by Thomas MacMillan | Sep 19, 2011 7:58 am
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Under a new Xerox contract, the city may be printing money.
Metaphorically, of course.
The Board of Aldermen is considering a $4.375 million printing contract with Xerox that would save the city at least $1.5 million over five years, according to Purchasing Agent Mike Fumiatti.
The deal would involve the replacement of all the city’s copy machines, along with those of the Board of Education. The new copy machines would all be networked together with new and existing desktop computer printers.
It’s far cheaper to print on copy machines—now known as Multi-Function Devices (MFDs)—than it is to do desktop printing, Fumiatti said. That’s where the money-saving comes in. The new system will automatically send printing jobs from desktop printers to MFDs if they are over a certain number of pages.
For instance, if someone at the Board of Ed tries to print out 10 copies of a 100-page document, the system will send the job to the Board of Ed’s copy center. The staffer will have to walk down there, punch in an employee code, and print up the 1,000 pages there.
Such a system will reduce the need for costly toner cartridge replacement and desktop printer repairs, Fumiatti said.
The network will also make it easier to scan documents and email them, rather than photocopy them and hand them out, Fumiatti said. That could mean increased paper conservation.
“Plus we’ll be able to see the number of prints being done by everybody,” Fumiatti said. Xerox will provide regular data on who’s printing how much and where. That information will be reviewed regularly by a committee that’s yet to be set up, Fumiatti said.
The move to Xerox marks a shift from a longstanding contract with IKON, Fumiatti said. The current MFDs are five years old and nearing the end of their usefulness, Fumiatti said.
Fumiatti said he’s shooting for a Nov. 1st start date, pending aldermanic approval. The deal was introduced to the Board of Aldermen last week and has been sent to committee for a recommendation.
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