Solution Benefits

  • Reduced Waste
  • Increased Productivity
  • Automated Repetitive Tasks
  • Improved Sustainability

Customer Profile

  • Education
  • Around 3,915 students
  • Farnborough, Hampshire

About The Sixth Form College Farnborough

The Sixth Form College Farnborough is a sixth form college situated in Farnborough, Hampshire, England.

It caters for around 3,915 students and admission is mostly from schools in the local areas of Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire.

Challenges

The College were looking to replace an existing MPS (Managed Print Service) that was no longer fit for purpose, and unable to cope with a substantial growth in print volumes.

  • Previous managed print service not able to process required volumes
  • Current devices unable to accurately replicate brand colours
  • Deadlines not met during peak times due to inadequate equipment
  • Finance & IT departments under pressure to deliver value for money

As one of the largest colleges in the UK, we faced a unique set of challenges. We were delivered a solution that overcame each of these challenges, with the entire process being very straight forward for us.

Executive Office ManagerThe Sixth Form College Farnborough
The result

How we helped

Prior to our Canon solution, The Sixth Form College Farnborough had used Xerox equipment for 20 years. Whilst they had been satisfied in the past, significant growth to print volumes meant that their Xerox fleet was simply not able to keep up with demand. This led to frequent outages, delays during peak times and extreme pressure throughout departments to meet deadlines. The reprographics print room took the brunt of this pressure. The key to solving this problem came in the form of a Canon VarioPrint. A powerful production printer designed to deliver in even the most demanding of professional print environments.

Due to rising print volumes, The Sixth Form College Farnborough had no option but to out-source a large proportion of their printing such as marketing materials and brochures. By installing the industry leading Canon VarioPrint, we allowed the College to bring this printing in-house; leading to cost savings as well as greater control over their physical marketing materials.

Another challenge facing the College, was the inability to accurately replicate the distinctive brand colour of the newly designed logo. The Canon imageRUNNER ADVANCE fleet are renowned for their colour quality and perfectly replicated the digital logo onto physical documents.

The Power of Automation

In any organisation it is essential that staff make use of their time and remain productive. Unfortunately, the outdated managed print service we were tasked with updating had made this difficult. Due to frequent downtime, the IT department were wasting time addressing a range of issues with the printer fleet. We were able to relieve this burden by offering network support as part of the solution. We therefore cover all issues, whether they be hardware, software or network related. This removed all printer related headaches and improved employee productivity by allowing the IT team at the College to focus on doing their jobs.

In addition to offering network support, we noticed that it wasn’t just the IT department suffering from print related concerns. The administration team were frequently monitoring toner usage, gathering meter readings and placing orders for supplies.

We decided automation would be the ideal solution. Using document management software, PaperCut, we were able to automate toner deliveries & meter readings to ensure minimal time was spent worrying about toner levels. Resulting in not just a more productive workforce, but a happier one too.

Value for Money

The previous print fleet was no longer fit for purpose and simply didn’t provide value for money. It was essential to find a solution that fully justified The Sixth Form College Farnborough’s investment.

The introduction of the VarioPrint, supported by a fleet of award winning imageRUNNER Advance MFDs, was the perfect solution. The increased productivity derived from automation & reliable equipment, combined with the many benefits of bringing all printing in-house represented a clear return on investment.

Results

  • New fleet easily capable of processing rising print volumes
  • Happier workforce and improved employee productivity
  • Accurate colour matching across branded materials
  • Automation of repetitive tasks reduced administrative burden
  • Reduced waste & environmental impact