Managed Print Services ROI: How to Calculate Your Savings
Most businesses compare managed print services (MPS) to their current setup using the wrong number — toner cost alone. The real comparison is total cost per page, and once you calculate it correctly, the savings case usually becomes obvious. Here's the exact formula, a worked example, and what actually moves the number.
The Managed Print ROI Formula
If you only need the math, here it is. The sections below explain each variable in detail and walk through a real example.
The variable almost everyone gets wrong is "current all-in cost per page." Most businesses only count toner when they price this out — which understates their real cost and makes MPS look like a smaller win than it actually is. The next section breaks down what "all-in" should actually include.
How to Calculate Your Current Cost Per Page
This is the number MPS providers will compare their pricing against — so it needs to be accurate. Work through it in order:
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Count Your Monthly Page Volume
Pull this from each device's usage counter (most multifunction printers track it under Settings › Reports › Usage or similar) or from your current service provider's billing statements, which typically itemize pages printed. Add color and black-and-white separately if your current setup prices them differently — MPS providers almost always do.
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Total Your All-In Monthly Print Spend
Add every line item from the Direct Costs list above for a typical month: toner/ink, paper, service calls, lease payments, and parts. If a cost is annual (like a bulk toner order), divide it by 12 to get a monthly average.
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Estimate Your Hidden Costs
This step is easy to skip and shouldn't be. Even a rough estimate — "our office manager spends about 3 hours a month on printer issues" at a loaded hourly rate — gets you closer to the real number than ignoring it entirely. Add this to your total from step 2.
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Divide to Get Cost Per Page
Total monthly spend (steps 2 + 3) ÷ total monthly page volume (step 1) = your current all-in cost per page. Most businesses that skip hidden costs land somewhere in the $0.03–$0.06 range for black-and-white; once hidden costs are included, it's often meaningfully higher.
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Compare to an MPS Quote
Ask any MPS provider for their cost-per-page rate directly — reputable ones quote it plainly, broken out by black-and-white and color. Plug both numbers into the formula from the top of this guide.
A Worked ROI Example
Here's the math applied to a typical small office. Your numbers will differ — this is meant to show the mechanics, not to predict your exact result.
| Item | Current Setup (DIY) | Typical MPS Quote |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly page volume | 8,000 pages | 8,000 pages |
| Toner & paper | $310 | Included |
| Service calls (avg.) | $85 | Included |
| Estimated IT/downtime cost | $120 | Included |
| All-in monthly cost | $515 | $360 (8,000 × $0.045/pg) |
| Cost per page | $0.064 | $0.045 |
What Moves Your ROI Up or Down
The same formula applies to every business, but these variables are why two companies with similar page counts can see very different savings.
Increases Your Savings
- Older or inefficient printers — higher per-page consumable cost and more frequent service calls.
- High color-to-black-and-white ratio — color pages cost significantly more, and it's where DIY setups tend to overspend most.
- Multiple locations — coordinating supplies and service across sites in-house adds overhead that MPS consolidates.
- Frequent emergency toner purchases — retail pricing is the most expensive way to buy consumables.
Reduces Your Savings
- Newer, efficient equipment already under a competitive service contract.
- Very low print volume — fixed MPS costs matter less when there's more volume to spread them across.
- Existing lease lock-in — an early buyout on current equipment can offset first-year savings. See Copier Lease Agreements Explained for what typical buyout terms look like.
- Mostly black-and-white, single-location printing with no history of downtime or supply issues.
Common Mistakes When Estimating MPS Savings
These are the errors that most often make an accurate MPS quote look worse than it is — or make a DIY setup look cheaper than it actually costs.
- 01Counting toner cost only. Leaving out paper, service calls, and lease payments understates your real baseline and skews the comparison against MPS.
- 02Ignoring downtime and IT time. These don't show up on an invoice, but they're real costs — even a conservative estimate makes the comparison fairer.
- 03Comparing sticker price instead of all-in cost per page. An MPS quote that looks higher per page can still be cheaper overall once your hidden costs are added to the DIY side.
- 04Using average industry benchmarks instead of your own numbers. Generic "typical cost per page" figures online vary widely and rarely match your actual equipment, volume, or color usage.
- 05Not separating color from black-and-white. Color pages can cost several times more per page — blending the two hides where most of the savings potential actually is.
- 06Forgetting existing lease obligations. If switching means buying out a current lease, that cost belongs in the comparison, even if it's one-time rather than recurring.
Want an Exact Number Instead of an Estimate?
A quick print assessment gives you a real cost-per-page figure based on your actual equipment and usage — not an industry average. ABT provides no-obligation print assessments and cost-per-page quotes for businesses evaluating managed print.