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DEALER PROFILE
RDT Office Solutions Group was
established in 2002 by CEO Derek
Russell, whose experience within the
print industry spans three decades.
“I seem to have been in this business
forever,” he said. “I set up my first
dealership in the ‘80s, sold it and left
the industry. But I was lured back a
few years later and I haven’t been
tempted to leave since!”
After a spell working in a number of
different markets, Russell returned to the
printer industry, joining a former Ricoh
reseller as Sales Director. “It was an
owner-managed business and I proposed a
business plan to take it in a new direction,
which was rejected,” he explained. “At
that point I decided that rather than build
a business for someone else, it was time to
start afresh and realise my vision by starting
my own company again from scratch.”
Based on in-depth knowledge of the
industry gleaned from working for leading
OEMs and service providers, Russell opted
to go with Xerox as a single line brand
partner.
“Xerox had the most powerful offering
available,” he explained. “The breadth and
depth of its product portfolio is superb and,
particularly within the Global MPS sector,
the brand is a major player. What’s more, its
business model was based on geographic
territory, so there was no risk that we would
be fighting off competition from other
resellers offering the exact same products
and services when targeting new business.”
An easy choice
One of the biggest benefits of partnering
with Xerox, claims Russell, is the ability
to tap into its service structure. “It was
an easy choice for RDT to partner with
Xerox. From day one we used them for
service. This meant we had a nationwide
(and further afield) finely tuned service
operation, which enabled us to target
customers with multiple offices and
removed the cost and time associated with
setting up an in-house service operation,
recruiting engineers, carrying consumables
and spare parts etc.,” he said.
Within just three months, RDT had won
a deal to deploy 100 devices in locations
nationwide. “We would never have won
that business as a start-up, but we had
the backing of Xerox, and the roll-out
was completed in under four weeks,” said
Russell.
The recession hit most businesses hard.
Rather than simply ride it out, Russell
made a strategic decision to reshape the
business from one built on a transactional
sales model to one that was services-led.
“Xerox was one of the first pioneers
of MPS and we recognised that standing
still, doing what we’d always done was no
longer an option,” he said. “MPS presented
a huge opportunity for growth and
strategically that was the direction I wanted
to take the business. The biggest challenge
was changing the mindset internally;
we had to ensure that our people fully
understood the path we wanted to follow.”
EMEA presence
The strategy worked, introducing a period
of sustained growth for RDT. Its headcount
now stands at 40, with further recruitment
planned; it expects to achieve a turnover
of £7.5 million this year; and has a MIF
of 4,200 devices in 18 countries. “We
are now one of Xerox’s top partners and
we are delivering managed services to
customers across EMEA,” said Russell.
The Cheshunt head office houses a
dedicated helpdesk staffed by six full-time
employees dedicated to helping clients
Headquartered in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, RDT
Office Solutions Group, a Xerox Platinum Level
Partner, has successfully expanded its reach
across the UK and into EMEA.
Onwards and
upwards
achieve full visibility over their entire fleets,
regardless of location. “Even though Xerox
delivers the physical service on our behalf,
we provide the first level of contact for
customer service and support,” explained
Russell.
The head office also houses a new
innovation centre. Russell says this is more
than just a showroom, but also a facility
to demonstrate services and solutions to
potential and existing clients.
UK expansion
In support of its goal to build and grow
its presence in other parts of the UK, RDT
recently opened an office in Leeds and
plans soon to launch a Midlands operation
in addition to its sales office in London.
“Being local to customers is important,
which is why we started our launch into
the North, recruiting Eric Shackleton as
Sales Director to drive new opportunities
and extend our geographical reach,”
explained Russell.
He added: “We’re being proactive and
looking for new opportunities, whether
that’s recruiting the right team to set up
and run the Midlands base or through
acquisition.”
As RDT continues to evolve, change
remains constant; the company recently
moved into the voice and data market and
is now looking to partner with IT services
providers to further expand its offering.
“Initially we’re focussing on providing
these new services from head office and to
southern-based customers, but as with our
print services business, the plan is to move
into the north and beyond,” Russell said.
If the print side of the business
is indicative, it won’t be long before
customers throughout the UK and beyond
benefit from RDT’s new capabilities.
One of the
biggest
benefits of
partnering
with Xerox
is the ability
to tap into
its service
structure.
