Reducing costs and environmental impact in the public sector.

As government pressure increases on local authorities to reduce their costs and their impact on the environment, the need for independent help has grown.

One local authority requested assistance in this area, and a print audit was carried out over a 30 day period where printing patterns were recorded and analysed. The findings highlighted that millions of pages were being printed needlessly every year, at great cost to the environment, and to the authority.

Drawing on past experience with other local government bodies, recommendations were put forward, outlining the steps necessary to achieve cost savings in excess of 30%. An action plan was drawn up and is currently being implemented. This involves not only technical solutions, but also behavioural changes within the authority itself.