while lowering costs.
Ready to find out how healthy your print environment really is?
Download our free Print Health Checklist and uncover the hidden costs, risks, and inefficiencies you might be missing:
Why this matters for your organization
With the right managed print services (MPS) program, you can keep your printing under control, cut down on risks, and give your teams more time to do what matters most. For small businesses in the Midwest, partnering with someone local who understands your day-to-day challenges and offers reliable support can make things run more smoothly and help your business thrive in the long run.
Your next step? Request a print assessment. You’ll get real numbers on cost, security, and uptime - plus a practical roadmap to fix the leaks and future-proof your fleet.
