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mps
Print.IT Reseller
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Managed Print Services
Xerox’s expertise in MPS is well
documented, with reports from
Gartner, IDC, Forrester and Quocirca
placing them in the top tier of
Managed Print Services (MPS) vendors
worldwide. Its channel managed print
service offering, Xerox Partner Print
Services (XPPS) – a comprehensive
set of tools, services and support that
enables partners to provide customers
with a better way of managing office
print costs and infrastructure – is
positioned to help dealers adopt a
services-led approach, without
significant investment, thus limiting
the risk.
According to Paul Gaiser, General Manager
XPPS European Channels Group, Xerox
Europe, at a high level all competitors
position their MPS offerings in a similar
way, but the real difference is in the actual
knowledge and experience of the people.
“Through XPPS we’re building on our large
direct experience and making it available to
our partners, providing access to our global
supply chain and delivery centres. Through
training and special events we’re helping
them leverage this experience and making
Offering MPS
doesn’t mean
that resellers
have to become
a services
delivery
organisation
People are the differentiator
it easy for them to deliver MPS solutions
that meet their customers’ individual
requirements.”
Gaiser says that offering MPS doesn’t
mean that resellers have to become a
services delivery organisation. “This is an
opportunity without that investment. Our
scope, skill and critical mass are available so
the dealer doesn’t have to invest in resources
such as a helpdesk for example: they can
utilise our infrastructure and just resell.”
All partners have access to the
programme and Gaiser says that 75% of
its concessionaries are on board, offering
advanced levels of MPS. “We also offer
multi-brand support for partners to manage
multi-vendor fleets; this is the fastest growing
area.”
Print suppression
Darren Spence, Director of Xerox
concessionaire Bytes, says that the classic
break/fix model adopted almost two decades
ago by many resellers offers low margins and
fierce competition. As a Xerox partner we can
offer a multi-layer approach, building in other
elements from basic device management,
to introducing software to support print
management, through to what we call ‘print
suppression’ whereby we use technology to
take print out of core business processes.
According to Spence, Xerox’s new
ConnectKey platform links the old with the
new. “It opens up a new dialogue with
customers whereby we talk about workflow,
automating processes and removing hard
copy,” he says. One of the key benefits is that
it provides improved document access and
collaboration alongside the traditional print,
copy, scan and fax functions.”
Whilst a strategy of encouraging
customers to stop printing might appear an
odd tack for a printer reseller and one that
could be perceived as high risk, Spence says
that the key issues around customer retention
rest with looking at the ‘stickiness’ of your
current offering, the cost of entry and how
you can increase revenue.
Money outside of print
“If the business model rests on the number
of boxes sold, number of prints made and
service income, then it’s fundamentally
flawed. Print volumes will continue to go
down – all the more reason why resellers
have to change mindset.
“Our approach means that we become
entrenched in customers’ business processes
which makes it harder for them to exit.”
Spence maintains that entering this
‘new world’ isn’t as scary as it first appears.
“It’s not that difficult especially if you
recognise the areas you want to focus
on: processes such as billing, accounts
receivable and accounts payable are core to
all organisations, regardless of size or sector
– you just need to deliver the technology for
automation.
“Rather than rely on post-sale revenue
coming from service and consumables, it
comes from consultation and after-sales
support – you might start with one process
but the opportunity to transform more
remains; you wrap around a helpdesk service
and there’s another revenue stream,” he says.
All of this begs the question how much
investment is required? And it’s again here
Paul Gaiser, General Manager XPPS
European Channels Group, Xerox Europe
Darren Spence, Director, Bytes
Rob Brown, Business Manager MPS, OKI