Benefits of using print servers?

Question

Active Directory

Hello.
It so happened that an organization can afford not to use a centralized print server.
There is a certain integrator ready to provide a print audit service. During the negotiations, it was proposed to connect all printers (4 branches with a dozen printers, mostly network ones, but there are 3-4 usb pieces) to one print server and take metrics from it.
As a plus of using a print server, easy administration of a fleet of printers was given.
Administration means installation, removal of printers on target computers.
In our opinion, the use of a print server is a voluntary organization of a single point of failure, with the corresponding costs for its operation.
Then the meaning and algorithm for using locally connected (via USB) printers to a computer through a print server is not clear.
And if I understand correctly, then the volume of network traffic will definitely increase (I don’t have an exact figure, but it feels quite strong, because there were complaints about slow printing on terminal servers when using Easyprint technology that uses XPS).
So the question is: what other advantages does the print server give besides the above.
Perhaps, the number of devices does not yet allow us to feel the convenience of a single server, then I would like to ask for examples of implementations of the print subsystem.
I was confused by another moment: it was announced that there is an automatic failover function in the windows printing subsystem, i.e. if the print server is unavailable, the document will be sent directly to the printer. In this case, the job will be saved locally on the machine, and when the connection is restored, it will go to the print server for the purpose of collecting statistics.
If the answer is: learn the materiel, please do not throw rotten tomatoes, but throw a link to the documentation.
Thank you.

Answer 1

Pros:
1. A single point of control for all printing devices. That is, you will not need to install the same network printer / MFP many times for each user, you can simply distribute it through the GPO.
2. The Windows print management server itself cannot collect statistics, but there are specialized programs for this, and some are even free and with good functionality.
Cons:
1. If you do not make a cluster solution, then this will be a single point of failure.
Accounting for the use of printers connected locally (via USB) to a computer via a print server without a client application installed on the user's PC is not possible.
I do not recommend using XPS, it is better to select native firewood for each model. Everything will work much faster.
There is an automatic failover function in the windows printing subsystem, i.e. if the print server is unavailable, the document will be sent directly to the printer - but only this function must be enabled for each device.
And about branches and a common server, this is a perversion, it is better to create your own print management server in each branch and shoot the information you need from them.