Repair or Replace a Broken Printer? An Enterprise Guide to Making the Right Choice

The importance of factoring in end-of-life considerations for your printing fleet

If you run a business with more than 100 workers or a group with more than 20 printers, you know how hard it can be to manage a fleet of printers. When you have a broken printer, you have to answer the age-old question: should you fix it or buy a new one?

This choice may seem easy, but it's not. It takes a deep understanding of what your organization needs, how long your printer fleet will last, and how much each option will cost overall. Jordan Peterson would say, "Life is complicated, and the more responsibility you take on, the more complicated it gets."

In this piece, we'll talk about how hard it can be to decide whether to fix a broken printer or buy a new one. By the end, not only will you have a better idea of what's going on, but you'll also be able to make the best choice for your organization.

The Cost Catch-22: Fix or Replace?

Cost is one of the most important things to think about when deciding whether to fix a broken printer or buy a new one. It may be cheaper to fix a printer than to buy a new one, especially if the problem isn't too big. But if the cost of fixing the printer is close to the price of a new one or if it has a history of breaking down often, it may be better to buy a new one.

Also, think about each option's total cost of ownership (TCO). TCO includes not only the initial cost of fixing something or buying a new one, but also ongoing costs like maintenance, consumables, energy use, and lost output due to downtime. TCO can help you make a better choice based on how each choice will affect you in the long run.

End-of-life issues are an important part of your repair strategy.

When deciding whether to fix a broken printer or buy a new one, it's important to think about the end-of-life (EOL) effects of each choice. EOL is the point when maintaining a printer becomes too expensive, inefficient, or unstable, so it must be retired and replaced.

As a business company, taking EOL into account in your repair strategy can help you plan ahead for when your printer fleet will become obsolete. This way, you won't be surprised when a printer hits its EOL, and you'll be able to make better decisions about whether to repair or replace it.

Some things to think about when figuring out a printer's EOL are:

• Age: Older printers are more likely to have technology that is out of date and won't work with newer software or hardware. They may also have a higher chance of breaking down and need fixes more often.
• Performance: If a printer's performance has dropped a lot, it may be getting close to the end of life (EOL). Slow writing speeds, paper jams, and bad print quality are all signs that it might be time to get a new printer.
• Parts and Support: When a printer hits its EOL, it may be hard to find replacement parts and support from the manufacturer. This makes it harder and more expensive to keep it running.
• Impact on the environment: Older printers may use more power and make more trash than newer ones. By replacing old machines with ones that use less energy, your business can reduce its carbon footprint and cut its running costs.

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You should now have a better idea of how hard it is to decide whether or not to fix a broken printer or buy a new one. But making the right choice can still be hard, especially if you have to think about the cost and the end of life (EOL) of the product.

ManagedPrint helps with this. Our team of experts can give you a full print assessment that looks at the condition of your printer fleet, points out any possible problems, considers your current supplies inventory, and gives you personalized suggestions to help you make the best choice possible. We know that the needs of each company are different, and our goal is to help you get the most out of your printing infrastructure in terms of efficiency and cost.

ManagedPrint's Print Review Can Help You:

• Check the current state of your printer business and look for ways to improve it and save money.
• Find the best mix between fixing and replacing printers, taking into account End of Life (EOL) and Total Cost of Ownership (TCO).
• Make a plan for keeping and upgrading your printer fleet to make sure it works well and costs as little as possible over time.
• Find ways that your company can have less of an effect on the environment by using printing methods and technologies that use less energy.

By using our print evaluation and repair services, you can use the power of vision and direction to change the printing infrastructure of your organization for the better.

Contact ManagedPrint to Make the Right Plan

It's not easy to decide whether to fix a broken printer or buy a new one, but with the help of a knowledgeable partner like ManagedPrint, you can make the best decision for your company. By taking end-of-life (EOL) into account in your repair strategy and being strategic about managing your printer fleet, you can improve your infrastructure, cut costs, and work more efficiently.

Don't let the fact that managing a printer fleet is hard stop you from moving forward. Accept the challenge, take charge of the printing needs of your company, and use the power of vision and direction to move your business forward. 

Contact ManagedPrint today to get a print review, and we'll help you decide whether to fix your broken printer or buy a new one.