When printing becomes expensive, unreliable or difficult to manage, many organisations jump straight to replacing devices or switching suppliers. It feels like the logical next step.

But without understanding what’s really happening across your print environment, you’re simply treating the symptoms rather than the cause.

At Xeretec, we believe every better print strategy starts by taking a step back. Before recommending new devices, software or managed services, we ask our customers to stop and assess. By understanding how your printer fleet is being used, where costs are being incurred and what’s preventing users from working efficiently, we can make informed recommendations based on evidence—not assumptions.

Whether you manage a handful of multifunction devices or a nationwide fleet of printers, carrying out a printer fleet audit is the first step towards reducing costs, improving security and creating a print environment that’s fit for the future.

Why Start with an Assessment?

Every organisation prints differently.

Some struggle with ageing devices and frequent downtime. Others have too many printers, inconsistent hardware, rising consumable costs or limited visibility into how their fleet is being used. Increasingly, organisations are also balancing sustainability goals, cybersecurity requirements and hybrid working.

These challenges often have one thing in common: they’re symptoms of a print environment that has evolved over time without a clear strategy.

An assessment provides the insight needed to understand the current state of your print infrastructure before deciding what needs to change.

Rather than asking, “Which printer should we buy next?”, start by asking:

  • How many devices do we actually have?
  • Are they located where they’re needed most?
  • Are they being used efficiently?
  • Which devices cost the most to operate?
  • Are they secure?
  • Are we supporting future business needs or simply maintaining the status quo?

Only once you have those answers can you make confident decisions.

Step 1:
Understand Your Current Fleet

Begin by creating a complete inventory of every print device across your organisation. Many organisations are surprised by what they discover. Devices purchased years ago may still be consuming expensive toner, while others sit largely unused.

For each device, record:

  • Manufacturer and model
  • Device location
  • Department or users
  • Installation date
  • Warranty and service information
  • Monthly print volume

 

Step 2:
Assess How Your Devices Are Being Used

Not every printer is working as hard as you think. Compare usage against the manufacturer’s recommended monthly duty cycle.

Some devices may be overloaded, resulting in increased breakdowns and maintenance costs, while others may rarely be used at all.

Understanding utilisation helps identify opportunities to consolidate devices, improve productivity and reduce unnecessary expenditure.

Review:

  • Monthly print volumes
  • Colour versus mono printing
  • Single-sided versus duplex printing
  • Peak usage times
  • High-volume departments


Step 3:
Look Beyond the Purchase Price

The cost of a printer extends far beyond the initial investment. Often, older devices that appear to have “paid for themselves” become the most expensive printers in the fleet. Assessing total cost of ownership provides a much clearer picture than purchase price alone.

A thorough assessment should consider:

  • Toner and consumables
  • Service and maintenance
  • Energy consumption
  • IT support time
  • Downtime
  • Replacement parts
  • Cost per printed page

 

Step 4:
Review Reliability & Performance

Frequent breakdowns don’t just frustrate users—they reduce productivity across the business. Replacing the right device at the right time is often more cost-effective than continuing to repair ageing equipment.

Ask yourself:

  • Which devices generate the most support calls?
  • Which printers experience recurring faults?
  • Are replacement parts becoming difficult to source?
  • Are devices approaching end of manufacturer support?


Step 5:
Don’t Overlook Print Security

Modern printers are intelligent network-connected devices.

That means they should be assessed in the same way as any other endpoint on your network. Older devices may expose confidential information or create unnecessary cybersecurity risks.

Review whether your devices support:

  • User authentication
  • Secure Print Release
  • Firmware updates
  • Hard drive encryption
  • Secure erase functions
  • Network security settings


Step 6:
Assess User Behaviour

Sometimes the biggest opportunities aren’t technological—they’re behavioural. Small operational improvements can often deliver significant savings without replacing a single device.

Consider:

  • Are employees printing documents unnecessarily?
  • Is colour printing being overused?
  • Could digital workflows replace paper-based processes?
  • Are personal desktop printers still needed?


Step 7:
Assess Whether Your Fleet Supports Your Business

Your print environment should support your organisation’s wider objectives.

Ask yourself whether your current fleet helps you achieve:

  • Greater productivity
  • Better security
  • Lower operating costs
  • Reduced environmental impact
  • Improved user experience
  • Easier IT management

If the answer is no, the issue may not be your printers—it may be the overall strategy behind them.


Printer Fleet Assessment Checklist

Use this simple checklist to evaluate your current print environment.

Visibility

✔ Every print device has been identified.

✔ Device locations are documented.

✔ Monthly print volumes are known.

✔ Fleet age has been reviewed.

Performance

✔ High-maintenance devices have been identified.

✔ Device utilisation has been assessed.

✔ Downtime is being monitored.

✔ Future capacity has been considered.

Cost

✔ Total cost of ownership has been reviewed.

✔ Toner and consumables have been analysed.

✔ Cost per page is understood.

✔ Opportunities for consolidation have been identified.

Security

✔ Firmware is up to date.

✔ Secure printing is enabled.

✔ User authentication is in place.

✔ Security settings have been reviewed.

Sustainability

✔ Duplex printing is enabled by default.

✔ Paper consumption is monitored.

✔ Energy-saving features are configured.

✔ Recycling processes are established.


Stop Replacing.
Start Assessing.

A printer fleet audit isn’t simply about identifying old devices to replace.

It’s about understanding how your print environment supports your people, your processes and your business objectives.

Sometimes the right answer is replacing ageing hardware. Sometimes it’s consolidating devices, improving workflows or introducing better print management software. Occasionally, small changes to user behaviour can deliver meaningful savings without any capital investment at all.

The important thing is that every decision is based on evidence rather than assumption.

That’s why our approach is different.

Before we recommend technology, we ask our customers to stop and assess. We take the time to understand your existing environment, analyse how it’s performing and identify where improvements will deliver the greatest value. Only then do we recommend the right solution for your organisation.

Because better print decisions don’t start with a brochure or a product catalogue.

They start with understanding.

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