The Cost of Convenience: Why One-Click Office Services Can Lead to Long-Term Waste

Self-service tools have made it easier than ever for attorneys and staff to scan, print, request supplies, or submit service tickets. On the surface, that seems like a win for productivity. But we’ve seen time and again how this convenience quietly drives up costs, reduces efficiency, and erodes operational control.

Convenience Culture in Legal Operations

Digital autonomy has its upside. Attorneys can manage more on their own. But without the right oversight, it opens the door to fragmented decisions: duplicate orders, overprinting, and workarounds that bypass approved vendors.

In our experience, these “micro-decisions” rarely raise red flags in isolation. But together, they create operational sprawl, chipping away at your budget and internal standards.

Good Intentions, Bad Habits

No one’s trying to waste resources. It usually starts with routine behavior. A new associate prints 600 pages to mark up by hand. Someone reorders office supplies from an old vendor list because it’s faster than checking the current contract. Another employee sends a courier package overnight without realizing there’s a firmwide account that could have cut that cost in half.

Without monitoring and feedback loops, these habits stick.

Where Convenience Becomes Costly

The biggest gaps show up in a few key areas:

• Print and copy center usage

• Office supply ordering

• Overnight and courier shipping

• One-off vendor engagement that sidesteps agreements

These categories often lack usage thresholds, reporting, or even basic policy awareness. That’s where waste thrives.

Control Without Bureaucracy

You don’t need to clamp down on every order. But smart, lightweight systems make a big difference:

• Monthly usage reporting by department or user group

• Centralized request portals for print, supplies, and courier needs

• Clear education on cost-saving options

• Periodic reviews of vendor usage and volume trends

The goal isn’t to slow people down. It’s to make better decisions easier to make.

Tech Alone Won’t Solve It

We’ve seen firms roll out new digital platforms expecting them to fix the problem. They don’t. Without policies, training, and accountability, technology makes it faster to waste money.

This Isn’t Just About Cost

These habits shape firm culture. Overordering and excessive output normalize waste. On the other hand, a well-managed services model reinforces accountability, reduces clutter, and supports ESG goals without adding friction.

How One Firm Cut Print and Supply Waste Without Adding Friction

A 350-attorney Am Law 200 firm was seeing rising costs in its print and office supply categories, driven largely by unchecked habits and a lack of reporting. Mattern designed a centralized service model with usage tracking and monthly reports by user group. Paired with simple awareness campaigns around print behavior, the firm reduced spend materially while improving internal satisfaction. 

The Mattern Take

Convenience should serve productivity, not override it. Our role is helping firms pinpoint where “easy” is getting expensive and build controls that preserve both efficiency and autonomy.

If your firm’s print or services spend feels out of sync with usage, let’s talk: info@matternassoc.com.