For many schools, keeping track of the print budget and cutting back on consumables such as toner and paper is all part of the battle our educational establishments face each day as they try to operate more effectively. With the latest multi-function printers available, schools can not only take advantage of faster and greener technologies but are also able to discover new ways of operating that save time and cut costs.

One way of doing this is to go for a managed print solution that can give schools a tailor made approach specifically developed for their needs and which can develop organically as time goes on. This begins with undertaking a comprehensive print audit designed to give schools a clearer idea where they spend their resources for printing.

What happens in a print audit?

An audit is a good time to step back and take a long hard look at print management within any organisation. We tend to install printers in our offices and schools and largely forget about them, letting staff and sometimes students have free reign without really considering how those MFPs are being used and, more importantly, how much everything is costing.

• A print audit will look at what machines you have installed, what they do, how old they are and where they are placed.
• It will also consider the number of people that use a particular MFP and what they use it for.
• The amount of paper, toner and other consumables that are used in the printing process can add a significant cost onto the running of an MFP and an audit will give you a clear idea of how much you are spending on a daily, weekly and monthly basis.

What benefits come from a managed print solution?

Many schools have benefited from having a printing audit and subsequently found new and innovative ways of reducing costs through a managed print solution. Looking at an office printing strategy can be very revealing and even helps users embrace new ways of doing things. For instance, modern MFPs allow scanned documents to be sent direct to a mobile device such as a smartphone or tablet rather than printing out a hardcopy, saving money on toner and paper.

One of the other big issues that schools are keen to address is finding better and greener ways of operating and the subject of printing is high on that agenda. With cloud based technologies which mean that documents can be stored rather than printed and a new range of MFPs that are becoming increasingly greener, helping schools reduce their energy usage and cutting down that all important carbon footprint is an important part of running any managed print solution.

For schools where ad hoc processes have been in place for a while, a managed print solution can lead to the development of a more robust and cost effective strategy that is responsive to current and future needs. Those in charge of the organisation’s MFPs can access online software that enables remote management and can help keep track of costs and usage in real time. Working with dedicated service staff from the managed print service can mean problems are identified early and new innovations are more easily accessed and made available.

The benefits of a managed print service allow schools to continuously review how things are working and how they can be changed for the better in the future. This can lead to real cost savings for many schools, cutting down on the amount that is printed and releasing valuable funds that could be spent on more important projects.