How to improve confidentiality, control costs and keep every office working efficiently
For a modern law firm, printing remains an important part of the working day. Client correspondence, contracts, property documentation, court bundles and internal records may all need to move quickly between digital and physical formats.
Yet print is often treated as a collection of individual devices rather than as part of the firm’s wider operational and information-security strategy. Over time, this can lead to unnecessary costs, inconsistent processes and avoidable disruption, particularly when a firm operates across more than one office.
A well-managed print environment should do more than produce documents. It should help protect confidential information, support busy teams and give the firm clear visibility of what it is using and paying for.
1. Put confidentiality at the centre of print
Law firms routinely handle personal, financial and commercially sensitive information. That makes every stage of document handling important, including the moment a file is sent to print.
Documents left in an output tray can be seen or collected by the wrong person. Shared devices may also offer limited oversight of who is printing, when documents are produced and whether appropriate controls are in place.
Secure print release can help by holding a document in the queue until the authorised user verifies their identity at the device. Depending on the equipment and configuration, this may be completed using a PIN, card or other authentication method. The result is a straightforward additional safeguard that can also reduce abandoned print jobs.
The Information Commissioner’s Office advises organisations to consider both physical and technical security measures when protecting personal data. It specifically identifies the secure location of printers as one practical consideration. A print review can help a firm assess whether its devices, workflows and office layouts reflect the sensitivity of the information being handled.
2. Find the costs hidden across the firm
The monthly lease or purchase price of a printer rarely tells the full story. The true cost of print may be spread across several budgets and suppliers, including:
- equipment contracts and maintenance agreements;
- toner and other consumables;
- paper usage and colour printing;
- support calls and engineer visits;
- staff time spent ordering supplies or resolving faults; and
- unused capacity or unsuitable devices.
Without a central view, it is difficult to know whether each office has the right equipment or whether the firm is paying more than necessary. A print audit brings usage, devices and costs together so that informed decisions can be made.
That does not necessarily mean replacing every printer. In many cases, the first priority is to understand what is already working, where demand is highest and which devices are creating unnecessary expense.
3. Reduce disruption for fee-earners and support teams
When an urgent document is needed, a slow or unreliable printer can quickly become a business problem. Repeated paper jams, missing toner and unresolved faults interrupt fee-earners while placing additional pressure on office, operations and IT teams.
A managed approach can improve reliability by matching equipment to actual demand and introducing clearer processes for maintenance and consumables. Proactive monitoring may also help identify low supplies or device issues before they result in avoidable downtime.
The aim is simple: printing should work quietly in the background, allowing people to focus on clients and casework.
4. Create consistency across multiple offices
Multi-site firms can inherit a patchwork of devices, suppliers and agreements as they grow. One office may have modern equipment and a responsive support arrangement, while another relies on ageing devices, ad-hoc toner orders and a completely different contract.
This fragmentation makes costs harder to compare and service levels more difficult to manage. It can also create inconsistent user experiences and security processes across the firm.
A centrally managed print strategy can provide:
- one clear view of devices, usage and costs;
- consistent support and service expectations;
- standard security settings and print policies;
- equipment selected for the needs of each team or location; and
- one accountable point of contact.
Central control does not mean every office must be identical. It means each location can have the right solution while still operating within one coherent firm-wide strategy.
5. Make sustainability measurable
Many firms want to reduce waste, but broad intentions are difficult to turn into action without reliable information. Print reporting can show where volumes are highest, how much output is produced in colour and whether simple defaults could reduce unnecessary use.
Measures such as duplex printing, sensible user permissions and secure release can support more responsible printing without preventing teams from producing the documents they genuinely need.
The strongest sustainability improvements are usually practical and measurable. They reduce paper, consumables and energy use while often lowering costs at the same time.
Start with a clear picture of your current setup
A print strategy should reflect how your law firm actually operates: the documents your teams produce, the sensitivity of the information they handle, the number of office locations and the level of support required.
BTS provides free, no-obligation print audits to help law firms understand their current environment. We review equipment, usage, costs and workflows, then identify opportunities to improve security, reliability and efficiency.
Whether your firm operates from one office or several locations along the M4 corridor, the first step is gaining a clearer view of what you have today, and what could work better tomorrow.
Request your free print audit
Speak to BTS about creating a smarter, more secure and cost-effective print environment for your law firm.
