While printing has been around for thousands of years (and modern printers for decades), that doesn’t mean we’re always able to do it without help. Print is an ongoing challenge for campus IT departments, who have to spend time and resources on printer troubleshooting for users in addition to the maintenance and management of drivers and servers.
Minimizing helpdesk tickets related to printing would ease some of the administrative burdens that campuses face, particularly relating to driver installations and printer connectivity problems.
Let’s walk through how to reduce IT support overload when it comes to managing print-related helpdesk tickets:
Beyond reactive troubleshooting: A holistic approach to solving common printer issues
When handling print support tickets, IT teams can often feel like they’re constantly putting out fires – instead, university IT departments should be taking a holistic approach to solving IT support printing problems.
Investing in a fully-featured print management solution and implementing a proactive print strategy will help reduce downtime, lower costs, and enhance productivity.
Proactive management includes scheduling regular maintenance, updating firmware, and monitoring printer performance through a centralized print management solution. All faculty and students should be trained in correct printer usage to reduce misuse and wear, so they are able to fix common issues on their own. Campuses also need clear protocols in place for IT support, to ensure efficiency and minimize bottlenecks.
Predictive print management: using data analytics to prevent helpdesk overload
Predictive maintenance uses sophisticated analytics tools to monitor and analyze printer equipment, leveraging print data to anticipate and prevent potential issues before they become helpdesk printing challenges. This is the opposite approach to reactive troubleshooting which only addresses problems after they’ve already caused disruption.
Using a print management solution and cloud-based data analytics, you can quickly collect data on printer usage, job volumes, and print queues to:
- Identify patterns of waste and errors among devices and users
- Recognize unusual activity that may indicate future performance issues
- Monitor printer health and flag devices that need repairs or replacement
- Reduce downtime by resolving issues before they cause printer failure
- Ensure printers receive regular servicing to maintain optimal performance
Optimizing print infrastructure for maximum efficiency and minimum IT support
If only there was a way to make print processes more efficient… oh wait, there is!
Print management software automates a lot of those annoying tasks that suck up time for IT teams, like deploying drivers and print queues.
Using features like Print Deploy , admins can instantly push print drivers and queues to every user in any location, while pull printing solutions allow users to print from the nearest device on demand.
Print management solutions optimize the entire print environment, quickly spotting bottlenecks and latency issues to improve overall network performance. Because printing tends to run in patterns – increasing at certain hours and during specific intervals (hello exam time!) – you can scale your infrastructure to meet demand when servers (and IT teams) will be under the greatest amount of stress.
Integrating print management with your existing help desk system for seamless ticket resolution
Managing a fleet of printers, devices, and users scattered across multiple buildings and campuses is a logistical nightmare for IT teams. The simplest way to integrate print management with your existing helpdesk system is through a print management solution. This creates a centralized platform for managing IT and sysadmin print issues alongside their other tasks, delivering seamless ticket resolution.
With centralized control, sysadmins can monitor and manage the entire print environment through a single interface. Real-time monitoring and diagnostics from the print management system provide detailed insights – simplifying maintenance, troubleshooting, and software updates.
Plus, IT teams have end-to-end visibility over print activity, improving efficiency and ensuring printers are operational for users.
Empowering end-users: self-service solutions for common printer driver problems
To reduce the burden on IT staff, creating a seamless printing experience is paramount. Ideally, you want printing that just works. But if an issue does arise, users who are confident resolving issues on their own will be less dependent on IT support.
By providing training and access to resources such as troubleshooting guides, you can empower your staff and students to deal with common pain points independently.
Print management solutions also offer user-friendly interfaces, simplified print queues, and robust self-service capabilities. Intuitive features such as PaperCut’s FindMe Printing mean that print jobs are sent to a single print queue and printed on the closest printer – so users can print quickly and easily from wherever they are.
Mobility Print ensures that users enjoy a consistent printing experience even when they’re printing from their own BYOD device.
Through user education and advanced print management solutions, it’s possible to reduce print-related helpdesk issues. Not only does this shorten resolution times for users, but it also allows IT teams to focus on more critical tasks, while improving productivity for your staff and students.