Saving time, money and the environment

St Benedict's Catholic School and Performing Arts College has saved time, money and the environment by introducing a strategic printing and copying solution across the whole school.

It’s not often you can save money and the environment – but that was the case for St Benedict’s School when staff introduced a new printing and copying solution.  

According to IT manager, Michael Hilton, the school was wasting money, time and reams of paper because of its ineffective printing and copying solution.  

He explains: “We had a lot of printers in different buildings and people tended to hit print without checking where it was going. There was a lot of waste paper. We weren’t happy as we are always looking at the impact we have on the environment and trying to reduce our carbon footprint.”  

The situation came to a head when the contract for the school’s copiers came to an end. The school also had a number of printers of varying ages and effectiveness and Mr Hilton was keen to secure the benefits he knew were possible by introducing a new, coherent printing and copying solution across the entire school.  

To help implement the ambitious new solution, the school turned to IT provider XMA. The organisation provided 15 machines for reprographics, printing and copying.  

A moneysaving idea
One of the major driving factors behind the solution was the need for the school to save money on its printing and copying. Mr Hilton says: “We wanted a solution that could cut costs and this one has saved us a lot of money.”

Many of the savings can be attributed to the creation of a whole school solution. Mr Hilton explains: “A lot of the printers we had weren’t quite right. We had to nurse them. It’s because, instead of a whole school printing strategy, we had added to our collection over time. Different departments bought different printers. Often the department heads wouldn’t consider the cost of the toners. Each printer would need its own contract, set of toners and technical support. Lots of things could go wrong.  

“Now, we have a solution that brings everything together. The machines are all similar and we have bought more robust printers – bigger machines catering for larger quantities. As well as being more cost effective, we can also charge each department for the items they print and copy.  

“Our previous printing solution was also taking up a lot of our time. Now, we have all our requirements in one place which makes the ordering process much simpler. We receive automated emails when our toner is running out and we just log on to a website and products are delivered within 48 hours. Previously, our shelves were full of unused toner cartridges.”  

Less waste
By choosing a pull-printing solution, St Benedicts has also managed to take greater control of its printing requirements. Mr Hilton says: “Staff and students have a card and can only print out if they present it at an individual machine. It means that there is less waste and, because nothing will print unless you present your card, it’s more confidential.  

“The solution also enables us to keep a track of who is printing what. The reporting side of the solution is very powerful and gives details of individual users.”  

Flexibility
According to Mr Hilton, XMA was chosen following a thorough tendering process. He says: “We have to provide business value. We are spending public money and we have to look after every penny.  

“We went to visit a couple of schools and quickly decided that XMA was the right choice. The company was prepared to be flexible about the different types of machines we could install. That was important to us because we are a very large school with 1,500 students and more than 230 staff. We are delighted to have that flexibility - rather than being beholden to best fit we have a machine suitable to each area.”  

Trusted partner
He adds: “XMA staff were very open and honest throughout. They have been involved with the government’s building schools for the future programme – so they understand the education sector’s needs.  

The service was exemplary really. The staff worked really hard. We couldn’t fault them. They were quick to implement any changes and a year on are still helping us.  

He continues: “We are looking at a different project and they are one of the companies we are considering. I wouldn’t hesitate to work with them again in the future.”