In community banks across the Midwest, every dollar matters and so does every customer interaction. But for many financial institutions, printing is an overlooked expense that quietly drains budgets. Between branch statements, disclosures, loan packets, and internal forms, printers are working constantly.
The good news? Banks can reduce branch printing costs by optimizing print fleets, enforcing print policies, and leveraging Managed Print Services (MPS). These solutions lower expenses without affecting service quality by ensuring secure, efficient, and reliable document workflows.
Why banks tend to struggle with high printing costs
Smaller and mid-sized banks often inherit a mix of printers, copiers, and fax machines across different branches. This patchwork setup is expensive to maintain and rarely efficient. Supply orders pile up, IT teams get stuck troubleshooting old devices, and security risks increase with outdated machines. Over time, unchecked print expenses erode budgets that could otherwise support customer-facing services.
How banks can cut printing costs without reducing service quality
The key is to cut waste - not service. By streamlining devices, standardizing print policies, and using secure print release, banks reduce unnecessary output while maintaining access to the documents that staff and customers rely on daily. Automated supply management ensures toner and paper are always available, so frontline teams never miss a beat.
The role of managed print services in reducing branch printing costs
Managed Print Services (MPS) go beyond equipment management. For banks, MPS means:
- Consolidating and optimizing print devices so every branch has the right-size equipment.
- Automating supply management to eliminate emergency orders.
- Using secure print release so sensitive documents don’t sit unattended.
- Monitoring usage with analytics to pinpoint waste and uncover savings.
- Freeing IT staff from printer maintenance, so they can focus on banking technology that drives growth.
MPS providers become an extension of your IT team, ensuring compliant, efficient, and reliable print environments across all branches.
The long-term benefits of MPS for banking IT managers
When printing is under control, IT managers can finally step away from the “printer firefighter” role. With more updated devices, security vulnerabilities minimized, and proactive monitoring in place, IT can focus on digital banking initiatives, cybersecurity, and customer experience. Long term, this shift saves money, reduces stress, and allows smaller IT teams to deliver enterprise-level support.
FAQs: Reducing Printing Costs in Banks
Q: How can banks cut printing costs without hurting customer service?
A: By optimizing devices, enforcing smart print policies, and leveraging managed print services, banks reduce unnecessary output while still giving staff fast, reliable access to documents.
Q: What makes Managed Print Services valuable for small to mid-sized banks?
A: MPS streamlines print operations, prevents waste, secures documents, and reduces IT workload which are all critical for banks with limited staff and resources.
Q: Are secure print features really necessary for community banks?
A: Yes. Secure print release prevents sensitive financial data from sitting on printers unattended, reducing both waste and compliance risk.
Q: Can IT managers really save time by outsourcing print management?
A: Absolutely. MPS takes maintenance, monitoring, and supply management off IT’s plate, freeing them to focus on higher-value technology projects.
Q: What are some additional document management best practices for banks?
A: Banks should implement secure storage solutions, establish clear document retention policies, and regularly audit access permissions. Digitizing paper records and using centralized document management systems help ensure that sensitive information is easily retrievable, compliant with regulations, and protected from unauthorized access. Learn more about document management best practices for financial institutions.
Start streamlining your branch printing today
For community banks, printing doesn’t have to be a costly burden. By consolidating devices, enforcing policies, and leveraging Managed Print Services, you can lower costs, strengthen security, and free your IT team to focus on what matters most - serving customers and growing your institution.
Ready to see how much your bank could save with Managed Print Services? Contact us today to schedule a consultation.
