Case Study: Oregon State University

See how Oregon State University improved print operations with sustainable solutions.

About Oregon State University

Oregon State University is a large public university nestled in the environmentally-friendly community of Corvallis. The school considers the state of Oregon part of its campus and partners with the P-12 school system, community colleges and other institutions to provide access to the highest quality educational programs and initiatives.

“We knew that we’d be receiving quality products at an affordable price. More importantly, we knew Ricoh had the extensive experience and expertise to improve document management and environmental sustainability for the greater OSU community.”
Ari Grossman-Naples
Associate Director of Printing and Mailing Services
Oregon State University

Challenge

When it came to Oregon State University’s print strategy, it was anything but textbook. Their fleet consisted of various devices from different vendors. Plus, with only 15 percent of the machines connected to the network, it was too difficult to track usage and rates, and the IT team couldn’t assign accurate chargebacks.

The university challenged vendors to:

Improve document management.
Centralize multifunction devices and printers.
Provide more accurate chargebacks.
Install devices capable of performing more tasks.
Reduce operating costs.

On top of that, they sought a partner with a history of proven expertise, bottom-line results and a commitment to protecting the environment.

After a hands-on product demonstration at the Ricoh Technology Portal in Portland, it was clear that both Ricoh and OSU shared the same commitment to environmental conservation. Couple that with over 20 years of experience with Ricoh products on campus, and we were a natural partner for the school.

Solution

After looking at the school’s issues, we implemented solutions that were easy on the environment — and for users to manage:

@Remote Enterprise Pro

With centralized device monitoring and management, IT now had the information and control it needed to maximize uptime and lower costs.

RICOH Pro C901

The media versatility and professional finishing options helped the university staff complete more jobs (even complex ones) quickly.

In addition, we replaced nearly all of the school’s inkjet printers with 480 MFPs.

Result

With the Pro C901 in place, university staff could now complete more jobs (even complex ones) faster and in-house. Since the MFPs can scan, print, copy, fax and output in color, there are actually fewer print devices on campus. Altogether, the newly right-sized fleet:

Increased campus output to over 2.5 million pages per year.
Allowed implementation of @Remote to streamline the chargeback process.
Reduced printer and energy costs by about 30 percent, thanks to the MFPs’ ENERGY STAR® rating and default duplexing option to save paper.

The cost-per-copy services have been so successful, the model spread to the Corvallis School District. Also, the print center is expanding its capabilities to scan in student and faculty records.

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