The best managed print company takes clear responsibility for the devices and workflows your business depends on. Compare providers by what they support, how they handle problems, what the contract excludes, and how they protect information. Ask each company to assess your actual environment before recommending a service, so you can judge the proposal against your needs.
What should a managed print company include in its service?
“When our printer needs a driver update, Brian gets us access fast. No delays, no hassle. Just professional service that keeps us printing.”
Start with the work employees need to complete, not a catalog of printers. List the devices people use, who relies on them, and what a failure interrupts. A shared copier used for invoices may need a different support approach from a desktop printer used occasionally.
Ask each provider to define the service boundary in writing. Does the proposal include troubleshooting, driver updates, device maintenance, supplies, repairs, reporting, or replacement? Are equipment costs and setup work separate? Do not assume "managed print" means the same package at every company.
For each item, establish who does the work and what happens when it falls outside the agreement. If a repair requires an equipment vendor, who contacts that vendor and keeps your team informed? If supplies are included, clarify which products and devices are covered and how delivery works.
A useful assessment also looks at the causes of repeat problems: outdated drivers, inconsistent device names, unclear instructions, or workarounds known by only one employee. Ask the provider how it identifies those patterns and whether correcting them is within the proposed scope.
GDS Technology offers managed print services and printer and office machine services. As with any provider, ask for the specific devices, tasks, and exclusions to be documented in your proposal.
Choose a provider that can explain the service boundary plainly, including who owns work outside it.
How can you compare support and responsiveness?
Ask how employees report a print problem, what information they should provide, and how they hear about progress. A useful process captures which device failed, where it is, who is affected, and whether a shared workflow has stopped. That gives support staff a better starting point and helps your operations team understand the impact.
Do not judge responsiveness by an adjective such as "fast." Ask the provider to describe its support process, then check the agreement for any response or resolution commitments. If a target is not written into the contract, do not treat a verbal assurance as a guaranteed service level.
Ask how repeat incidents are reviewed. If employees keep losing access after a driver change, the recurring cause may be deployment or documentation rather than a faulty printer. A good support conversation should make clear whether the provider will investigate the pattern, document the correction, and tell users what changed.
A manufacturing client, Shelley, described one experience this way: "When our printer needs a driver update, Brian gets us access fast. No delays, no hassle. Just professional service that keeps us printing." This is her account of a particular experience, not a promise of a response time for every customer or service agreement.
Look for visible ownership, clear communication, and follow-up on recurring issues, not just a promise to respond quickly.
GDS Technology promotes a 15-minute discovery call for businesses evaluating its services.
What costs and contract terms should you check?
Give every provider the same device list and service assumptions before comparing proposals. Ask them to separate recurring charges from setup work, equipment, supplies, repairs, and other services that may be billed separately. If the quote depends on print volume or another usage measure, ask how it is recorded and reviewed.
Read the contract for its term, renewal process, cancellation conditions, and responsibilities when service ends. Ask whether adding or moving a device, changing a location, or altering a workflow affects the fee. Confirm what happens to equipment, configuration information, and documentation at transition.
A low monthly figure is hard to evaluate without the exclusions. Request examples of charges that could appear beyond the recurring amount, and ask how you will be notified before separately billed work begins. Make sure the proposal states the assumptions used to calculate the quote.
Ask how the provider will help you review whether the service still fits your environment. Usage information may help identify devices that are rarely used or demand that has changed, but any proposed adjustment should be checked against employee needs and business operations.
There is no single price that can responsibly stand in for a scoped quote. If a proposal leaves a fee, term, or billing condition unclear, ask the provider to specify it rather than assuming it is included.
Compare the whole agreement, including exclusions and potential extra charges, not a headline monthly number.
How should a managed print provider address security?
Print security involves the device and the surrounding workflow. Documents can contain sensitive information, and access may depend on user accounts, device settings, network connections, and how printed pages are collected. Ask how the provider assesses those dependencies and which responsibilities remain with your organization.
Have the provider identify the security measures included in its scope and the work that would require a separate agreement. Clarify who approves configuration changes, how device access is managed, and how a suspected security issue is escalated. A printer service does not automatically constitute a security assessment or make an organization compliant with a regulation.
Connect print decisions to your broader IT and compliance responsibilities where relevant. GDS Technology provides cybersecurity services and IT compliance services. Ask which work belongs in the print proposal and which needs a separate assessment; responsibilities should be explicit rather than inferred.
Include device retirement and replacement in the discussion. Ask who handles the work, what happens to stored settings or information, and what documentation you will receive. Request steps that match the devices and services in your agreement, not a broad assurance with no defined owner.
Treat print security as a shared responsibility, with named owners and documented controls.
How can you switch providers without disrupting work?
Before signing, ask how the provider will learn your existing environment and identify dependencies. Include employees who use the devices, the person responsible for IT, and operations staff who understand deadlines or location-specific requirements. A technically tidy plan can still cause trouble if it overlooks how employees get work done.
Agree on the order of changes and who approves them. Identify the devices or user groups affected, how employees will hear about driver or access changes, and how the team will respond if a change fails. If your sites have different needs, document those differences rather than assuming one configuration suits all.
Ask what documentation will be maintained and how it will be updated. A device inventory, support contacts, configuration notes, and known limitations can help the next person investigate a problem without starting over. Decide who can access the records and what will be handed over if the relationship ends.
GDS Technology serves clients across the United States, with offices in Norcross, Georgia, and Carmel, Indiana. If you are considering GDS or another provider, confirm that the specific locations, devices, and support responsibilities you need are included in the written proposal.
Plan the transition around real users and dependencies, and record who owns each step.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a managed print services company do?
A managed print services company supports an agreed print environment under a defined service scope. The exact work varies by provider and contract, so confirm whether troubleshooting, driver updates, device maintenance, supplies, reporting, and replacement are included. Ask for exclusions and responsibilities in writing before comparing proposals.
How do I choose the best managed print company for my business?
Compare providers on scope clarity, support ownership, documented costs, security responsibilities, and how they handle recurring problems. Give each provider the same device inventory and requirements. Ask how changes are communicated and what records you receive. Choose the proposal that fits your workflows and makes exclusions easy to understand.
Is managed print worth it for a small business?
It depends on the time and disruption associated with your current print setup, the number and use of devices, and the service being offered. Map recurring issues and responsibilities first. Then compare the full proposed cost and scope with your current approach. Do not assume a particular device count makes the service worthwhile.
Does managed print include printer supplies and repairs?
Not necessarily. Providers define managed print differently, and supplies, repairs, equipment, and project work may be included, excluded, or separately billed. Review the written proposal for each item and ask how exceptions are charged. Confirm who coordinates with equipment vendors when a repair falls outside the agreed service.
