(401) 515-2011

Guide

What Managed Print Services Actually Cover, and When They Beat Break-Fix Repair

5 min read

An office manager checking a multifunction copier in a bright New England office

Most offices run their printers on a simple plan: buy toner when it runs out and call someone when a machine breaks. That approach is called break-fix, and for plenty of offices around East Greenwich and across Southern New England it works fine until the copier jams the morning a big proposal is due. Managed print services are the other way to do it. Here is what a managed print plan actually covers, how it compares to break-fix and how to tell which one fits your office.

What break-fix looks like day to day

With break-fix, every printer problem is its own small project. Someone notices the toner is low, finds the model number and places an order. When a machine acts up, someone calls for a repair, waits for the visit and pays for the parts and labor on that job.

None of that is wrong. The cost is spread across a lot of small invoices, though, and the time spent chasing supplies and service calls rarely shows up on any of them. It also tends to land on whoever sits closest to the copier.

What managed print services cover

Managed print services hand the whole print environment to one provider. When we set up managed print for an office, it includes:

  • A free print environment assessment. We look at what you have, how much you print and what you are spending before anything changes.
  • Your existing equipment. You do not have to replace printers that still work.
  • Toner delivered automatically. Supplies show up before you run out, so nobody has to watch the gauges.
  • Service calls and repairs. All service calls and repairs are included in the plan.
  • One predictable monthly invoice. One bill instead of a pile of supply orders and repair tickets.
  • No long-term contracts. We build the plan around how much you print and the devices you have.

Behind the automatic toner delivery is Printer Pulse, our monitoring service. A small software agent on your network tracks toner levels, page counts and error states, and orders replacements when a cartridge drops below the threshold you set.

When managed print beats break-fix

Managed print tends to make the most sense when:

  • You run more than a couple of devices. Different printers take different cartridges, and keeping track of them all is where break-fix starts to cost time.
  • Downtime hurts. A medical office checking in patients or a law firm printing filings cannot wait days for a cartridge or a repair.
  • Nobody owns the printers. If supplies and service fall to whoever has a free minute, a managed plan gives that job to someone whose job it is.
  • You want a steady budget. One monthly invoice is easier to plan around than repair bills that show up when they feel like it.
  • You have more than one location. One provider and one invoice covering every office beats a separate process at each site.

When break-fix is still fine

If your office has one reliable printer, prints a modest amount and rarely has trouble, break-fix may be all you need. In that case, a good repair partner and an easy way to reorder toner cover most of what managed print would.

We are happy to tell you which side of the line you are on. The assessment is free, and it starts with what you are spending today.

Copier lease vs buy, and a third option

Offices weighing managed print are often also looking at the copier itself. The usual question is copier lease vs buy.

Buying means paying for the machine up front. You own it, and supplies and repairs are on you. Leasing spreads the cost into monthly payments, usually under a multi-year agreement, and what is included varies from lease to lease. Before you sign either way, ask who pays for toner and repairs, and how long you are committed.

We also offer two programs that work differently from both. With our No Catch Printer Plan, qualifying businesses get a brand-new printer or multifunction device installed at no upfront cost, with no lease and no credit check. You simply source your supplies through us. Our $30 Copier Program places a brand-new Xerox multifunction copier in your office for $30 per month, as long as supplies come through us. Toner and maintenance are part of that monthly price.

As an authorized Xerox channel partner, we can also walk you through purchase and lease options on the full Xerox lineup.

Looking for copier repair near you?

If a machine is down right now, managed print can wait. Our certified technicians repair all major brands, including HP, Xerox, Canon, Brother, Konica Minolta and Ricoh, wherever you bought the equipment. We offer same-day and next-day on-site service across Southern New England. We carry common parts in our trucks, many repairs are finished on the first visit, and we run test pages and walk you through the fix before we leave.

That matters when the weather turns. Nobody wants to drive a broken copier across town the week of a nor’easter, and with on-site service you do not have to. Our printer repair page has the details.

Talk to us about your print setup

Call (401) 515-2011 or contact us to schedule a free assessment. Tell us how many printers and copiers you run, how many locations you have and what is frustrating you about them now. Our managed print services page covers the program in more detail.

One longtime customer, Tina Nordeste, put it this way in a Google review: “They are very easy to place an order with and they will pick up the empty cartridges too.”

Already buying supplies from us? Reorder anytime through EasyOrder, your custom online order form. New customers can set one up from our ink and toner page. Our office is at 776 Main St, open Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM and Saturday from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM.