Printer Replacement Program Procedures

A multi-function printer (MFP) is a device that can reliably print, scan, copy, email, and fax at fast speeds and can seamlessly support multiple workflows with a robust paper handling capability. 

The overall purpose of the program is to ensure that printing resources on campus are up-to-date and efficient, as well as contributing to creating a cost-savings and sustainable environment across campus. The goals of the Printer Replacement Program (PRP) are to:

• Replace inefficient or outdated copiers, printers, scanners and fax machines with highly efficient units (MFPs) that support the University’s Sustainability Initiative via energy, toner and paper use reduction;
  • Desktop printers and fax machines will be replaced by the MFP
• Ensure that all departments on campus have access to a MFP with sufficient capability to support basic printing, copying, faxing, scanning/emailing needs in fulfillment of their work responsibilities;
• Ensure that printers and MFPs have sufficient capacity and compatibility to meet each department and school’s operational needs;
• Implement minimum standards for printing resources on campus;
• Establish a centralized budget which provides basic printing resources for university employees, thereby providing relief to area budgets and reducing reliance on year-end surplus and current fund contingency;
• Establish a replacement program in order to upkeep and maintain technology at its optimal level
• Streamline the specification, acquisition, and deployment of new equipment and re-deployment or disposal of old equipment.

These guidelines shall apply to the replacement cycle for all printing at the University. Information Technology Services has authority and is responsible for the acquisition and support of MFPs and other printers.

When a department acquires an MFP, there is no need to have other stand-alone and desktop printers, copiers or fax machines. 

• These devices feature intuitive document management functionalities, including digital send image preview with page editor, and advanced security options.
  • Security options include PIN numbers that users can set up manually or as a default so that pages will not print until the user walks up to the device and enters the PIN number.  ITS highly recommends that users set up default PIN numbers for all print jobs for confidentiality as well as print jobs not getting lost, forgotten or accidentally picked up by someone else.
  • Easy navigation of touch-screen display.
• These devices help reduce the impact on the environment with Instant-on technology, which reduces energy use up to 50%, and automatic two-sided printing.  The device can also be set up to automatically print in monochrome and duplexing formats (double-sided pages)
• These devices help reduce the cost and consumption of toner and paper.
• High quality print jobs, copies and scanning for a below-average purchase price.

Departments qualify to receive a funded MFP if 1) larger copiers and printers, smaller desktop printers and fax machines are given up in place of the new MFP and 2) if departments have a minimum of five people in the same area.

The PRP will fund typically one MFP for up to 50 people. The number of people using the device, the physical layout of departments’ offices/rooms, and the needs of the department will affect how many MFPs a department has.  This will be assessed by ITS on a case-by-case basis. 

Academic departments are allowed to have a smaller backup printer at all times.  This is to accommodate peak periods during the academic year.  Academic departments are responsible for purchasing their own backup printer.  All backup printers, as well as all printers in general, must be one of our standard machines and must be ordered through ITS.  

MFPs and other printers are the property of the university. When an older MFP or printer is being replaced, ITS will pick it up and assess whether it is in good enough repair to be used as a backup, or if it needs to be scrapped.  All leased MFPs will be sent back to the leasing company at the end of their cycle.

All MFPs and printers purchased by any department or school at the University of San Diego (USD), are property of USD.  All MFPs and printers meeting the standards designated will be supported by the appropriate personnel in the department of Desktop Support Services/Information Technology Services.

During each budget planning cycle, ITS will work with departments on campus to assess current MFPs, copiers and printers, and discuss potential replacement needs. Once the printers and copiers that will be replaced have been identified, ITS will ensure that funding is available. ITS will coordinate with the appropriate person in each department on timing of order and delivery, and uninstallation of any desktop printers that may still exist within the department.  A list of the available standard configurations will be available at http://www.sandiego.edu/its/helpdesk/kb/19762.  Please note that printer models change very frequently and this list may not have the most current models available.  ITS will make every effort to update this page as often as possible.

Acquisition and support procedures:

ITS will:

• Define standard printers and MFPs and determine the technical features required to meet the specific business needs of the department.
• Recommend and approve purchases for standard printers and MFPs according to applicable rules as established by USD’s Policy and Procedure manual, Purchasing and Financial Policies, No. 2.10.2 Purchasing.
• Select appropriate MFPs and provide assistance and network resources so that they have sufficient capacity to meet the needs of assigned job responsibilities.
• Maintain an accurate inventory of all University MFPs and printers in order to track assets and identify equipment slated for replacement in a way that supports resource planning and gives priority in future replacement cycles to those printers/copiers not upgraded or replaced on the normal 5-year cycle due to funding limitations.
• Schedule, coordinate, and execute the replacement process while complying with applicable rules and regulations for the acquisition and redeployment of the equipment involved in replacement activities.
  • MFPs placed through the PRP are installed by the Desktop Support Services department on a priority basis. Every effort will be made to provide a flexible installation schedule that causes minimal workflow interruption.
• Communicate and arrange the logistics needed to complete the replacement processes. This includes, but is not limited to:
  • Providing notification to School/Department Representatives, in a timely manner, the need for replacements and informing them of the known aspects of applications that may be affected by those changes.
  • Working with each department’s contact personnel to facilitate the replacement process while maintaining continuity of critical business functions.
  • Working with appropriate department personnel to test equipment and make necessary adjustments to applications as required by the replacement process.
  • Arranging for or providing training or instructions as necessary to assist users in transitioning to the new equipment.
  • Facilitate setting up a designee in the department to order toner cartridges for the new MFP through Sarcom’s website, if applicable.

Equipment purchased or replaced by the replacement budget is the property of the institution, not of the department or individual. Departments must surrender a like copier/MFP and all desktop printers when a new MFP is installed under PRP. This also includes any fax machines.  All desktop printers will be recycled as e-waste consistent with the university’s Sustainability Initiative.  If the department wishes to keep the old equipment for other uses, a request must be made in writing.

In the event a standard MFP does not meet a department’s requirements, the department may request an exception to the standard. Requested upgrades to the standard configuration will not be processed without approval from their area representative. Departments/Schools must fund every exception/upgrade. Exceptions are granted on an as-needed basis at the discretion of the department or school representative.

Exceptions to this printer replacement policy, including compelling business needs, should meet the following criteria and will be evaluated as follows:

• Technical Justification – Evaluated based on documented manufacturer’s technical requirements.
• Cost or Resource Justification – Evaluated based on verifiable cost or resource savings.
• MFP Malfunction – MFPs that malfunction due to user-created errors or mistreatment will be dealt with on an as-needed basis. In such cases, the ITS Help Desk will work with the business units and their administration to resolve issues involved and, when appropriate, will assign temporary printers as needed and based on the availability of suitable equipment.

Each department is responsible for taking reasonable precautions in regard to USD owned MFPs. Employees or their departments will be held responsible for damage to such equipment arising out of their negligence or misconduct. Equipment should remain in the location where originally installed unless other arrangements are made with ITS. Individuals or departments experiencing malfunctions or damage to University owned MFPs should contact the ITS Help Desk.  ITS will respond on a same-day basis, as we understand that these MFPs are the department’s sole printer/copier/fax/scanner.  If ITS cannot fix the issue or is in need of a part, ITS will contact our service provider for same-day service.

What is an MFP?

MFP stands for multi-function printer.  These devices can copy, print, scan, email and fax.  ITS has chosen a list of large, robust MFPs to withstand large volumes and usage from multiple users.

Why are we moving towards the MFP?

The university is gradually moving offices and departments towards MFPs and away from smaller desktop printers for sustainability and savings.  Multiple desktop printers not only use up a ton of energy, toner and paper, but many models that are on campus today jam and break constantly.  These MFPs also provide the office with speed, efficiency, reliability and security, and enhances our sustainability efforts by allowing us to default copy and print jobs to monochrome and duplexing.

MFPs will be replacing smaller desktop printers, larger copiers and fax machines.

Where can I find a list of ITS’s current MFP and printer standards?

Please email prp@sandiego.edu and inquire about the current MFP and printer standards.

I’m concerned about confidentiality; therefore I can’t give up my desktop printer.

Users can and should set up their own four-digit PIN number as a default, so that all print jobs that are sent to the MFP will not print out until the user walks to the machine and enters their PIN number.  This not only will ensure confidentiality but it will eliminate the possibility of lost print jobs or others walking away with the print job by mistake.  Confidentiality is NOT justification for not giving up a desktop printer.

Will we be trained on how to use our new MFP?

Yes, while your new MFP is being scheduled for delivery and/or being installed, your area technician will coordinate with the point person in your office on a training date and time.  Most likely one of our technicians will be providing the training, but occasionally the vendor also provides training. 

When a training session is being scheduled, be sure to include vital people in your office, such as executive assistants, student workers, or anyone else who uses these devices regularly.  However, it’s a good idea to invite anyone who will be using the machine at all to the training.

Our office experiences a high volume of print jobs and copies by multiple people at the same time.  How will this work?

We will look at this issue on a case-by-case basis as each office/department need is different.  If an area has a very high number of users (i.e. more than 40-50), we may need to purchase two MFPs for the area.  All academic departments within the schools will be allowed to have a backup printer at all times (funded by the department or school).

The MFPs are also designed so that a job can be paused while another job is submitted and being completed.  Once it’s completed, the previous job can be resumed.  This is ideal for smaller jobs.

Does ITS buy all MFPs and printers, or are departments ever responsible for the cost?

ITS has funding to purchase and lease MFPs (including warranties) for departments as long as smaller desktop printers and fax machines are given up.  We usually allow a grace period so that users can get used to using the MFP.  ITS does have a finite amount of funding per year, however.

Occasionally secondary devices are necessary for a department.  This will be determined by ITS on a case-by-case basis.  In general, the department is responsible for the purchase of these machines.  However, all printer purchases must be done through ITS.

Departments are responsible for the cost of toner, staple cartridges and paper.

Who do we call for support on our MFP?

In most cases, contact the Help Desk at x7900 or help@sandiego.edu.  Our technicians treat any issues with the MFPs as a top priority.  There may be some cases where departments would call the vendor support number that is on the machine for same-day support.

We will be sharing an MFP with at least one other department.  How will the costing of toner and paper work?

We can order an MFP that can handle copy and print job reporting so that departments are able to determine which departments use how much on a monthly, quarterly or annual basis.  Since departments are responsible for purchasing toner and paper, the departments will also be responsible for determining how much of these costs each department should cover.  It’s advisable that only one person be in charge of ordering toner and paper, but occasionally departments like to share that responsibility (i.e. if two departments share one MFP, one department orders and pays for toner and paper for six months, then the other department takes over the responsibility and cost for the other six months).

Some departments simply divide the costs by however many departments use the device, if the use is relatively even.  Others actually want a report of usage, look at the cost of toner and paper over that period of time, and do a journal entry to the other department(s) for their share of the cost.

How does ITS determine which departments get new MFPs each year?

ITS is provided with funding to procure and lease a certain number MFPs each year.  In general, we look at which current copiers and printers are oldest and off contract, and we also look at which departments currently have a malfunctioning or a completely broken device that needs replacement.  These devices take priority.  After this, if any funding is left for the fiscal year, we look at other areas on campus that can benefit now rather than later with having a new MFP.

Because University Copy & Graphics has been purchasing and leasing copiers and printers for a long time, ITS will be working with them on replacing these machines over the next few years.

If your department would like to make a request for an MFP, please fill out the online form.