A Decisive Differentiator

Print management 'a must' in today's market

By Chip Miceli, Des Plaines Office Equipment

Saying that technology is a "differentiator" in today's fast-changing business environment is stating the obvious. Yet for those of us in the business of providing document generation solutions, there are several technological advances that will significantly benefit us.

Advanced technology is good news for our industry, because new Internet applications offer the potential to dramatically increase the value of service and convenience that we offer to our clients, while also helping to level the playing field where the "industry giants" are concerned.

How, you might ask?

For a long time, it has seemed that the big players in our industry have a deeper "bag of tricks" from which to draw. These new technologies enable small- and mid-sized companies to provide advanced print management and service techniques.

Traditionally, most of us evaluate our ability to provide good service on two categories: rapidness of response and customer satisfaction. Having a team of technicians who arrive on site and fix the problem quickly is an excellent beginning and usually results in a satisfied client. And, of course, selling equipment that does not require many service calls is even better.

This traditional "sell and serve" model of doing business is more reactive than proactive, and it is the proactive dealer who will ultimately be the most successful in the decade ahead. New technological applications are allowing us to become more proactive — which ultimately benefits our clients (often resulting in more business) and upgrades the industry in general.

A good client for most document solutions companies could be a manufacturer, real estate agency, bank, law firm or school. Often, our dealings with these clients include initial arrangements to sell or lease equipment, including copiers, facsimiles, traditional printers and multifunction printers. We would further look to support the sale with strong service contracts and maintain an ongoing relationship with our clients so that we remain "top of mind" when they need us again — or are having a conversation with a fellow business owner who says, "I am looking to buy a copier or MFP. Do you know anyone?"

What is changing in our industry is the increasing interest in print management; for any dealer looking to provide true added value to clients, this is a must. Not offering a comprehensive print management program to clients is roughly the equivalent of trying to run a business in today’s climate without a computer.

Articles are springing up in the mainstream media about the issue of print management. Business sections of traditional newspapers are now carrying stories about how wasteful the small, "bargain" $79 desktop printers can be — and how otherwise intelligent end-user business owners are lulled by the low price tag and think they are doing themselves and their bottom line a huge favor. That belief is typically short-lived. One or two trips to the corner office supply store to purchase $32.50 replacement cartridges quickly shows the business owner that the per-page cost of document generation on this "bargain" is astronomical, and that the business owner would have been better off to purchase a $2,000 MFP with 75 percent lower per-page document costs that would have paid for itself in nine months.

In defense of the department and office product stores that sell the $79 specials, however, the issue becomes less one of "Do they have any value?" than "Did anyone explain to the end-user what his per-page cost would be?"

For some individuals and perhaps even a small business, that $79 printer may be an acceptable solution. Someone who communicates primarily electronically and needs to generate a minimum of documents, say 100 per month, may find this a very acceptable solution.

The sales clerk behind the desk at the office superstore might not know to ask that question. But any dealer worth his (or her) salt should know better — and must ask the question. We do ourselves no favors by making the "quick sale" at the expense of the better solution for the client. We must always seek to educate clients about the difference between price and value. The client who buys a piece of equipment that does not fit his needs will not be happy, no matter how superior a service record it comes with.

Providing print management counseling will soon be a necessity for all of us in this industry. Those who do not take these next steps will get left by the wayside.

Initial print management strategies usually involve on-site visits, detailed analysis of the client's existing equipment, evaluating the use of each piece, evaluating if it is being used efficiently, looking for the lowest per-page cost and then providing detailed recommendations of steps toward improving efficiencies.

Dealers should not be hesitant to approach clients on this topic. In the end, a client who feels you are looking after his  best interests will be more inclined to do repeat business with you. You will have gone beyond that image of being "just a salesman."

The Internet and some Web-based software applications coming into play are making print management easier. Software programs can remotely monitor a client's equipment usage and generate reports, which is the ultimate in customer service.

Take the hypothetical case of an off-ice technology dealer in Cleveland, who has a law firm client with four offices in the greater Cleveland area. In all, the firm has 21 copiers (four of which are color), 10 MFPs and a variety of other miscellaneous office equipment. The firm's document generation exceeds 650,000 annually.

The dealer should always be looking for ways to recommend an even more economical, efficient means of document generation for the client. It may be that the recommendations do not include the need to upgrade equipment, but simply to redistribute the flow of documents among existing equipment. If the law firm client sees a way that his firm can save 20 percent annually on document generation costs, he will be a loyal client for a long, long time.

It is in this realm that the Internet and its Web-based software applications are helping dealers catapult forward in what they can offer clients. First, in the area of print management, new software enables remote monitoring of client equipment; in the same hypothetical law firm, this software would enable the client to monitor use of copiers, small desktop printers and to make ongoing evaluations as to how they are being used. If one desktop printer is making 300 color copies per week, this information will show up and the program makes recommendations for modifying usage. The report might suggest that the desktop should not be used but that a more efficient cost-per-unit machine be substituted. In these cases, the software application is evaluating the client's existing equipment, so the client benefits tremendously from this type of service.

These software applications can provide detail down to the level of "here is your current usage, here is how you should change machines, here is where your use is too much for a machine and here is where it is underutilized."

As impressive as that might be to either a new or existing client, consider adding this option to the menu: the ability to remotely monitor your client's equipment, evaluate when it needs a service call or new toner or when it has too many misfeeds. One software application allows a technician to sit at a computer or "Help Desk" and look at screens all day to monitor problems with off-site equipment even before the call for service comes in.

Remote tracking of copy counts and toner issues can "red flag" a piece of equipment that will soon need service. How much better is it for a client to receive a call or e-mail that tells him "Our records show that…" and to head off problems before they arise?

These applications have similar opportunities for service as well. New software that is e-automated can track and log service calls and track the service record remotely. Additionally, software is under development that will allow end-users to communicate with their dealers via equipment keyboards.

As technology evolves, it presents additional business opportunities for dealers, while at the same time "raising the bar" for what the minimum acceptable industry standards will be.

Dealers who are not making a concerted effort to stay ahead of technology are hurting themselves. Unfortunately, it seems to be the one area that gets pushed to the background in favor of other capital expenditures. It is money well spent to train your service technicians to be at the forefront of this technological explosion. As dealers, you should investigate what technology can do for your company in the areas of print management and service. If the applications seem appropriate for your business, you should invest the necessary time and funds to get your technicians up to speed in these areas. It goes back to the difference between cost and value. Staying technologically proficient is not only necessary, it is great value for your company.