Investment in New Technology Results in Projected Net Savings of $50,000 Annually

Challenge

St. Mary’s County Public Schools (SMCPS) had been experiencing repeated episodes of printing equipment downtime during critical periods of peak production. The equipment in place was leased, nearing the end of term, and could no longer accommodate the volume of an enrollment of approximately 17,189 students. When Meridian met with key decision makers in the SMCPS department of operations and fiscal services, it was apparent that a strategy must be developed to ensure that the same challenges would not occur in the next lease. Rhonda Meleen, coordinator of fiscal services for SMCPS, acknowledged the multiple benefits of redefining the requirements of the Print Shop while restructuring the procurement process. The district’s only in-house Print Shop is responsible for supporting all schools with their production needs. Before Meridian’s solution was implemented, a significant portion of the jobs was being outsourced—with individual schools engaging various printers without central office control.

Solution

Meridian’s document consultants offer a vendor-neutral approach when evaluating a client’s environment. Recommendations are made using best practices to ensure the right technologies are deployed, with the ability to perform optimally throughout the term the client desires. This method illustrates our unbiased, customer-oriented business philosophy.

After thoroughly evaluating the SMCPS environment, Meridian was able to identify several opportunities for improvements, and make preliminary hardware and software recommendations. Introducing Konica Minolta equipment immediately provided a better platform for the school system’s production needs. Third party testing agencies have consistently ranked Konica Minolta higher than the market competition. All Meridian-recommended equipment was configured with necessary finishing options to allow online perfect binding, folding, and saddle-stitching. The various finishers eliminate the need for the individual offline components that previously required laborious, manual operation.

Upgrading SMCPS’ obsolete version of EFI MicroPress showed immediate value, as the software was several generations old. Complimenting that application with Objectif Lune’s PrintShop Mail Suite allows easy creation, printing and distribution of transactional documents with advanced automated workflow capabilities. The solution provided is approximately thirty thousand dollars more annually than the previous scenario, but the projected savings triples that amount, for an estimated savings of $50,000 per year.

EFI MicroPress

• Streamlined Job Management
• Proofing & Editing Automation
• Efficient Approval System
• Tracking Status Function

PrintShop Mail Suite

• Customized Software Solution
• Scalable, Modular Application

Meridian Solutions Package

• MicroPress System Support
• PrintShop Mail Suite
• Network & Connectivity Repair
• Technical Troubleshooting
• Version Updates & Patches

Meridian Hardware Maintenance

• Priority Response Times
• Uptime Guarantees
• Preventive Maintenance
• Afterhours & On-call Service Available

Results

• Centralized print production projects for more accurate planning and budgeting
• Decreased teachers’ personal expenditures
• Reduced Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)
• Maximize Print Shop operator’s span and productivity
• Expanded production capabilities to include business cards, post cards, labeling and covers with
  perfect binding
• Increased printing speeds by 60PPM
• Standard projects are completed in a quarter of time required with old binding technique
• Modular design that can be easily upgraded