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 COMdoc FAQ's

  1.  Why was ComDoc chosen to assess UToledo's printing, copier, and facsimile equipment?
  2.  How has this project been communicated to our campus community?
  3.  Why can't the University keep it's current printing/fax equipment?
  4.  Was the needs assessment the same process used at other universities?
  5.  What will ComDoc's needs assessment include?
  6.  Will my department/College/UTMC area/patient clinic lose our copiers, printers or fax machines?
  7.  Will there be print quotas for staff and faculty that's similar to student quotas?
  8.  What is included in ComDoc's service to the University?
  9.  Will ComDoc remove the old equipment?
  10.  Will the content printed be stored internally on UToledo servers?
  11.  How will the University ensure each area effectively controls its printing costs?
  12.  What can my colleagues and I do to help reduce printing and other associated costs?
  13.  How long will my print job be available in the the queue?

1.  Why was ComDoc chosen to assess UToledo's printing, copier, and facsimile equipment?

Several years ago, ComDoc - a division of Xerox - established a statewide agreement for all state agencies, government offices and public universities.  Over the last few years, most of Ohio public universities have taken advantage of this agreement to gain both operational and cost efficiencies.

Because of this statewide agreement with ComDoc, UToledo investigated potential cost-savings by having ComDoc conduct a needs assessment.  Feedback from other universities using ComDoc equipment and services has been very positive.  Working with IT, ComDoc completed this needs assessment and created redesigns, which UToledo leaders approved in December 2019.

2.  How has this project been communicated to our campus community?

Several months before the needs assessment began, information was shared with senior leaders, and additional presentations have been made to the President’s Advisory Council, deans and UTMC leadership. The Office of the Provost also sent an email in May 2019 to all deans and the provost’s staff, and an announcement was made in UToledo’s internal news publications in July for both Main and Health Science employees. Continued updates will be shared throughout ComDoc deployment in 2020, including on this webpage.

3.  Why can't the University keep its current printing/fax equipment?

The University has approximately 4,000 copiers, fax machines, desktop and network printers, supported by Ricoh and UToledo IT.  Because UToledo’s aging fleet includes hundreds of different equipment models, their operation and maintenance is very costly.  The average age of Ricoh’s equipment is seven years on Main Campus and 12 years on Health Science Campus.

Implementing ComDoc equipment for our printing, copying and fax hardware, UToledo can streamline equipment and reduce costs, while still providing users with the services needed to conduct research, academic, healthcare and business activities. The needs assessment is produced redesigns that ensure each UToledo area has a design that works for its specific needs and is cost-efficient.

4.  Was the needs assessment the same process used at other universities?

Other universities did not allow their departments provide this level of input into ComDoc’s design process.  At UToledo, we’ve taken a team approach because we believe that will better position us to achieve both operational effectiveness and cost efficiency for our print services.

5.  What Did ComDoc's needs assessment Include?

ComDoc created an optimal design for every major area on our campuses, which resulted in fewer to localized print devices and more network-based printers.  Moreover, ComDoc's equipment provides better capabilities than UToledo's old fleet of equipment.

6.  Will my department/College/UTMC area/patient clinic lose our copiers, printers or fax machines?

Input from all the departments was used by ComDoc for creating redesigns for equipment placement in various areas on our campuses.  UToledo holds leaders accountable for making decisions to achieve greater efficiencies, while still ensuring print and transmission needs are satisfactory.  for a complete list of equipment deployment and locations, please review the timeline schedule on this website.

7.  Will there be print quotas for staff and faculty that’s similar to student quotas?

Tools will be available to leaders of UToledo areas (departments/divisions, colleges and other work areas) to set their own quotas. The choice of whether to use quotas and what they would be in any given area will be determined by that area’s senior leader.

8.  What Is included in ComDoc’s service to the University?

ComDoc will provide the printer or multi-function device (printer, fax, copier), printer cartridges, on-site service and maintenance, staples.  Standard paper will be provided by the University.

9.  Will ComDoc remove the old equipment?

Yes, ComDoc is removing our old equipment, following UToledo’s established disposal process, which sometimes includes selling the equipment.

10.  Will the content printed be stored internally on UToledo servers?

Yes, all documents sent for printing will be stored on UToledo print servers, as they have been in the past.  ComDoc will have no impact on where printing content is stored.  All print servers are inside the UToledo data centers and run inside firewalls on our network. Further, printed documents that may originate externally in the Cloud (e.g., Office 365) will still reside on University print servers until they are released at the printer.

11.  How will the University ensure each area effectively controls its printing costs?

Several innovations have been set up that will enable each UToledo area to control its own printing costs:

  • Rocket ID badges can be used to print documents, enabling users to quickly pick up their print jobs at the printer. This will help to ensure confidential documents with sensitive information are not unnecessarily being exposed for others to see.
  • “Follow-me printing” will enable users to swipe their Rocket ID badge at any printer in the UToledo network and release their print jobs, providing much greater convenience for employees who work outside of their department.
  • UToledo leaders will have tools to set print quotas, if they choose, for their own area’s equipment and to enable certain team members to print more jobs if needed for their work.
  • There will be a variety of reports and analytics each department will be able to use to better plan and manage their print volumes and costs.
  • All of the above tools will enable each University area to provide effective shared printing to their users. Although not all desktop printing will be eliminated, the need will be significantly reduced with these new tools.

12.  What can my colleagues and I do to help reduce printing and other associated costs?

As you already may do at home, be sure to avoid wasting resources in order to save money and help the environment. Specifically, a few suggestions to lower UToledo’s printing-related costs include:

  • Avoid printing documents by conducting your business with digital tools, whenever feasible. For instance …
    ο  Review materials online vs. in print form.
    ο  Send emails vs. print mail whenever you can, especially for mass mailings.
    ο  Instead of printing multiple copies of a meeting agenda, send it to meeting participants via email so they may review it prior to the meeting and/or on their laptop during the meeting, or make it available on a PowerPoint slide during the meeting.
  • If you must print a document – especially one that is long – choose the copier’s 2-sided printing option (if available) to reduce paper consumption by 50%.
    ο  Avoid using full-color printing vs. black-only cartridge printing.
    ο  Circulate longer print documents with other team members instead of printing multiple copies of the same document.
    ο  Per policy, never print any personal documents for yourself or family members at work. Use your home printer or another option, such as FedEx or a neighborhood USPS store. These alternatives offer you convenient print solutions at nominal costs.

13.  How Long Will My Print Job Be Available In The Queue?

The print job will be available in the queue for two hours.

 

For More Information

This webpage will be updated through the ComDoc's equipment deployment, so please check back often to review the timeline and training session availability. If you have general questions about ComDoc services not answered above or need additional information regarding this project, please contact Dom D’Emilio, senior director for Network Services and Tech Support, at dominic.demilio@utoledo.edu.

For all other IT-related questions, contact UToledo’s IT Help Desk at 419.530.2400, Main Campus; 419.383.2400, Health Science Campus; or ithelpdesk@utoledo.edu.

Given the huge scope of this project, we appreciate your patience throughout the deployment process, being mindful of protecting the environment by reducing waste and your assistance with reducing printing costs on our campuses.  Thank you

Last Updated: 6/27/22