Managed Print Services for Office Printers

The usual way an office printer gets replaced is the bad way: the lease notice arrives, or the old machine finally breaks down for good, and a decision that deserved real thought has to happen in a week. Lease-end is also the natural point to ask a different question: should toner and service stay ad hoc, or move onto a managed print agreement? This guide covers what Managed Print Services actually means, and exactly what the Colyer CarePlan covers.

What Managed Print Services actually means

"Managed print" is a specific, useful thing when it's done properly -- not a vague bundle of extra charges. In practice it means your printer's toner use is monitored automatically, toner is billed on simple click pricing rather than bought in bulk and stored, and engineering time and parts are covered under the same agreement. It fits well where print volume is fairly predictable and you'd rather not think about reordering toner or budgeting for an unexpected repair bill.

It's worth being clear about what managed print is not: it's not a single bundled figure that folds every running cost into one number, and it doesn't extend to paper or other supplies -- those are still bought separately. Managed print on a Colyer plan means toner specifically, monitored and billed per click, with everything else covered as standard service.

Start the conversation before your lease actually ends

Two to three months before your lease ends is the point to start, not the point to panic. That's enough time to properly understand what your business needs now -- which may well be different from what it needed when you last signed -- order the right machine, and have it installed before the old contract runs out. No gap in service, no rushed decision made under pressure.

When that conversation starts early, you genuinely have three options, not one:

• Keep it. If the current machine is still doing the job well, keep it. Any lease extension is agreed with your finance provider, and we can look after the machine on a Colyer CarePlan either way.
• Upgrade. If your business has changed since you last signed -- more people, more colour printing, a second site -- move to a machine that matches where you're at now rather than where you were.
• Replace. If the machine's had enough, or the lease is up for good, a new or refurbished machine can be installed before the old one goes, with the cost spread over 36 or 60 months if that suits you better than paying upfront.

Leaving this until the lease notice lands collapses all three options down to whichever one you can arrange fastest -- which is rarely the one that actually fits your business best. Whichever you choose, it's also the moment to decide whether a Colyer CarePlan makes sense for the machine going forward.

The Colyer CarePlan, specifically

A Colyer CarePlan agreement covers the cost of all engineering time and parts. Phone response is within the hour, with a fast site visit. Toner is monitored automatically with Printanista and billed on simple click pricing, so you're never caught out by a sudden toner order or an engineer call-out you didn't budget for.

It's worth not confusing this with Colyer's other service plan. The Colyer UpTime Plan -- our plan for large format and technical plotters -- covers engineers' time and parts but has no toner or ink billing built in at all; it isn't a managed print service. The Colyer CarePlan, for office printers, is the one that is: toner billed per click is exactly what makes it managed print, and exactly what the UpTime Plan doesn't do. If you're comparing the two because your business runs both office and large format equipment, that's the distinction that matters.

If you're buying for a council, school or public body, ask for a formal quote and we'll handle it through the right process for your organisation.

Worth noting too: a CarePlan covers toner, not paper or other supplies, and not speciality consumables -- those stay a separate, straightforward purchase. Knowing exactly what's on the agreement and what isn't means there's nothing to untangle later when an invoice doesn't match what you expected.

Timing the financial side

Most customers spread the cost of a new office printer over 36 or 60 months rather than paying upfront. We work with a finance provider, or a broker of your choice -- speak to us and we'll help you find the right option for your business. Any cashback or promotional pricing from our vendor partners goes to you, not us.

Tell us when your lease ends and whether a managed print agreement makes sense for your setup, and we'll have the right option in front of you in good time, not in a rush. Call 01483 596 200.