Developing a Centralized Copier Management Program
Follow the Numbers
The first step in developing a centralized copier management program is to find every copier to be included in the program and record as much of the performance and cost data as possible. This should include at a minimum:
- Date installed.
- Cost of the device.
- How acquired (lease, purchase, rental or other).
- Lease terms, including the number of included copies, if appropriate.
- Service terms, including the number of included copies, if appropriate.
- Overage rate, if appropriate.
- Number of copies made since installation.
The most critical data elements are those that allow you to estimate average monthly volume—date of installation and total meter reading.
Ray Chambers, CGCM, MBA, has invested over 30 years managing and directing printing plants, copy centers, mail centers and award-winning document management facilities in higher education and government.
Most recently, Chambers served as vice president and chief information officer at Juniata College. Chambers is currently a doctoral candidate studying Higher Education Administration at the Pennsylvania State University (PSU). His research interests include outsourcing in higher education and its impact on support services in higher education and managing support services. He also consults (Chambers Management Group) with leaders in both the public and private sectors to help them understand and improve in-plant printing and document services operations.
