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Good MPS Case Study at the University of Kentucky

Doc loves it when people compare the volume of something to how many times the said item would circle the globe or go to the moon and back. So imagine 130 million pieces of paper, laid out end-to-end. The paper trail would stretch for more than 22,500 miles, nearly around the globe. That's how many pieces of paper the University of Kentucky bought last year.
Written by Doc , Contributor

Doc loves it when people compare the volume of something to how many times the said item would circle the globe or go to the moon and back. So imagine 130 million pieces of paper, laid out end-to-end. The paper trail would stretch for more than 22,500 miles, nearly around the globe. That's how many pieces of paper the University of Kentucky bought last year.

UK is announcing a new program to change that. The Managed Print Services (MPS) program partners UK with IKON Office Solutions, Inc. to reduce the university's carbon footprint and cut costs by managing its printing needs. IKON will do an assessment of each university department, and will make recommendations on the number of printers, fax machines, scanners, copiers and other output devices the office needs.

"I'm pleased to see our university leaders thinking creatively about cutting costs and reducing our carbon footprint," said UK President Lee T. Todd Jr. "We all use printers, fax machines, copiers and other output devices in our daily work at UK. That means we can all make a difference through this program." Industry standards recommend one printer for every 12 employees, for example, while UK currently averages about one device for each employee.

Entering the program is not mandatory for UK departments, but offices stand to save money and gain efficiency through participation. Currently, every unit at UK buys devices and supplies as needed, but the MPS program can cut energy costs, lower the cost of owning devices and streamline the process of getting new equipment when needed. The MPS program will lower the cost of owning and using output devices for UK departments by providing a single price per impression (one for black and one for color). UK departments will no longer need to buy their own equipment.

More information will be available in the coming months about the program, its benefits and potential cost savings. An MPS project team will oversee the program's implementation. The MPS program website, which includes an FAQ page, is available at www.uky.edu/MPS.

Doc's guessing that the volume of printing at the UK won't actually go down dramatically, but it will likely be managed better and more efficiently, which saves money for the university.

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