What is a Managed Print Services Study?

Submitted by Karla Metzler on Fri, 18 Jul 2025 - 15:01

If your business is like most, printing is a behind-the-scenes cost that quietly eats into your budget, time, and IT resources. Maybe you’ve got printers in every corner of the office, toner piling up in supply closets, or service calls that take days to resolve. You know there has to be a better way. And there is!

The solution? Managed Print Services. But before diving in, you'll want a comprehensive Managed Print Services (MPS) study to identify the best strategies for your business.

As experienced print vendors and providers of STPT’s eValet MPS program, we’ve conducted studies for organizations across various industries, including schools, hospitals, and local government. An MPS study is the first step toward uncovering hidden costs, identifying inefficiencies, and building a smarter, more secure print strategy.

We’ve written this article to give you a better idea of what to expect when undergoing a managed print services study. We’ll break down exactly what it is, how it works, and what you get out of it. This way, you can feel confident you’re getting the best assessment possible.

For more on what Managed Print Services are, check out our related article: Managed Print Services: Defined.

What Is a Managed Print Services Study?

A Managed Print Services (MPS) study is a thorough evaluation of your current print environment. Think of it as a diagnostic checkup for your fleet of printers and copiers.

Here’s what it typically includes:

Total number and types of devices (including desktop printers, MFPs, etc.)
Device locations and usage patterns
Monthly print volumes by device
Cost per page (and total cost of ownership)
Supplies and service workflows
Security and access control vulnerabilities

At the end of the study, you receive a comprehensive report called a Total Cost of Ownership Summary, which outlines your current situation. You also receive a Proposal with data-driven recommendations that meet your business objectives, which typically includes reducing costs, improving efficiency, and enhancing security.

What is STPT's eValet?

At Strategic Technology Partners of Texas (STPT), our Managed Print Services offering is called eValet. It’s our custom-built MPS program that gives businesses total visibility and control over their print environments.

With eValet, we provide hands-free supply management, proactive service, cross-brand fleet monitoring, and one easy-to-read invoice. When you request a Managed Print Services Study with us, the process and insights you receive are part of our eValet onboarding and optimization journey.

What Happens During an MPS Study?

Before starting a study, you and the vendor typically begin with a discovery meeting to learn more about your print needs and business goals.

At STPT, our eValet MPS Study consists of five steps:

Step 1: Device History Collection

We install a small, secure data collection app that scans your network for connected printers and begins logging usage metrics, supply levels, and error codes.

Step 2: Physical Walkthrough

We visit your location(s) to map out device placements, collect data from non-networked printers, and talk to your team about workflow needs.

Step 3: Expense Gathering

We analyze financial expenses tied to your print fleet: hardware costs, supplies, service invoices, electricity usage, and any hidden expenses that add up over time.

Step 4: Cost Summary & Opportunity Analysis

We build a clear picture of your Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and explore opportunities to streamline devices, automate supplies, consolidate vendors, and improve service.

Step 5: Executive Review & Proposal

We meet with your leadership team to review our findings and present customized recommendations to right-size your fleet and implement MPS.

The final report gives you a full, birds-eye view of your print environment.

Why Your Organization Needs an MPS Study

Whether you’re in education, healthcare, legal, government, or other fields, an MPS study is the gateway to:

Cost savings: Most organizations overpay by up to 30% on printing. We help you find out where.
Greater visibility: Understand your print volume.
Better security: We identify unsecured printers that could expose sensitive data.
Improved uptime: With proactive maintenance and automated toner shipment, your devices stay online.
Smarter budgeting: Consolidate all your costs into one simple monthly invoice.

Pro tip: Even if you think your print environment is running fine, you may be surprised by what you uncover.

Not sure if MPS is for you? Read 5 Reasons Why You Need Managed Print Services to see how organizations are cutting costs by up to 30%.

What Happens After the Study?

After the study, we walk through the report with you in plain English. No jargon. No pressure. If you choose to move forward, our team will present you with a proposal to help you:

Implement a right-sized fleet
Install secure and efficient multifunction devices
Launch eValet, our STPT-managed MPS program
Automate toner replenishment
Set print policies to reduce waste
Improve IT productivity with remote device monitoring

Discover It Yourself

Before committing to a full study, try our free print assessment tool. It gives you basic visibility into your print environment in minutes and helps determine whether MPS is right for you.

Smart Printing for Remote and Hybrid Teams

With hybrid and remote work more common than ever, securing and supporting off-site printing is a growing concern. According to the 2024 Quocirca Print Security Landscape Report, “MPS may be able to provide the controls around [home] printers to ensure content and information security are in place.”

If your team is hybrid or remote, an MPS study helps you secure print workflows across your entire workforce, even offsite.

So, Is It Time for an MPS Study?

If you’re:

Unsure of how much you’re spending
Overwhelmed by supply orders
Frustrated with multiple vendors
Experiencing print-related downtime

…then yes, it’s time.

Ready to See What You're Really Spending?

If you're operating without visibility into your print environment, you're likely overspending.

An MPS study is the first step toward a smarter, more secure, and more cost-effective print strategy.

Download Our Free Print Assessment Tool to get a snapshot of your current fleet and supply usage.

Schedule an MPS Study with Our Experts to talk with our team to see how MPS could transform your office.