When it comes to managing costs in schools and businesses, printing often slips under the radar. Yet it’s one of the easiest areas to overspend, from wasted paper and ink to old machines guzzling energy and time.
Without the right systems in place, it's easy to lose control of who's printing what, how much it's costing, and whether that output is even necessary. Outdated printers quietly rack up maintenance bills, toner runs dry without warning, and unsecured devices can even become a data protection risk.
That’s where print management comes in. With the right strategy, you can take back control by cutting waste, improving security, and reducing the amount you spend on printing month after month.
For schools, that might mean helping staff and students print responsibly. For businesses, it means reliable, secure devices that work when you need them to, without draining your budget.
At DMS Group, we help organisations across the UK rethink their print infrastructure. From audits and software to fully managed services, we design solutions that make your print environment smarter, more efficient, and easier to manage.
Understanding Print Management Solutions
What is Print Management?
Print management is all about gaining visibility and control over your organisation’s printing. It combines the right mix of hardware, software, and support to reduce waste, improve efficiency, and protect sensitive data.
In simple terms, managed print services (MPS) take the hassle out of print. Instead of juggling multiple machines, suppliers, and invoices, everything is rolled into one easy-to-manage service.
You get reliable equipment, automated toner replacements, usage monitoring, and expert support, all designed to fit around how your team actually works.
For UK schools and businesses, this means more than just convenience. It’s a proactive way to reduce unnecessary printing, keep costs predictable, and extend the lifespan of your print devices.
Common Printing Challenges in Education and Business Environments
In many organisations, print setups have grown organically, a few devices here, a few more over there, without much thought about how they’re being used or whether they’re fit for purpose. That lack of oversight leads to a number of common issues.
First is the waste. Without monitoring tools, it's hard to know how much printing is actually needed.
Pages get left on trays, colour jobs get printed when mono would do, and entire documents are reprinted for minor edits.
Then there’s the question of security. Printers are often overlooked in cybersecurity plans, but they handle sensitive information every day, from pupil data in schools to client contracts in businesses. Without proper controls, they can become an easy target.
Finally, outdated hardware can be a serious drain. Old machines are slower, less energy-efficient, and prone to breakdowns, leading to frustration, downtime, and rising support costs.
In the long run, it costs more to patch and maintain outdated devices than to invest in a smarter setup.
By tackling these challenges head-on, print management solutions can create a more efficient, secure, and cost-effective environment, one that saves time and money while reducing your impact on the environment.
Print Cost Reduction Strategies That Work
Print Infrastructure Optimisation
One of the simplest ways to cut printing costs is to start with your hardware. Many businesses and schools still rely on a collection of outdated, single-function printers scattered across departments, each one using different supplies, prone to breakdowns, and difficult to monitor.
Modernising your setup with multifunctional devices (MFDs) can make a big difference. These machines combine printing, scanning, and copying into one efficient unit. Not only do they take up less space, but they also tend to be faster, more reliable, and far more energy-efficient than older devices.
By consolidating your hardware and choosing the right machines for each area, you reduce running costs, cut down on maintenance, and simplify the way your team prints and works.
Print Audit Benefits
Before you can fix the problem, you need to understand where the money’s going and that’s exactly what a print audit helps with. A professional audit looks at your current print environment in detail, highlighting areas of waste, inefficiency, and unnecessary expense.
You might be surprised by what it uncovers. For example, you could find certain departments printing far more than others, devices that are underused or expensive to run, or even jobs being printed in colour when mono would do just fine.
Armed with this insight, you can make smart decisions, like moving devices, setting up smarter defaults, or replacing ageing hardware. At DMS Group, we use audits as the foundation for any print cost reduction strategy, making sure changes are based on real usage, not guesswork.
Print Waste Reduction
Reducing print waste isn’t just about saving money, it’s about making people more conscious of what they’re printing and why. The right software can help you do exactly that.
Simple features like pull printing (where jobs are only released when the user is at the device), default double-sided printing, and user quotas can make a big impact. Staff and students become more mindful of their printing habits, which leads to fewer abandoned documents and less unnecessary output.
Reporting tools also give you a clear view of who’s printing what, when, and how often — making it easier to spot trends and tweak your setup over time. Combined with the right hardware, these tools create a smarter, leaner print environment that keeps waste to a minimum.
The Benefits of Print Management Solutions for Schools
Print Management Software for Schools
In schools, printing isn’t just about volume, it’s about control. With students, staff, departments, and admin teams all using the same equipment, things can quickly get out of hand without proper oversight.
Print management software helps schools take back control. Features like user authentication ensure that only authorised users can access the printers, while secure printing helps protect sensitive documents, crucial when handling things like pupil records or safeguarding information.
Schools can also track costs by department, monitor student usage, and set limits or quotas to prevent overuse. It’s an easy way to encourage more responsible printing and reduce waste, without making life harder for teachers and pupils.
Cost-Saving Through Centralised Control
When every department in a school operates its own print setup, the costs can quickly spiral, not to mention the logistical hassle of managing different devices and suppliers.
A centralised print management system simplifies everything. Administrators gain full visibility over what’s being printed, where, and by whom. This makes it easier to spot savings opportunities, set sensible usage policies, and plan ahead.
This kind of control also helps with budgeting. When you know exactly what you’re spending and why, it’s easier to forecast costs and avoid nasty surprises. Plus, by reducing waste and improving efficiency, schools can redirect funds into areas that matter more, like teaching and learning.
Print Management Benefits for Businesses
Business Printing Cost Savings
It’s easy to underestimate how much printing really costs until you start tracking it. Many businesses waste money every month on outdated equipment, unnecessary print jobs, and emergency repairs when something goes wrong. Managed print services flip that model on its head.
By working with a provider like DMS Group, businesses gain access to modern, energy-efficient devices that are right-sized for their needs.
Combined with print management software, it becomes possible to monitor usage in real time, identify inefficiencies, and apply settings that reduce waste automatically.
This means fewer breakdowns, no more running out of toner unexpectedly, and far less time spent by internal staff trying to sort out printer issues. Over time, it adds up to a measurable reduction in overall costs. Not just from the machines themselves, but from the time and productivity saved too.
Enhanced Security and Compliance
Printing isn’t always top of mind when it comes to cybersecurity, but it should be. Sensitive documents can easily end up in the wrong hands if printouts are left uncollected or if network-connected printers are left unprotected.
DMS Group helps businesses tighten security with solutions like secure print release, which only allows jobs to be printed once a user authenticates at the device.
Access controls can be set to ensure only the right people can print or scan certain types of documents, and usage can be logged to support audit trails and internal policies.
For organisations that need to meet compliance requirements, like GDPR, these kinds of security features are not just helpful, they’re essential. They ensure that customer data, financial documents, and confidential records are handled responsibly at every step of the printing process.
Why Choose DMS Group for Print Management Solutions?
Managed Print Services UK – Tailored to Your Organisation
At DMS Group, we don’t believe in one-size-fits-all solutions. Whether you’re running a small office, a multi-site organisation, or a busy school, we tailor your print setup to suit how you actually work.
With our DMS One package, everything is wrapped into one manageable monthly cost: your printers, consumables, servicing, support, and software. No unexpected bills, no outdated machines, and no stress when things need fixing. Just a straightforward, scalable service that grows with your needs.
Ongoing Support and Proactive Monitoring
We don’t just install your devices and walk away. From the moment your printers are up and running, we keep a close eye on them behind the scenes. If a toner’s running low, we’ll know and we’ll send a replacement before it runs out. If something goes wrong, we can often fix it remotely or dispatch an engineer straight away.
These managed print benefits mean your team can stay productive and focused. No more fiddling with printer settings or hunting for support numbers. Just smooth, uninterrupted printing managed by a team who knows your setup inside out.
Print Management Solutions FAQs
How do managed print services reduce costs?
Managed print services reduce costs by streamlining your printer fleet, cutting down on unnecessary usage, automating supply orders, and reducing the need for internal IT support.
With better visibility and proactive maintenance, you avoid waste and lower the total cost of ownership.
What is the best print management software for schools?
The best print management software for schools typically includes features like user authentication, cost tracking by department, secure student printing, and detailed reporting.
At DMS, we help schools choose the right software to balance budget control with ease of use.
How do print audits work?
A print audit is a detailed review of your current print environment. It looks at what you’re printing, where, how often, and at what cost. This helps uncover areas of waste, overuse, or inefficiency. This gives you a clear path to cut costs and improve performance.
What are the top print security solutions?
Some of the most effective print security solutions include secure print release (requiring authentication before printing), encrypted data transmission, access control by user or department, and audit logs for tracking usage. These are all part of a strong managed print strategy.
How can DMS Group help with print waste reduction?
DMS Group helps reduce print waste by combining smart hardware with software tools like user quotas, duplex defaults, and pull printing. We also provide reporting so you can monitor and adjust behaviour over time, all while making it easier for your staff to print responsibly.
