Case study – Education

Student cards at 5 Italian campuses issued from self-service terminals

The iconic Alma Mater University in Italy chooses the Evolis KM500B printing module to issue its student cards.

The challenge: to streamline the issuing of student cards via self-service terminals

The Italian university of Alma Mater Studiorum, founded in 1088, includes 5 campuses: Bologna, Cesena, Forlì, Ravenna, and Rimini. The management of student cards at the start of each academic year always turned into a real headache. Administrative staff had to spend a lot of time and effort dealing with the issue, while students had to stand in line to collect their cards.

The University wanted to find a way to simplify card production and to streamline the issuing of cards to students. The installation of self-service terminals at the 5 campuses to enable students to collect their cards independently proved to be the best option.

The solution: an expert blend of skill and knowledge

The Evolis KM500B card printing module was chosen for the project. Specially designed to be installed in a self-service terminal, the KM500B is recognized for its reliability and ease of integration. It can hold 500 cards, which in turn limits the number of human interventions to reload printing ribbons or cards.

In order to guarantee the connection with the ERP software installed at the University, the Evolis solution comes with two software solutions:

  • the Ermes Smart Printer module that connects the printer to the internet,
  • the Omnica Card Systems software solution that communicates in real time with the University software.

The result: card issuing made easy for everyone

Once they’ve enrolled on the University portal or at the secretary’s office, students then go to their preferred terminal. Their identity is recognized by the system via a QR-code and the pass is printed instantly. The flow of students is regulated, as the availability of the terminals is far greater than the opening hours of the secretary’s offices.

Now free of managing student cards, the University staff can concentrate on more value added tasks. And as for the students, it’s no more standing in line! They can collect their cards quickly and easily.

We’re really happy with the chosen solution. Students can collect their pass independently at all the Alma Mater campuses.