Greg Walters tapped to Reimagine "Managed Print Services"

Alert the Authorities...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Oconomowoc, Wi, May 9, 2015:

Your Managed Print Services Association has asked former MPSA President and current MPSA Board of Director, Greg Walters,  to lead the charge in redefining Managed Print Services.  Greg will be forming a Blue Ribbon task force of MPSA members to collaborate in this effort.

"The time has come to once again press the boundaries," said Walters. “We're stuck in the past if we allow copiers, printers and marks on paper to define us. They do not. Everything the association takes action on supports our definition of the market. As the only, independent, free-thinking, non-profit association in our niche, it is our responsibility to lead into new and dangerous frontiers.”

Greg is issuing a "call to arms" for all MPSA members interested in directing the future of the association, to volunteer and become part of the coterie.

Reach out to him at greg@grwalters.com.

"It's pretty simple.  Everything the association takes action on, supports our definition.  That's just it.  It is OUR definition of the market.  As the only, independent, free-thinking, non-profit association in our niche, it is our responsibility to lead into new and dangerous frontiers.  Join us,"  adds Greg.

About the Managed Print Services Association

Founded in 2009, the MPSA is a global, non-profit organization that provides independent communications, collaboration, education, standards and success MPS professionals. The mission of the MPSA and its members is to address and optimize business’ office document management while enhancing the growth, efficiency, and profitability of the MPS segment through advocacy, marketing, education, research, standards and a general community of interest.


About Greg Walters

Greg Walters is an entrepreneur and founder of the notorious destination site, TheDeathOfTheCopier where he comments on all things imaging, the rise of managed services and the advance of business technology. A prolific writer and frequent speaker, Greg shares his passionate, unique—and provocative—view of technology and people addressing the digital impact on 21st century business, the new way of work and society. His book, Death Of The Copier, published in 2014, offers a controversial summary of the early days managed print services and the not so distant future of the hard copy industry. Greg is currently with a regional VAR, building an MPS practice within the IT Lifecycle model. He lives in Oconomowoc, Wi.

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ITEX 2015: "Mount Gay"

The best conversations occur after the show, around a bar, cold, adult beverage in hand.  This year, the drink of choice, pour moi, was the historic Mojito.

The best Mojito's were made with Mount Gay rum - and yes, when ordering, "Mount Gay" should be said with gusto.  Mucho Gusto, my friend.

"I may not always drink rum, but when I do, its Mount Gay..." - B.R.

What copier-goodness conversations flowed as we climbed Mount Gay?

Plenty.

Print servers -
I've been ringing this bell for a while now:  Mps should include all the devices and process involved with moving information within and between organizations regardless of medium.

Print servers have long been the bane of many IT Directors - so why don't we help them control, managed and optimize their print server fleet?

I know a great company that has a very lucrative dealer program.  Contact me and I will get you connected.

Decreasing toner sales, cores and companies -  Dive a million dumpsters and you'll surface empty handed.  Cores are hard to find.  Are you surprised or simply choosing to ignore another sign?

True to every other evaporating industry, consolidation of the largest players foretell the end. That's what we talked about - the big toner remans getting together, colliding cultures, marketing talk tracks and managed print services programs.  Big Bang.

The passing of an niche - 
Around the bar, we all agreed that managed print services as it was and as it once was to be, is dead. The reasons are too many but paramount in its demise are the OEMs and their disingenuous talk tracks about savings and optimization.

We all see customers reducing the number of devices, both A3 and A4, as more optimize 'in-house' without manufactures.

As Itex 2015 fades in the rearview, I think the lesson taken home is more about smaller, focused, dealerships than big, broad, hardware mass marketing.

To be celebrated, not feared.

"Terminus MPS"

Originally posted on The Imaging Channel, here.

Managed print services as they once were have been replaced by dead programs. More than that — walking dead programs.

Zombies.

Barely detectable, cannibalistic programs crept into organizations of all sizes promising impossible cost reductions and spreading the commoditization of services. The establishment, in unfamiliar territory, created a false sanctuary and moved toward small-footprint, multifunction laser printers. Some returned to liquid toner, hoping to shake those pesky cartridge re-animators while others implemented subscription-based schemes.

Some stayed the course selling copiers.

Surprised? You shouldn’t be. The signs were there for all to see:

The OEMs cared more about shelf space and equipment quotas
And we let them.
The pundits didn't need anything more than “butts in seats”
And we let them.
The sales managers and owners, quick to lament their failures in MPS blame everybody but themselves.
And we let them.

Today, walking dead MPS programs outnumber us and, like the make-believe TV zombies, these offerings are melting away with every storm, shrinking in form and numbers like virgin cores.  It is messy.

In spite of this, there will be no mourning, no heartfelt regret. Things are as they should be. The world moves — terminus MPS is no surprise. We’re presented with the opportunity to find a new pivot point and, unlike the monochrome to color or analog to digital shift, I look forward to the idea of a bigger move.

Consider three mindshifts:

Everything as a service — THINK

This is difficult; changing your mindset always is. Step out of your current business and look at your service model. Look through a different lens away from the product and more on the service. Moving away from expecting monthly unit deliveries is a perspective that must change more than ever before. Think about the possibilities when all things connected can be monitored — how much for services when charging a fee for every act, or provision?

Redefine your OEM relationship, find new partners - NO HARDWARE

For decades you’ve driven business to fulfill your equipment quotas, supporting your OEM of choice — they’ve demanded you continue down this path, leading you along with volume discounts and rebates. Once upon a time, this was supportive. Today, quotas are chains

Forget adjacent industries, go for the contrarian - LUXURY SUBMERSIBLES

Water and coffee services, managed services, managed print services and making copiers isn’t even enough. The bold move is one away from the industry, and parts of the model. Why not monitor a client’s entire power grid or manufacturing floor? How about aiming your expensive NOC at every device with an IP? What is the difference between connected copiers and connected lightbulbs, HVAC, coffee makers, security systems, oil rigs, beer taps, automobiles, or 3D printers?

A challenging idea, wouldn’t you agree? Take heart, dear reader, the greater the challenge, the greater the rewards and no other industry is up to the task more than we. Here is a quick SWOT analysis of our position and why we can do this:

S — OUR STRENGTH

Over the years we’ve moved from down-the-street cold calling to boardroom presentations; from cash transactions to service embedded into leases. Looking back, we’ve always gone through a transformation of sorts. The transformation most of the world is currently working, we’ve already been through — from the box to the C-suite. We adopt

W — OUR WEAKNESS

We have fast-moving sales cycles (30 day), heavy overhead, reliance on OEM technology and market drivers.

O — OUR OPPORTUNITY

New markets, new services. The panacea of repeatable, predictable revenue is visible and the best way to build a sustainable service model is not on machines delivered.

T — THE THREAT

OEMs acting even more isolationist, ignoring the indirect channel. Lower-priced devices carrying less margin and technology, attracting business culture away from print.

When we first connected with our MIF (machines in the field) we didn’t know it, but we were the part of the Internet of everything vanguard. We’ve been selling and talking remote monitoring, proactive delivery and business solutions for decades — selling business solutions isn’t in our wheelhouse, it IS our wheelhouse.

The world is pressuring us into becoming part of the horde. Choose to be big, bold, brash and shocking or dissolve away with the walking cadavers. MPS may be a zombie, but you’re not.

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A prolific writer, frequent speaker, and hyper-charged freelancer, Greg Walters shares his passionate, unique and provocative view on technology, addressing the digital impact on 21st century business and the new way of work and society. His book, Death of the Copier, published in 2014, offers a controversial summary of the early days managed print services and the not-so-distant future of the hard-copy industry. For four years, he was part of and then rebuilt a managed print services practice inside a West Coast VAR/MSP. Over the last three years he has been assisting companies with optimizing their IT portfolio of services, analyzing information workflow and processes, building self-supporting MpS programs inside IT departments and creating and implementing print policies for medium to large businesses. His company, Greg Walters Inc., is a bold consulting and content creation firm helping companies optimize processes and communicate their stories. Contact him at greg@grwalters.com




Click to email me.

MPS AND WORLD DOMINATION - Nathan Dube

In a turbulent world, those most familiar with limitless horizons - far from shore - thrive.

So it is with our niche - the waves of transformation are swelling again and visionaries, the "crazies" are seeing the world through the MPS lens - the MPS of yesterday, when sirens called and Pirates sailed the edge.

Nathan is one such person - a rogue of sorts, in the good way and he comes to us with a tome of international drama, intrigue and managed print services.

MPS is many things if not a metaphor.

The original post is here.  Enjoy...

Monday, January 12, 2015 - Adventures in Office Imaging

Nathan Dube

It has been a long time since I have had any desire or perhaps any reason to write about MPS.  For a long time, I have felt that talking about the subject is beyond the dead horse.

I have always believed there are those who do it right and those who do it wrong. That it is essentially simple. For months now I have not chimed in about this industry or the players within it and for the most part, I had no intentions of doing so.

In light of reflecting on the past year, this has changed.

"I can not ignore the fact that chaos is breaking out across political, military and social dynamics in many of the worlds super powers and smaller countries alike. Terrorist attacks and the horrors of gun related tragedy are commonly found in the headlines of both mainstream and alternative news networks daily content."

The world is burning...

So what does this all have to do with managed print services?

Control and dominance.

As MPS evolves, the enterprise level players push BPO, print volume caps, excessive monitoring and auditing and various other dynamics on end users so that the share holders and CEOs of massive corporations can squeeze every last cent out of a previously ignored element of the companies expenditures.

While this is not always the case nor is it always done with an iron fist, I can not help but to notice how some of these tactics have a very "police state" feel to them. Treating end-users like commodities that can be regulated like products tends to create a tense work environment.

I for one have quoted a few software's that allow end users weekly printing volumes to be capped or limited to monochrome only. When I quote such a product I ask the decision maker how comfortable they will be as the point of contact to the angered and frustrated end users who's jobs have been complicated by their actions. This always tends to prevent a purchase of said software because all the clients who asked for the quote quickly back pedal after this question is asked.

"Treating end-users like commodities that can be regulated like products tends to create a tense work environment."

As an MPS provider who's foundation is built upon high quality re-manufactured toner cartridges, my company's CPC rates are enough to save large accounts thousands of dollars. These elements that create a dictator out of a CEO or VP of IT tend to strike the heart of my clients and so far, none have gone so far as to place these restrictions on their end users but I wonder about the enterprise accounts of some of the OEMs...

It is clear that large corporations are largely in control of various elements of the united states government and that money above all else (including people) is the driving force for these problems. It is the same force that leads the hand of men and women in powerful positions of corporations who would become the gestapo of the printing environment in their company.

Now don't get me wrong, I understand that end users occasional printing of full color photos of their kids birthday to post in their cubicle, coupons, emails, etc. is something that should be brought under some control...

That being said, I personally think a company wide proclamation from the president via email (or other form of communication) to the employee base as a whole where an emphasis on environmental sustainability and financial effect is made known, would be more effective and less likely to cause strife.

Some may think these ideas are extreme and that it is nonsense to assume this is happening on any level of concern what so ever. This is not what I have found...

What I have learned from watching humanity from my perspective as a human being is that once a tendency for a dynamic is enacted in one part of a system, you can expect the same dynamic to appear else-ware. Now, should the motivation of that dynamic be the all mighty dollar, you will most certainly find that dynamic spreading across the system as a whole should the decision maker in charge of said system be primarily concerned with profit over all else.

The managed print industry has been a catalyst for many things, I am under the opinion that it can be used as lens to view the world.

"What I have learned from watching humanity from my perspective as a human being is that once a tendency for a dynamic is enacted in one part of a system, you can expect the same dynamic to appear else-ware." 

From where I sit I will say this, if the elite of both the world and the MPS industry take control of the majority of either...

We are all f!$&ed.

This is why I would implore customers more than ever to do business with small providers as much as possible. Choose the local companies who care more about people than pennies. Support small business even if it must be multiple small businesses to cover your fleet across states or countries. Even if it means some logistical challenges.

At the end of the day if all your saving is money, your not really saving anything. In this respect, I would suggest a revolution in dividing the MPS market across smaller providers rather than consolidating them through larger corporations.

There is enough opportunity for everyone and there needs to be change in the system otherwise it will collapse.

In closing I will repeat my sentiment.

MPS can be used as a lens, what do you see when you look through it?

Click to email me.

Three Tips on Moving From Transactional to Value Add

My niece, Ft. Meyers, FL. Greg Walters, Director.

Moving from transactional to value-add, isn't all that impressive, but it is a start.  Also, for some business models, transactional selling is perfect - think paperclips, pencils and lightbulbs.

"Value Add" is not that much more evolved than "Transactional.  In the beginning, "value-add"  referred to adding services for 'free'.  The theory at the time was that the gross profit in each equipment sale was healthy enough to support the costs involved with adding value.

It starts with you, three things:

Try to forget about price, just for a second
This is difficult, but disconnecting from the price is your first move.

Don't tell your prospect you want to be more of a value add, trusted advisor, partner.  
They've heard it all before, show through action.

Consider moving to a different level of contact
Another challenging aspect, if you've been speaking with a decision maker whose only criteria is price and delivery (the first column), shifting to a different influencer is risky - but necessary.

If you'd like to learn how to move around the spectrum, email me at greg@grwalters.com.

Reflect upon your movement along the spectrum while enjoying some old-skool, sweet jams from Blackstreet, "No Diggity".

Five To Do's for a Successful Year

It is the first week of the year and you're going to hear a lot about business plans, forecasts, funnel management, and quotas.  Thousands of time-saving, productivity enhancing, sales coaching, articles flow through the digital rivers of the internet - nauseating in its volume.

I ask you, how are you, personally, forging ahead in the new year?   Will you be part of another's plan or will you set the agenda?

My advice is simple - nod your head to whatever your manager says, tuck the dogma away, get alone and do the following five things:

1.  Download and print the chart below

The chart was developed to illuminate intent between clients and vendors. It works on a personal basis as well.

2.  Find your personal position on the chart

Trust yourself enough to be completely honest.  There is NO WRONG position. Think about the past year; did you add value beyond delivery and price?

3.  Find your employer's position

Step back and consider your organization's sales over the past 12 months. Did you see lots of devices delivered yet a handful of software implementations?  Are your equipment quota's higher than services?  Do you lead with the latest and greatest or solve real business problems?  Do you often hear your manager say, "That price is not competitive, bury the profit in the service, bundle installation into the lease..."?

4.  Where do your best client implementations fall on the chart?

Now consider your client base.  Did you sell machines or provide answers? Were most of your deals price-driven?  Did they begin and end with a purchasing agent?

5.  Look at the gaps and imagine moving into a more desirable position in 2015.  What will it take?

Although there is no wrong position, if for example, your prospect is looking for a 'Specialized' relationship and your company only provides 'Transactional' services, your relationship is not sustainable.

By the same token, if your personal position is in 'Specialized' but your employer falls comfortably in the 'Transactional' column, you may have some issues to work out.

If your clients are all in 'Transactional' yet you want to get to the 'Specialized' area, what can you do to elevate the conversation?

This is a simple beginning to personal success - we can get deep on both the provider and client-side of the spectrum.  The devil is in how your customers perceive your offering relevant to how they think of themselves; do you two match?

I'd love to discuss with you how to best use this tool.  It's been effective for providers and end-users alike.

For now, hang your chart in your cube, office, or dashboard.  Embed it into your pre-call planning or (god forbid) your pitchbook - heck, make it your wallpaper.

But make sure to take a pic and email it to me.  The most interesting one will get a Starbucks card on me.

Cheers!

Reach out to me: greg@grwalters.com and enjoy this sweet jam: