Managed Print Services - FAQs
The FAQs below cover many areas of the Managed Print Services here on WKU's campus. Use the tabs at the top to navigate between different subjects and then click on each question for the answer. If you need additional information, please contact the ITS Service Desk.
Managed Print Services (MPS) is a program offering a comprehensive solution for managing print costs, equipment, orders, service, and sustainability initiatives at WKU. MPS formalizes best practices to ensure that the following efficiency goals are met:
- Improve the availability, reliability, and service of our printing and copying technology.
- Reduce print output expenses by using the most cost-effective print/copy/scan devices.
- Improve quality of service while reducing the maintenance expenses of the University’s print/copy devices.
- Reduce environmental impacts by reducing paper usage, energy consumption, and landfill waste typically associated with toner cartridges and unmanaged printing practices.
The MPS program will benefit users in several ways.
- Ricoh will have an On-site Associate Technician equipped to handle any printer related issue that may arise.
- Ricoh printer monitoring technology allows the Ricoh On-site Associate Technician to view issues with networked devices, such as low toner or service codes (based on manufacturers’ parameters). By intercepting the issue early, Ricoh can respond and provide service, rather than waiting on a call from the user to report a problem. If for some reason the On-site Associate Technician is not able to fix the problem, they will call a service technician to address your issue.
- The MPS Program advances WKU's environmental and sustainability initiatives through the elimination of equipment that consumes high levels of energy, better management of toner cartridges and their disposal, and reduction of paper consumption.
Managed Print Services includes equipment, supplies (excluding paper), preventive maintenance, parts and repair, software, installation and training. Ricoh will collaborate with the department to determine the types, models, and quantities of equipment from the results of an on-site assessment. The program includes several standard models of multifunctional devices and printers, selected to meet the varied needs of the campus.
If there is a substantial change in output needs such as volume, number of users, application changes, etc., Ricoh will consult with the department to re-evaluate their needs and may make appropriate equipment adjustments.
The MPS program is an enterprise-wide initiative supported by University administration. The University's goal is to have full participation from campus departments. Exceptions will be reviewed and decisions made on a case by case basis. You can also request an exemption.
Printers may no longer be purchased using grant funds. If a donor has approved a budget including funding for printers, the sponsor should be contacted and asked to revise the budget to include funding for the printing (cost per copy) instead of printing equipment. It is approved under MPS to pay for departmental printing (cost per copy) using grant funds.
If you are currently using a grant funded printer, you may continue to use it until your department is transitioned to MPS. At that time, the grant should be reviewed for proper disposal methods. Unless the sponsor has specified other disposal requirements, the equipment will be sent to WKU Surplus.
If your existing departmental copier is at expiration, it may be replaced by a new Ricoh device. Existing WKU owned printers (not under leases) may be migrated to centrally located Ricoh MPS devices. If your department holds leases on copier or printer equipment those contracts will remain in effect until they expire.
Once enrolled in the MPS Program, cost of equipment is included in the per impression cost and no equipment will need to be purchased or leased by the department.
All devices managed under the MPS program will be billed monthly on a cost per impression basis. These bills will be transmitted from Ricoh to WKU and then into Banner through a feed that will place the charges in the appropriate cost centers. Departments will not need to request Purchase Orders or use their departmental procurement cards to pay Ricoh bills.
Equipment will be refreshed on an as needed basis. Average monthly volume, total volume, total services calls, and types and frequency of service calls will be important criteria considered in refreshing print equipment. It is in the best interest of both parties to have good working equipment throughout the partnership.
Plotters and dot-matrix printers are excluded from the MPS program.
All MPS equipment will be Ricoh branded devices. If the device is on the MPS Program
it will have a “Live Red. Print Green” sticker similar to this:
Some of the links on this page may require additional software to view.