By Natasha Kellar
Algonquin College has sought the help of the Independent Print Management Group, a Canadian consulting firm, to help give campus printing services an overhaul.
The process is still in the research stage but so far IPMG has surveyed and inventoried all scanners, copiers, fax machines and printers on campus.
Some of the goals of the proposed strategy are to enhance the staff and student experience in relation to printing and copying, reducing costs and increasing productivity by replacing several single function devices with multi-functional devices across campus.
“There are a few phases to the project, but ideally we would like to have the majority of the implementation done by September” said Brent Brownlee Acting Director of Ancillary Services at Algonquin. “We don’t expect everything to change over-night.
“The process that has just been communicated is the first step, we’ve got to talk to our staff then the next step is to work with the ITS department and make sure we evolve to deliver the services to students. “
This strategy will impact students by making printing across campus an easier and more efficient and secure task. Hoping to introduce a system that may involve students scanning their student cards, or inputting their student numbers to receive their prints from printers connected via a cloud network system. According to Brownlee “It’s sort of an evolution of a next step of printing services for students and staff.”