K-12 schools are constantly facing pressure to optimize resources and create the best possible learning environment with constrained budgets. And printing remains a crucial, yet often overlooked aspect of K-12 learning and daily operations. From lesson plans and administrative tasks to worksheets and parent communications, schools still rely very heavily on printed materials. Without the right strategy in place, managing a school’s print environment can be overwhelming, complex, and costly – from escalating print costs, constant printer maintenance, and the sheer volume of paper flowing through your school. This is why every school should consider a managed print services strategy. More than just fixing paper jams, managed print services for K-12 schools offers tremendous benefits through a comprehensive and streamlined approach to managing your entire print environment that directly impacts budget, IT resources, and even sustainability efforts.
Benefits of Managed Print Services for K-12 Schools
Rather than attempting to manage a fleet of disparate devices from multiple vendors, partnering with an experienced managed print services provider will consolidate your printing operations bringing everything under one umbrella, including management, maintenance, and strategic planning, and unlocking a number of benefits.
- Cost Savings and Predictable Budgeting
K-12 schools typically operate under tight budget constraints and unmanaged printing can lead to excessive spending on supplies, maintenance, and inefficient device usage. Through device optimization, automatic supply replenishment, and consolidated billing, you can gain better control over your printing expenses and redirect those saved funds to where they truly matter – your students.
Managed print services for K-12 schools help to provide transparent and predictable costs for supplies and service through MPS contracts. The number of pages printed are also tracked helping you to identify usage patterns as well as anomalies. K-12 schools can also utilize a print management software solution to help reduce printing waste through print policies and quotas. Many schools report 20-30% cost savings after partnering with an MPS provider.
- Improved Staff Efficiency
Teachers and faculty need reliable printers. Managed print services for K-12 schools ensure uptime for print devices and reduce the need for troubleshooting printer issues. An experienced MPS provider will optimize printer and copier placement, ensuring teachers and staff have convenient access. Additionally, utilizing a print release solution will allow teachers to release their print jobs at whichever device is most convenient for them. Proactive device maintenance and repairs helps to keep your printers running smoothly and prevent breakdowns, while automated supplies replenishment eliminates the need to monitor supplies level or backstock so that staff can instead focus on their core responsibilities.
- Reduced IT Burden
Rather than having to focus on troubleshooting printer issues or managing multiple vendors, managed print services for K-12 schools streamlines the management and maintenance of your entire print environment under one provider. This reduces the burden on IT staff by giving users quick resolution of issues through a dedicated support team and taking this off the plate of IT staff. Additionally, comprehensive reporting tools will analyze print usage and identify problem areas/areas for improvement. Pairing managed print services with a print management software for education will allow IT to put into practice consistent print policies and quotas to control printing.
- Enhanced Security and Compliance
In an era of heightened data privacy concerns, keeping student information secure is paramount and print is no exception. Managed print services for K-12 schools can enhance security through features like secure print release, user authentication, and print auditing for controlling access to printed documents, tracking print activity, and complying with FERPA regulations.
- Increased Sustainability
Organizations and K-12 schools alike are becoming increasingly committed to minimizing their environmental footprint and implementing greener initiatives. Managed print services for K-12 schools can directly impact sustainability goals by reducing paper waster through duplex printing, print quotas, and print release solutions, as well as encouraging the recycling of used toner cartridges. MPS providers can also recommend energy-efficient printers and copiers (ENERGY STAR and EPEAT certified) to help decrease energy consumption.
Consider Parmetech for Your School’s Print Needs
Managed print services for K-12 schools represents more than just a cost-cutting measure—it’s a comprehensive approach to creating a more efficient, sustainable, and secure environment. By outsourcing the management of your print environment to an experienced MPS provider, K-12 schools can redirect their focus and personnel resources to what matters most – providing educational excellence to students.
At Parmetech, our focus is to help K-12 schools reduce expenses, improve efficiency, and enhance productivity all while creating a more secure, streamlined, and environmentally-friendly printing environment through a comprehensive approach to implementing MPS including:
- Assessing the current printing environment
- Developing a tailored strategy to address specific needs
- Optimizing the print fleet including right-sizing and consolidating
- Implementing print management software and policies if desired
- Providing on-going management, maintenance, and optimization of the print environment
Ready to learn more about how managed print services can transform your K-12 school? Contact us today for a no-obligation print assessment!
