Implementing managed print services for education facilities such as K-12 schools and higher education universities can have a positive impact on students, teachers, and the bottom line. With these services, schools can comply with tight budgets while also effectively managing their printing environment and offering state-of-the-art print devices. As educational facilities often struggle to find a balance between budget limits and the needs of students and teachers, managed print services can be a great game changer for this industry.
Printing equipment like toner, paper, and software can all be very expensive. Oftentimes, schools do not have the budget for these necessary materials by the time the end of the year rolls around.
What’s worse, if printing equipment breaks or reaches the end of its lifespan, educational facilities don’t always have room in their budget to replace these vital materials. By partnering with an MPS provider, K-12 schools and higher education universities can eliminate these issues.
Why K-12 Schools and Higher Education Universities Should Use Managed Print Services
With managed print services for education, the costs for printing materials and new equipment are already factored into expenses. With a custom managed print services plan, the cost of a printing infrastructure is cut considerably without losing quality or customer support.
While both K-12 schools and universities utilize printing processes in their day to day activities, there are specific and unique needs between these facilities that MPS can be met through a customized MPS strategy.
K-12 schools use printing equipment for worksheets, creative activities, and study materials. The use of the printers and scanners are limited to teachers and other qualified individuals. A K-12 MPS provider must be able to provide user-friendly equipment that produces quality materials in a timely manner so that teachers and faculty are able to prepare materials for their lessons quickly, effectively, and reliably.
In a college setting, instructors and students both use printers and scanners for assignments. Capabilities such as the ability to print from a mobile device in this setting can make printing an easy affair for students facing tight deadlines. While it’s important for these devices to be reliable, there is also an opportunity for the institution to turn their copy centers into profit centers. For example, under an MPS contract, there is a fixed cost for pages printed. By knowing this cost, a university can mark up the cost per page or per copy; so rather than just paying for toner and paper, the university can actually turn a profit.
The Benefits of Partnering with an MPS Provider in Education
The examples above are just a few scenarios that showcase why it’s important for schools and universities to take advantage of a managed print services program. Managed print services education strategies can serve many purposes for schools and universities. Some of the benefits of partnering with an MPS provider include:
Short Term Benefits
- Common Equipment Interface: All of your equipment – printers, scanners, and multifunction devices – will be connected and accessible through one platform. Access your printing equipment, including Xerox multifunction printers via phone, tablet, or computer via user-friendly software.
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Mobile Printing: Print on the go from anywhere on school grounds with mobile printing. Using an app on your phone, you can order print jobs without having to leave your desk as you grade papers or prepare lectures.
- New, Quality Equipment: Upgrade your printing gear to the latest equipment and enjoy quality prints, top-rated security, smooth processes, sustainable supplies, and user-friendly interfaces. Your MPS provider will consult with you on the best mix of equipment to suit the needs of your classroom.
- Fleet Management: With managed print services for education, you never have to worry about keeping track of toner levels or paper refills again. Your MPS provider will handle all of this while also ensuring that your equipment is up to date.
Long Term Benefits
- Save Time and Money: Cut back on printing costs with a cohesive managed print service plan that optimizes your printing processes and cuts back on unnecessary jobs.
- Minimize Waste: Eliminate duplicate prints and other waste created from unneeded print jobs with well-organized procedures.
- Secure Print Solutions: Enjoy printing equipment with the latest encryptions, authentications, and virus protections to avoid hackers.
- Reduced IT Burden: Avoid wasted time and costly repairs of IT services altogether. With managed print services for education, technical support is readily available as part of your MPS plan.
How to Get Started with Managed Print Services
If you’re looking for an MPS provider for K-12 schools or higher education universities, the best place to start is with a complimentary assessment of your print environment, as no solution can be properly designed without a true understanding of the environment. Here at Parmetech, we use a consultative approach to understanding a client’s current operating environment including key objectives, challenges, technical infrastructure, and costs in an effort to design and implement a customized, long-term MPS strategy specific to the needs and goals of your organization. Through this process, we are able to recommend solutions that are right-sized for your current and future needs.
