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As an educational institution, it is crucial to ensure that the process of enrolment is smooth and doesn’t cause any more complications than necessary. Students need to feel like they are studying in an organised, safe, and relaxed environment, and that starts with enrolment.
Make a good first impression with plastic student ID cards
Enrolment is one of the busiest days of the further education calendar, with thousands of new students all needing to be admitted and registered to the institute. The focus for enrolment is on speed, efficiency, and accuracy, and so you need to have a good ID card production system in place.
Your first impression at this stage provides evidence that your organisation offers the quality they want for their education provider.
Upgrade your education identity solution
All education institutes have a process to ensure they are ready for enrolment, but it is vital to ensure everything is in full working order and meets your current requirements.
There are plenty of things to consider when you are looking at potential upgrades for your system.
Plastic card printers
With usage taking its toll on printers, does your existing printer still have the capability to print a high volume of cards in a short timeframe?
If not, you may need to upgrade or add a short-term boost to your workforce. There are a variety of options that can provide what you need, depending on your requirements, including:
• Buying a printer to replace your existing one
• Buying a printer to add to your existing workforce
• Renting a printer for the enrolment period
Choosing to buy a printer offers a cheaper cost per card and means you have instant access to new cards throughout the year instead of just during enrolment. Owning your own printer also allows you to have access to data from the staff and students that can be used to track and manage them, and you can also provide the option of temporary ID cards to visitors, contractors, guest lecturers or exchange students that can be printed and used instantly.
Hiring a printer offers a smaller financial outlay and doesn’t need any ongoing maintenance. Most education organisations will use an ID card printer during enrolment and then less often throughout the rest of the year, with only replacement cards and new starters needing to be printed. The choice of hiring a printer can provide better output for the huge print run during enrolment and then be returned rather than placed into storage.
IDAssist technical support plan
IDAssist is our technical support plan, designed to ensure your ID card printer is set up perfectly and works to maximum efficiency throughout its lifespan. By getting help from our experts to install and set up your printer, and staff training for anyone who needs to use it, you can start printing with ease.
Choosing IDAssist offers a range of benefits, including:
• Priority telephone and email support when you need it
• Same-day dispatch on stock items (for orders placed before 3pm)
• A loan printer if your printer needs to be fixed off-site
• Remote installation and set up
• A library of video tutorials to help troubleshoot any problems
IDAssist costs just £150 for a year’s support and saves you time and money in the long run.
Printer consumables
Ensuring that you have more than enough consumables is essential. Being prepared with enough printer ribbons and blank cards for the thousands of new students is crucial, and you must plan for extra to ensure you can cover any print issues or other mistakes.
By ensuring everyone has a high-quality ID card on the first attempt, you can reduce the risk of having to follow up on the issue and therefore having a backlog of cards to sort out.
Lanyards, cardholders, and other accessories
Lanyards are a common method of displaying ID cards, offering an excellent form of marketing with full customisation. They are available in a range of colours and can be personalised with the name of the school, college, or university. A lanyard is a very visual item that creates a sense of belonging and pride in being part of an organisation.
Lanyards can be made from recycled material called RPET, meaning they are ethical and can add to the organisation’s green credentials.
Cardholders protect the card from the rigours of day-to-day wear and tear. A quality ID card will be used regularly around campus, whether it’s providing access to doors, used for checking out books in the library or spending in the canteen. Cardholders add strength and structure to the card as well as make it easy to attach the card to a lanyard.
To find out more about ID card accessories, please visit here.
Access control and encoding
There is more to ID cards than just providing photo ID. Encoded plastic cards can be used to provide access to areas on the campus. There are a lot of areas within your campus that require secure access only provided to certain people, therefore reducing the risk of theft.
With a robust tracking system, you can monitor who accessed certain areas and the time they were accessed should the worst happen.
Access control ID cards can also be used to help manage campus libraries. We recently helped Cambridge University Library update its system with MIFARE® technology to help modernise and futureproof the 600-year-old library.
Outsource to a plastic card printing service
ID Card Centre provides a plastic card printing service, meaning we will print your ID cards for you and post them directly to you. Our in-house experts can handle your order, no matter how large the job!
Enrolment is a huge part of the education calendar, and with a host of other important jobs to do, it can be beneficial to subcontract tasks out. If you have the information of the students ready in advance, then our bureau team can handle the job for you and post the completed cards to you, ready to hand to the new students.
We also offer a call-off service, which allows you to order a number of printed ID cards (minimum of 50) and then requests however many as you want as and when you need them. We will print the cards, carefully check them, and send them to you whilst holding back the remaining amount until you request them.
The cards are paid for upfront, including all postage costs, meaning there are no hidden fees whenever you order your cards.
Enrolment is always a stressful and busy part of the education calendar, and ID cards are an essential part of the modern student’s life and will continue to be in the future.
By continually improving the process, managing new technology and understanding the demands of the students and business – all education establishments can successfully and efficiently manage enrolment, leaving you ready for the rest of the challenges that the academic year brings!
For more information on how ID cards and managing your process can improve your enrolment period, please get in touch with a member of our expert team today.
