DOCUmation Blog

Why Your IT Team Shouldn’t Manage Your Office Printers

Written by | 2025

Printers may not seem like a big deal—until they stop working. And when they do, it’s often your IT team that gets pulled in to fix them. Whether it’s a paper jam, a driver issue, or a network connectivity glitch, these problems take time and energy your IT professionals should be spending elsewhere.

If your team is tied up resolving printer tickets, they’re not focusing on the projects that truly move your business forward.

How Printer Support Distracts IT from Critical Business Tasks

We've all seen it: an employee can’t print, and a ticket goes straight to IT. Addressing a single issue might only take 10 to 15 minutes, but across multiple users and locations, the time adds up quickly. These repeated disruptions turn small problems into a significant drain on your IT team’s capacity.

Tasks like replacing toner, updating print drivers, or troubleshooting Wi-Fi issues may be necessary—but they’re low-value. They pull IT professionals away from strategic work like cybersecurity, cloud migration, and automation. When IT is forced into reactive mode, it delays responses to serious issues, allows vulnerabilities to go unnoticed, and stalls technology initiatives that could improve your entire business.

The Business Cost of In-House Print Management

IT professionals are hired for their ability to solve complex problems and guide long-term tech strategy. Letting them focus on those priorities—rather than day-to-day printer support—maximizes their value to your organization.

The impact of managing your own print fleet:

  • High-salaried staff are tied up with routine tasks
  • Downtime increases as minor issues distract from mission-critical work
  • Larger priorities like security or system upgrades get delayed
  • IT morale suffers when their expertise isn’t used effectively

What Your Internal IT Team Should Be Focused On Instead

Your IT team should be building a strong, secure foundation—not tracking down toner. Removing printers from their plate frees up the time and mental bandwidth to focus on initiatives that move the business forward and high-impact initiatives.

Where Your IT Team Delivers the Most Value:

  • Strengthening cybersecurity and endpoint protection
  • Supporting strategic projects like ERP integration or cloud migration
  • Monitoring network performance and proactively preventing outages
  • Training employees on secure tech use or optimizing collaboration tools
  • Automating workflows to reduce manual tasks and improve efficiency
  • Aligning technology investments with long-term business goals

Why Managed Print Services Are Better Than DIY Printer Management

Managed Print Services (MPS) eliminate the day-to-day distractions that burden your internal team. With MPS, you get expert support, proactive device care, and predictable costs—all without draining your internal resources.

Core Features of a Managed Print Solution

Managing printers in-house pulls your IT team away from strategic work. Time spent on print errors, supply orders, and user issues adds up—diverting focus from priorities like security, infrastructure, and digital transformation, with little return on investment.

  • Proactive maintenance and monitoring: Devices are tracked remotely, so issues are resolved before users even notice

  • Streamlined supplies ordering and delivery: Toner and supplies arrive automatically—no need for manual reordering

  • Fewer support calls: Print-related tickets to IT dramatically decrease

  • Predictable budgeting: One monthly invoice covers hardware, maintenance, and supplies

  • Improved device uptime: Remote diagnostics and scheduled servicing keep equipment running

  • Centralized print control: Gain visibility into usage and enforce print policies across the organization

  • Support for modern workflows: Includes features like Bluetooth printing and 11x17 printing

  • Flexible device models: Choose what works best for your usage—ink vs. toner, color vs. mono, etc.

Leasing vs. Owning Copiers: A Smarter Way to Manage Print Costs

One of the biggest misconceptions about improving your print environment is that it requires a large upfront investment. In reality, most copier dealers and Managed Print Services providers offer flexible copier rental options that eliminate the need to purchase new hardware outright.

Benefits of Leasing Printers

  • Stay current with technology without major capital expenses
  • Scale your print environment as your business grows or needs change
  • Bundle costs into a predictable monthly payment that includes service, maintenance, and supplies
  • Avoid the burden of equipment depreciation and outdated devices.

Leasing printers through a Managed Print provider provider gives your business the flexibility to stay current with the latest technology—without the upfront capital expense. As your needs change, you can scale your print environment accordingly, all while keeping costs predictable with a single monthly payment that covers hardware, service, and supplies. Most importantly, leasing helps you avoid the long-term burden of equipment depreciation and outdated devices, ensuring your team always has access to reliable, modern tools.

Stop Wasting IT Resources on Print Issues

Your IT team was hired to secure, scale, and support your business—not to babysit printers. Offloading print management may seem like a small shift, but it can unlock major gains in productivity, morale, and operational focus.

Managed Print Services are designed to handle the day-to-day distractions so your IT team can focus on high-impact work that actually drives your business forward.

Ready to get printers off your IT team’s plate? Let’s talk about a smarter way to manage your print environment.