Printing

The University Managed Print Project seeks to implement managed printing across its whole estate to :-

1. Reduce carbon footprint by savings in power and reductions in total print volume.
2. Reduce costs by implementing a cost effective standardised low cost for print to all departments regardless of volumes.
3. Implement secure release printing to extend functionality, and improve document security and reduce redundancy/waste.
4. Improve functionality by extending specialist printing facilities to all users.

The principal drivers for the project are carbon reduction and improvements in quality and standardisation of print arrangements.
It is also estimated that a full implementation of a managed print system in the University could bring financial benefits.

Estimates are:

• 40% reduction in CO2 (from 477,676kg to 286,857kg;
• 60% reduction in electricity usage from 506,039 Kwh p.a. to 199,463 Kwh p.a.;
• £542k p.a. financial savings.

In 2009, the University established a Carbon Management Committee and embarked upon a Carbon Management Programme. The stated aim of this Carbon Management Programme was to reduce the estate's carbon emissions by 20% by 2014. A range of initiatives was identified to deliver this, and some progress has been made towards the completion of these initiatives.

The UK government's introduction of the Carbon Reduction Commitments (CRC) Energy Efficiency Scheme ^[1] in 2010 (participation in which is mandatory), means that participants in the scheme must purchase allowances for each tonne of carbon emission generated through energy use and participants are also ranked in a Carbon Reduction Performance League.

To that end, the Carbon Management Committee proposed that the University review its printing and print management strategy. Audit work completed in October 2011 identified almost 4,000 devices across the estate (representing 1,241 different models), printing 52.3 million pages, and using 477,000 kilograms of Co2 and 506,000 Kwh of electricity. This suggested that there was considerable scope for streamlining printing arrangements and for accessing environmental and financial benefits.

The majority of the College of Arts estate, as well as the student printing operation in the Library, moved to a managed print solution in August 2012, followed in 2013 by a number of departments in University Services. Senior Management Group has now approved a rollout throughout the University.

• Reductions in printer numbers, and improvements in individual device efficiency will result in significant carbon savings.
• The introduction of secure release printing typically reduces print volumes by an average of 15-20%, reducing the University’s print volumes by a projected 10 million pages per year.

^[1] The UK HE Sector is tasked with achieving legislative climate change through the same Carbon Reduction Commitments (CRC) as the wider public sector with an 80% reduction targeted for year 2050. 

• Secure release printing introduces the concept of printing into a personal document store, and then retrieving the job from any printer connected to the system which also means any job printed may be retrieved from a device with additional features, such as stapling, collation or large paper sizes where required
• Large volume documents may be routed to the Print Unit.
• Typically users will also have access to network based scanning (scan to your mailbox) and copying on the new Multi-Function Devices (MFDs) deployed.
• Secure release printing increases security by ensuring the user is at the printer to retrieve any jobs that emerge and improves redundancy by allowing the user to retrieve the document from any connected device in the system.
• In the medium term, the system will also support printing from machines off campus, laptops and supports printing via email, which permits users to submit documents to the printers from phones and tablets.
• All print job meta-data is retained for all users with a comprehensive set of reporting tools to help Colleges, schools, institutes and departments to understand and manage their printing needs.
• Canon will also provide dedicated service staff to service Gilmorehill and Garscube.