Derby County Football Club

Founded in 1884, Derby County Football Club is one of England’s most historic football institutions, known affectionately as “The Rams.” Based at Pride Park Stadium in Derby, the club has a proud heritage, including being one of the twelve founding members of the Football League and twice crowned English champions in the 1970s. With a passionate fan base and deep-rooted ties to the city, Derby County plays a vital role in the local economy and community.

Behind the scenes, Derby County is more than a football team. It's a complex organisation with responsibilities ranging from elite player performance and development, matchday operations to retail, hospitality and digital engagement. With thousands of fans relying on seamless matchday experiences, operational efficiency is critical - and nowhere is this more evident than in the Club’s document and print management processes.

Historically, the Club had been using an outdated print solution that wasn’t keeping pace with the evolving IT landscape. As the organisation grew and adopted a more diverse range of devices, including a Windows and a growing fleet of MacOS - limitations in their legacy Equitrac system became increasingly apparent. Not only was it incompatible with MacOS, but it also lacked the analytics, security and device management capabilities needed to support modern workflows.

From the outset, we worked closely with Derby County to understand their unique challenges and recommend a solution that would not only resolve current pain points but also future proof their operations. The club committed to a 12-month project to modernise its fleet and roll out a new print management system across both Pride Park and the training ground. 

The implementation was smooth and disruption-free and for the first time, staff on MacOS could access secure printing, track usage and enjoy the same functionality as their Windows colleagues. The use of Print Deploy further enhanced user experience by ensuring staff only saw the printers relevant to their location - reducing confusion and improving day-to-day efficiency.

One of the most immediate benefits was the ability to manage drivers centrally and track print activity across the entire estate. This not only simplified support for the IT team but also allowed the club to reduce waste and better control costs (an important consideration given the financial pressures facing football clubs at every level!)

Beyond print, the club’s relationship with DNS continues to evolve. In our most recent review, discussions turned to sustainability and future technology planning. We introduced Derby County to PaperCut Grows, a reforestation initiative that links print volumes to global tree -planting projects. The club was quick to embrace the initiative, recognising its alignment with broader ESG goals and its potential to inspire more conscious printing behaviour.

As Derby County looks to the future, their partnership with DNS remains a vital part of their digital transformation. With a shared commitment to innovation, community and sustainability, it’s a relationship that continues to deliver value - on and off the pitch.

Is your print environment in need of a refresh? Are your printers falling short, or do you want to make your printing more sustainable and eco-friendly? Get in touch with the DNS team today.