To print or not to print? Nigel Milligan shares his insights on the common challenges of printing in schools and offers practical solutions for managing services more efficiently
If you were to ask any IT technical person what are the top services and hardware that they would choose to get rid of? Printers will always feature in the top five of the most troublesome. They are a law unto themselves! All is working fine and then for some random reason they decide to cause chaos in school. There are a whole variety of reasons for this as there are so many factors to take into consideration with many printers, especially large multi-function devices that most schools have on leasing agreements.
Speaking from my own experience and corroborated by many other IT experts I have spoken to, these are just a few of the common issues that crop up on a weekly basis.
“Nothing is printing out” – When you check the machine, it’s out of paper!
Print queues are jammed up by one particular type of document.
Random occurrences of print jobs just ‘disappearing’ as reported by many users.
The whole issue of printing in schools is always a contentious one, especially when you try to promote a more paperless approach. In a previous article (back in July 2022) I wrote about ‘The paperless school’ which I hope has helped many people to seriously consider what should and should not be printed out. It’s crazy when almost everything starts life in the digital world to then be printed off and filed into cabinets and shelves to never be looked at again.
One example of how some schools have addressed this is with the use of selective printing. Staff in these schools already have their own iPad which allows for the digital access and consumption of all documents that are required. Then if there is anything that needs to be printed off, they simply walk up to any printer in school and print off what they need using AirPrint.
Managing Printing More Efficiently
Impact on the Environment
Printing contributes to deforestation and environmental pollution.
Solution!
Use recycled paper
Reduce paper usage by promoting digital consumption via staff devices
Adopt a recycling programme for toners & inks
Security
If printing isn’t managed safely then sensitive information can be compromised.
Solution!
Follow Data Protection Requirements
Implement secure printing for all users to authenticate
Ensure all hardware firmware is kept up to date
Costs
Toner, inks & paper all contribute to high running costs.
Solution!
Set black & white as default print setting
Set print quotas on all users
Negotiate better deals from providers
Consider managed solutions
Unnecessary Use and Waste
Single sided prints, unclaimed print jobs and unnecessary printing all lead to wasted energy and paper.
Solution!
Promote a paperless approach to eliminate printing as much as possible
Enforce printing policies for all staff & students to promote best printing practices
Use locked or hold print settings to avoid printing by mistake
Ensure that all machines in use are energy efficient
Maintenance
Breakdowns and faults cause significant downtime and can disrupt workflows for authorised printing.
Regular servicing should be carried out on all hardware
Have a backup option in place, designated alternative machines
Empower staff to understand how to resolve basic and minor printer issues
Device Selection
The management of different brands and models adds complexity to the whole process.
Solution!
Select the same brand and as many models that are the same for simplified support, updates and compatibility
Try to plan for a lower number of printers with a shared approach
There are many Managed Print Services (MPS) available. Some of you may already use one of them and can see the benefits they offer. It will be some time yet before we can reach the point of being 100% paperless, much of this is dependent on 1:1 devices.
There will always be the need for printed material for displays and education resources. The main way that printing can be significantly reduced is by adopting collaborative digital working. All multi-function Printers have great scanning options. Start to liberate the way you work and digitise as much as you can and always discuss your strategy and vision with your managed print provider who should support you in reducing your print costs.
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