Now it’s the perfect time for in-plant print managers in higher education to assess how their operations are performing. From admissions brochures to course packets, athletics programs to alum outreach materials, your shop plays a mission-critical role across departments. But how do you measure success? 

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) provide a data-driven approach to understanding your in-plant’s effectiveness, identifying areas for improvement, and showcasing your value to stakeholders. Whether you’re reporting to procurement, administration, or IT, these metrics can help secure future funding, justify equipment upgrades, and align your shop’s services with campus needs. 

Here are five essential KPIs every higher ed in-plant should be tracking—and why they matter. 

As July rolls around, educators and administrators across K-12 and higher education are deep into preparation mode for the upcoming academic year. From student registration packets to course syllabi, school directories to promotional materials, summer is a critical window for aligning print infrastructure and processes. 

But too often, poor print planning can lead to costly bottlenecks, missed deadlines, and operational inefficiencies that impact the first weeks of school. Whether you're managing an in-plant print shop or coordinating with an outside vendor, here are six common back-to-school print mistakes to avoid — and how to get ahead of them. 

For every organization, managing office costs is always essential, and sometimes the biggest culprits are hiding in plain sight.

Copiers can become quite costly without an efficient management strategy. Users may not notice, but simple print jobs can inflate maintenance costs by demanding more toner cartridge replacements at a time.

In this article, we share easy tips to keep your copier costs in check. 

When students leave campus and administrative demands slow down, higher ed in-plant print shops have a golden opportunity: summer. This often-overlooked off-season is the ideal time to step back, reassess operations, and make improvements that will pay dividends throughout the academic year.

Whether you're looking to optimize workflows, upskill your team, expand into new services, or modernize your fleet, summer provides the time and space to make strategic moves. Here are four key areas where your in-plant can gain an edge before fall rush begins. 

March is National Reading Month, a time to celebrate the magic of reading and encourage literacy for students of all ages. Despite technology changing how we learn, print materials remain an essential part of education, helping students improve comprehension, engagement, and retention.

Schools are always looking for fresh ways to foster literacy, and today’s advanced printing solutions are impacting classrooms, libraries, and reading programs. From customizable learning tools to sustainable printing practices, let’s explore how print innovation shapes the future of reading.

Black History Month is a crucial time to delve into Black individuals' rich history and contributions. It is an excellent opportunity to educate students about historical struggles and cultivate a greater understanding of racial equality and social justice. For schools, this is an essential time to enhance the formative aspects of every student. To improve learning, you need high-quality school materials that supplement classroom instruction.

With students returning to school and teachers preparing to use their new lesson plans, there is a greater demand for updated school materials.

As back-to-school needs surge at this point of the school year along the beginning of the second semester, well-designed classroom materials enable students to accomplish their midterm projects and progress reports while also assisting educators in optimizing lesson plans and creating new project proposals.