How to switch managed print providers

Switching print provider sounds like a big job. In reality most of the risk sits in a few weeks of paperwork and planning. Get the contract checks, the timing and the data wipe right and the physical changeover is often completed in a day.

Businesses change print supplier for many reasons: slow repairs, rising page charges, poor reporting, an office move or simply a contract coming to an end. Whatever the trigger, the same practical steps apply. This guide sets out a switching plan for general businesses, from checking what you have signed through to the first review with your new provider, so you avoid paying twice, losing scan settings or leaving data on old hard drives.

Signs it is time to switch

Not every frustration justifies a move. These are the signals that usually do.

• Repeated slow fixes. Engineers arrive days after a fault is logged or the same fault keeps returning.
• Bills you cannot explain. Excess charges, uplifts or fees appear without clear reasons.
• No usage data. You receive invoices but never a report on who prints what.
• Toner running out. Staff still order supplies manually or wait for deliveries.
• A fleet that no longer fits. Headcount, office space or working patterns have changed and nobody has suggested adjusting the devices.

Step one: find out exactly what you have signed

Before speaking to any new supplier, gather every agreement connected to your printers and copiers. Many businesses discover they have more than one: a lease with a finance company, a service or click charge agreement with the dealer and perhaps a separate software licence. Each may have its own end date and notice rules.

With the documents in hand, write down the notice deadline for each agreement and ask the current provider and any funder for a written settlement figure if you want to leave before the end date. A settlement quote does not commit you to anything. It simply tells you the true cost of leaving now against waiting.

Step two: audit before you compare quotes

A switch is the best opportunity you will have to right size the fleet. Instead of replacing each device like for like, ask prospective providers to audit how you actually print. A good audit covers device locations, monthly volumes, colour share, scanning use and who relies on each machine. It often shows some devices doing very little while others are overloaded.

Provide the same information to every bidder so the quotes are comparable. If one supplier is proposing six devices and another four, you need to understand why before looking at price.

A realistic switching timeline

The time needed depends mostly on your notice period and how quickly decisions are made. For a typical office, the active work spreads over two to three months, with installation itself taking a small fraction of that time.

Work backwards from your notice deadline. If notice must be given 90 days before the end date, the audit and proposal stages need to happen before that point so you can give notice with a clear decision already made.

Step three: compare like with like

Quotes often look very different on paper. Line them up against the same questions.

• Cost per page. Mono and colour rates, how A3 is counted and whether there is a minimum monthly volume.
• Equipment charge. Fixed for the term or subject to review.
• Price reviews. When page charges can rise and how any increase is calculated.
• Service levels. Target response times, where engineers are based and how faults are logged.
• Settlement help. Whether the new provider contributes to leaving costs and how that is reflected in the new agreement.
• Exit terms. What happens at the end of the new contract, so you do not repeat the same problem.

Be careful with offers to pay off your existing agreement. Sometimes this is a genuine contribution. Sometimes the settlement is simply added to a new and longer agreement, so you pay for it anyway over more months. Ask for the figures in writing.

Step four: plan the overlap

The aim is to avoid a gap without paying for two fleets for months. In practice that means installing the new equipment shortly before the old agreement ends, testing it and then arranging collection of the old devices once everything works. A short overlap of a few days is normal. A long overlap usually means the notice timing was not planned.

Agree a date with both providers in writing. Confirm who is collecting the old equipment, when and whether any collection charge applies. If a funder owns the old devices, check where they must be returned and in what condition.

Step five: protect the data on old devices

Modern multifunction devices store copies of scanned, copied and printed documents on internal storage. Address books may hold staff and client email addresses. Under UK GDPR your business is responsible for keeping that personal data secure, including when equipment leaves the building.

• Request a secure wipe. Ask the outgoing provider to overwrite or remove storage before collection.
• Get a certificate. Keep a certificate of data destruction for each device, recorded against its serial number.
• Clear stored settings. Remove address books, scan destinations and saved credentials.
• Check disposal. Where devices are being scrapped, confirm they will be handled under the WEEE Regulations.

Step six: cutover day

A well run cutover follows a checklist so staff notice as little disruption as possible.

1. Take final meter readings from every outgoing device and photograph them.
2. Install and network the new devices and confirm they appear correctly on your network.
3. Deploy print queues and drivers to computers, including laptops used by home workers.
4. Rebuild scan to email and scan to folder destinations and test each one.
5. Register staff ID cards or PINs if secure release is being used.
6. Remove old queues so nobody prints to a device that is no longer there.
7. Brief staff with a one page guide and a named contact for questions.

After the switch

Ask for a short review a month or two after installation. Check that usage matches the audit, that toner is arriving automatically and that invoices reflect the agreed rates. Any teething problems are easiest to fix while the project is still fresh.

If you are planning a move and want help reviewing your current agreement, our Managed Print Services page explains how CopyBox Document Systems audits usage, recommends a fleet and manages installation and removal for businesses across Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire and Hertfordshire.

For more guidance on contracts, pricing, service and security, the MPS Help collection gathers all of our general managed print articles in one place.

A planned switch can leave you with a smaller fleet, clearer costs and better support. To discuss your current agreement and timing, visit our Managed Print Services page or call the CopyBox team in Bedford.