ACUP+ Lesson: Fleet Management Boosts In-plant Value
Three reasons this story matters to in-plant printers:
- It positions fleet management as a major growth opportunity.
- It argues that in-plants are well suited to lead this work.
- It shows how fleet oversight can raise the in-plant’s strategic value.
Dallas, Texas, was the scene of the 60th Association of College and University Printers (ACUP+) conference in late March, where about 75 higher-ed and K-12 in-plant managers gathered. They enjoyed a busy agenda of education, supplier exhibits, an in-plant tour, and constant networking, which kept attendees engaged from start to finish.
In one informative session on copier fleet management, Mario Carmona (University of California San Francisco) related his experiences starting a copier management program that now extends to 1,068 copiers and printers in three locations and provides 36% of his in-plant’s annual revenue.
Mario Carmona discussed the details of starting a copier management program.
Carmona called fleet management an “operational strategy” for in-plant managers, adding that it makes sense for in-plants to be in charge of this, because they already understand production workflows, cost-per-page economics, equipment performance standards, and vendor negotiation dynamics.
“It’s a key intersection between print, IT and procurement,” he said.
Having the in-plant oversee the fleet rather than procurement makes more sense, he added, because of the in-plant’s experience with volume analysis, rightsizing, evaluation of production equipment, service performance benchmarking, TCO modeling, and vendor accountability. It’s also a great revenue generator, he added, as evidenced by the fact that UCSF’s copier program generates more than a third of the in-plant’s revenue. Plus, he said, overseeing more equipment gives the in-plant more bargaining power.
“You get a better deal on your click rates now that you have more equipment,” he noted.
UCSF’s finance administration approved the establishment of the program in 2011 with the understanding that centralizing management of supplies, service, and billing through one unit would reduce costs. Customers appreciate the program because the in-plant is the point of contact for anything the machines need, freeing their employees from having to handle troubleshooting and billing.
Mario Carmona talked about the advantages of starting a fleet management program.
While the fleet of devices across the three UC campuses (UCSF, UC Berkeley, and UC Law SF) is primarily comprised of Xerox devices, it also includes Ricoh, Canon, and HP equipment. The in-plant receives consolidated bills from these vendors covering all their equipment, rather than individual bills for each enrolled device, which simplifies reporting, tracking, and payment processing.
Overall, Carmona concluded, managing the copier fleet will increase the in-plant’s value within the organization.
“Position yourself as a campus print infrastructure advisor,” he urged. “You can add value to your print shop.”
On June 29, Carmona plans to retire, after 31 years of service to UCSF, making this his final ACUP+ conference.
Bob has served as editor of In-plant Impressions since October of 1994. Prior to that he served for three years as managing editor of Printing Impressions, a commercial printing publication. Mr. Neubauer is very active in the U.S. in-plant industry. He attends all the major in-plant conferences and has visited 200 in-plant operations around the world. He has given presentations to numerous in-plant groups in the U.S., Canada and Australia, including the Association of College and University Printers and the In-plant Printing and Mailing Association. He also coordinates the annual In-Print contest, co-sponsored by IPMA and In-plant Impressions.
