PRINT
IT
RESELLER.UK
YOUR BUSINESS : DEALER PROFILE
45
Formerly sales director and co-owner
of an office products reseller, ten
years ago Kane knew that he didn’t
want to focus solely on selling
office products. “I wanted people to
see beyond paperclips and saw an
opportunity to move the business on,
taking it in a totally new direction. It
was time for me to move on,” he said.
“I had an idea that I knew was going to
be a winner. Rather than simply supplying
the products customers request on an
ad-hoc basis, I saw a massive opportunity
in providing a complete managed service
for customers across the board. By offering
them a complete one-stop-shop for anything
and everything they might need for their
office, we reduce the number of vendors they
use and the volume of invoices processed,
freeing up valuable time and saving money.”
“We work at Financial Director level, and
they get it. They understand the value that
our approach brings to the bottom line,”
Kane said.
A clear vision
Renting a corner in an office, Kane started
by hitting the streets. After a year the
business had grown sufficiently to take on
more staff. “We had a clear vision of where
we wanted to be. Albeit, in the beginning
we did grab what we could,” he said.
“However, that got us a foot in the door to
pitch our unique offering.”
“Even now we are a purposefully lean
organisation,” explained Kane. “For us,
reducing the cost-to-serve is central to
remaining competitive and profitable. By
conducting an initial audit across each
customer’s entire business, from the print
fleet, IT infrastructure, volume of paper, right
down to the number of pens and pads they
use, we’re able to exactly determine their
requirements.”
This personal approach and attention
to detail is fundamental to the Phoenix
Managed Services proposition and is one
reason why the company doesn’t sell online.
“It might seem strange in this day
and age but it’s all about maintaining
relationships,” said Kane. “We provide a
stock checking service and this gets us in
front of each customer on a regular basis.
This lets us see what they’re buying and
gives us a fighting chance of getting it all.
It also ensures that we dramatically reduce
the number of ad hoc products and services
they require on a next-day basis. If we do
our job right, they’ve got everything they
PITR caught up with Gary Kane, Director of Phoenix Managed
Services, a single source provider of FM managed services and
supplies. Here he talks about the firm’s go-to-market strategy,
diversification and planned expansion into the MPS arena.
MPS presents new
opportunity for Phoenix
Managed Services
Gary Kane,
Director,
Phoenix Managed
Services
need and that makes life much simpler for
them and for us.”
Phoenix Managed Services also puts a
predictive delivery schedule in place for each
customer, a move that reduces the number
of vehicles out on deliveries. Reducing
environmental impact is a key USP for the
company. It provides a closed loop recycling
system and is a zero-to-landfill business.
“We can also help our clients work towards
this goal, as part of our service includes
waste collection,” said Kane.
Diversification
The past two years have seen the business
segment its services into seven distinct
areas: waste collection; IT; staff welfare;
bespoke products; office products;
workplace safety; and work space. The
supply and installation of printers, supplies,
IT hardware and support are not new areas
for the business, but the potential to provide
a complete managed print service is one
that they want to develop further.
To help deliver MPS, Kane is looking to
partner with a number of MPS specialists.
“We’ve enjoyed several successful
partnerships with companies who are
experts in their industries. That’s worked
for us, which is why it is the pattern we will
adopt to introduce a complete managed
print service,” he said.
“We’ve had our fingers burned in the
past, which is why we’ve appointed an
MPS specialist with a brief to really build
on our heritage as a trusted supply partner.
Customer service is central to all we do
and if a partner messes up then you’re
vulnerable. That’s why it’s essential that we
have our own in-house expert to manage
and oversee the entire proposition.”
He added: “We’ve done the audits and
we know what our clients are spending
on hardware and supplies. MPS offers a
massive opportunity for us to grow. We’re
in a position of consultative strength. We’ve
got the whole picture – we’re not second
guessing – and that’s a great place to be in.”
OurClosedLoopEnvironmentally
ApprovedRecycling (CLEAR)
programme iscompletely revolutionary.
This formsahugepartofourservice
offeringand isunique tous.
Throughbasic recyclingprinciplesweofferyou
acomplete recyclingprogramme,soevery item
wesupply intoyourpremiseswehaveasystem to
collectand recycle it.Fromasoftdrinkcan to
WEEEcollections through topallets, lightbulbsand
generalwaste.
This isanenormousareawith theopportunity to
makehuge financialsavingsalongwith the
reassurance togetherwecan
makeapositiveand
carbon friendly
difference.
Office
Products
Workplace
Safety
•WEEEWaste
Collections
•OfficeConsumables
Recycling
•ConfidentialShredding
•GeneralWaste
Collections&Recycling
•SpecialistWaste
Recycling
•Vending&Beverage
Machines
•Kitchen&Catering
•OfficeCleaning
Services
•Cleaning&Hygiene
Supplies
•WashroomServices
•WhiteGoods
•GeneralStationery
•PackagingSupplies
•PaperProducts
•PrinterSupplies
•TechnologyProducts
•Workwear&PPE
•FirstAidSupplies
•FireSafety
•Premises
Management Items
•PATTesting
•Health&Safety
Trainingcourses
•PrintedStationery
•Marketing&
Promotional items
•CorporateClothing
•SocialMedia
Management
•LargeFormatDigital
Production
•Office Interior
Refurbishment
•OfficeFurniture
•RelocationService
•HandymanService
Our Service & Power
Ourservice ispurelyclientdriven;weare
firm believers that we treat each and
every client the way we like to
be treated ourselves, a simple but
effective way of ensuring we offer
outstanding service levels in every
department.
Byofferingafriendlyandreliableapproach
wehavebuilt long lastingrelationshipswith
both clients and suppliers forming many
strongalliances.Andasmembersofmany
purchasinggroupswehaveglobalbuying
power inexcessof£6.2b spreadover the
30differentservicesandsupplies.
•ManagedPrintServices
•Franking&Mailing
Equipment
•AudioVisualSolutions
• ITManagedServices
• ITHardware&Storage
Bespoke
Products
Our Unique CLEAR Advantage
