Konica Minolta Helps Park Hill School District Cut Costs and Go Green with bizhub MFPs and Optimized Print Services

Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. (Konica Minolta), a leading provider of advanced imaging and networking technologies for the desktop to the print shop, today announced that the Park Hill School District (Park Hill) in Kansas City, Missouri has reduced printing costs and established sustainable printing practices with bizhub multifunctional products (MFPs – print, copy, fax and scan all in one system) and Optimized Print Services (OPS). Leveraging a combination of 77 bizhub C552 Color MFPs, bizhub C35P Color MFPs, and bizhub 40P Monochrome Printers integrated with Equitrac Express and Nuance eCopy software solutions, Park Hill will enjoy significant cost savings throughout their Konica Minolta contract as they strategically reduce print impressions from previous competitive contracts.

Working with a local Konica Minolta representative, Park Hill replaced its laser printers with bizhub C552 Color MFPs providing teachers with state-of-the-art printing and finishing options while delivering exceptional price performance. The bizhub MFPs include Nuance eCopy ShareScan stations and Equitrac Express to help track and report usage from all connected devices, as well as monitor print quotas throughout the district. Each principal now receives a weekly, detailed report with a breakdown of the total “print spend” by teacher and/or department.

“The Konica Minolta integrated solution has allowed us to establish more responsible printing practices, streamline our print fleet and lower printing costs compared to our previous fleet of MFPs and printers –without sacrificing quality or functionality,” said Brad Sandt, director of technology, Park Hill Schools District. “We are now able to accurately budget for and control each school’s printing expenditures. This allows principals to better allocate school resources.”

Park Hill was so pleased with the initial print solution they engaged the Konica Minolta OPS Team to help support their student printing program by consolidating several different laser printers and consumables to a single brand of toner cartridges. The district was able to eliminate over 35 devices and replace the remaining printers with 33 bizhub 40P black and white printers and two bizhub C35P MFPs with Follow-You Printing and print release stations. Utilizing OPS, Park Hill now has one district-wide contract to help manage, service, and order supplies for its print fleet.

The printing needs of school districts and educational institutions have evolved over the years. Many existing printing environments are a culmination of printing, imaging and fax devices that are not managed or serviced to keep up with the strategic goal of smarter printing programs. Konica Minolta OPS combines consulting, hardware, software and workflow management in order to lower expenses while delivering maximum efficiencies in four essential areas:

• Fleet: Konica Minolta analyzed Park Hill’s current print fleet in order to right-size the document output fleet to actual document management needs, providing optimal process and fleet support, and establishing continuous optimization – balanced with minimal cost of ownership and environmental impact.
• Process: Konica Minolta analyzed all relevant document flows within Park Hill in order to increase productivity, maximize savings and design a solution tailor-made to meet the district’s precise daily needs.
• Finance: Konica Minolta worked with Park Hill by offering different purchasing and leasing options as well as various contract models, and integrating existing contracts into a single transparent financial plan.
• Security: Konica Minolta collaborated with Park Hill to design and implement an IT and information security solution for their requirements. Additionally, Park Hill felt confident that bizhub products are the most secure MFPs available and are independently certified to the ISO 15408 Data security standard as established by the Common Criteria for Information Technology Security Evaluation. While some manufacturers may only certify a component of the MFP or a “security kit,” the entire system architecture on Konica Minolta MFPs is certified.

“Park Hill is an excellent example of how our OPS offering can help school districts and educational institutions implement a more sustainable and cost effective printing program to keep pace with the ever-changing demands of teachers and students,” said Sam Errigo, Senior Vice President, Business Intelligence Services, Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. “All of our customers can count on Konica Minolta’s Optimized Print Services to deliver complete print solutions that combine consulting, hardware, software and management to improve workflow and cost efficiencies of their entire print fleet.”