Quick Look: Digital Sustainability Plan Infographic

How can we reduce waste, and improve our work, service delivery and processes, while building sustainable benefits for our environment and future?

The Langley School District SD35 has embarked on building a plan for success in implementing a “Sustainable Digital Transformation”. Our research has found that our District’s annual paper printing volume was over 50% more than other school districts in a BC benchmark; the difference is the districts that have implemented digital transformation initiatives to reduce paper waste and improve processes.

Our District is making a commitment to:

    1. Reduce waste, including elimination of paper and inefficient processes – Target of 35% print reduction within five years.
    2. Dedicate resources to reduce waste by improving processes; improve paper based processes to be digital – Digital-forms; e-Signatures/Authorizations, Workflow Automation; to facilitate training in innovation and technology [e.g. how to leverage Office365/SharePoint; E-forms; paperless workflow; Laserfiche document management].
    3. Engage users in “problem-solving” in process efficiency improvements, and to help in their jobs.
    4. Implement PaperCut Print Management-
      • Visibility of print volume
      • Print policies e.g. double sided default; Budget/quota on impressions; Print Release (avoid wasted abandoned print); color; student and mobile access.
      • Scan/Smart capture workflow;
      • Educate and train on benefits of eliminating waste; environmental/ carbon footprint & energy wins; “Teach Paperless”; redeploy $ savings to innovations for classrooms.
    5. Manage and expand-
      • District Wide Content Management/Laserfiche Electronic Document Management System-EDMS;
      • Collaboration/sharing strategy and repository/Office365/File Management Plan.

The objective is to use the program dollar savings to help fund innovations for the classroom.

We are asking for District educators and staff commitment to support sustainable digital transformation to reduce waste and improve processes. This initiative is a challenge and an opportunity for each of us to make improvements in our work and for our environment.

Paper is a huge burden to the District and our work; with waste of time and resources, and costly processes throughout the lifecycle of paper:

→ to buy and get the paper/print/copies; → to handle and share the paper; → to file/store paper; → to find/recover the filed paper; → to modify the paper [repeats the cycle]; → and eventually to dispose of the paper [paper eventually becomes waste]. Digital processes are inherently “green”, efficient and easier (when designed properly).

We have initiated a program to leverage Ricoh’s work with other BC School Districts and the post secondaries in providing new multifunction(MFP)/printers, print management solutions and document management/process improvement. Ricoh will share their knowledge of “Best Practices” and provide the District with innovative technology with improvements in feature, functionality and performance enhancements.

We encourage all users to assess why they print and how to improve their processes and eliminate waste.

Details for your school or office

Ricoh representatives will be completing a print, copy, fax and scan assessment for schools and offices. You may be asked to provide some specific insight concerning print, copy, fax requirements. The assessment will provide for replacement of MFP/printers with the new technology. The District will also be implementing PaperCut print management software; to reduce waste (e.g. “abandoned print”), to print to any network device, as well as provide added security/confidentiality to all print and copy jobs.

Once the validation and assessment has been completed for your location, the primary contact for each school will be advised of the dates and times of the new technology implementation plan. All efforts will be made to minimize any disruption during the school hours. The new PaperCut software will be rolled-out enterprise wide at the same time. There will be orientation for all new technology placements to also reduce disruption.