Case study

Nottingham Trent University transforms print pricing modelHP Transparent Managed Print Service billing makes savings of 50%

IndustryEducation

ObjectiveNottingham Trent University wanted to refresh its printer fleet, add new functionality and reduce costs. It also needed to ensure that the print quality was uncompromised and billing was transparent

ApproachFollowing a tender process and careful evaluation, the organisation worked with HP partner DTP to deploy 170 new HP printers across its three campuses. The new, innovative contract provides total visibility of cost, reducing its substantially while improving print quality and speed

IT matters• Automated toner stock replenishment enables

better control of inventory for lower costs

• Pharos Pull Printing smart cards boasts faster log-in for better productivity

• Uniform intuitive touchscreens across all HP printer models ensure user familiarity and added functionality

Business matters• Mono prints have reduced in cost by 22% while

colour prints are up to 50% less expensive

• The HP printers deliver vastly improved print speed and quality, while adding enhanced power management features for more efficient energy consumption

• Pin-sharp accuracy with true colour reproduction is especially important for subjects such as fine art, architecture and fashion design

• The TMPS solution was awarded Winner of the 2016 Innovation awards issued by the university’s Procurement Department

“We required a new print platform that would work with our existing infrastructure and be energy efficient. We also wanted modern devices with intuitive interfaces and back-end reporting. DTP and HP ticked all those boxes.” – Chris Gration, workplace services manager, Nottingham Trent University

Fast speeds, better quality, lower costs Nottingham Trent University has for years relied on HP printers, provided by educational IT specialist DTP Group. Following a print consolidation project six years ago, the university migrated to a Managed Print Service contract with a flat cost per page for mono and colour output. More recently it has transitioned to a transparent billing system based on actual toner usage, which has reduced costs by up to 50% while also introducing 170 new HP Multifunction Printers (MFP) to its fleet.

Case study | Nottingham Trent University

ChallengeInefficient, costly colour printing Nottingham Trent University (NTU) has over 28,000 students and nearly 3,500 administrative and faculty staff members. Understandably, the demand for printed material is high and the university has long led the field in innovative print solutions. When its most recent contract was reaching end of life, the University went to market to find a more cost-effective way to produce high-quality output. The University was looking for a creative and innovative response rather than a simple refresh of its hardware.

“Every quarter, we print around 2.5 million mono prints and over 600 thousand colour pages; of these 95% are A4 format. Unsurprisingly, that can cost a lot, even though we introduced a Managed Print Service (MPS) six years ago,” explains Chris Gration, workplace services manager, Nottingham Trent University. “Under the traditional cost-per-page model, even if one largely mono page had a tiny colour logo, we would get charged as if the entire page was a colour print.

“That was clearly inefficient and was a cost borne by ourselves and the students. We were looking for something that was going to take us from a prehistoric model to a fully automated platform, providing management information and better value.”

NTU has worked with HP partner DTP for many years and it was this company that responded to the tender with the most innovative solution, which charges on actual toner usage rather than flat rate per page. It also proposed a new 170-strong HP MFP fleet to introduce new features and enhanced quality.

“We required a new print platform that would work with our existing infrastructure and be energy efficient,” adds Gration.

“We also wanted modern devices with intuitive interfaces and back-end reporting. DTP and HP ticked all those boxes.”

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Case study | Nottingham Trent University

SolutionTransparent managed print with integrated pull printingDTP replaced NTU’s entire fleet with 170 new MFP printers, primarily the HP LaserJet Enterprise 700 Colour MFP M725 and the HP Colour LaserJet Enterprise flow MFP M880. It also incorporated the new TMPS pricing structure into the traditional MPS support contract for greater visibility of costs.

“It was a win-win situation for us because if the expected savings didn’t transpire, we could revert to the older cost per click model,” continues Gration. “At the same time, we were replacing our aging kit with new devices that had far better reliability, performance, print quality and speed.”

The new HP fleet includes six different models, all of which deliver far better print speeds, superior print quality and an intuitive tablet-style interface. Together, they produce over three million mono and colour prints per quarter across NTU’s three campuses.

“Having the same functionality and interface across the fleet is enormously important because people are familiar and comfortable with every device,” says Gration. “We use the new HP printers to produce a wide variety of material, including booklets, mailshots, CAD design and fine art. The stapling feature on the HP M880 comes in particularly handy. We have also integrated Pharos Pull Printing so users can securely access their print jobs from any device using a smart card.”

BenefitsLower costs, better quality, improved reliabilityThe principal benefit of the new approach is the lower cost, which the university has passed on to students and other users. Mono prints have reduced by 22% while colour prints are up to 50% less expensive. The new HP printers are also significantly more reliable, requiring far fewer on-site visits from DTP engineers.

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Case study | Nottingham Trent University

© Copyright 2017 HP Development Company, L.P. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. The only warranties for HP products and services are set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying such products and services. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty. HP shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein.

4AA6-9093EEW, February 2017

“We used to see engineers on the campus regularly, however in the past year I could count the number of visits on one hand. That speaks volumes about the HP printers’ reliability and ensures maximum uptime for our users,” remarks Gration. “Furthermore, the lower print costs make a big difference for students, many of whom are on a tight budget.”

The new HP printers deliver vastly improved print speed and quality, while adding enhanced power management features for more efficient energy consumption.

“ We use the new HP printers to produce a wide variety of material, including booklets, mailshots, CAD design and fine art. The stapling feature on the HP M880 comes in particularly handy. We have also integrated Pharos Pull Printing so users can securely access their print jobs from any device using a smart card.”

– Chris Gration, workplace services manager, Nottingham Trent University

Customer at a glanceHardware• HP LaserJet Enterprise MFP M725 series• HP Color LaserJet Enterprise

flow M880z MFP• HP LaserJet Enterprise flow M830z MFP• HP LaserJet Enterprise 700

Color MFP M775dn• HP LaserJet Enterprise 500

MFP M525 Series• HP Color LaserJet Enterprise M750xh

Software• Pharos Systems Pull Printing

“We now enjoy pin-sharp accuracy with true colour reproduction, which is especially important for subjects such as fine art, architecture and fashion design,” comments Gration. “Logging in with the swipe cards is simple and near instant, saving time and frustration. In addition, remote power management enables each device to go into deep sleep when not in use while still being able to report to DTP about toner and maintenance status so stock can be automatically replenished as needed.”

The new HP fleet has been in place for almost a year and is expected to last for many more to come. In addition, NTU is looking at refreshing its desktop and laptop estate in the near future and fully expects DTP and HP to play a part in that process. In fact, so successful has this project been that the university Procurement Department awarded DTP Winner of the 2016 Innovation awards, thanks largely due to the new TMPS approach.

“Print is crucial to what we do as a university every day so having reliability and quality at an affordable cost is critical,” concludes Gration. “Our new HP fleet is quick, high-quality and easy to use with better power management. We are happy with the outcome.”

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