In 2016, Creighton intensified its relationship with Canon, or more formally, Canon Solutions America, which on our campus is the Bluejay Print and Post Center. Quite effectively, Canon has been managing all printing services on campus. Today, we are announcing that Creighton is expanding its relationship to include both printing and mail services. Effective March 15 of this year, our Mail Services staff will transition to Canon employment, with a reporting line to our vice president of technology, Russ Pearlman.
Creighton and Canon are committed to retaining all current Mail Services staff, who were notified yesterday of this transition. Canon offers competitive wages and comparable benefits, and Creighton will extend tuition remission to current employees. Under the previous contract, which again began in 2016, Canon managed only printing.
During this transition, there will be no changes to current mail services on campus, and we don’t anticipate any disruption of services. By aligning these services under one management group with Canon, an industry leader in print and mail solutions, we envision future opportunities for efficiencies and innovation.
While Canon will now manage mail services under the renewed contract, Creighton anticipates a 21% savings over current costs, primarily through the reallocation of underutilized equipment and a reduction in campus printing.
Creighton saw a steady decrease in printing volume on campus between FY 2018 and FY 2020, and a dramatic drop this fiscal year with COVID-19. Some of that decrease can be attributed to sustainability efforts and greater use of technology. For instance, through secure print, Canon estimates that it has reduced printed pages by about 2.9 million. Use of secure print more than doubled from FY 2019 to FY 2020, from 14% to 32%. In addition, Creighton has realized a 25% savings in fax costs by implementing cloud-based services.
Canon and Creighton also have been able to strategically reallocate underutilized printing devices, including moving devices to the Phoenix campus. This has reduced the need to purchase new equipment, which has resulted in cost savings. That reallocation will continue under the renewed contract.
Plans also call for the Criss Print Center to be closed on a yet-to-be-determined date, with the consolidation of printing operations at the Pittman Building. Aligning print and mail services will meet campus needs while freeing up dedicated physical space.
Creighton and Canon co-founded the Radlab on campus, which accelerates innovative ideas through technology. Canon has provided financial support, professional expertise and technology hardware to the Radlab. Canon also has supported Creighton’s Backpack Journalism program, in which students have traveled to points across the nation and around the globe to produce social justice documentaries, and has provided in-kind services to local community outreach efforts.
