Investments in technology determine academic success

Key points:

In recent years, school system leaders have been faced with many complex decisions, ranging from safety concerns and public health crises to budget constraints and the diverse needs of students, faculty, and staff. Among these challenges, technology integration, particularly printing solutions, should be a budget line item to drive institutional achievements.

Printing technology plays a unique role in modern education, and the right strategies can optimize printing resources to support the overall goals of educational excellence.

Consider this: There are thousands (sometimes millions) of printing devices in schools across a given state. At first glance, the technology may seem ubiquitous and readily available. However, within this vast array of devices lies a complexity: multiple models of the same device coexist. This diversity inevitably creates challenges for IT departments and budgetary concerns for school systems as a variety of supplies and software become necessary to purchase.

This domino effect example underscores the impact that tools like printers can have on a budget, especially in educational systems. The good news is that by standardizing equipment, efficiency and effectiveness can be promoted, ultimately contributing to improved student education.

Investing early for long-term success

Academic leaders face many decisions when laying the foundation for school success. One of the most important is recognizing a school or district’s technology requirements and implementing a strategic plan to ensure that schools, particularly their IT departments, invest up front with long-term success goals in mind.

In the age of digitalization, printing remains a fundamental element of modern education and a prerequisite for academic success. Whether it is providing supplemental resources to high-needs students, using visual learning aids to demonstrate complex concepts, or disseminating newsletters in classrooms, investment in printers for school systems across the country is indispensable.

Printer standardization benefits everyone

By prioritizing initial investments in printing technology, educational institutions can lay the groundwork for continued long-term success. While costly at first, standardizing printer fleets is more time- and cost-efficient in the long run. Benefits include, but are not limited to, user-friendly setup, increased security capabilities, streamlined IT and maintenance processes, and document management and monitoring—all of which are necessary for school systems to operate effectively.

Let's take a look at each of them, one by one.

Simple user setup Standardize all printers, ensuring consistency in authentication methods, access controls, and permission settings. This streamlined approach makes it easier to manage user profiles, improves security measures, and promotes accountability across the board.

Increased security capabilities Providing school leaders with peace of mind that sensitive data (particularly student-related data) is safe from hackers and breaches is easier to achieve if all devices have the same security features and protections.

Optimized IT and maintenance The processes help keep printers running properly and minimize the risk of device downtime, which could cause a number of issues for schools as they try to provide resources to students and families.

Document management and monitoring Ensure alignment between scanning, file storage, file sharing, and archiving activities. This alignment ensures that documents are easily accessible and well organized for easy retrieval across multiple institutions..

Affordability is the name of the game when it comes to printing. Dealing with multiple suppliers, various models, different types of inks and toners, and accessories can quickly put a dent in your budget. Consolidating these elements is critical to generating cost efficiencies and maintaining financial responsibilities.

It’s common for tasks like printing to be overlooked and left at the bottom of the priority list. Let’s face it – with the increasing digitalisation of education, some may question the need to print at all. However, it’s important to recognise that it’s often the ‘small things’ or day-to-day processes that can significantly impact a school’s budget – especially when you consider the scrutiny that spending receives across administrations. This is why it’s essential to have manageable and standardised printing systems, as the absence of these can lead to increased expenses, security vulnerabilities and a host of other challenges for school leaders, particularly IT teams.

Investing up front in a standardized printer fleet mitigates risks and promises long-term benefits that ultimately enrich student learning experiences and increase educator productivity.