Managed print services (MPS) for law firms bring printer and copier management, supplies, maintenance, and usage reporting into a coordinated service relationship. A print assessment helps identify where a firm is spending money, which devices fit its workload, and how confidential documents move through its print environment.
For a law firm, the priorities include preparing case materials on time, limiting exposure of client information, and understanding the cost of everyday printing. The right service scope should address those needs across attorneys, support staff, and office locations.
For firms in Oklahoma and North Texas, local support also matters. Ask who services your equipment, which locations are covered, and how urgent requests are handled. Use this guide to evaluate cost control, confidentiality, workflow needs, and the questions to ask before choosing a provider.
Start by looking at the printing problems that interrupt your firm’s work. Consider a print assessment if:
A managed print proposal should respond to the problems identified in your assessment. Confirm which devices and services are covered, how support works, and which responsibilities remain with the firm.
Managed print helps a firm organize spending and identify changes that reduce unnecessary printing and support work. Compare your current costs with the proposed service scope before estimating savings.
Review page volumes by device, office, and color versus black-and-white output. Include equipment payments, supplies, service, and staff time spent managing print problems. Our printing cost calculator guide explains the costs to include in a baseline.
Usage reports should provide the information needed to manage costs without collecting unnecessary client information. Ask which job details are recorded, who can access the reports, and how long that information is retained. If your firm wants matter-level allocation, confirm the available software and workflow before including it in the business case.
A print fleet is the collection of printers and copiers your firm uses. Review which devices are overloaded, underused, expensive to operate, or poorly located. The assessment should account for large document sets, finishing requirements, turnaround needs, and confidential work.
Recommendations can include relocating devices, changing settings, retiring unnecessary equipment, or replacing equipment that does not fit the workload. Confirm any device changes and related costs in the proposal.
Ask how meter readings are collected, how supplies are monitored, and when replenishment orders are triggered. Confirm which supplies are included and who handles exceptions, such as an unexpected increase in print volume.
For maintenance, review supported equipment, service coverage, escalation procedures, and any applicable response commitments. Monitoring helps identify issues, but it does not mean every breakdown can be predicted or prevented.
Consider duplex printing and black-and-white defaults for appropriate internal work, with exceptions for court requirements, exhibits, and other documents that need particular formatting. Configure policies around the firm’s actual document needs rather than applying one setting to every job.
Print security includes the document, the user, the device, and the systems that process the job. Evaluate each part of that path when handling client information.
With a compatible secure-release setup, a print job is held until the user authenticates at a device, such as with a badge or PIN. This reduces the chance that a confidential document sits unattended in an output tray. Confirm the supported devices, authentication methods, held-job expiration settings, and steps for retrieving and disposing of printed pages.
Assign permissions based on staff roles and remove access when employees leave. Confirm who can change print settings, view reports, or administer devices. Include shared printers and multifunction devices in your firm’s technology access procedures.
Activity logs help a firm investigate print usage and review accountability. Ask whether reports record user names, timestamps, page counts, document names, or other information. Limit access and retention according to your firm’s confidentiality and records policies.
Ask which connections, print queues, and device storage support encryption and how those settings are configured. Check how temporary job data is deleted and how stored information is handled when equipment is serviced, replaced, or returned. Support varies by device and software; confirm the controls available in your proposed environment.
The ABA Model Rule 1.6(c) addresses reasonable efforts to prevent unauthorized access to or disclosure of client information. Secure print controls support a firm’s confidentiality practices; they do not establish compliance by themselves. The firm should evaluate its applicable jurisdictional rules and obligations with its own legal and security advisers.
Map the path from document preparation to printing, review, collection, and storage. Identify where queues build up, staff repeat work, or confidential materials change hands.
Start with a defined group of devices or one office, review the results, and adjust before extending changes. Keep printed documents where they serve a legal or operational need; use the assessment to identify avoidable printing and unnecessary handling.
A useful print assessment documents your current environment and produces recommendations tied to the firm’s needs. Prepare the following information:
| Area | Information to review |
|---|---|
| Devices and locations | Printers, copiers, multifunction devices, ownership, leases, age, placement, and supported functions. |
| Usage and cost | Volumes, color mix, supplies, service invoices, equipment payments, and recurring support work. |
| Workflow | Large jobs, finishing, deadlines, queues, document collection, and digital routing. |
| Confidentiality | Authentication, output-tray handling, report access, job retention, encryption settings, and equipment disposal. |
| Support and contracts | Coverage, escalation, supplier responsibilities, exclusions, renewal dates, and transition requirements. |
Ask for a clear explanation of proposed changes, associated costs, implementation steps, and the measures you will use to review performance.
Managed print services (MPS) coordinate a law firm’s printer and copier fleet, supplies, maintenance, and usage reporting under an agreed service scope. A print assessment helps identify cost, workflow, and confidentiality needs before changes are recommended.
A print assessment establishes a baseline for equipment, supplies, service, and print volumes. Usage reporting, appropriate device placement, supply management, and print policies help identify avoidable spending. Actual savings depend on the firm’s starting environment, proposed changes, and contract scope.
In a compatible secure-release setup, jobs are held until an authorized user authenticates at an approved device. This reduces unattended output. Confirm the authentication method, supported devices, and held-job retention settings, and train staff to collect and handle printed pages securely.
No. Managed print controls support a firm’s confidentiality practices, but the firm remains responsible for its professional obligations and document-handling policies. Confirm the controls available in the proposed environment and evaluate applicable jurisdictional requirements with qualified advisers.
Replacement needs should be determined through a print assessment. Review device compatibility, age, operating costs, security features, and workload. The proposal should identify which devices can stay, which should change, and the costs and reasons for each recommendation.
Standley Systems provides managed print services across Oklahoma and North Texas, including the Dallas-Fort Worth area, with locally based field service technicians. Ask for a print assessment to discuss the devices, locations, service scope, and support arrangements your firm needs.
Standley Systems has supported business technology needs since 1934. Our managed print services cover Oklahoma and North Texas, including Dallas-Fort Worth, with locally based field service technicians.
Discuss your firm’s print costs, confidentiality requirements, document workloads, and office locations with our team. A print assessment provides a starting point for recommendations and a service scope tailored to your firm.
Request a print assessment from Standley Systems.