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In the news
Principal I named Leader in MPS
Photizo Group has recognised Principal I Ltd as a leader in managed print services.
The company was one of 13 independent providers that Photizo Group selected
to participate in the 2014 Leaders Index for MPS Channel Providers, based on
demonstrated leadership in MPS.
Ken Stewart, Photizo Group practice director, Services, said: “As the managed services
landscape continues to evolve, we are in need of measurable best practices and benchmarks built
on real-world results by recognised leaders in managed print and document services. These MPS
leaders not only demonstrate leadership in MPS, but a genuine interest in the pursuit of best
practices that benefit the industry and the customers it serves.”
Tony Wills, commercial & marketing director of Principal I Ltd, said: “To be acknowledged in
this way by Photizo Group is a great accolade indeed. Principal has been involved in MPS for many
years and has developed unique methods to scope, implement and manage MPS installations.
We continually look to evolve our capability to meet and exceed customer needs and to have this
recognised in this way is a fantastic endorsement for all of the hard work that our team have put in
during the last 10 years.”
Norwich-based digital copier
company Eastern Business Systems
(EBS) has celebrated its 20th
anniversary with a Champagne
reception for customers and business
partners at its new state-of-the-art
sales and service hub.
Founded in 1994, EBS has an annual
turnover of £4 million and maintains more
than 2,200 machines throughout a territory
stretching from the east coast to the
A1 and from Lincolnshire to
London.
“We’ve also overseen
installation of customers’ new
EBS-supplied equipment in
France, Holland, Spain and
even Hong Kong for some of
our global customers who like
the way we do business,” said managing
director Kevin Francis.
EBS is holder of an Olivetti service
excellence award and is one of only 20
Konica Minolta dealers to have 5-star
accreditation. It also supplies products and
service/support packages from Sharp, Kip
and, most recently, Riso.
Customers include Bernard Matthews,
Europa Worldwide Logistics, TWI and
Germains UK.
BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions’ 9th
Masters Team Challenge, which took
place at Moor Hall Hotel in Sutton
Coldfield, was attended by industry
leaders including Ricoh, Konica Minolta
Business Solutions, Balreed Digitec,
Sharp Business Systems, Kyocera
Document Solutions, Canon and The
Danwood Group.
The winning team comprised Adrian Crucefix,
Direct-tec UK; Bill Todd, Karlson; and Justin
Longmuir, Document Data Solutions. The runners-
up were Brian Kidd, 1st Office Equipment;
Colin Yule, Capture Imaging; and David Forsyth,
Document Data Solutions.
This year, the ‘nearest the pin’ winner was
asked to nominate a charity to receive a donation
of £220 (£5 per player). Paul Moses of Ricoh
chose to donate the money to African Vision
Malawi. He said: “African Vision is a charity
dedicated to creating a healthy, educated and
self-sufficient community in Malawi, Africa. It’s
an excellent cause.”
Colin Yule of Capture Imaging won the
longest drive and Justin Longmuir of Document
Data Solutions was named highest placed
individual.
The Pink Ball was won by Richard Cashman,
Principal 1; Marcus I’Anson, Sharp Business
Systems; Nigel Stone, City Digital Technology; and
Mark Lloyd, Konica Minolta Business Solutions.
NAPPS UPDATE
Making self regulation a
success
By Aaron Warham,
Director,
NAPPS
Through our Partnership
with the Better Regulation
Executive (BRE), we have
been asked on a number
of occasions to sit in
on discussions concerning the impact of
Government-sponsored self regulation and
how it can be effectively managed through
the private sector. As you can imagine, any
discussion involving cross-party Whitehall
groups can be a little dry, but a recent sit-
down brought a key issue to the fore.
The mission statement of the BRE is to remove
all unnecessary regulation from the British economy
so that business can flourish. A cornerstone of this
process is the setting up of alternatives to regulation.
In short, they want to find ways to make businesses
act professionally, legally and ethically, without
resorting to punitive measures.
So far, the input from NAPPS has been to help
guide the BRE and regulatory team members within
individual Whitehall departments towards self-
regulatory processes that have been successful for
NAPPS, including the establishment of the NAPPS
Code of Practice. In our latest round of discussions, a
key issue was raised concerning self-regulation buy-in.
From the BRE’s point of view, Government-
sponsored self-regulation has always been a
non-starter, as securing buy-in from the private
sector has been almost impossible. This is because
they have found it difficult to avoid the carrot and
stick approach of punitive financial punishment for
non-compliance, which is the basis of centralised
regulation rather than self-regulation. Experience
shows that the use of financial penalties makes
businesses reluctant to join any Government-backed
self-regulatory body.
The NAPPS advice in this instance was born
out of the experiences of our own members, who,
over the past three years, have found that NAPPS
certification and the NAPPS seal of approval has
won them business. They all became part of the
Association due to their shared belief in ethics and
outstanding customer support, but the positive
impact of winning new business has made being
part of a self-regulatory body a no-brainer. What has
helped NAPPS drive forward and build on its initial
success is that UK customers are now aware of our
existence and aims and are demanding that their
suppliers become part of NAPPS.
And it’s this advice I shared with the BRE. If you
can make the benefits of self-regulation known to
businesses, you will have a group of like-minded
corporations. If you can make their customers want
it, too, you will have a real success.
l to r: EBS service director
Mark Stewart, sales director
John Rowe and managing
director Kevin Francis
EBS celebrates 20 years of growth
Masters team challenge
