University of South Australia Print Centre fights back against outsourcing

Fears of losing work to outside suppliers prompts University of South Australia to revamp its print centre.

According to University of South Australia’s commercial services manager, Michael Elias,  the print centre had conducted a number of in-house surveys to gage the standing of the print centre among the wider university community.

“We were losing a significant volume of work to outside suppliers due to issues of quality, cost effectiveness and flexibility,” he said. “It became imperative that we revamp the centre’s hardware and software.”

To do this, the University print centre looked to Océ and installed a VarioPrint 6160 and a VarioPrint 6250 Gemini black and white printing systems which can be speed upgraded during busy periods, common to educational institutions, and an Océ VarioPrint 4110.

The presses are complemented by Océ PRISMAprepare pre-press software which allows staff to touch-up and make-ready hard and softcopy documents to deliver better results and greater value to their in-house customers.

“We knew the other two South Australian universities – University of Adelaide and Flinders University – were using Océ equipment, but we conducted an extensive and rigorous market evaluation just the same. We were looking for a complete solution: hardware, software, workflow and support, and we were also demanding value for money,” Elias added.

Elias added that the University print centre’s future growth plans include taking in work from outside the university and the production of printed materials for the Open University Australia.

“Our next task is to hold an Open Day for university staff and other stakeholders to inspect the upgraded print room and to see for themselves the excellent quality of our printed output,” he said.