The Datamax Thinking Blog

If everyday printing functionality is frustrating, or if controlling costs is cumbersome, print management is a viable solution for both higher education and K-12 environments.

As an administrator, do you often feel like your school has overspent on print?

Among the many core objectives of any K-12 district or higher education institution, one dual component of most schools’ goals is to maximize the student experience while minimizing wasteful spending, at all “costs.”

For schools and their print environment, it’s about managing print behavior and costs in order to maximize their allotted budget. Print Management can help with that.

Schools are unique animals when it comes to printing.

So many users. So many types of devices. So many types of documents, all of which are essential to classroom functionality. On top of that, the classroom (and technology therein) is changing rapidly. Whether education is conducted on-site, remotely, or in a combination of both, the technology utilized should seamlessly integrate with different educational applications and offer cost-effective features, enabling schools to make the most of their resources.

Lexmark’s Translation Assistant offers real-time document language translation at your fingertips.  

The language we use in business, on campus, or in the hospital waiting room has a great impact on those we serve. The responsibility to use language effectively only heightens when it serves not as a bridge to better communication, but as an unbreakable barrier.  

Well after the students have dashed down the hallways for the final time, there's still plenty of work to be done by administrators... have you considered some of the components of routine printing practices at your school(s)?

Summer vacation: For those in education lucky enough to experience it, it’s the perfect opportunity to recharge, rejuvenate, and return stronger. That final bell serves as a universal sound of relief for students, teachers, and administrators alike.

The printed document (as you’ll read more below) remains a very relevant mode of consumption for Generation Z. However, the preferred means for doing so is unequivocally mobile.

A generation ago, one glance at a bustling on-campus computer lab, and you knew: Mid-terms must be right around the corner.

However, this traditional hub for course research has migrated to coffee shops, residence halls, student centers, cafes and anywhere else a student can access Wi-fi. The BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) Movement, being currently led by Generation Z, creates increasing complexities for Higher Education IT personnel hoping not to get sacked by the onslaught of devices.

With no substantial control over a print environment, discovering ways to optimize your fleet can seemingly twist and turn like an intricate maze, with no real end in sight. Higher visibility leads to better management — and maximizing available budget.

The stark reality higher education institutions face today? A gap in college confidence.

According to a study by TD Ameritrade, 89% of Gen Z, along with nearly 79% of young millennials, have considered an education path that looks different from a four-year degree directly out of high school. Nearly 20% of those surveyed say they might choose not to attend college.

The right Print Capabilities and Controls can stop so many plates from spinning, so you can craft initiatives that actually elevate the classroom experience. 

Without the right control and capabilities in place, an executive chef can be left spinning plates, rather than perfecting them on their way out to the kitchen floor.

A Print Management engagement effectively uncovers the processes behind the print, to keep your fleet under control and cost-effective.

As we near the end of an unprecedented year for K-12 schools, administrators are faced with any number of tough questions heading towards the fall. Among them:

From document workflow, network security to print management and many things in between, our intent is to serve as a vehicle for helping YOU maximize YOUR technology investment.

Technology, much like life, moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.

We, the dedicated scribes of the Datamax Thinking Blog, certainly don’t want our readers to miss it. We work hard each year to contemplate, to evaluate and, ultimately, educate on many of the moving parts of an ever-changing business technology landscape. From document workflow, network security to print management and many things in between, our intent is to serve as a vehicle for helping YOU maximize YOUR technology investment.

Does the IT staff at your school have the time to devote to forward-thinking technologies? Do you have a collaborative, meaningful partnership with your provider? 

Franklin D. Roosevelt once said, “We cannot build the future for our youth—but we can build our youth for the future.”

The 4 “Cs” in education have become a fundamental representation for the National Education Association’s vision for 21st Century Education. Critical thinking, Creativity, Collaboration and Communication are all key components from the NEA to helping students of today – and tomorrow – prepare for college, for work, and for life.

Intertwined within these timeless  4 "Cs” assets today, of course, is the development of and proficiency with technology as students forge ahead in today’s digital era. For example, students must be encouraged to use technology to communicate innovatively and effectively. Additionally, technology plays a key role in effective student collaboration inside the classroom and, in some instances, across the globe.