BackBy Tatiana Koleva
President - Exela Enterprise Solutions
Date: May 23, 2025
Despite digital transformation across industries, print is far from dead. The average office worker still prints 10,000 pages a year. That's not just paper; it's time, money, and energy waiting to be optimized. Without an efficient strategy in place, unmanaged printing environments can become a source of hidden costs, operational inefficiencies, and security blind spots.
Enter Managed Print Services (MPS), a smarter, data-driven approach to optimizing print infrastructure, cutting waste, and freeing up your IT team.
However, with so many MPS vendors in the market, how do you choose the one that’s right for your business? This guide breaks it down with simple, strategic criteria and just enough data to help you make an informed decision.
Why Managed Print Services Matter
Before diving into provider selection, let’s quickly understand the why.
Managed print services help businesses with cloud technology, superior analytics, and specialized software to streamline their print infrastructure and address key pain points.
With the high-end services of trusted managed print partners like Exela, you’ll not have to bother about downtimes and other problems associated with networked printer systems. This leads to an increase in workflow, performance, and profits.
According to IDC research, by outsourcing some or all print management functions to a service provider, businesses can save as much as 30% annually.
A well-implemented MPS solution can reduce printing costs and also offer:
Stronger document security through user authentication and secure release
Fewer support tickets, since devices are proactively maintained
Improved sustainability with reduced paper waste and energy consumption
How Can Managed Print Services Benefit My Company?
One of the major benefits of Managed Print Services (MPS) is that it provides you with a clear and accurate view of your print environment. By tracking how often and in what ways your printers are used, MPS helps you spot areas where resources are being wasted, whether it's excessive paper use, inefficient processes, or overused machines. Once these issues are identified, MPS providers can streamline your print workflows, reducing unnecessary costs and boosting productivity.
Another common issue businesses face without MPS is poor inventory management, and your office may look something like this:
Supplies stacked unsystematically in corners or closets, hard to track, and disorganized
Toner from different vendors, lacking consistency or control
Old supplies for printers that aren't in use anymore, with no one sure what to do with them
A stack of invoices that the purchasing team struggles to manage
Working machines constantly running out of toner, with no proper maintenance or repair plan
With MPS, these problems are resolved. Your print environment is managed proactively, keeping supplies stocked before they run low, ensuring machines run smoothly, and improving print workflows for greater efficiency and security.
Steps to Choosing the Right Managed Print Services (MPS) Provider
Choosing a Managed Print Services provider is a critical decision that impacts your cost control, document security, and operational efficiency. It’s not just about picking someone who manages printers but about selecting a strategic partner who understands your business, proactively solves problems, and evolves with your needs.
Here are the key criteria you must consider:
How Thoroughly Will They Assess Your Current Print Environment?
Before proposing any solutions, a credible MPS provider will start with a comprehensive audit of your existing print landscape. This includes evaluating the number and types of devices, user behaviors, print volumes, security vulnerabilities, and total print-related expenses. A shallow or generalized assessment often leads to cookie-cutter solutions that fail to deliver real savings or operational improvements.
Are They OEM-Agnostic or Tied to a Specific Brand?
This is a crucial distinction. OEM-agnostic providers prioritize optimization over equipment sales. Their goal is to streamline your fleet, reduce print dependency, and develop a long-term strategy that supports digitization and cost reduction. In contrast, OEM-based providers (e.g., Canon, Ricoh, Konica, Xerox) often have a vested interest in selling more hardware sometimes promoting higher-end equipment that exceeds actual business needs. An agnostic partner will build a right-sized, platform-agnostic strategy focused on your goals, not theirs
Will They Customize the MPS Solution to Our Specific Needs?
Not every organization prints or works the same way. A strong provider will design a solution customized to your workflows, departmental needs, growth plans, and compliance requirements. Whether it's setting up device fleets by department usage or integrating print management into your digital workflows, the solution must be tailored, not templated.
How Will They Handle Implementation and Change Management?
Transitioning to a managed print environment shouldn't disrupt daily business operations. Ask how the provider plans to roll out new devices, implement software, and train employees. Good providers minimize downtime, handle installation logistics, and offer clear communication plans so that end users adopt new processes easily and with minimal resistance.
What Ongoing Management and Optimization Services Will They Provide?
Managed Print Services isn’t a “set it and forget it” model. A reliable partner continuously monitors your environment, proactively addresses device issues, manages consumables, and regularly optimizes the fleet based on usage data. Regular performance reviews and reporting ensure the print infrastructure evolves with your business needs.
How Do They Ensure Print Security and Regulatory Compliance?
Printers are endpoints—and vulnerable ones at that. Your MPS provider must offer robust security measures like secure print release, user authentication, encrypted data transmission, and automatic patching. Additionally, they should help you meet industry-specific compliance standards such as HIPAA, GDPR, or SOX, protecting your sensitive information at every stage of the document lifecycle.
How Will They Help You Prepare for the Future of Work?
The workplace is rapidly evolving with trends like hybrid work, mobile printing, cloud document management, and sustainability mandates. Your MPS provider should not just solve today’s problems but also offer future-ready solutions. Ask how they stay ahead of technology trends and help you gradually transition toward more digital, paperless workflows without disrupting your existing operations.
Red Flags to Watch Out For
That is where Exela’s intelligent platforms come in, delivering the next level of control through:
Lack of transparency in pricing or reporting
Limited support for hybrid or remote environments
No formal assessment phase or usage audit
Inflexible contracts or bundled services you don’t need
Inability to integrate with your existing tech stack
No roadmap for print reduction and workflow digitization
How Exela Can Help
At Exela, we understand the complexities of managing diverse print environments. Our OEM-agnostic Managed Print Services are designed to deliver cost-effective, secure, and scalable solutions tailored to your unique business needs. Whether you're operating locally or across multiple geographies, Exela ensures consistent, enterprise-grade deployment and support.
By choosing Exela as your MPS partner, you gain access to:
Comprehensive print audits and custom-tailored strategies
Proactive device management and support to minimize downtime
Cloud-based print management optimized for remote and hybrid workforces
End-to-end data security and compliance with industry regulations
Global delivery capabilities for seamless and consistent implementation
Beyond Managed Print Services, Exela’s Document Production Solution streamlines workflows, and enables scalable, secure, and seamlessly integrated operations.
Partner with Exela to optimize your print environment, improve document management processes, and drive greater productivity across your organization.
