Southern University Taps Ricoh to Upgrade In-Plant Operations

Southern University’s president issued a mandate to introduce more automation to university processes to drive improved efficiency, reliability, and convenience. To respond with speed and innovation the university turned to Ricoh (Booth N1928) to help uncover opportunities to deliver better experiences. 

Solution

The Ricoh team worked with Southern decision makers to replace aging, key-operated P.O. boxes with high-density mailboxes. Automated delivery notifications replaced the old system of regularly, manually checking P.O. boxes for any mail. Students can verify their identity with a tap of their ID badge. Additionally, the mail room was transformed into a revenue center for the university, with packaging and mailing materials available for sale onsite, reducing the need for students to go off campus to buy them. The new mail center also provides quotes for shipping via FedEx, UPS, and USPS, so students can compare prices quickly and easily.

“Ricoh did a phenomenal job, starting with its initial analysis,” said Benjamin Pugh, vice chancellor for Finance and Administration, Southern University and A&M College. “Right off the bat, it was clear Ricoh was not coming to us with a one-size-fits-all solution. They wanted to work with us to understand our processes and show us how they could help us improve. Ricoh focuses on your needs, designs solutions around them, and executes, reliably and effectively.”

Previously, Southern had outsourced much of its high-end print work, including recruiting, flyers, business cards, and more, and were eager to bring them in-house for cost savings, faster turn times, enhanced print quality, and increased agility. By implementing the RICOH Pro C71100SX, RICOH Pro 8110Se, and RICOH Pro L4130, Southern was able to meet their goals — and begin printing pandemic-related health and safety signage in-house.

Meanwhile, Ricoh also worked with Southern to eliminate unnecessary or inefficient equipment to right-size its fleet of multifunction printers (MFPs). This approach empowered campus community members to scan, print, and share information from a variety of locations on campus, with the fleet’s design based on actual usage data, to help allocate resources where they would be most useful.

Results

“As a result [of our work with Ricoh], we’re printing applications faster, better, and more cost-effectively than outsourcing; we’re meeting information sharing needs more efficiently; and we’re providing a modern, enjoyable mail center experience,” says Pugh.

Through this collaboration, Southern can now offer more intuitive experiences in its mail center by proactively notifying recipients when mail arrives. In addition, its production print center has been outfitted with new printing and finishing equipment to improve quality and efficiency, so it can now produce high-end print applications in-house. And, the university has streamlined its campus print technologies, leveraging Ricoh’s insights and expertise to deliver excellent information-sharing options with fewer than 200 devices across the 2 million sqft campus.

“Southern is such an incredible, historic institution. We are honored to partner with them to modernize and optimize some of their services to help deliver better experiences,” says Jennifer Wood, partner executive, Client Strategy, Ricoh USA. “The broad-spectrum approach that Southern has taken to drive improvements for its campus community is impressive. It has been wonderful to see the cost savings, new revenue streams, and enhanced student experiences for Southern.”