Ink stock control for teachers

[ReverentCreature]

Teachers here would like to be able to take my ink and top of the printers themselves after I go home and before I get to work in the mornings if a printer runs out of ink. Do any of you allow this? If so how do you ensure that you can continue to maintain an accurate account of the stock you have? Does it work or does it go wrong?

[Meldrew]

Is there not another printer they could use in this scenario? I'd avoid giving access to consumables like the plague.

 

Meldrew

[Zourous]

Depends how much you trust them. I imagine most places it wouldn't work and it would only be so long until something gets broken. Maybe give it a trial, if something bad happens change it back again and you can then state why it doesn't work.

[Novalee]

Not a chance here. They are all able to print to central photocopiers (which they should be doing first anyway - we can but try!) so if something runs out, they can print there instead. We don't keep stock of ink either as if the printer breaks we are stuck with spares. Most printers are networked so we get an alert when they are at 10% ink capacity and can order a new one. For local printers, we just rely on the staff to report it running low. Edited January 14, 2015 by Novalee

[strawberry]

Not a chance here, I work 8 till 4, that's reasonable enough. If they run out of ink outside of those hours then they can use another printer or wait. If you dish out consumables they will be used when not needed ( Printer was low, colour wasn't bright enough, it printed mono...) and you'll not be able to keep a decent inventory. Plus TBH they will end up going home.

[eyetea]

We don't allow this as half the time when they ask for one when I'm here they ask for the wrong colour anyway....

[witch]

I used to be responsible for ink but as I am part-time it just vanished. Now it is kept in the back room of the office with a signout sheet. There is rarely nobody in there so they can't just take it.

I have backed off from changing toner as they are perfectly capable of doing it themselves, and when I am not here they just do it. I know, you are going to say that they are going to break the printer but ours are pretty simple and they seem to be managing.

Frankly it is another job I can do without.

[Grey-gear]

I don't let the teachers to do this, normally they would go to another printer. You could show a few staff how to do it if you believe their able to and have a small store of ink somewhere staff can get to it.