Back in 2007, MpS was new, on the edge, and a bit contrarian. The year was 2007, copiers were flying off
the shelf, and everybody signed a 60-month lease with an accompanying service agreement. A4 was a dirty word.
MpS didn’t flourish it sputtered and more often failed. Stories
of fallen MPS practices outnumbered the successful.
I, myself, declared
MpS dead in 2011 because the discipline became adulterated into the lowest
price possible. The race to the bottom was inevitable.
Today, I look upon the contemporary MpS ecosystem and see customers
calling dealers looking to sign MpS contracts, more MpS press coverage,
INCREASED membership in your MPSA,
ridicule, and criticism from industry "pundits" and “shills” it’s
beginning to feel like the ‘good old days.
Sorta. My optimism is cautionary.
Managed print services prevented customers from paying too much for devices, service, and supplies and reduced the number of machines in the field. After decades of over-purchasing copiers, companies were paying much more than they should. Paramount to the MPS process was the assessment and every assessment, if performed honestly, found devices well under recommended usage.
The MPS movement was perceived by some as anti-copier, anti-output volume, and thereby, anti-industry. As a practitioner and a champion of “30% cost reduction,” I was a pariah to “peers” and a contrarian to prospects. It was a great time.
As part of a minority movement, we had little control over the definition of managed print. Indeed, prospects, dealers, software houses, and OEMs created MPS in their likeness – which is fine – but each version was supported by an agenda and narrative: “sell more devices, toner, and software packages.” Instead of fighting the system, I pronounced the death of managed print services with hopes of a resurrection in the future.
There is a bounce, a resurgence, a renaissance in managed print services. As the fear of Covid fades and offices around the world repopulate, albeit, by 40-60% of pre-Covid numbers, print and copy functions are grabbing temporary attention. But this uptick is fleeting and short-lived and not based on increased volumes or growing fleets of devices. Today's rekindled interest is based on managing the reduction of print and the increase of digital workflows.
Our traditional business theory of pivoting into managed IT or an adjacent niche was an idealistic idea in the MPS Model 2 (see below, Photizo)
Today, expanding or diversifying services is less of an option and more of a survival tactic and a foundational plank of the continuing generation of Managed print Services (MpS).
The circa 2012 model is still relevant, we just need to refocus and recognize new opportunities.
With this in mind, I've updated the model to include new innovations and directions for office technology.
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.
Much is being said about how the work-from-home movement will negatively impact the corporate culture.
What is Corporate Culture:
"Corporate culture refers to the beliefs and behaviors that determine how a company's employees and management interact and handle outside business transactions. Often, corporate culture is implied, not expressly defined, and develops organically over time from the cumulative traits of the people the company hires." - Investopedia
Long established and organically grown, corporate culture resists outside influences - you, as a salesperson are an outside influence, especially in the post-Covid age.
Today, implemented managed print services still presents a shock to the system and a threat to the 'how we've always done it' position.
Visualize an MpS implementation as an enhancement to your customer's existing workflow.
How can you cut through the fear of change, when that fear is on the global pandemic level? Go with the flow.
One of the first articles I wrote was about implementing a managed print services program and the risks of ignoring corporate culture in the process.
Back then, we were concerned about the impact of reducing devices on the way people felt about their jobs. MpS engagements were new; they changed the way toner was ordered and revealed how the number and location of devices could be a shock to the system.
Today, implementing new services is a shock to the system because it threatens the 'how we've always done it' position.
Visualize an MpS implementation as an enhancement to your customer's existing workflowand be 'like water.'
Workflow is about optimizing the processes of everyday business tasks. In other words, it’s how work gets done. Change is guaranteed, and the corporate culture at the organizational, departmental, or personal level can’t help but be influenced.
I once heard a really smart guy say, “Culture kills process every day.” It’s something we should all keep in mind.
Oconomowoc, Wi. – Greg Walters Inc. today launched a new entry into the office technology channel that will revolutionize the MPS market for the independent dealer channel. ArcDrive is a self-contained, converged solution stack that will allow vendors to initiate or build out managed print services (MPS) engagements.
A cutting-edge appliance embedded with advanced capture, intelligent workflow, data collection, remote monitoring and automatic supplies fulfillment software, ArcDrive is a small box that can be attached to a network or used as a standalone workstation and provides SharePoint or hybrid storage on the device or through the cloud.
“Since 2009, I’ve promoted managed print services as a bridge to managed IT and, ultimately, managing the Internet of Things,” said Greg Walters, the creator of ArcDrive. “I believe MPS, electronic document management (EDM) and IT asset management should be under one umbrella. ArcDrive is the realization of this concept. All the tools that you typically think of with an entry-level document management system and MPS program are embedded on this device.”
"Today, our industry is transforming like never before. Independent dealers are joining together to form large networks, OEMs are shifting go-to-market strategies, software companies are converging,” said Walters. “ArcDrive will help independent dealers protect their base, establish new income streams and increase monthly recurring revenue.”
ArcDrive is available today with MPS, advanced capture and intelligent workflow software. Future releases will incorporate network probe, RFID, ITIL real-time asset management and a single-pane interface.
Greg Walters is available for media interviews. He can be reached at greg@grwalters.com For more information, visit TheArcDrive.com.
I've been a party to a few discussions regarding the consolidation currently underway in our little niche and the mention of Managed Print Services surprised me. Specifically, how MPS is so attractive when it comes to outside money and the future.
HP mentioned MPS as a foundational pillar in their future - as a matter of fact - HP is looking to transition transactional supplies into contractual relationships; Managed Print Services.(Who woulda thunk?)
Staples undoubtedly understands the value of acquiring an entity transformed from transactional to contractual.
Communism: In political and social sciences, communism is the philosophical, social, political, and economic ideology and movement whose ultimate goal is the establishment of the communist society, which is a socioeconomic order structured upon the common ownership of the means of production and the absence of social classes, money, and the state.
Capitalism: Capitalism is an economic system based on private ownership of the means of production and their operation for profit. Characteristics central to capitalism include private property, capital accumulation, wage labor, voluntary exchange, a price system, and competitive markets.
I've been thinking about this ever since the drywall from China was reported to be radioactive.
We all want cheap stuff - Walmart runs that idea into the ground as does Amazon. But for me, it has been difficult to rationalize the success communist China is experiencing with Capitalism. U.S. Capitalism brought down the Soviet Union and Block; U.S. capitalism succeeded in Viet Nam when our hamstrung military did not. It seems to me that blue jeans, rock and roll and Mcdonald's is enough to dissolve the Great Wall.
Mao Zedong
But Communist China is still Communist China and communism abhors capitalism.
Today, why are we surprised to hear that the Red Chinese have implanted secret spy chips in the motherboards of some of the most widely used servers in the world. How much easier it is to plant a chip anywhere inside a printer or toner cartridge?
In addition to opening up our clouds to Red China, we've purchased killer dog food and poison drywall.
More disturbing, in order to do business in the land of Mao, international companies must share proprietary technology with their Chinese competitors. We've been doing just that for nearly a decade. Is it any wonder the new Chinese fighter jet looks like ours?
What does all this mean? What can we do?
STOP selling toner from Red China.
STOP buying clones from Red China.
Shun everything coming from Red China.
Highlight HP and Xerox's American heritage.
Tell end-users of possible harm resulting from Chinese clones or toner.
Remove Lexmark from all US Federal, State, and local Government contracts - Education as well. This is a difficult notion - I know many good people at Lexmark. But it isn't the same Lexmark, is it? (NineStar).
It seems odd to mix geopolitical issues with managed print services, but here we are. We were always integrated with politics, global issues, and future tech - we could be the first to call out Red China.
Copiers, printers, scanners, fax, print servers, cloud print, duplex, scan-once-print-many, color, analog to digital, laser, inkjet, managed print services, to managed services...our turbulent path has crossed many borders, hills, and valleys.
Lots of things have changed since Chester pulled together his seven steps and yet, much remains the same. The print world moves slowly. Like a river cutting the Grand Canyon, a real, significant change occurs over decades(which seem like eons).
For the Change Agents, this is the apogee of frustration. We saw the true meaning of managed print services and the future of print. The signs were there before the HP split, before the debacle that was Xerox/Fuji.
We predicted the need to shift from selling from boxes to solutions to business acumen, in 2007. We saw the "P" change to "p" in MpS. The time was then.
Along the way, a few early adopters burned the ships. Back then, what we saw as secular most experts called a fad. I remember presenting the Internet of Things back in 2012. Interesting and way ahead of the curve.
No longer frustration; we're morose. It is sad to look at the missed opportunities. Volumes are dropping so how can an OEM still release 13 or more new models?
Is it ignorance? No, everybody is printing less and has been for a decade. It's not a secret.
Is it stupidity? No, back in the day, these folks were THE technology innovators.
Is it the continued propagation of a bygone belief that if you build it, they will buy? Yes. More succinctly, it is the undying grip on the past, unrelenting fear of change, and stubborn faith that if "we can hang on, we'll flourish".
Although purchasing devices, customers are placing a reduced number - worse, if there is a copier on every floor, nobody is using it. Volumes are down to around 2,000 images a month.
The consolidation continues, independent dealers coagulate and OEMs dissolve, as the niche works through its annihilation.
Options are getting scarce, but there are painful opportunities: Medical equipment, BI, Energy Management, and more. We've just got to let go.
Fortunately, we see the end is near.
We can make plans, see friends, write letters and move to the next stage, confident and aware.
Death: the passing or destruction of something inanimate
The Death of The Copier isn't about the end of you - like looms and typewriters, - DOTC is a lens into the passing of an industry; growth and expansion, not a terminus.
The industry is NOT dying. It is being annihilated.
Annihilation: the conversion of matter into energy, especially the mutual conversion of a particle and an antiparticle into electromagnetic radiation.
"...conversion of matter into energy..."
We're living in the organic process of evolution, that's all.
Notice we aren't "moving through an organic process..." Because we're not moving, more specifically, Xerox, Ricoh, HP, Canon, Konica Minolta, Epson, Kyocera, and everyone else have been standing firm believing the new world will flow around them/Us.
The tide has been coming, the signs blatant for all to see:
Why didn't Xerox start the move from hardware into services back in 2010? (or 1973)
Canon has alternatives but hasn't made the move.
Ricoh seemed to be on the right path back in 2009 but took a left turn somewhere between here and MpS nirvana, which was the door to the managed services panacea.
Lady Blue(HP), the most expensive dustpan in history, will sweep the fragments and splinters, toss them into some 3D printer, spitting out picnic tables.
They all saw it coming, they all knew. But why believe in the revival of paper?
It is the human tendency toward self-destruction.
Everybody appears to be self-destructive. Some people are very obviously self-destructive because they’re addicted to heroin or alcohol or they act in a psychotic way or whatever, and they offer their self-destruction to you. Other people are very comfortable in their own skin, and they’ve got a fantastic job and a fantastic life and everything seems to be bulletproof. They feel like they’ve sort of cracked something about life.
But then when you get to know them, you discover odd bits of self-destruction, which then become significant bits of self-destruction. It was the universality of it, that even the people who’d cracked it all had not cracked it all. And then I started trying to think – Where does it come from? Why is it that you have a really good marriage and you dismantle it? Why do you have a really good friendship and you dismantle it? Why do you have a really good job and you dismantle it? Whatever it happens to be.
- Alex Garland
Transformation flows around the pillars of a bygone era. Some abdicate early while others define stopgap tactics as strategies - consolidating on higher ground.
What once was, the dogma of xerography and toner will never again be. The age of paper is ending - consolidation, turmoil and dwindling sales reflect the shattering of the realm.
Here's the thing - the industry has mass, but no velocity. Without movement, change will not be internally driven; true evolution will be affected from the outside - like an asteroid hitting the Earth. The coming wave will dismantle everything, ejecting the bad, and re-configuring the good creating something completely alien. (to us now)
So, do you wait for the force to change you or walk in, confronting the past, present, and future?
Move-in.
Take in all the generic training you can - stay away from hardware or software specification training.
I loath the demo.
Recognize value propositions, slide decks, 30-day cycles, and Sales Managers as fodder for the future.
Long ago, a decade seemed like forever; "1999" was a far-off party, and 2001 was so distant, that it was science fiction.
When I was young, I couldn't imagine where'd I be beyond 2008. Today, decades fade away, "like tears in the rain..."
Ten revolutions around the Sun
120 Months
521.4 Weeks 3,650 Days
87,000 Hours
At its peak, The Death of the Copier was coveted; worth stealing. Not for the plain talk, but for the audience.
In 2008, we were busy back-slapping and congratulating ourselves for selling machines like popcorn. The future was bright; it was never going to end.
Ikon was a huge channel of 'independent' dealers.
Xerox was like Kleenex.
Ricoh and Canon punched it out for the second and third position.
HP was on the edge with Edgeline.
The rest of the pack was just that, a pack.
Back then, few were 'blogging' about copiers. Out here on the inter-webs, nobody was talking about workflow, managed print services, IT, or business acumen. Newsletters, magazines, and trade shows were the vehicles of delivery.
On this 10th year anniversary, I've traveled back to the future, re-visiting stories of the love, toner, blood, and tragedy that is DOTC.
"5. LinkedIn - MySpace is all grown up. Much more mature than Facebook with real contacts and real business and NO high school moms pretending to be CEOs...well, maybe. Quite by chance, I fell into LinkedIn. Early, I joined MySpace, Facebook, Plaxo, etc. - but LinkedIn, for some reason has held my attention and gets most of my input when it comes to "social networking"."- 2008.
I talked about Managed Print Services, how copier reps won't naturally progress into the niche, how real MpS requires IT and copier knowledge, and something called Business Acumen. It was like speaking Latin.
"A copier salesperson does not directly translate into an MPS specialist.
Nor does an IT Services salesperson translate into an MPS Specialist. It takes both IT experience and copier experience and a great deal of general, C-level, business experience. That holy grail of Professional Selling, "Business Acumen". Someone with the "Big Picture" insight and manage the details of a solution."
Honestly, the more things change, the more they stay the same. It's been ten years and we're still struggling to find managed print nirvana.
We still sell copiers.
How about this one from 2011? Inspired by the movie Jerry McGuire -
"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 ... and reclassifying direct accounts, how can we continue? Touch More. More Human Touch. Less PowerPoint. No 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 aren't always a result 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 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 unpredicted - there are no experts - the world moves faster than ever before. 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 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 understand to reclaim something, one must have first possessed it. "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."
Good Stuff.
What have WE, learned over the past ten years?
The Copier is nearly gone
Old ways die-hard
Situations rarely change, people do
My nostalgic jaunt inspired me to seek out memories from the pioneers of the copier-industry social media world.
Before Twitter. Before Instaglam. Before LI took off...there was Ken Stewart, Nathan Dube, Jim Lyons, and Art Post.
Can't remember EXACTLY how Greg and I became friends, but as what seemed like the only two bloggers in the industry back then it was inevitable we'd become friends as well as colleagues. A particular fond memory is when Greg had accepted an invitation to the Lyra Conference (Symposium) - where I'd gone from client to contributor. Greg and I had been in touch quite a bit but had never met face-to-face and several of the team (including Photizo folks in attendance, though this was before the merger) were excited to meet Mr. Death of the Copier. As we anticipated his arrival I remember enthusing that this was a very much-needed "young guy" we were welcomed into the fold!!!
Nothing stays the same, change is constant. There is nothing new in sales even though there are thousands of sales gurus on LinkedIn promoting their success when they haven't sold shit in years. There are many stubborn copier manufacturers that refuse to exit the channel. No one copies anymore. I've learned that life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer you get to the end of the roll, the faster it goes.
Thanks, guys, for reading DOTC and staying true.
Personally:
2008, I was married and living in the mountains of Southern California. 5,000 feet above sea level, an hour from the beach - "...things that have comforted me, I drive away..."
Since 2008, I've moved from SoCali to Charlotte to Oconomowoc, Wisconsin - "...this place that is my home, I cannot stay..."
Over 10 years, I've seen small businesses grow and flourish. I've met the best of the best and the worst of the worst - "...I come and stand at every door..."
I've Failed - "...If you've ever seen a one-legged dog then you've seen me..."
I've Succeeded - "...I always leave with less than I had before..."
I've become an expert at Starting Over - "...tell me, can you ask for anything more..."
Over the long haul, I've seen the extinction of the typewriter, witnessed the evaporation of the mini and mainframe, and bobbed along the turbulent manual-to-PC-to-network-to-internet-to-cloud waters.
I am fortunate to have a place to express myself. I'm blessed to be able to write what I would read and humbled others to find something, interesting and possibly entertaining.
10 Years. How about you?
On what field did you stand? Today, do you still stand?
Where will you be in 2028?
Two, three, four
Have you ever seen a one trick pony in the field so happy and free?
If you've ever seen a one trick pony then you've seen me
Have you ever seen a one-legged dog making his way down the street?
If you've ever seen a one-legged dog then you've seen me
Then you've seen me, I come and stand at every door
Then you've seen me, I always leave with less than I had before
Then you've seen me, bet I can make you smile when the blood, it hits the floor
Tell me, friend, can you ask for anything more?
Tell me can you ask for anything more?
Have you ever seen a scarecrow filled with nothing but dust and wheat?
If you've ever seen that scarecrow then you've seen me
Have you ever seen a one-armed man punching at nothing but the breeze?
If you've ever seen a one-armed man then you've seen me
Then you've seen me, I come and stand at every door
Then you've seen me, I always leave with less than I had before
Then you've seen me, bet I can make you smile when the blood, it hits the floor
Tell me, friend, can you ask for anything more?
Tell me can you ask for anything more?
These things that have comforted me, I drive away
This place that is my home I cannot stay
My only faith's in the broken bones and bruises I display
Have you ever seen a one-legged man trying to dance his way free?
If you've ever seen a one-legged man then you've seen me
Everything dies, baby that's a fact, but just because something doesn't last forever, doesn't mean it wasn't perfect. Proclaimed back in 2011, the fading of managed print services continues. Don't believe me?
Ask your customers/prospects and you'll hear the truth. Whispers from the Abyss:
"We've really cut back on the number of printers and copiers we use."
"We don't print as much."
"We once had a copier on every floor and printers at each desk. We don't anymore."
I could go on - hell, if you're in the field and honest, YOU can add to the above list.
So here it is - what follows is a list of industry influencers and players with reflections and status according to DOTC.
The year is 2017; just about 10 years after managed print services arrived on the scene. Much has changed.
In an episode of Seinfeld, Jerry's gorgeous new girlfriend's lovely breasts become the subject of conjecture; are they real or implants. Elaine thinks they're fake so Jerry decides not to see her again. Elaine changes her mind after tripping and falling into the ample bosom.
Again, the "paperless office will never exist" debate is grabbing headlines and copy. Good stuff, if not factually spun.
I've been face-to-face with organizations that significantly reduced the number of copiers, printers, and reams of paper utilized.
A major retail company went from 100 or so devices to 10
Health network(s) go from huge file rooms to no filing cabinets at all
Manufactures shifted away from paper-based job jackets to digital files
These companies didn't feel compelled to save the trees or Chewbaccas. Prospects tell me they squeeze paper out of the process because "paper slows everything."
"The Impact MPS Program, led by Vide President of Managed Print Services Jeremy Fordemwalt, has grown more than 55% year-over-year for three years running. The MPS team assesses client office environments to uncover inefficiencies in the way users print, store and retrieve documents. They use that information to create solutions that improve processes, reduce documents, increase office productivity and contribute to increased profitability. The department continues to add additional solutions based on client demand..." Full release, here.
###
Jeremy is an industry veteran in managed print services and has managed to build a true, customer-centric, managed print services powerhouse. Impact MPS travels together with clients formulating plans to assist in the natural move away from the printed document.
Utilizing Impact's proven, market driven specialties in Creative Services, Managed IT, Production printing and document management, Impact MPS weaves a tapestry of solutions designed specifically for each client. The MPS program has evolved beyond automatic toner fulfillment and service delivery into a cutting edge, paper-to-digital transformation force.
Congratulations, Danny Terril, Owner of OES-Solutions
Scottsdale, AZ - June 22, 2016 - MWA Intelligence Inc. (MWAi), a master value-added reseller (MVAR) and original equipment manufacturer (OEM) for SAP Business One and leader in enterprise resource planning software (ERP) concludes their motorcycle journey, traversing across the country in a teamed up effort with Clover Imaging Group and The Jillian Fund.
The Jillian Fund honors Jillian Gorman, a young woman diagnosed with an aggressive form of blood cancer that tragically ended 4 years later. The Jillian Fund provides financial support to parents with children who are suffering life-threatening illnesses that require critical care. They also award academic scholarships to young women who portray extraordinary faith and leadership within their communities. With donations they receive, The Jillian Fund is able to provide families in need with monetary support covering: household and child care expenses, lodging, transportation and meals. As of to date, the charity has raised over $355,000 with more and more donations pouring in.
“You get a real sense of fulfillment when you decide to partake in something bigger than yourself. To have the opportunity to raise money for a worthy cause for Jillian, a brave young woman has been nothing short of an honor,” said Michael T. Stramaglio, President and CEO of MWA Intelligence, Inc. “The amount of support that families have received is tremendously incredible from The Jillian Fund and it has been amazing to have association with this charity. On behalf of all those involved, including the donors, it has been an extreme pleasure.”
In total, the motorcycle trek encompassed 10 stops starting with MWA Intelligence, Inc. in Scottsdale, AZ and ending at Des Plaines Office Equipment in Chicago, IL. The duration of the trip lasted 10 days, from May 23rd, 2016 to June 1st which included visits to the following dealerships and manufacturers: Muratec, Datamax, Memphis Communications Corporation, Advanced Office Systems, Cobb Technologies, Stones Office Equipment, Perry proTECH, and Des Plaines Office Equipment.
While in Washington, D.C., the riders participated with The Rolling Thunder, a nonprofit organization dedicated to publicizing positive causes and to educate the American people. Each year The Rolling Thunder organize an annual ride in Washington, D.C. where up to 1 million participants partake in such a cause.
Generously, Clover Imaging Group donated the customized 2011 Harley Davidson Fat Bob for a raffle. The proceeds from the ticket sales went directly toward The Jillian Fund.
A very appreciative and grateful thank you to all who were involved in the ride and to those who donated for such a worthy cause. The updated total raised from donations and from the ticket sales surmounted $120,000 and growing which would not have been made possible without the efforts from all those involved.
“As a pancreatic cancer survivor myself, OES-Solutions was beyond happy to support such a great cause. I could not fathom having to go through what I went through alone and I truly believe that no one person should ever have to endure that. Without organizations like The Jillian Fund, some families would not be able to spend the necessary time with their loved ones in their time of need. I thank all the people involved at the Jillian Fund, it’s an honor both personally and professionally to be a part of such a great cause. I have to admit that winning the Harley Davidson this year was extremely exciting but the real prize is the relationships that I have developed working with Mike Stramaglio and everyone involved so once again from everyone here at OES-Solutions we thank you and look forward to working with you in the future” said Danny Terril, Owner of OES-Solutions, cancer survivor, and supporter of The Jillian Fund.
MWAi FORZA with SAP Business One is a complete, integrated ERP that provides transparency and instant visibility into operations. The FORZA solution helps dealerships to better unify, manage, and control their entire business across financials, sales, customers, and operations. Together, MWA Intelligence and SAP will provide office technology and imaging channel businesses the ability to make smart IT decisions, improve future performance, and achieve long-term success.
About OES-Solutions:
Founded on the highest standards of integrity, reliability, and flexibility, OES-Solutions provides an array of OEM printers, multifunction copiers, fax machines and consumables from several of the industry’s top manufactures. With over 15 years and $150 million in sales and experience, OES - Solutions offers products, programs and support that cater to the needs of independent office equipment dealers throughout the United States.
For additional information, please visit OES-Solutions website: http://www.oes-solutions.com
About The Jillian Fund:
Jillian Lauren Gorman was the embodiment of strength and encouragement to others, and recognized the importance of a parent’s presence and support during difficult times. The Jillian Fund believes that children facing life-threatening illnesses should never face them alone. Each day, thousands of critically ill children face long hospital stays without a parent by their side because the parent is financially unable to leave work. The Jillian Fund is dedicated to uniting families in need during their most critical times and providing academic financial support to young women who demonstrate Jillian’s legacy of living by example and conquering fear with faith. The Jillian Fund is a 501(c)(3) Organization.
For additional information, please visit The Jillian Fund website: www.thejillianfund.org
About MWA Intelligence, Inc.:
MWA Intelligence Inc. (MWAi), an SAP Business One OEM partner, delivers enterprise-class and leading-edge Machine-to-Machine (M2M) and Machine-to-People (M2P) solutions to better serve the imaging industry. MWAi’s intelligent service, workforce, assets and GPS solution suites deliver mission-critical information in real time to the hands of customer-facing employees and into companies’ back-end ERP systems including the powerful MWAi FORZA with SAP Business One. The MWAi solution automates all of the business intelligence management, meter collection, consumables and service alerts and also offers an integrated pre-sale MPS tool.
For additional information, please visit the MWA Intelligence corporate website: www.mwaintel.com
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:
Heavy - cumbersome to use, demand time from MpS practitioner
Print-data, intense - print only, some end-user, but no outside asset data
Sales static - the 'map' and client data remain in the sales silo, or not easily transportable into contracts or service
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:
Collects data from multiple databases: DCA, service desk, dispatch, accounting system
Helps you easily conduct assessments and present mapped proposals
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.
I dug this up from the underground vault - archives of days gone by, reflections of the future.
Most of us know Greg Walters … or at least we know a little bit about him. We’re familiar with his blog, The Death of the Copier (DOTC), and the scantily clad ladies of said blog. We recognize his bandana and Harley Davidson. We know he’s opinionated and passionate about MPS.
But we here at TIC Talk wanted to know more …
TIC: Do you have a “real” job? If so, what is it?
Greg: Yes, I have a “real” job as the MPS Practice Manager at SIGMAnet, a 25-year-old, West Coast VAR.
TIC: Do you wear a suit to this “real job,” or ever?
Greg: OK, that’s funny. Yes, 9-5, I can be found usually sporting a suit, with a tie even. Odd thing is, many days I am the only person in the office in such garb. It’s Cali, and I am originally from the Midwest.
TIC: What’s your background?
Greg: I was born in Honolulu, Hawaii – Pearl Harbor, in that great big “coral pink” hospital in 1962.
I grew up in a suburb just outside Detroit, graduating high school in 1980 – the same year of the Miracle on Ice, Mt. St. Helens’ eruption, the Olympics and Ronald Reagan accepting the Republican nomination in Detroit, at Joe Louis Arena.
After college, I worked at INACOMP, making my way through a few other dealerships and VARs over a decade or so, always proposing computerized accounting systems. Those were wild times – PS/2s, COMPAQ, Novell networks and DOS 4.0. Taking a break from technology, I worked uniform sales – ahem, I mean, “Corporate Identity Programs” – for a great company, CINTAS. They transferred me out to Ontario, California, in 1999 to help open a new plant.
We started from scratch – oh, the stories I can tell.
TIC: When did you get into MPS?
Greg: Well, I started with the MPS practice in September of 2007. But while at IKON, I exposed myself to all the EDM I could and even worked intimately on a rather large FM project – MPS before there was such a thing.
TIC: When did you create DOTC, and why?
Greg: My first post was on February 20, 2008, and was about HP Edgeline. I created the blog thinking it would be a good way to put some information up regarding the benefits of Edgeline. We (SIGMAnet) were, and still are, an HP OPS Elite dealer. Edgeline was going to kill all other copiers, hence, “The Death of the Copier” – pretty simple. My second post, made on February 24, 2008, was titled “Managed Print Services, That Hot, New Thing …”
TIC: Did you ever imagine that it would grow into what DOTC has become today?
Greg: Nope. I can still see the looks on all the faces of those copier dudes at Lyra 2009. “Death of the Copier? Just who do you think you are?” LOL!I often comment how happy I was getting just 12 views a day, and most of those from my mom. I built the blog originally as a receptacle for things I was interested in. It evolved into a spot for me to put thoughts down one day and go back to read later. I honestly do write for an audience of one: me — and I crack me up. I must say, I am honored, humbled and thankful for all the great people DOTC has introduced in my life. No plan – just making it up as I go.
TIC: What do you do in your free time?
Greg: Huh – sleep.
And hit the trails, get off the grid in my 2001 LandRover, Disco II – yes, it is a green vehicle. Metallic Forest Green, that is. Ha! By the way, new idea for a bumper sticker on a Prius: “My other car is a … car.” Get it? Sorry, that’s my Detroit showing. Anywho, I also like to get out to the paintball arenas and light up some newbs. I used to golf – had all the stuff. One day I figured I really didn’t need another reason to chase a beer cart around all day.
TIC: Greg Walters is certainly an interesting and busy person, both personally and professionally. In addition to blogging on DOTC, working at SIGMAnet, and sitting on the board of the Managed Print Services Association (he currently serves as secretary), Greg will be joining the TIC Web team as a resident blogger, contributing bi-monthly blogs to The Imaging of Greg.
Be sure to check back on Monday, July 11, for his first post.
Posted by Katherine Fernelius on 07/07/2011 Click to email me.
Is managed print services the future of managed services or the other way around?
Your MpS practice incorporates many tools to satisfy your MpS contractual obligations.
For example, you may be utilizing PrintAudit for data collection, an assessment tool and supplies reporting mechanism. Some of your customers might be reporting through WebJet Admin. Once meter reads are completed through the same or additional tool, your billing system takes over, generating invoices, and collecting revenue.
Maybe you see the advantages of outsourcing the toner supply side of your practice with Great American, LMI, Supplies Network, Axess - you may engage multiple solutions.
When your MpS customer calls for service, technicians are dispatched, service parts installed or ordered and tickets closed. The same for help desk tickets and somewhere, warranties are verified to insure proper credit is received for parts exchange. Lease expiration dates, typically the responsibility of sales, are managed in a separate tool, perhaps E*Automate or SalesForce.
On top of all this, you might be able to run a separate P/L.
Consider how many functions and tools mentioned above: The DCA, help desk, service dispatch, accounting, billing, remote management, toner/supplies reporting and fulfillment - at least six separate data bases which do not talk to each other.
We complain each time we're tasked with presenting a review of the practice to the executive board.
ASCII dumps, Crystal Reports, and pivot tables digesting data from silo's of data then cut and pasted into a nice tidy report. This is both a proven process and staggering hindrance.
What’s the new, sexy Managed print Services? Full-line integration and one-touch information from Atlas.
We integrate disparate databases, present relevant data on single sheet of glass and utilize your existing tool set; no ‘rip and replace’, no expensive and time consuming monolith of programing.
With Atlas, it is possible to manage your business with existing tools and without the pain of creating spreadsheets and pivot tables.
One More Thing -
Your practice is full of silos, but imagine your customers'. Do you think they would like to see IT assets, maybe even printers, with relevant data from databases like WebJet Admin, SCCM, LanDesk, or MobileIron, on one screen?
I know they do, go ahead and ask them.
Once you’ve implemented and seen the positive impact in your business, help your customers by offering to manage their assets. Embed asset management into you managed print services agreements.
Curious? We’re hosting a web session reviewing Atlas in the managed print services niche.
The great computer dealership purges of the 1990's - Inacomp to Wal*Mart
The music industry - vinyl to CD to MP3 to streaming
The auto industry, 1970's, from V8 to 4cyl, from 400 HP to 100 horses running through front wheels
2/2016 - Look what is happening to Sharp - the copier side of Sharp is viable and profitable - is it far fetched to see another 'spin-off' or will the imaging division continue to be a profit center for the whole? Is an investment of $450M good money after bad ?
Lexmark has gone from the "long cool woman in a black dress" to having her parts examined separately. Recent augmentations appear more valuable than the core.
"...Printing remained challenged in the quarter with net revenue of $4.6 billion, down 17% year-over-year as reported or 11% in constant currency, with declines in all regions."
Turning to Supplies, revenue was down 14% year-over-year in Q1 about 400 people exited the company globally as part of the restructuring activities announced in September...we are accelerating the program and now expect approximately 3,000 people will exit by the end of fiscal 2016 instead of over three years."
Last year, Q1 2015, HP reported a 14% decrease print revenue. Two years of down numbers? How about 4 years?
Xerox -
In an article written by Stephen Hays, the chairman of Brighton Securities, George Conboy is quoted saying Xerox...
"is steadily on a downward path, especially in its equipment business. The demand for its technology is falling by the day. Though the company may not be staring at bankruptcy in the near future it is, however, facing a situation where it is slowly moving away from maneuvering paper documents and making copies. Meaning, Xerox Corporation (NYSE: XRX) is steadily shifting away from its equipment business as there is lesser demand for its technology..."
Outside pundits see, why don't our own?
Some might say the auto industry transformation was greater in scale and scope than our copier confluence but consider this: no other segment of business, lest IT, has had more impact in the business world that printing and copying.
Nothing in history compares.
Chevy Citation, anyone?
How can Lexmark, Xerox and HP change to remain relevant?
The car of the year in 1980 was the Chevy Citation. A front wheel drive, side mounted radio, "Accord killer". Parts fell off, transmissions locked and a generation of customers scrambled toward Toyota.
The OEMs continue to produce more of the same:
Is ink in the office akin to front wheel drive?
Is MPS the independent channel's CD?
Is managed services the next 5.25" floppy?
Either way, slow down and consider what is unfolding before our eyes - the greatest shift in business communications since the typewriter.
