Managed Print Services, Defined - DeathOfTheCopier Style

Two Decades in the making.

Managed Print Services, defined, has been an elusive seductress.

Trivial? No.

The crossing of swords, the arguments between Old Guard and Young Turk represent nothing less then a War for the Soul of an industry, our niche.

Consider this, manufacturing titans Xerox, HP, Canon, Ricoh, etc., need to, no, require, that THEY define MPS.

This definition, of course, to be in their likeness. It's called shaping the battlefield. It's survival.

There are literally billions of revenue and profit riding on this little rift. And the Big Boys are dumping millions of dollars, pounds, rupees and euro's into marketing, "research", and enterprise channel development.

Blogs disguised as industry forums.

Corporate sponsorship cloaked in dubious research studies and quadrant placements.

Press releases created in the marketing department, cut and pasted and presented as journalism, news.

"How To" classes and con-calls hosted by puppets, regurgitating the corporate playbook to a willing horde of minions.

There are two camps - one looking to the future, the other living in the past.

And here we are, you and I, stuck in the middle again.


Looking back at all the "defining moments" in MPS; the "Three Stages", the "Hybrid" approach, presented first by Photizo, then hijacked by old skool - all the manufacturer MPS programs, all the toner re-mans, service companies, computer VARs and BTA guys, they/we all have our own idea of what MPS is, our spin, our reality.

Failure appears to follow those who search outward for advice, before looking deeply into themselves - Know Thy Self.

So, here we go, the definition of Managed Print Services -

Let's start with GARTNER -

“the ability for the service provider to take primary responsibility for meeting the customer’s office printing needs, including the printing equipment, the supplies, the service and the overall management of the printer fleet."

Three mentions and variations of the word "print". Yuk, but at least the writer takes a stand.

And how about a word from Xerox:

"...MPS is an I.T.-based services offering that is enabled by technology; both Xerox and non-Xerox technology. Clients make decisions on services offerings based on credibility of the team they are working with, and the trust they can put in one firm over the other to deliver the desired results. Our people continue to shine in this competition because of their dedication, commitment and constant desire to learn and grow..."

Interesting, notice how Xerox, the traditional, mother of all document companies, refers to MPS as "an I.T. -based services..." everything else that follows is fluff and marketing.

And the Wall Street Journal

"..."managed print services," a variety of outsourcing in which the vendor takes control of the customer's production of office documents, typically owning the machines, advising on how to use them, and taking a per-page charge..."

Nice attempt; "outsourcing", "vendor", "documents", "owning the machines" - good lord, how many pigeon holes can one fit into?

Evolution Towards Defining: The DOTC MPS Ecosystem

Taped on a wall, right here next to my desk, is an 11x17 sheet of paper covered from end to end to end, with hand written ellipses, squares and arrows - my diagram of the Managed Print Services Ecosystem. (ok, how much of a MPS geek am I? ...sad really, isn't it...)

This sketch illustrates everything MPS involves and touches - and is still incomplete.

I know a more accurate and inclusive illustration requires that we don our "help me Obi Wan, you're my only hope...", 3D glasses, elevating this 2 dimensional model into the spatial, X-Y-Z Axis world.

We could then visualize The Ecosystem, The MPS Ecosystem from all angles.

Two more things - this 3D model is not static, all the parts in there are moving. And the MPS Ecosystem is always expanding, creating new worlds, destroying others.

Are you still with me or have you been amazed and stupefied? Hang on, take another sip of Jack - let's continue...

As I look at this sketch and imagine it's 3-dimensional cousin, two things dawn on me:

1 - this "MPS thing" is difficult
2 - there is no way to define it

uh-oh, what?

Indefinable. Shapeless. Amorphous.

Everything that ever was in office automation and everything that ever will be - That's MPS and it's only a DESCRIPTION.

It is my contention that all attempts at defining MPS amounts to nothing more than narrative and descriptive around how MPS works and what it does.

MPS can only be described, MPS CAN NOT BE defined.

Like the face of God, an attempt to define, to comprehend, leads to grey hair and madness. God cannot be defined. Only the results of His will can be described, remotely understood.

Managed Print Services, simply, Is.
-----------------------------------------

Anti climatic? Yes.

Liberating? Should be.

Happy New Year.

More on description vs. definition, here.

Things I Learned at the Asia Pacific, Managed Print Services Conference in Sydney: There Is an Unifying Theory

11/2011

What a week. First, I drove from LAX to Charlotte, NC.

After a two day rest, off to Sydney.

My flight went up to Detroit, hometown, back out to LAX, nicest night time approach view around, then out to Sydney - 14 hours away.

On a plane Friday and landing Sunday morning without knowing what time it was, let alone what day ...where in the hell did Saturday go?

That night, I hit the sheets at 6:00PM, local and slept until 6:00AM, local.

Again, what the hell?

Monday morning, sipping coffee from a way too small cup, on a saucer no less, I found myself standing in a sea of grey pinstripes - this sure wasn't LA, St. Louis, Seattle, New York, Orlando or Vegas.  This was Sydney. 14 hours, two hemispheres and one international date-line away.

Oh what fun was to be had, Down Under...

As with all conferences, the first presentation covers the basics: thanks for coming, the rest rooms are over there, we hope you get one good thing out of the next few days and here is our first keynote speaker.

It was a tough crowd for Dom as he took us along the innovation path explaining how the successes of our past can hold us back, chaining us to the old ways.

I got the jokes. But the audience was a bit cold, reserved, dubious.

This changed as one table shot out many different responses to one of his questions. That's when I knew this was going to a very good conference.



First Golden Nugget? - MpS is Universally Spoken

That's right. There is little difference between how MpS is defined down under versus here in the States or North America.

All the challenges we have experienced here, they have down there. Commission structure, toner delivery, cartridge based or CPI invoicing, DCA installations, OEM relationships, "what is MpS" questions...all of it.

Interestingly enough, the S1/S2 successes run parallel to the US and the more advanced firms are expanding into Managed Services.  But they aren't looking to "rip and replace" servers - jus sayin...

I may have expected the A/P MpS'rs would be slightly behind the U.S. on the adoption curve, but they aren't.

There is a unique set of issues, the old copier models still hang on, but the attitude, the 'can do' attitude is prevalent - palpable.  And that was refreshing.  Bold.

The best kind of Zag.

Second Nugget - MpS is open and clear

Wide open.  The players in A/P are hitting everything in sight.  From government to commercial to Education - not unusual, right?  What I got out of their exuberance was a wide eyed wonder not only geared at seeing the huge pool of prospects, but also in the wide array of MpS subjects they would talk about.  Not just toner but networks, documents, storage, workflow and business process. All this under MpS!  No really, it's true.

From the inside out, making it up as they go, not worrying about benchmarks(too much) or best practices(not too much) or their ego.

I did not hear one complaint about OEM toner pricing being too high, or any whining about how OEM so and so is encroaching into SMB.

Hard work gets results, complaining doesn't.

I have attended each North American MPS Conferences so meeting people with different definitions of MpS, infrastructure, pricing and OEM partnerships is common - from Cali to NYC, we are diverse.

There are sectors of the MpS Ecosystem inhabited by those consider themselves above the rest, better, erudite in manner - born into their position.

We all know them; the stuck up consultant, the know-it-all copier dealer, the old-skool, old-man, collector and seller of souls - destroyers of innovation.

None of that here.

Clear.  They can see a carpetbagger coming a continent away.

Another cool Zig.

Third Nugget - Even the OEMs are Runin' and Gunnin', in the Wild, Wild West...

There was a time, not long ago, when I would compare the MpS Ecosystem to the "Wild, Wild, West of Imaging" - no rules, no sheriffs, and lots of Gold. We were ALL making it up as we went.

Those days seem to be gone as the OEMs clearly define MpS as Stage One and Two, leveraged to land more equipment.

They are bringing out all sorts of heartless paraphernalia: Toner portals, shrink wrapped MpS, nameless service networks,  automatic proposal generators, MpS "Agent Fee's".

Controlled. Stifled. Boring.

But not in A/P.  I was fortunate enough to share time with Fuji/Xerox, HP, and Canon MDS folks. Each for about an hour.  What struck me was the absolute willingness to get things done by working the market not their system.  Sure, they want to land more gear, but the MpS ideas and philosophy are truly geared around a vision that works up to Stage 3/4 - they don't stop at toner and service.

There are all building teams from scratch, they are all putting together deals and infrastructure programs from scratch.

And they are flexible.  That's right, I just referred to 3 of the big OEM's as "flexible" and I could easily say, "out of the box".  Smack me in the forehead and call me dumbfounded.

What a Zag this is.

Don't...friggin...ask...

The Big Take Away - Remember to Let Go

Again, we talked about how the successes of the past can hold us back.  I mentioned how now is the time to really look at the world sideways, to be open to new partnerships.  New business models, new employment paradigms and different personal archetype for success.

I pontificated on how now is the time when power is shifting away from the big, centrally controlled entities and down to us, the folks in the trenches.

How this point in history is that unique time when technology truly allows us to control our own destinies - that is if we recognize how the "good ole days" can shackle us to the past.

To move forward, we need to let go the past.  Before we let go, we must first remember.

And that's what Australia did for me.  The people, the vibe, the way, reminded me of our past. Our MpS past.

If you can remember, now is the time to let it go, let go of our MpS past, step over the Edge and into a  future with less toner.



Click to email me.

Managed Print Services: The 2011 Rising Stars, Constellation 2

Last autumn, we published the very first DOTC MpS Rising Stars: Constellation 1.

A collection of interesting MpS players who brought something good to the Ecosystem.

I chose individuals or companies who in my opinion, contributed to the MpS cause in a positive manner. For instance, last year, Constellation 1 included MT Business Technologies, Ken Stewart, Robert Newry, and Photizo.

So how did these stars fare over the past 12 months?

Ken Stewart, as Senior Consultant with Photizo, is helping build audacious projects global in scope and transformative in results.

Robert Newry/Newfield IT - Being purchased by Xerox sure has its financial benefits. The doubters and old -skool sayers of nay, express how X will stifle the free expression of ideas. Yet, Robert continues to promote the art of assessments for 8everyone, for all in the MpS ecosystem.

Photizo's - Ed and the Gang's reputation continues to grow, around the globe, as THE MpS consultancy. They are moving from a consultancy to a transformation company.

MT Business Technologies - Still plugging along, slugging it out in the trenches and barnyards of MpS/SmB in the state that starts with an "O" and ends with an "O".

Who will make it this year, and where will the be 12 months from now?

Intriguing.

I introduce to you, Constellation 2 - The Rising MpS Stars of 2011.

The Stages of Managed Print Services, 2007. The Model Still Works.

Back in the olden days, 2007 or so, I came up with three stages of managed print services.  This model was designed for my MPS practice, not necessarily for the industry, and I used it to help explain the MpS procedure to clients and co-workers.  In less than five minutes, the prospect had a basic idea of the stages, procedures, and expectations of our program.

As time went by, every OEM, MPS dealership, and software provider had their version of the MpS process. 

HP had a similar idea but the one from Photizo matched and improved upon my vision of the stages.  Photizo even came up with a more detailed approach reaching into a Fourth stage.

I'm not saying this is the ONLY managed print services model, it was mine.  There are just as many MPS models as there are definitions. All of them are good, each has shortcomings.

Ideally, I was trying to design a process that could be applied to more that managed print services like workflow solutions and business process optimization.  I figured every opportunity can be broken down into three stages, Control, Optimize, Enhance.

That makes sense, right?

Unfortunately, many of the models ended up being pure marketing as deliverables rarely matched the original plan.  Like most innovations in the industry, we first argue “it will never work for me…” then jump on the bandwagon. We then focus on price, commoditize the service into a box and accelerate the race to the bottom, dumbing down the concept and cutting pricing.

MPS became little more than automatic supplies delivery and on-site service, billed per usage.  Managed print services devolved into “managed toner delivery, at the lowest price…”

Regardless, today the industry seeks out pivot points with many players getting into managed services - something I've been a proponent of for a decade.

Naturally, because I was building an MPS practice inside a VAR, I was looking for a way to ease copier dealers into the IT realm, to include IT salespeople in the MPS equation, and fold managing output devices, business processes, and IT assets in one agreement. 

MpS deserved a screen in the N.O.C. Managed services was the future and MPS was the way to get there. 

The MPS Model.

DOTC's ReCharger2010 Pre-Show Review: Who To See

January 1, 2010, I was given the honor of trying to pull a messed up, terribly run, unprofitable MPS Practice out of the fire - Operation Phoenix.

It is true that I have been involved, writing about, evaluating, talking, being sold and advised on all things MPS. Not only therotically, but in practice.

What I know about MPS is both utilized and enhanced by my "day job" - I talk the talk, and sell the dream.

There is nothing anybody can say to me now, that I haven't heard or recognized about MPS.

For example, I could go back to articles I created almost two years ago, and repost as new, the content is still, if not more, relevant today.

Since the show in May, I have been inundated with many vendor programs, MPS software, assessment training and "How to" webinars/seminars, they are starting to look alike - not just because of plagiarism.

I think I may be the only person in the world who has seen under the hood of both Canon and Ricoh's MDS programs; evaluated PrintAudit, FMAudit, and PrintFleet - two and three times over the past 3 years and utilize some of the best HP tools ever created.

I have witnessed PagePack evolve from version 1.0 to 3.0(there never was a PPack 2.0). I know the difference between Cabon 6 and Axess; CompTIA and Your MPSA - I remember when Great America was simply a "leasing company" and barrister meant "lawyer".

I am on Managed Print Services 'overload'.

Enter, Recharger 2010, next week in Vegas.

For me, what could be better? Vegas, a scant four hour drive, and Managed Print Services - booze, pole dancing BlackJack and output Geeks - Nirvana.

Next week, during the show, I will be out of cell range, off the grid. No laptop, no phone and barely any GPS and no MPS.

Into the Sierra Nevada's - almost 100 miles of 4x4 only trails behind me.

But - I can't leave without a few words regarding the 2010 Recharger Expo.

The End Of MPS, The Beginning of MpS

Recent market data for the global hardcopy peripherals (HCP) market saw a 10.6 percent yearly decline, though MPS growth has continued across the world. HP shows an 18.6% decline in unit shipments, Y/Y. - IDC, 2016

It doesn't need to be said, does it? The office environment has been moving away from print for the past decade. I know it, the OEMs know it, and in your heart, you know it too.

Managed print services is a trailing indicator, 'growth' is a statistic anomaly - expanding in a shrinking pool - there are no new clicks.

You want to survive and thrive in the technology industry. It's easier to sell copiers and implement a managed print services practice than it is to bring a managed services practice but the IT world represents growth and opportunity.

What should you do?

"...Come With Me Now..."

Years ago, I preached the coming of managed print services as the wave of the future.

Then, I saw managed print services as an on-ramp to business process/workflow optimization, teaching simple, workflow analysis embedded in the standard assessment.

Next, evangelizing managed services as the new frontier for copier/printer providers, I recommended third-parties like Collabrance and Continuum.

Today, I've come full circle and looking at managed print services basics. The tools I've seen, and I've seen or worked with almost all of them - are impressive.

Here are some of my observations:

1. Heavy - cumbersome to use, demand time from MpS practitioner
2. Print-data, intense - print only, some end-user, but no outside asset data
3. Sales static - the 'map' and client data remain in the sales silo, or not easily transportable into contracts or service
4. The Tool 'does the thinking for you' - plug the data in and out comes a current and recommended state in a 300 page Word doc

I see lots of TCO tools, column reports, graphs, and dashboards and I think we can do better. I'm looking at how I conduct assessments and the tools I would use in the field. Additionally, I'm taking a holistic view - I'd like to know how the fleet is performing in terms of service calls and profitability. 

Finally, I'd like to be in a position to offer my clients an engagement that includes ANY asset type.

With this in mind, we've designed a tool that:

1. Collects data from multiple databases: DCA, service desk, dispatch, accounting system
2. Helps you easily conduct assessments and present mapped proposals
3. Enables you to create, and doesn't do the thinking for you

Point #1
Real management software displays ANY asset; printers, copiers, desktops, laptops, phones, projectors, oxygen bottles. But more impactful, is our ability to draw together related, yet disconnected data. For instance, we show the number of service calls placed on an asset, the install date, the number of toners delivered, revenue and profit generated; for the universal MIF, client fleet, or individual asset.

The solution must work within your managed print services ecosystem - the 'map' not only supports new sales, but integrates through sales to service to management to ownership; salespeople engage and asses, service utilizes mapping, and management looks into real-time financial information with the tap of a screen.

Point #2
With or without a DCA/Thumb drive, a practitioner conducts interviews and records findings. Manual entry of device data(manufacturer, model, volumes, etc.) is achieved through the use of the onboard survey tool. Machine data files may be uploaded or directly integrated, but is not necessary.

Point #3
Some existing systems deliver everything from a prospect's total cost of operation to a final proposal in Word leaving the "specialist" with nothing more to do than email the proposal or deliver pie.


I cannot tell you how often I’m asked for an ‘assessment’ or ‘mps contract’ sample. I’ve conducted assessments on paper, laptops, and in my head but I still use a basic outline of questions. 

“We interviewed 25 employees and 62% of them responded that service calls are not being completed within 72 hours. 87% felt ordering toner required three to four hours to complete.” 

Atlas - MpS. Assessment Logic*
We’ve incorporated a survey function that can be administered for each asset. In the case of a non-integrated - no DCA software - simple machine data collected on one screen. This isn't a data dump, the questions included collect relevant information you need to create a compelling proposal. I’ve also included basic workflow questions and sales related queries.

Once the survey is completed, the data is attached to that specific asset - the answers can be used as analysis. For instance, “We interviewed 25 employees and 62% of them responded that service calls are not being completed within 72 hours. 87% felt ordering toner required three to four hours to complete.” could be one of your compelling arguments for change.

Atlas - MpS. Contract Completion*
The sales and service teams rarely communicate but an integral part of a great customer experience is the effortless transition from proposing to implementing. One important issue is to correctly communicate data proposed, like existing device serial numbers, location, point of contact, beginning meter reads, CPI, etc. The information is captured during the assessment and proposal stage - why not simply populate a .PDF of your engagement?

Why not have the digital version of your contract available for signature immediately after the presentation? Atlas - Mps has this capability to complete your contract. Print it if you like, or have your client digitally sign right then and there. Email the completed form to your contracts department and have the account set up before you get back to the office. Ring that bell.

Atlas - MpS. Print Policy Framework*
Ultimately, a fully engaged, high level managed print services engagement results in a Print Policy.
Atlas - MpS, will create the blank Print Policy template and present data to support the generation of content.

Once the print policy is in place, Atlas - MpS helps you managed the engagement against the goals set forth in the policy. The information is real time, specific data points are monitored and statused as either “in or out of policy”.

No more quarterly reviews - review the fleet and goals of the program at any time.

One More thing…

Atlas is adept at integrating disparate databases and managing IT assets. Once you begin to utilize Atlas - MpS, the door opens into the IT realm. We’re not suggesting you invest in a data center, or engage with a third party to provide help desk, end-point monitoring services. We suggest talking with your IT contacts about “Asset Lifecycle Management”. You help track their IT assets, manage technology upgrades and equipment refresh with Atlas all for a monthly subscription. We can help you.

Atlas - MpS is different, simple and dynamic, helping managed print practitioners solidify their position in imaging, while opening opportunities outside of print.

Find Your Way.

Reach out to me. greg@asset-atlas.com

*Optional

iTEX 2012, The Heart of CopierVille is Still Beating

It ain't mobile print(last gasp of a dying niche) but which iTEX exhibitor might just get printing (not all of it) relevant again...?

It's no secret, iTEX has been taking it on the chin lately with bad venues, obvious 60-minute commercials camouflaged as Power Hours, and empty-headed booth-drones claiming to have been in MpS for 25 years.

Heck, some of the presentations were given a stage worthy of side-show-Bob carnival barkers - "step right up, see the bearded lady..." where is my bamboo stick?

Well, at least somebody got new shoes and it was Vegas, right?

Just kidding - the show was a success.  A big success.

Those Who Stay, Will Be Champions

Without a doubt, hands down, shorter hours and everything, the show was a good time.  I saw business being conducted in the booths, everyone I talked with was not only positive, but most were also buoyant, almost - dare I say - giddy.

No, really.   People in this dying industry are smiling.

And do you know why?

The ones I spoke with are lined up perfectly to be survivors.   And this time, the power brokers are the agile, defiant, independents.  That's not to say the OEMs are eunuchs - well not all of them.  It just means that the role of the OEM is changing, transforming from a large, centrally based command and control center, to a more flexible responsive entity.

Well, one can dream.

We've all been there, "...whatever doesn't kill me, makes me stronger..." - the smart have utilized MpS, the quick are moving beyond marks on paper and the strong are forging their way without blaming anyone.

Staying the course, taking responsibility, and not wasting energy on bitching. The Heart, it still beats...

MpS whiners need not apply.

With the puffed-up and contrived angst around the "false promises of MpS" it was refreshing to find more than a few successful MpS providers.  Even though I understand and support the notion, I won't call them Hybrids.  I call them businesspeople.

It is my personal belief, that if you're a copier dealer and have half a brain, you can be successful with MpS.  Yes, I know, the two may be mutually exclusive (wait for it...wait...)

One reseller I spoke with explained how he analyzed the market, looked at his strengths, calculated a plan, articulated his MpS vision both internally and with his existing clients, and executed his plan.

Today, his revenue consists of around 47% MpS services.  He is satisfied with his progress, but moving forward, honing his value prop around his customers' needs, not those of his mainline, OEMs.  That's called customer-centric vs. OEM-centric. Huh.

Oh, and are you ready for this - he came from outside the industry, bought a dealership, and whipped it into shape, like a real business, raising both the bar and the curve.

And when things were tough, he didn't look around and ask, "...what happened to all those promises..."

Get Used To Disappointment

If I detected any displeasure, it was with the Power Hours(again).

You can't please everybody, all the time, and no matter which show I've been to, I hear people lament over the class/workshop/seminars.  The gripes typically go like this:

• "The content was too basic."
• "The content was too complex."
• "The guy tried to sell me his system."
• "We heard all that 6 years ago."
• "That session was nothing more than a rolling commercial, describing his product, not a process."
• "I walked out."

Now, just because these are common statements, it doesn't make them less valid.  Indeed, one of the MpS workshops I sat in really was a 60-minute commercial.  And I spoke with one person who walked out of TWO sessions because the content was "stale, dated and inaccurate". (not my words)

Ouch.

But this reaction was rare and presented by people I consider to be rather advanced in the art that is MpS.  The overwhelming majority of the people I asked said they enjoyed the show and came away with many 'golden nuggets'.

Well done, ITex/Questex. Well done.

ITex - Mirror, Mirror on the Wall, Who's the Fairest of them All...

With Lyra, Transform, World Ex, and other shows, you can count on seeing people from each organization working the rows, the booths, and speaking.  Charlie, Ed, and Patricia could be doing everything from hobnobbing with the elites to chasing down HDMI cables for the next presentation.

It's their show.

Not so with Questex - and that's okay.  Questex does not sell MpS.  Questex has never provided remote meter reads or automatic service dispatch; they don't know of or give a hoot about the three stages of MpS.

Again, that is okay.

Questex publishes trade magazines and manages events - and they do that well.

In a very real sense, Questex/ITex is simply a platform for us in the industry to display our wares, pontificate about ourselves, and generally show off.

But it doesn't end there.  ITex is just the name of the stage that Questex Media manages - what happens on that stage is not only our responsibility it is a reflection of who we are.

So last year, people reported the venue sucked and "nobody attended" - well, last year, our industry was sucking and nobody had a presence.

This year, the show was fantastic, attendees positive and upbeat, right now, the independents are cheerful and looking toward the future.  The show is reflecting the mood.

All the world's a stage - says the 'barb. 

For the life of me, I don't totally understand this joviality - every indicator is down with no rebound in sight.  The largest print OEM in the world is getting out of print and the next generation of end-users barely read off paper, let alone send print to it.

Be that as it may, I am as sick of the negativity as I am of the blatant "ignore that" mentality.

I say we rock.  Let's persevere or go down fighting.

Print can be relevant, again.

A week ago, if you told me the most impressive thing I would see at ITex was a piece of hardware I saw 4 years ago, I would have laughed.

And after I stopped laughing, had you mentioned to me that 'not only could this piece of hardware bring print back into the spotlight, it may even save mobile print' I woulda dropped you right where you stood.

Well, I stand corrected.  How so?

The goal is to make print easy, not available on every street corner for a price - what most mobility models miss is the cost to the end-user. Sure there is a laser printer down in the business center, but it takes longer and costs a dime a sheet.

What I witnessed could make over-charging customers for print, a thing of the past. I saw an MFP that is blazing fast at 60ppm, performing this speed at 5% or 100% coverage, black and white or color, full-bleed no less - it just didn't matter.

And cheap.  Four cents for color, penny B/W.  And cheap.  $700.00 cost.

As the pie of available prints shrinks, the big, centrally located, 11x17 copiers are too expensive, too loud, too slow, and too old-fashioned.

And they require a service agreement.

Also, today's printers are slow, expensive to feed, suck too much energy, and have left a bad taste in everyone's mouth.  The machines and their toner cartridges are fading yet not all the prints will go away, it's an example of the Long Tail.

So who will be there to print all those buggy-whip designs?  The lowest, almost disposable, devices, that's who.

Be careful what you wish for, you might just get it.

At those prices, $900.00 for a 60 page per minute, full color, printer, with very low operational cost, barely any moving parts - why would anybody ever want to purchase a service agreement?

And let's say,  just for giggles, each purchased unit included ink refills at half price.  Let's just say.

Why wouldn't every hotel on the planet have one of these?  Why wouldn't every Starbucks?  Hell, why wouldn't you have one to print Christmas pics right then and there for Grandpapa and Grandmama?

There you have it.  Mobile print everywhere and not a dime to show for it - no CPI, MpS, no margin or service calls.  Nadda, zip, zero.

Have a nice day.

The Belle of the Ball - Sindoh/MemJet

And there it was.  Sitting there unassuming.  Back in 2009, I saw the MemJet engine spitting out A4 color prints on some guy's couch in a hotel room somewhere.  It was cool and for the next 3 years we all waited for the 'real thing'.

Like a ghost, MemJet haunted the halls of Lyra and trade shows across the country.  We heard of desperate deals consummated with the devil - and still no device.

From San Diego to Sydney to Oklahoma City - the rumor mill and paper trail churned on.

It's real, not a wraith.  I saw it.  Touched it and even videotaped it working
Lawsuits aside, Sindoh the Korean concern utilizing MemJet in their machine has got a tiger by the tail on this one.

Stay tuned for more as I get more on them...

So in the End...

ITex 2012 is in the rearview.  MpS is all over the globe and the copier dealer is on the rebound.

Just when you think you're getting out, they pull you right back in...

Managed Print Services Conference 2010, The DOTC Take Aways: Impressive

After Glow, the next morning - bold cup of coffee, self-reflection, call and tell all your friends.

Here are my top of mind issues from content DURING the show.

Because, yes, I will present my top Take Aways from events that occurred AFTER 5:30 P.M. - did you know some poor guy fell off a hotel balcony while celebrating his birthday?

1. Ken Stewart fired "all the copier slugs" -

I am rough on copier peeps, because I once was one. Ok, well I am one, you can never really get out, once you're in. It's like the Mafia, which never existed, by the way.

I admire the "shock value"; you go Ken, I got Leopard spots with your name on 'em!

2. Lawton utilized Indiana Jones - the Leap of Faith

I knew this show was going to be much different when the conference opening video included clips of Obama, Clinton, AND Regan all around takes from Glen Gerry Glen Ross, Boiler Room and others.

Lawton's use of Indy to convey the SharePoint message during his pesentation was genius.

3. Know Thy Self

Samsung, Xerox, PrintAudit, NER, Great America, Nationwide Insurance, Bob Jones, Kearns, DOW - Managed Print Services CON'09: Oh, what a Time We Had..

5/2009

I have never seen a better, "home-made" crop circle tattoo - ever.

The first annual Managed Print Conference ended a bit ago, and although I have enough notes to choke a horse, I have been holding off writing about the meeting.

Waiting and looking for indications that what I saw, the conversations I had, the passion, or the lack of passion I observed, somehow could be found in my everyday MPS world.

The Conference did represent MPS Nirvana - but out here in the real world, it's different.

It's a world of competitors waving their little "dongles" around, jumping up and down spewing 5 year old Gartner facts and pitching MPS as "the hot new PRODUCT" - gag, upchuck the boogie...

So it takes some heavy Korn tracks TwistedTransistor, to name one, to dislodge my apathy and write - God help us all.

About the time of the Lyra conference in Palm Springs, the first time I met Ed and really started to get to know the folks from Photizo, the future of the Managed Print Conference was realistically in question. Indeed, just a few months later, at the beginning of ITex, questions were still lurking.

But all it took was a walk through the floor at ITex, to see MPS was everywhere and was the "new black".

That's when I knew the conference was not only going survive, but be a success.

Ed and I walked the show, shaking our heads in awe. The market was truly coming towards Managed Print Services - that is at least from the vendor side.

After Xerox stepped up as a Platinum sponsor, credibility grew as did the list of sponsors. Weekly, more and more firms jumped in - a larger room was soon needed for all the vendors.

Our work as judges for the first annual MPS Awards grew as well - page after page from nominated contestants arrived in my in box. There was a good deal of work that went into those 4 awards.

And as the big day grew closer, that anticipation increased. Ed even received his first "troll" attack on the MSP Mentor site; you know you're on the right track when someone tries to attack your credibility. As of today, the Troll has made no subsequent appearances.

The beginning of the conference went marvelously with introductions to new people and re-intro's to familiar faces.

The tone was set early.

As the group of attendees was not huge, around 174 people, it was easy to get to see and talk to many people. Not so many as to be overwhelming but more than enough to lend credibility to the MPS market as a growing and significant niche.

Make no mistake, if you were unable to attend, it's ok- MPS will be growing and there will be opportunities to get together with industry leaders again.

If you were there, you know.

Which brings me to a personal and at least for me, a very interesting observation.

I am sure that there have been times in your life when you belonged to a group of friends or an organization of sorts when it felt like you knew a cool secret - and that only you and the members of you group understood.

For me, it was Paintball and the society of "early adapters" within the sport. It was weird, but we all knew each other, even if we had never met, because we shared a common passion for a game, a sport, not many knew of and fewer even understood.

It is like a secret fraternity.

Well, I felt a tinge of the same, "wink and a nod" feeling.

Sitting in front of a pretty good sized crowd, especially for the end of a conference, and looking out at the faces looking at me and my colleagues, I could tell that this was a special moment in history.

Albeit a moment in MPS history - for whatever that's worth.

We all felt part of a collective, a group of people who understood something that some of our peers would never be able to truly "get" - because they weren't there.

Is it as good as hearing Bell say, "...Watson...I need you..." or watching 12 seconds of the Wright Brothers first 120 feet - no, it is not.

But still, it's something positive. Something created out of nothing - and that is usually a good thing.

I must tell you, the times were good.

Your Managed Print Services Association Announces In Europe...It's a Long Way from San Antonio -

Managed Print Services Association Launches New Member Services and Community Website Hub at MPS 2009 European Conference

Free trial membership lets users try new MPSA services Amsterdam, The Netherlands – October 22, 2009 –

The Managed Print Services Association (MPSA) announces a new suite of member services at the MPS 2009 European Conference in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Starting in December 2009, a free limited MPSA membership lets users try these services for several months at no cost.

Recognizing the importance of serving a global membership, the MPSA also announces it is accepting nominations for two new board member positions offered exclusively to international MPS providers. Detailed information about member services, board nominations and other topics is available at the new MPSA web site, http://www.yourMPSA.org.

“The Managed Print Services Association (MPSA) gets down to business at European MPS Conference, although some would say we’ve been doing that all along,” said MPSA Board President, Jim Fitzpatrick of Oki Data Americas, Inc. “Membership has grown quickly, leaping to 1,000 LinkedIn MPS group members in a very short time. Now just a few months after officially forming the association, MPSA is launching a series of tools and services for members. And these resources are only the start of what the MPSA can provide for our industry.”

“It’s only fitting that we launch these services at the fall MPS Europe conference. We started this association at the first Conference in Austin, based upon the demands of our industry. It’s been a breakneck pace, but the new board has really banded together to delivery what the MPS community is requesting,” said MPSA Secretary, Greg Walters of Death of the Copier.

New Tools and Services for MPSA Membership:

The MPSA is launching a special web portal for the MPS industry as a centralized source for not only information, but also a hub where providers can collaborate and communicate to increase their own knowledge and expertise. MPSA members can also volunteer on many of the projects underway by the MPSA to help shape the future of the industry.

Tools:

· MPS Discussion Forum: Designed to help communications and collaboration for anyone doing business within the MPS Industry.

· MPS Industry Awards: Members of the MPS community can submit significant accomplishments they have made within the MPS environment. These will be profiled monthly on the site, and an annual award will be given to the most significant entries across five different categories.

· MPS Industry Events Calendar: Accessible for all areas of the MPS community to add to and document industry events.

Services:

· First MPS Business Listing: This is a first -- anyone within the MPS Industry can list products, services and offerings.

· Industry Best Practices & Standards: A primary focus for the MPSA team, this will help establish the standards and best practices that ensure success.

Vendors, dealers and enterprises can find more information about the MPSA at http://www.yourMPSA.org.

Printing in the Age of AI: How Managed Print Services are Being Transformed

Don't be a printer fool, embrace the AI revolution

It shouldn't be any surprise, that remote working has impacted managed print services - although anecdotal reports say volumes have approached pre-fear-of-Covid levels, how the evolution of the office transpires will impact your MPS contract volume.

The supply chain is almost back to normal, and by some estimates, 60% of businesses are returning to the office.  Again, some data suggest different numbers.  

As the 'office' goes, so does the number of devices and print/copiers produced go - this was evident before 2020.

But now Artificial Intelligence is on the scene - eliminating job functions and if you look closely, when AI is asked to solve a business problem in workflow, the answer does not include the statement, "First print a hardcopy of my recommendations and make 500 copies."  

AI maximizes processes and as you know, the slowest function in any process is the function that involves hard copy output(print/copy) or input(fax/scan).  AI eliminates slow processes and print is the slowest, least efficient.

So what?

Well, we put together a quick reseach project and engaged the great AI in the sky to help illustrate the current environment of MPS and possible influences and outcomes.

Enjoy.

________

Greg's Top 12 of 2012 - The End of the World as We Know It...Well, not Really...

For you, dear reader, my personal top 12 for 2012.

A list of what I see happening in the coming year, for us, our industry, and our world.

In a moment of pure randomness, a stream of consciousness, my off-the-cuff opinion - feel free to disagree:

12. Content

Content is everything. And it grows.  Not simply printed content, Tweets, cable/digital TV, cellphone calls, dead-emails, texts, sexts, DropBox, utility bills - bumper stickers, ATM transactions: Everything.

And there is the DarkContent/DarkMatter - the "metadata" - the stuff we can't forget because we've never seen it. For example, if you are running FourSquare, your every step is recorded, not just the cute 'check-ins'.  Your movement is recorded and filed off into the great Rift that is DarkConent.  Same with your NetFlix orders and cable TV viewing patterns, your Visa spends, and the digital footprint that follows your every search, view, post, comment, and click.

All there, all Dark and unseen.  Collective.

The Age of Content is engaged, 2012 will reveal more.

11. Social Everything

Everybody is touching everyone, everywhere - Twitter is going to kill news collectors and email; and not a printer in sight.  DropBox/BoxNet makes sharing large, exchange-choking files a snap.  Tablets will be faster, . PDFs will download instantly(almost) and the screen will be the new 'paper'.

10. Less Copiers

That's right, less 11x17, less off the glass copying.  'Nuff said...

The Top Six Managed Print Services Organizations of 2012

Photizo, Supplies Network, Xerox, Great America, MWAi,  & Lyra 

Photizo - They get it right and have been there from the beginning.

Before Gartner ever considered an MPS Quadrant, Photizo was there.

Back then Gartner didn't give a lick.

IDC, didn't know MPS.

Back then, half of our "esteemed" instructors carpet bagged on dealer fear.

When the consultants of the day were espousing the similarity of  MpS to color and poo-pooing MpS as "just another marketing scheme..." Photizo tagged the name "Hybrid Dealer" - of course, they copied the phrase.

That's what Copiers Do.

While others were 'find and replacing' the word 'copier' for 'MPS', Photizo published the Three Adoption Stages of MpS.

And just as others enveloped those three into their MPS talk-track, Photizo added even more stages, resulting in the above chart.

They've gotten it.  They've been on it from day one.

Now some in our ecosystem confuse me with them, promoting me as a Photizo employee or worse, their hatchet-man.  Don't get me wrong, I have no problem being a GunSlinger, but I choose both my allies and my targets - nobody tells me where the Red Dot lands.

Truly, if back in the day anybody else was saying what Photizo was saying, I would acknowledge them as well.  

"...Sooner or later, One has to take sides, if one is to remain human..."

So we make our choices and we stick with the plan.  I chose Photizo because they've been right there on the same page as I, seeing the same things I have in the field from Genesis.  And sometimes, they make people uncomfortable - awe, poor baby...

One Has to Take Sides
The Quiet American — MOVIECLIPS.com

MPS InsightPro - I'm a Pro, You Should be Too...

There was a time when the only MPS information one could find, was is supplied by direct marketing firms with content referring to advertising print jobs.

Then, slowly, the trainers got involved, starting to pitch MPS as nothing more than CPC in different garb.  Releasing loosely disguised marketing pieces as white papers.

InfoTrends wasn't there.

Gartner, didn't care.

CompTIA was years away from getting in.

There was no PagePack, Twitter or FaceBook

Back then, if you 'googled' Managed Print Services, nothing came back.

But one day, a few returns started to populate the Google alert you set up for "Managed Print Services"(ok, I know I was the first one ever to do this, back in the day)

And somehow, a complete Managed Print Services article appeared.  The brainchild of some firm whose name you didn't know how to pronounce.

You 'googled' φωτίζω and saw the light.

"Managed Print Services" is dying. Let's Kill it Together...

5/9/2011

The 2011 Global MPS Conference is part of history.

I have a unique view of both the evolution of the show and our industry.

It goes a bit like this:

-Year One, 2009: What the hell is this thing called MPS?
-Year Two, 2010: I've made so many mistakes. How in the heck do we make the change?
-Year Three, 2011: Now what? There has got to be more.

So, as a proponent of MPS, as one of the first evangelists.  As a fully engaged, MPS Practice Manager.

As a  "thought leader", somebody who has spoken at each MPS Conference, sat on panels of experts, queried the titans, investigated every single MPS package, program, and type; as a dangerous, True Believer -

How can I possibly, in good faith, call for the destruction of Managed Print Services?

How?

Well, welcome back my friends to the show that never ends, step inside...

Lyra 2010 - The Rise Of Managed Print Services - Stage 3 and TheDeathOfTheCopier

Things are never going to be what they use to be.

I stopped in at the Lyra Symposium last week, in Palm Springs: The Road to Recovery.

The year is what it is so far, my schedule has been filled with activities associated with what I call, my "day job".

So, I was able to catch just one day, the day with all the MPS data and presentations.

I was present for 8 hours and can safely say, there were no copier reps in attendance; if by copier reps I mean folks who would be on the phone closing a single copier deal between sessions, which I do, there were none.

I also believe the majority of attendees may have sold face-to-face in the past, just not in the past 24 hours.

Be that as it may, the data presented by Lyra is priceless.

Especially to we who sell, we in the thick, in the smoke, in the fire.

I am not advocating every Selling Professional attend this and other symposiums, but, I do recommend getting synopsis or any other information you can, from your manufacturer rep or your sales manager (yeah, right, sure...).

Why?

Information is King in your personal, and professional development. Your "personal, professional development" might get lip service from management - but it is just that, lip service. When the chips are down, you tell me who gets the ax.

The more you know, the more you can see where your dealership/management is falling down and the easier it is to chart your own course.

My top five Value-Adds from Lyra- 2010:

1. Historical data mined from their extensive database of devices, monitored by PrintFleet, is presented in spaghetti graphs.
2. Detailed analysis of each copier and printer manufacturer's financial standing and projections.
3.  Unrivaled views of our industry, where it was, where it is, and where it might end up.
4. Current reflections and projections around the economic free-fall and the Day After.
5. And of course, especially this year, Managed Print Services and the "experts" who extol the virtues of MPS.

---------------
The Number One piece of information, significant to me, personally -

The recession has bottomed out, but we will not get to pre-recession placement levels.

As a matter of fact, according to Steve and Lyra, we will be losing 2 million units in placement - they will never come back.

It's like 2 million copiers just died.

Huh. If only somebody had seen this coming and publicized his views somewhere easily accessible to others...that person could come up with a snappy title like, "Your industry is Dying"...or something...

IT IS THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT. - again.

Second, to MPS, the next big subject was the economy and the Road to Recovery.

The Industry -

In a nutshell, the industry leaders all sucked wind, some more than others, but still, they all ate it, in 2009. An occasional silver lining here and there, accounting trickery, but no surprises.

Steve Reynolds' presentation started by defining the Cyclical vs Secular effect of a recession:

Cyclical, meaning a temporary sharp drop followed by a sharp recovery

Secular, meaning the recession causes a permanent and fundamental change in behavior

I have seen for a year now, the economy changing the fundamental way businesses do business. Especially when relating to printing and documents - this is SECULAR.

To quote Steve, "...once enterprises have discovered and implemented more cost-effective processes with less or no printing, they will not go back..."

Indeed, monochrome laser printers, MFP, and color printer shipments will be flat through 2013. The only bright spot is color MFP with a moderate increase(approx. 250,000 units) between 2010 and 2013.

And if that isn't bad enough, Steve expects a price war to erupt.

You see, as the recession is declared "over", customers will creep back into the market with caution. Hungry vendors will be pressured into getting their share of the new demand.

The feeble and hungry will drop prices to move the product, the last gasp.

The strong and carnivorous will lower prices to kill the remaining, weaker players. It's a Japanese model practiced and perfected by Wal*Mart.

Imagine HP reducing their MFP pricing AND toner by 50%. An M9050 for 5k and $40.00 toner? Real, HP toner? Where's your MPS savior now, third-party toner guy?

Vector this with Photizo's and others' belief of a 50% failure rate, in the BTA channel, by those who have not embraced MPS we have ourselves an honest-to-goodness Perfect Storm.

Your customers are or already have realized they DON'T NEED AS MANY devices and that they don't need to stock thousands' worth of toner in closets.

Why? Because the recession made them look for areas of cost reduction, and the constraints of the last 4 quarters, forced all of us to do with less.

For example, did you lose customers because they couldn't get HP CM6040s even though they gave you a PO last August?

No, you, the VAR/Dealer didn't lose customers. You helped your client get through "these trying times" by encouraging patience and utilizing their existing systems.

Or maybe you helped your client extend his lease on a month-to-month basis. Copier still works?

We in the field didn't lose customers - HP and the industry, lost placements, lost "clicks" and lost face.

Managed Print Services -

Managed Print Services was all the rage.

Both Ricoh and HP talked about MPS, albeit from the Enterprise level. Well, to be fair, Tom Codd's (HP) presentation included one slide dedicated to HP's commitment to driving MPS expertise into the Channel - through Synnex, et el.

Another slide depicting HP's product lineup, in order to show the Canon relationship as a good fit, DID NOT SHOW EDGELINE.

Edgeline? What? Never heard of it...next?

Twice, the name "MPS" was assaulted as not adequate - especially the "P". The phrase "Business Process Outsourcing" was bantered about a couple of times.

It was felt that the current MPS ROI is immediate, but where does one go from there?

"One-word kid..." Software, the future is in software.

Yup, the Third Stage of MPS is, Enhance the Business Process. We barely get people into the 1st and 2nd stages and already stage 3 is upon us. Really? No, really? Business Process Optimization/Outsource?

Are we to expect a channel that still thinks color and duplexing are value prop's possess the wear with all to talk software and "business process"?

And SELL this? For Greenbacks? (which is just as good as money)

Right.

When a member of the audience asked, "...how do we motivate a copier salesperson to sell software?" the collective response was, are you ready for this, "...increase the commissions on software until you modify the salesperson's behavior..."

I nearly upchucked in my lap, right then and there. And I was a bit insulted. If I was holding a watered-down drink in my hand, I would have thrown it in their faces.

Is this all they, these experts, think to motivate the Selling Professional? A few more duckets?

We are truly doomed.

My summary:

MPS is now being swung around by the big players, the definition is being molded in their likeness and most of the data and "play" presented is a product of and pertains to, "Enterprise" level engagements. One exception that I can see, is Xerox. X seems to be working 'on'(instead of with) their channel, time will tell.

The economy is in a rebound, but our industry will never be the same. More ships will merge or sink, and more dealers will jump into MPS, listen to old skool consultants, run it as a Marketing Campaign and fail. Managed Print Services is a Secular change for dealers; it is not "just like when color came out..."

More MPS Professionals will end up working at OfficeMax, Staples, or RiKON.
-------------------
Click to email me.

Photizo Group Releases First-ever Study of Western European Managed Print Services

Photizo Group Releases First-ever Study of Western European Managed Print Services Research reveals significant differences in MPS requirements across countries (PRWEB) November 17, 2008 -- A new study from the Photizo Group captures the nuances and preferences of the Western European Managed Print Services (MPS) market. The Western European MPS Decision Maker Tracking Study™ is the first dedicated research into managed print services in France, Germany, and the UK. The first-of-its-kind study is available now. "The practice of managed print services can be adopted by companies anywhere, but priorities, concerns, and preferences can and do vary, according to our research. As vendors pursue MPS opportunities, this information can guide their efforts in productive directions. Companies in these countries considering MPS contracts will also benefit from understanding how others in their markets are evaluating and adopting MPS," said Ed Crowley, founder and president of the Photizo Group. Photizo gathered data from over 300 MPS decision-makers in IT, facilities management, and purchasing roles, representing France, Germany, and the UK. The research has two major components. The brand study assesses brand awareness, consideration, familiarity, and satisfaction. The purchase study closely examines MPS decision drivers, the scope and breadth of MPS agreements, and the profiles of MPS decision makers.

Eight Characteristics of a Growing Managed Print Services Practice

2015

After five years of managed print services, one would imagine a standard set of MPS rules would rise out of the fog.  And yet there is still debate over what exactly MPS stands for — not the acronym, but the vision and real value of managed print services.

I remember the great device-to-technician-ratio discussion of 2008.

Greg's " Deep Impacts" of 2015: HP Inc., Epson & Sunset of an Industry

"Greg, what were the biggest events or issues from last year?'

...a seasonal tradition.

This year, like last year, my initial reaction is, "Not much."  Which is soon followed by a wave of angst.

Most of the industry is insane.

OEMs keep releasing new models...which aren't all that new...like it's 1999.  Mobile print, document management, managed print services, automatic toner replenishment, managed services, and that fictitious managed network services are all the 'rage'.  Same as last year.

The consolidation continues as dealer after dealer is gobbled up by yesterday's rival or taken over by a capital investment firm.  Same as last year.

Clients aren't making copies and office print is on the decline.  Same as last year.

But there are golden nuggets in 2015; it wasn't simply the "Year of Tears".


1.  HP Split - Jettisoning print

This was no surprise.

I believe the world of print is heading into HP's wheelhouse - smaller devices, low operating costs, and direct supplies management.

Managed print services is not complicated.  When considering the influences, especially MPS automation, there's no need for a dealer. With today's technological advances in M2M, a national company can provide toner and service more efficiently than a 'local' reseller.

Someday, HP will deliver MpS anywhere in the country - without a local service network.  No need for a middleman.

The split is good for HP, not sure if it's good for the channel.

2.  The Sunset of An Industry

Xerox is in decline and Icahn, the Master of Disaster, buys more and more.  He's going to oust Ursula then slice and dice the Big X - another Kodak moment.

Meanwhile,  Lexmark the wallflower, hikes up her skirt, beguiling suitors with promises of MpS, revenue streams.  Multiples are good, but who's going to ask Lexi to dance?

HP's vision, as mentioned above,  is one of continuous transformation.  As business evolves, and technology removes the mundane components, like print, loud, hot, expensive machines designed to make marks on paper,  lose relevancy.

Consultants still place the OEMs in the upper right and tag big spenders as 'visionary' - whoever has the largest marketing budget or the nicest rooms in town, gets the best reviews and accolades.

Elsewhere, offshore concerns are marching to the 'print/copy is relevant' drum, churning out devices like crazy.

All points Terminus.  Like Childhood's End, one day, the memory of a once great paper-making machine will be remembered in song, not substance.

3. Epson: Shining Star, for you to See

Yes, I mocked the hell out of the 'bags of ink'.  But I poke fun at those who attract. You should consider Epson for the following reasons:

1. De-emphasize print - I know it hurts, but the print is not all that important, and the walk-up copy is dead(except for SLED) in the end, print is simple because fewer people print.  Why fight the trend?  You cannot win. Epson takes the complexity out of printing with this device  Just sell it.
2. "Close and forget" mentality - Imagine a device that requires one or two touches a year and one toner delivery every three years.  Quick, do the math.  Get a good chunk of margin up front, put the device on MpS, and forget about it.
3. No technicians, no toner delivery, just monthly billing - That's all.

About this time last year, my advice to independents was to jump on the reduce-print-servers bandwagon.  I told a bunch of dealers to get with a company called PrinterLogic - they didn't.  Today, Printerlogic is banging big deals all over the world.

You could have been part of that movement.  You could have been telling your clients how to reduce the cost of print by decreasing the number of print servers.  You could have elevated the MpS discussion above and beyond toner and service calls. You could have sold a bunch of stuff, too.

But you didn't and now you've lost a bunch of accounts.

Boo, f'n, who.  If you're not retiring or selling out, get on the ink-bag train. Call Epson, now, but it might be too late.

10 Years Out - 

What is the future of print, in the year 2025?  No business print.  Little in education, more in government, and healthcare will be paperless.

The Internet of things will be the Internet of everything - plants will talk with light bulbs which will communicate with coffee tables, the paint on your walls, and your inhaled nano's.  Everything, everyone will be connected, all the time.

Information will finally move at the speed of thought.

How about in the year 2020?  Just like the computer dealers of the 1980s, copier dealers will fade into history. Few copier dealers will remain.


Eric Church - Mr. Misunderstood

Click to email me.

"The Things We Think And Do Not Say. The Future of Our Business..."

"I began writing what's known as a Mission Statement...Fewer Clients, Less Money..."

During the 2011 MPS Conference, at the end of the MPS Expert Panel session titled, The Best MPS Program, I gave a little bit of what I like to call, the Jerry Maguire Experience.

Some of these panels end up being all 'doom and gloom'. You know, people get to say "I did it this way, so you should too" and "change or die", "the sky is falling".

Ken was wrapping up, the urge was there, I couldn't help it.

I wanted - no,  I felt, words were needed. Good words, positive energy let out for the world.

I have no idea if anybody heard what I said or if anyone remembers - and that's okay.  It was about the moment, a chance criss-cross of time and place.

An opportunity like that doesn't come along very often. I seized it.

"So much to say, and no one to listen..."

The words stumbled out and into the air, drifting.

I said,  "Now is the time.  This is the place.  An opportunity to remember.  To remember why you got in this crazy industry in the first place. Those times, the way it felt to get that first sale, install those devices...

To remember what it was like to NOT know. To guess, to make it up as you went along.

To remember when your existence wasn't dictated by the beliefs and dogma of the few.

Do you remember? Do you remember that blind jump, that a Leap of Faith?

To be young, to be amazed, to just...be.

It's here.  It's here for us now.  This very second.  How happy are you with your place in the world? The World is moving."

As much as I love having the mic, I know that the Global 2011 MPS Conference does not approach the scale and gravity of a major motion picture, arguably one of the best American films ever released.

Or does it?

"Breakdown. Breakthrough."

What are we here to discover?  What are the simple pleasures we look for and endeavor to find?

Direction? Validation?  Yes.

It's okay to sell copiers.  It's okay to sell MPS.  It's okay to sell.   It's okay to try and fail.  To tumble.  Get up, do it again.

MPS isn't the end-all, it isn't the only reason to exist - it never has been.  Still, with everybody getting in and as many as 50% failing, what now?

With all the OEMs defining MPS as S1/S2 and reclassifying direct accounts how can we continue?

Touch More.

More Human Touch.  Less PowerPoint.  No more WebEx meetings, toss the 50 slide business summaries.  Instead, press the flesh.  Draw on a napkin.

Do that thing we do as sales professionals, look him in the eye and say "thank you, what more can we do, today?"

"Oddest, most unexpected thing..."

Success and change are hardly the results of design.  Innovation encroaches from another direction; from the left as we look right, from behind as we look ahead. Few ever see it coming.

So it is today.  As some deny the paperless revolution is near, companies like Alaska Air outfit their 1,400 pilots with iPads.  Apple is making the textbook obsolete and banks now accept pictures of checks for deposits.  Your kids, don't call each other anymore, they use their thumbs.

From social media to MpS, everything is new and scarcely predicted - there are no experts - the world is moving faster.  No benchmarks, no 'metrics', no comparison, no rules.

Waiting for the revolution?  It's already here.

"The Me I always wanted to be" - Trust

Trust. It is a very big word and one of the first MPS Conference keynote speaker attempted to rally behind stating, "...Trust is something this industry has got to reclaim."

He is new.  He doesn't see that to reclaim something, one must have first possessed it.

Again, now is the time.  This Great Financial Crisis is secular, not cyclical - everything is changed and in flux. Now is the time to get out and see your clients re-establishing yourself as a trusted advisor, a Business Partner.

Be you.

"I had lost the ability to bullshit, ..."

Our journey continues.

The path is less bumpy when we build partnerships. Partnerships are easier to forge over a foundation of truth.  Can you be true?

Can you lose the ability to bullshit? If not to your prospects, at least with yourself.  Or are you just another shark in a suit?

Can you see the entire ecosystem?

How about instead of optimizing a smidgen of hardware and some toner, you envision Optimizing Everything.

That's right, everything.   Managed Optimization Services. 

"That's how you become great, man. Hang your balls out there."

GET MORE LIKE THIS, IN THE BOOK - HERE.

One of the absolute best reviews of Jerry Maguire.  Started, 4/30/2011

Originally, 5/16/11

Click to email me.