Currently@Carleton

75 MFPs (54 black and white and 21 color) have been installed across campus. In addition, we’ve centralized the distribution of consumable supplies (toner, paper, etc.) which has resulted in less obsolete or excess inventory for the College and over time will bring additional financial savings.

Prior to the MFP deployment, color copying was not available in departmental offices. The MFP deployment brought color copying to 21 departments. Overall, using the Carleton OneCard to authenticate for copying has had two significant positive outcomes. It allows users to make personal copies on any machine on campus and has greatly improved reporting options for tracking of departmental copying.

Recently, the scan-to-email feature was made available on all MFP devices. This allows users to convert any paper document to a digital format for better storage and retrieval as well as providing a quick and efficient option of sharing it with both on- and off-campus colleagues when necessary.

Work continues on using the MFP as a facsimile (FAX) transmission device. When this feature is turned on (possibly during fall term 2008), it will eliminate the need for departments to purchase and support a separate FAX machine and phone line. An evaluation team is currently researching three vendor solutions for this feature.

There are concerns about some of the operational aspects of making copies on the MFPs. Some of these concerns involve issues with the OneCard copier reader attached to the MFP. Others involve setup steps required by the format of the material to be copied. There are also concerns about the speed of some of the MFPs. We are assembling a focus group of faculty and staff to help us clarify and prioritize the significance of these issues and we are working closely with the manufacturers of both the MFPs and the copier readers to help find solutions to the greatest number of these issues. We have a commitment from the copier reader supplier to resolve the device issues by fall.

If you have any questions about this program, please let us know at any time.