Area 00 of the Z22 MpS Renaissance Model.

The #DeathofTheCopier #MpS Renesiance Model, Z22.  "Area 00".  

The DOTC RenMPS Z22 includes a pre-amble in Area 00, something I've not seen on any other MPS Model.

If your MPS practice has failed or is struggling, you probably didn't completely utilize Area 00.

For starters, SWOT is a necessary step in Area 00, something I'm sure you conducted before getting into MpS. 

There are three pillars of Area 00:

#Marketing / #Sales

#Infrastructure

#PartnershipEcosystem

Area 00 is the planning stage of MPS.  An internal analysis, and structure build before going to market.

It is very important.

Z22 Marketing and Sales

Many sales initiatives start with a Monday morning sales meeting with a rollout announcement, "Team today we are starting to sell managed print services.  We've got pricing here for you, and scheduled training for each of you beginning today at 9, running at 15-minute intervals."

That's it.

No logo, marketing materials, talk tracks, LinkedIn presence, web pages, or direction - just cold call goals and new quotas. Sometimes, a compensation plan hasn't been created.

Z22 Infrastructure

Your team will be asking, 

"How will I be paid?"  

"Who does my MPS customer call for service?" 

"How will the meter reads, billing, and contracts work?" 

"Can I put existing MPS printers on the same service agreement as copiers for the same deal?" 

And the questions go on and on.

Utilizing your existing copier infrastructure for the new MPS practice is approachable, there is overlap.  But the accompanying processes may shock the system.

Before going to market, there must be a foundation to support moving forward and addressing the inevitable challenges of bringing new ideas to fruition.

The Z22 Partnership Ecosystem

Bringing a new program to market includes marshaling resources and orchestrating many relationships.  By my count, there are at least 15 different relation types involved with an MPS practice.  Your practice may not include all 15 or could include more.  Also, some players you may simply reference or consume their content, but never create a hard relationship.

Regardless, your success is dependent on support from groups outside the immediate organization chart. 

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Marketing & Sales, Infrastructure, and the Partnership Ecosystem are the three cornerstones to the successful beginning of a Managed print services practice.

The importance of Area 00 cannot be overstated.  Additionally, Area 00 does not require a great deal of time indeed I recommend nothing beyond a day or two. It is easy to get into analysis paralysis - avoid getting stuck.

Once a solid understanding of these three pillars is achieved, moving into the field and through the Z22 Model can begin.

If you'd like to explore more, email me @ greg@grwalters.com.