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following through and working with
customers to ensure they benefit from
improved productivity and better solutions.
“Today, business is more about being
a trusted partner. We want repeat business
from our clients and in order to get that
they have to believe we have their interests
at heart. That trust isn’t achievable
simply by focussing on hardware-led,
transactional sales. We firmly believe that
in order to sustain and secure ongoing
growth, we have to place ever more
emphasis on consultancy and solutions-led
services.”
Mark Garius
Managing Director,
ASL Group
“There will always be a need for simple
hardware sales and service provision.
Customers aren’t all early adopters of MPS
or MDS propositions and there will be a
long tail of people who want a traditional
copy and print solution.
“What they will all want is good,
pro-active service, whether it’s for an all-
singing, all-dancing MDS proposition or an
MFD in an SME location. However, size is
not always a good predictor of MPS/MDS
adoption; some major corporations can
be ‘trailing edge’ and some SMEs can be
‘leading edge’.
“We also see that paper usage is not
declining, and some of us were around
30 years ago when it was said that the
paperless office would soon be upon us!
People are smarter and more considered
about when and what to print, but the
amount and speed of information being
circulated have both gone up exponentially
and so our customers print a smaller
proportion of a bigger iceberg of data.
“Because of that, there will be life in
traditional hardware and service sales for
some time to come. That said, any smart
reseller will be addressing both ends of the
spectrum so that they can deliver what the
customer wants. Who are we to say ‘You
must have a cloud-based MDS solution’ if
today they just want a more cost-effective
MFD? The customer is, of course, king.
We can advise and consult with our
customers, but they are the final arbiters of
when (and if) a ‘new’ technology/solution
is right for them.
“Making traditional print/copy generate
money is possible (a) by being a lot
smarter about what you sell (long-term
rather than quick-hit); (b) by servicing
equipment/software intelligently (e.g.
remote fix, preventative maintenance); (c)
by managing, monitoring and providing
supplies just-in-time; and (d) by being big
enough to be very efficient, but not so big
that you lose sight of the customer.”
Derrick Murphy
Managing Director,
Reflex Digital Solutions
“The copy/print market has evolved over
the years and it will continue to do so. We
are all operating in a fast-moving market
and standing still isn’t an option.
“Managed Print Services, Managed
Document Services and Managed Content
Services are not new; nor is a consultative
sales approach. The names might have
changed and the level of involvement
with a customer’s business might have
increased, but we’ve been delivering a
consultative-led service in one form or
another for many years.
“The paper-free office that was
predicted to arrive some 30+ years ago
has never materialised, and although
there has been a reduction in the volume
of paper used, the increase in the colour
percentage has made up for potential
turnover loss.
“What hasn’t changed over the
years is good, old-fashioned customer
service. There is, and always will be, a
place for well delivered customer service.
The most important factor for the future
success of companies within the print/
copy industry is not MPS, MDS or MCS
but the protection of colour print pricing.
Companies that have driven down prices
are not sustainable in the long-term and
hopefully, as things tend to go in cycles,
the true value of service versus cost will
return, even if there are a few casualties on
the way.”
Alpesh Unalkat
Managing Director,
Capita Managed Print
“Consultancy services are very important
and will become more so for MPS, MDS
and MCS opportunities, especially in
medium-to-large enterprises. Consultancy
is the mechanism for providers to deliver
differentiated and integrated solutions,
while making money and remaining
profitable. The key here is that consultancy
is most appropriate for medium-to-large
organisations.
“However, for some organisations,
especially those with low headcount
(e.g. small businesses, retail outlets, GP
surgeries etc.) traditional hardware sales
will still be the most appropriate route to
market. For businesses operating in this
space, making money can be achieved
through volume sales, while minimising the
cost of sale. Consultancy services can be
useful in these types of organisation but
mainly to drive an integrated solution, e.g.
hardware integrated with EDM or similar.”
The most
important
factor for
the future
success of
companies
within the
print/copy
industry is
not MPS,
MDS or
MCS but the
protection of
colour print
pricing
Mark Garius
Managing Director,
ASL Group
Derrick Murphy
Managing Director,
Reflex Digital
Solutions
