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Erskine Stewart’s Melville Schools ( ESMS ) is a unique family of independent schools in Edinburgh, Scotland, offering Nursery, Primary and Secondary education to boys and girls for over 150 years.
The schools are made up of Stewart’s Melville College which is an all-boys school for 1st to 5th years. The school is twinned with the Mary Erskine School, an all-girls school approximately one mile away also for 1st to 5th years. The two senior schools combine for a co-educational Sixth Year. ESMS also has a co-educational Junior School, which is split between the two campuses and caters for pupils from 3 to 12 years old. In total ESMS has 550 staff with 2700 children
ESMS are long term customers of Capital and the account has been managed by Mark Harvie our current Corporate Sales Director.
We’re grateful to ESMS’s Director of ICT Stuart Jackson for the interview and quotes used in this customer story.
HOW WE HELPED
“The art of learning is enriched by using as many senses as possible. Handwriting involves muscle, sight and co-ordination which improves the chances of the child understanding the intended outcomes. This methodology is traditional but tried and tested hence we print large volumes of resources. These are designed to be engaging as well as informative and as technology has improved our staff are using these resources increasingly effectively.
In terms of IT we are changing and need to be ever evolving. We surveyed our staff and parents 2 years ago and they were overwhelmingly in favour of the children having personal devices with a write on screen. Having a look across the sector we are not alone as most councils have issued devices and while most independent schools operate a ‘BYOD’ policy many are looking to adopt the same structure as us.
The power of paper and pen in education is enormous and while some functionality can be replicated on screen there is a danger. Variety is the spice of life, and a balance is required, so having engaging, well-crafted resources printed quickly and easily will be here to stay in teaching and learning for years to come.”
Over 10 years ago ESMS recognised the need to organise and consolidate their printer fleet and required a supplier with the capability to supply and install devices at different locations across their two Edinburgh campuses.
In addition to a new printer fleet ESMS wanted to put in place a print and document strategy to provide greater print visibility and an improved experience for staff and pupils, with a particular focus on supporting the rollout of the new personal devices that the pupils are using.
ESMS and Capital know that despite new technology in schools, printing is still a necessity in the modern education system: assignments, class notes, lesson plans, research papers, worksheets, and even colouring-in activities!
With many buildings across two sites, it’s important for ESMS that its staff and pupils can work effectively from any location. An inability to connect and collaborate would limit staff efficiency and pupils learning.
The printer fleet is programmed with PaperCut Print Management software which has helped the school understand and track their device usage. As well as this, PaperCut gives ESMS full visibility over their usage, providing detailed real-time reporting on spending.
This print solution allowed the school to print documents from any location, both securely and efficiently. It also provides a means for storing confidential data securely, whilst remaining accessible from any device. Being able to securely store all confidential documents was a key concern for ESMS as GDPR is of the utmost importance.
RESULTS SO FAR
“Your solution fits!
Your knowledge of our operation, the layout of our estate, the analytics on each and every device with an understanding of what area they serve goes very deep. This makes the relationship with CDS more of a consultative service than merely a provider of hardware and software.
CDS’s approach is very similar to others but we are firm believers that loyalty should work in both directions and while you are loyal to ESMS so are we to you. Quotes were sought from other print companies to show due diligence.”
From our initial tender to ESMS, and throughout reviews over the years, we have made detailed assessments which include an analysis of software functionality, hardware specifications and historic performance. The assessments include a review of printing volumes across ESMS’s print room and wider office fleet to identify potential areas of under or over utilisation.
These audits allow Capital to make meaningful recommendations for the most suitable devices and print management software in the market from the world’s leading manufacturers, as an independent supplier we aren’t tied to just one company’s products so can offer the best solution to our customers.
We carry out quarterly reviews to assess performance, machine usage and general reporting. On an ongoing basis, our real-time monitoring systems pick up on toner alerts, drum requests and error codes. Proactive management of consumables helps to reduce the burden on internal IT resources.
Support and training from Capital’s team of Production Print Specialists is available for ESMS as and when they need it.
Key benefits of managed print for schools and educational institutions –
Cost-effective: Printing services are cost-effective for the institution and students as they only need to pay for the printing credits they use. It also reduces the cost of maintenance and upgrades for educational institutions.
Convenience: Students and faculty members can print documents from anywhere on campus, making printing more accessible and convenient.
Secure printing: Used in conjunction with print management software, campus printing services can offer secure printing features such as user authentication, release codes, and print monitoring, which ensures the privacy and confidentiality of sensitive documents.
Sustainability: Managed printing reduces the use of paper, ink, and energy, making it an eco-friendly option.
THE FINAL WORD
“In my humble opinion the partnership comes into its own with the staff you have. Mark is always on hand to answer questions and is proactive in solving our issues. Raymond produced a first-class audit which allows me to dwell on that role of your solution offering us consultancy level advice. Joyce is both knowledgeable and patient and her training is always highly regarded by our team. The list could go on and while we understand the machines are not without their foibles the engineers are always charming and diligent.”
Stuart Jackson | Director of ICT | ESMS Erskine Stewart’s Melville Schools
Interested in our Managed Print Services?
Your goal is to reduce costs, and environmental impact whilst improving the resilience of your print systems and staff efficiency. Ours is to provide you with the equipment, consumables, service and support you need to make it happen.
By partnering with Capital, all you need is a single provider for all your document management needs.
Contact us today on 0800 844 744 or hello@capital-solutions.co.uk to find out how we can help.