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The requirement

Prior to engaging Kyocera, each school managed their print needs without a collective strategy and were procuring the print solutions themselves or dealing with independent resellers. This approach meant that collectively Woodard Schools had limited oversight on what was being spent on printing and no visibility of how print devices were being used.

Jeremy Allardyce, Procurement Manager at Woodard Schools, explained: “We didn’t have a joined-up approach to our printing and as a result, we had far too many devices across the estate, many of which weren’t up to the task. Following a print survey of each school to understand the devices and volumes they were producing and their current costs, I quickly realised there was a great deal of opportunity for consistency across the board, which would control costs and reduce waste.”

The legacy print device fleets operated on many different service contracts which meant that each school’s print estate comprised a mixture of different devices.  This approach neglected the economies of scale that a more joined-up approach could provide. Woodard Schools sought to consolidate its print suppliers in the hope of cutting its print expenditure, but also build in new functionality into its print estate to cut down on waste and reduce its carbon footprint. This also presented an opportunity to improve the user experience for students and staff.

The solution 

Woodard Schools placed a tender which invited suppliers on our Multifunctional Devices and Records Management agreement (RM3781) to bid for the opportunity to manage the service for them.

After a very competitive selection process, Woodard Schools selected Kyocera to overhaul its estate on the strength of its knowledge of the education sector, device quality and competitive pricing structure.

A fully-networked print fleet was rolled out across the majority of schools. They were able to reduce the total number of devices from 389 to 217 by replacing many of the desktop printers with strategically positioned multi functional printers around each school. To ensure the print estate catered for each school’s needs, Kyocera worked with them to develop and roll out a bespoke solution that would meet their requirements.

The print provider met Woodard Schools’ requirement for greater visibility, control and functionality by installing print management software on all of the devices. This will enable them to set targets for reduction thus helping to further reduce costs and improve the carbon footprint. An auto-toner ordering system has also been installed, helping them to reduce the amount of money tied up in consumables, while ensuring it is never caught short.

The use of card readers to retrieve their jobs was deployed, with unclaimed prints being removed from the print log after 24 hours, resulting in a considerable reduction in waste. It also enabled Woodard Schools to default print jobs to black and white and double-sided. Importantly, Kyocera’s offering went beyond implementing a new print estate, providing in-depth training to ensure staff and pupils could use their new printers to the best effect.

The results 

A significant reduction in print expenditure, reducing print costs by 35%. This has been achieved by the rationalisation of the estate and by the removal of unnecessary devices that were costly to maintain.

The schools where Kyocera has implemented the solution expect to see a total reduction in prints by 4 million pages each year, significantly improving the group’s carbon footprint.

Woodard Schools’ Procurement Manager Jeremy Allardyce, expects the solution to deliver further savings over time, commenting: “Kyocera’s solution has proved very cost-effective – introducing a controlled print offering into the schools, whilst maintaining a consistent standard and money factored product as part of the arrangement. The most valuable aspect has been the visibility provided in regard to who is printing what, and this will enable schools to make informed decisions on the financial management of print and will allow us to set targets for further reductions in the future”.

For further information

If you would like to find out more about this agreement visit the webpage and how we can support you please get in touch by emailing us at info@crowncommercial.gov.uk or call us at 0345 410 2222.