So now I "Tweet" - and now I get to experience "Spam" at a whole other level - Tweet Spam.
But I guess it isn't spam if it comes from someone I choose to follow - arg.
This was just sent to me - we all know the "Green" spin associated with the Phaser's from Xerox - you remember, the Crayola-Printers. (J/K, lighten up).
The Phaser's Green argument involves less packaging, low waste for toner like empty cartridges, ease of use, etc. But nobody ever talks about the energy consumption at start up, the waste of wax at start up, etc.
I have seen the output, it is very, very nice - enjoy this little marketing presentation:
Where anyone can write a blog, discover new recipes, secure airline tickets or purchase luxury submarines.
One common use for the internet appears to be a place where all the "experts" have a forum to pontificate.
And everybody can be an anonymous critic.
So it is with the following. An anonymous expert/critic puts forth Seven Elements of his MPS engagement process as a challenge for and a claim of legitimacy.
I have edited out most of the personal taunts and obvious sarcasm - but this is a really good study into the mind of a current MPS strategy. The author is challenging the intended reader's knowledge of MPS by putting forth his own wisdom in the form illuminating questions:
"Please provide us one (1) example of an enterprise or any size company for that matter where you did the following (please provide details of how you executed each step and your factors for success).
1) Delivered a presentation on managed print and built a business case for doing an assessment.
2) Completed an actual assessment by gathering data on devices by type, copiers (workgroup, production and color), faxes, mono-printers, color printers, wide format printers, and scanners. Gathered data on all the consumables by device type and quantified the total $ value. Gathered all the volume data so as to analyze usage. Please provide an example of the amount of time between volume reads and why you recommend that timeframe.
3) Analyzed the data to do a strategy session with the customer/prospect and identified hardware redeployment opportunities to avoid having high volume printers in low volume areas and vice-versa.
4) Held a strategy session with a customer/prospect to layout the redeployment schedule.
Oh, one thing before I forget. When doing the assessment you find all these gem opportunities to replace hardware. And the temptation/mistake most equipment reps make is during the strategy session they try to go and replace a bunch of the old beat up hardware with new hardware. This usually results in wreaking havoc on the opportunity because you are telling the IT Director they need 50 new MPS pioneer Lexmark printers to replace 50 marketshare leader HP’s. So to avoid this mistake, we don’t go after that hardware opportunity immediately, we wait. We put together a refresh program in the future that addresses future hardware needs but it revolves around device consolidation not hardware proliferation. But more on this when I get to quarterly reviews.
5) Did a financial MPS proposal where you captured all the volume off of the customer/prospects printer fleet.
6) Implemented a contract.
7) Executed quarterly reviews to capture more share of wallet within the account i.e. hardware examples like I listed earlier. This is where you go after the hardware opportunities. Through ongoing monitoring of their usage you will build credibilty and gain trust. The quarterly is the vehicle to showing the client the value you bring and solidifying the relationship. Hardware opportunities follow. " -------------------------------------
At first glance, this all looks reasonable.
But, for me, there is a tinge of familiarity. Something tugging at me from the past. Something just isn't 100%.
For starters, this process seems a little too hardware centric.
Although the author clearly states "...we don’t go after that hardware opportunity immediately, we wait..." and "...Executed quarterly reviews to capture more share of wallet within the account..." one can not help but be suspicious. I mean, why tell me something you aren't going to do, just don't do it.
And then it hit me - these seven steps can be applied to any COPIER deal out there. Even more, this started to smell like an IKON process.
The process is geared around selling more hardware - period.
The assessment is strictly a collection of situational data - no authentic analysis.
There is no real business case, no workflow analysis or even a hope of actually helping the client. Well, he would be helping the client shift costs from many vendors to one. His.
This approach is simplistic. The benefits to the client are hollow. And the practitioner a self serving rube - that is, in my humble opinion.
Another epiphany - imagine this mentality multiplied by 100 or 100,000 sales reps.
Canon USA Inc. has sued William D. Crow, a former employee, as well as 10 other "John Does" for allegedly revealing trade secrets and other proprietary information to Ikon Office Solutions Inc. in violation of a confidentiality agreement. In a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona, Canon sued Crow, for allegedly disclosing Canon's confidential information to Ikon, as part of a scheme to switch Canon's customers from Canon to Ricoh.
In the complaint, it is explained that, Crow resigned Canon Jan. 5 to join Ikon's government marketing division. In his new position with IKON, according to the complaint, Crow is working Canon's customers in violation his contractual obligations to Canon.
As a condition of his employment, Crow signed a confidentiality agreement the complaint said.
"CUSA has been and will continue to be irreparably harmed by Crow's misappropriation of trade secrets, unfair misuse of CUSA's confidential information, and usurpation of CUSA customer opportunities and goodwill," the complaint said.
It is alleged that between approximately Nov. 17, 2008, and Jan. 6, Crow downloaded information such as pricing reports, customer contact information and monthly machine population reports, for use in his new position, the complaint said.
It is also alleged that Crow deleted quotes, proposals and pricing from his computer.
The case is Canon U.S.A. Inc. v. William D. Crow et aI., case number: 09-cv-OOllO, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona. ----------------------------------------------
DOTC Analysis, thoughts -
The copier industry is a "revolving door" for sales people in "normal" times, with all the changes going on today, more good people are out of a job or looking for a better position with a more stable company.
The situation displayed above happens daily, but it is rare to have a company sue an ex-employee - but times are different and the battle is being waged on all fronts - something we should be aware of when attempting to better our position in the world.
In California, it is difficult to prosecute a "non-compete" so the angle used could be the confidentiality agreement.
You signed it.
Get a copy, keep it with you, review before jetting...
TOKYO, March 5 - Ricoh Co Ltd said its products accounted for 90 percent of sales at Ikon in January, up from 30 percent before the office equipment distributor was acquired by the Japanese copier maker last year, underlining a smooth consolidation of the key U.S. unit.
Ricoh, the world's largest copier maker, said it aimed to raise its profits in the year from April despite a tough business environment, thanks to bigger contributions from Ikon and its high-end printer business. Ricoh bought Ikon Office Solutions for $1.6 billion in October, delivering a heavy blow to rival Canon Inc, whose machines had represented 60 percent of the products Ikon handled before the October acquisition.
Investors have been keeping a close eye on Ikon's performance during the transition from an independent distributor to a Ricoh unit due to concerns that some of its existing clients may leave Ikon to keep using rival products.
"We ourselves have been worried about that, too. But all of its clients said they have no problem with Ricoh machines except for one company, which did not give us a clear answer," Ricoh Chief Executive Shiro Kondo told Reuters in an interview.
Ricoh competes with Canon, Xerox Corp, Konica Minolta Holdings Inc in printers and copiers.
The Tokyo-based company held a 19.7 percent share in the global copier market in value terms in 2008, according to research firm Gartner, ahead of Xerox's 19.2 percent and Canon's 18.9 percent.
PROFIT REAPING
Kondo said he aims for sales and profit growth in the year starting April 1 as it benefits from a full-year profit contribution from Ikon, and its commercial printing business will likely take off in the new business year.
Ricoh in 2007 bought International Business Machines Corp's digital commercial printer business for $725 million.
Digital commercial printers are used to print such documents as product manuals and direct mail quickly and in large volume, and are a fast-growing segment of the printer market.
"We have conducted various acquisitions such as the Ikon purchase and joined new business areas," Kondo said on Thursday.
"And we are now entering a period of reaping profits, although it is not very fortunate for us that the timing of profit-reaping coincides with this tough business environment."
Ricoh forecast a 45 percent fall in operating profit to 100 billion yen ($1 billion) in the year ending this month due to slumping demand and a firmer yen.
For the new year starting April, analysts on average expect Ricoh to post an operating profit of 62 billion yen, according to Reuters Estimates, making Kondo's target look challenging.
He also said Ricoh planned to stick to its mid-term target to boost operating profit to 250 billion yen in the year ending March 2011 despite a widening recession.
Prior to Kondo's comments, shares in Ricoh closed up 0.9 percent at 1,085 yen, underperforming the benchmark Nikkei average, which gained 2 percent. ($1=99.17 Yen)
I found the article very interesting for those of us hammering out MPS deals - or at least trying.
I found the article very illuminating regarding the current selling to IT model and why it is sometime difficult to get IT providers to succeed with Managed Print Services.
In it, Jay reveals how he "handles" a cold sales call from a vendor; imagine you are setting down with your list of prospects (the yellow pages) and you are dialing up Jay's number.
If he answers, he clearly states to you, "...You have five minutes to tell me what your product is and how it will help me. At the end of that five minutes I will tell you if we’re interested, if it’s something we want to look at in the future or if I want more information.”
It's like Detroit all over again.
Now I disagree with the premise, but let's continue down this road.
You have five minutes to "wow" this guy - the neophyte will stumble into some sort of rote "value statement" ending with "we have the lowest prices around..." click.
The advanced selling professional will realize that five minutes is plenty of time to close for an appointment. Because this professional knows a great deal about this IT guy and his set-up and probable pain points.
The Consummate Selling Professional will never be in this position because he has been introduced into the C-levels and is talking to the person who tells the IT guy what to do.
Which is why I do not like the premise - cold calling. When you read the post, and the comments, a clear view of how the Sales Person is viewed by many prospects. It isn't pretty.
Cold calling is fine if you are "churning and burning" or looking for that one or two machine sale, down the street.
But as a first step in the dance of relationship building?
There is a small firestorm of "concern" brewing around the comments I shared here from the Lyra Symposium regarding the Edgeline.
Couple this with the report that HP moved Edgeline assets "off-shore", and Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt are bound to permeate.
It's referred to as the F.U.D. selling technique and is used by the more shadier copier sales people out there - "X".
If you run your business, your department or your life from a position of Fear, then you have probably been a victim of this selling technique. If so, stop right now, move your mouse over the "X" in the top, right hand corner and click.
No room here for the fearful.
Here's the story - HP is NOT putting Edgeline out to pasture, end of life.
HP IS behind Edgeline, supporting Edgeline, and Edgeline is part of the future.
Resellers are still certified, my techs still service Edgelines, I can still get service parts, toner and engines - all is moving forward.
So if your "X" sales person is telling you that the HP CM8060 is at "end of life" - move your mouse over the "X" and click him out. ---------------------------------------------
All this hub bub has given me pause, so I reflect. It's true, HP has not sold as many units as they would have liked, but how have I been effected?
How have my clients been effected? What does this all mean to me, personally?
Sparking up PrintSolv and checking into our fleet of CM80x0's, I remember the dozens of reasons these clients chose Edgeline.
One company, wanted to explore saving money by reducing energy consumption as compared to their Canons. The Canons had "all the bells", including 3 hole punch, 11x17 and scanning. After looking at the actual usage, 11x17 output was less than 1% of total. Three hole punch, hadn't been used for "...2 years..."
At last month's Customer Review Meeting, we confirmed that since August of 2008, energy consumption for copiers declined 11%.
This was predicted. This is measured. This is a fact. The Edgeline is GREEN.
A side benefit was a reduction in paper purchases from 17 cases/month to 12 cases/month. Duplex was set as default on the Edgeline and all other HP devices.
Scrolling down, I see one client who currently prints about 15,000 color images a month.
Well, I should say, 14,500 Color Accent images a month.
This client was absolutely fed up with the poor customer service, unpredictable color quality, numerous jamming and a ridiculous contract the Konica Minolta dealer was "unwilling to help with".
Indeed, when the unit did print color correctly that is without a "pinkish" hue, a 12 cent/page charge was incurred. After looking at their output, which is revenue generating, almost 80% of the pages had less than 150 characters of text in color. Not many pictures or graphs.
We installed the Edgeline for a 30 day evaluation, which expanded into a 90 day evaluation. Earlier on, the cost savings looked significant for color cost alone. But when we rolled in the ease of use, lower energy consumption, lower amount of disposable service parts(no drum, fuser, etc.) - and the ability to EASILY remove mis-feeds - the Edgeline looked even better "on paper".
I can not say that the Edgeline will not mis-feed, but when it does, end users do not simply walk away from the "blinking wrench"; they easily fix the problem using the AutoNav and live video display. Simple.
Today, because of the Color Accent functionality found only on Edgeline, my client saves a significant amount of money printing color at the black and white rate - printing color text.
The biggest impact on the organization has been reliability - the Edgeline is bullet proof.
But, the client is saving "lots" of money - the Konica is sitting in the corner of the room, used as backup - the lease is still in effect - for another 21 months. Even carrying the lease on this dead machine, they are reducing costs.
One more example -
A very small fleet of Edgelines(4 units) we installed before going with PrintSolv.
These units notify my offices and the client when supplies hit a minimum and service issues reach a certain level. For instance, magenta down to 3% issues an email; three consecutive mis feeds in the ADF, trigger a service email.
To date, we have dispatched 3 service calls to each machine, when notified of a problem, by the machine. That's 12, premptive, non PM service calls in the last 18 months.
Our tech shows up before the end user calls our toll free number. There have even been cases when our tech will show up while the Admin is speaking to our dispatch.
These four Edgelines replaced five boxes from Xerox. My client had been a Xerox customer for DECADES. But saw an "account executive" rarely if ever; the end users knew the service technicians by name, first name.
This account represents quite a few Edgelines - quite a few.
The Take Aways - How to work with Edgeline, from a customer's view and from the Reseller's perspective.
If you arelooking getting more than 4 Edgelines, install a trial unit.
If you are a reseller and you have a prospect who is looking to roll out more than four Edgelines, install a trial unit.
And when going through the trial process, treat it as a sale - perform the site survey, collect end user requirements and network security issues. Train the end users(twice or more) on all the relevant functions.
Set the system up to email your client and you when issues arise.
Do not try to fit this "square peg" into a round hole - do your homework. Both client and provider.
Sustainability - the Edgeline and HP is very Green. Reducing power consumption and landfill materials.
When the unit is installed in an environment that fits, the system performs very well.
I know. I have replaced Canon, Konica Minolta, Xerox, Imagistics and Toshiba with Edgeline.
Edgeline treats business documents the way they are in the real world - hardly anyone uses 11x17 - it's a fact. Sure you can find some who run nothing but 11x17, those are not Edgeline prospects.
Hardly anyone use the 3-hole punch - it's a fact. If it is a "big" issue, pre-drilled is the way to go.
Whenever one penetrates a market with very established players, who apply a tried and proven sales and manufacturing model, such as the copier industry, one is bound to take a few hits.
HP is not going to someday stop printing - but there will be companies that will one day stop copying.
Crazy Disclaimer - the above accounts are a "conglomeration" of cases illustrated as individual clients. The facts remain the same.
Ricoh announced new, embedded intelligence technology with IBM's Tivoli Monitoring and Asset Management for IT.
This solution monitors MFP energy consumption and automates settings based on a corporation's environmental management objectives.
For instance, if all users in a particular workgroup are not using their computers, the system will recognize this inactivity and automatically shut down the workgroup's MFP to a sleep mode.
This is a pretty big step and one that illustrates the significant meshing of IT and MFPs.
The complete Press Release:
LAS VEGAS, Feb 09, 2009 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ --
Company: International Business Machines Corp. (IBM)
New Solution Works Seamlessly with IBM's Tivoli Software to Manage Energy Consumption and Lower Total Cost of Ownership
Ricoh Americas Corporation, a leading provider of digital office equipment, today announced the preliminary showing of its new embedded intelligence technology with IBM's Tivoli Monitoring and Asset Management for IT at the IBM Pulse conference in Las Vegas.
The solution monitors and reports on Ricoh multifunction product (MFP) energy consumption and automates settings based on a corporation's environmental management objectives. The solution will be on display for demonstration February 8-11, 2009, at booth #70 in the IBM Industry Zone at Pulse Solutions Center.
Ricoh's solution tracks the activity of all Ricoh MFPs connected to a network in order to gauge real-time metrics of power usage through IBM's Tivoli system management software. An IT administrator can define customized metrics by defining parameters on an individual company's cost reduction and sustainability goals. The Ricoh system is able to identify when established thresholds have been reached and will automatically adjust the network's settings. For instance, if all users in a particular workgroup are not using their computers, the system will recognize this inactivity and automatically shut down the workgroup's MFP to a sleep mode, greatly reducing power consumption and costs.
Ricoh's solution can also enable a company to apply print rules that push settings onto workgroups. Therefore, if a particular group is consistently failing to meet the company's sustainability goals, the settings can force users to duplex or limit prints in order to better manage and improve the company's carbon footprint.
"Environmental issues and sustainable practices are at the forefront of business now more than ever. Therefore, Ricoh and IBM are demonstrating an innovative solution for managing MFP power consumption," said Mark Minshull, vice president and chief technologist, Ricoh Americas Corporation. "Ricoh and IBM are leaders in promoting sustainability both internally and to our customers, and this solution, which integrates our leading technologies, is another example of how we can help customers 'green' their operations while also improving their bottom line."
Previously, adjustments for power management had to be made manually, often for each individual product. With the new Ricoh solution with Tivoli, all adjustments are made automatically based on an enterprise's environmental policies. Additionally, Tivoli can change the energy settings for all IT assets connected to the network simultaneously from the desktop of the administrator.
Minshull will also be leading a breakout session at the conference for attendees titled "Leveraging IBM Service Management and Ricoh Embedded MFP Intelligence to Deliver a Total Green Office Solution." The session will focus on the implementation of IBMs through IBM's Tivoli Monitoring and Asset Management for IT software with Ricoh's embedded solution. Minshull will give insight into trends in green management and industry standards, as well as ways to consolidate and improve office equipment utilization with asset optimization. The session will be held at 10:30 am (PST) on February 10 in room 106 at the Conference Center of the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Nanotechnology Helps Paper Exports
Tuesday, 17 February 2009, 10:43 am
Press Release: Victoria University of Wellington
Nanotechnology Helps Paper Exports
Researchers at Victoria University have discovered ground-breaking new ways to capitalise on New Zealand’s increasingly valuable paper export markets using nanotechnology. Dr Aaron Small and supervisor Professor Jim Johnston investigated cost-effective methods of printing or coating nanoparticles onto paper and packaging materials. Nanoparticles are tiny particles 10,000 times thinner than the average human hair.
By adding a simple step to the end of the paper making process, their finding makes possible the development of new magnetic, electrically conductive or optically active specialist paper products.
While nanoparticles are already used to coat materials such as fabric or clay particles, this is the first-time the technology has been used with a New Zealand-grown and produced material such as Kraft board fibres (Pinus radiata), which are exported as newsprint grade paper internationally.
Dr Small, whose PhD results were published in international scientific journals Current Applied Physics and the Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, says the methods have many potential uses.
“We know how to print nanoparticles that glow under Ultra Violet light but are invisible under normal light. They could be used for security labelling to protect against counterfeiting. You could also have a label that might be blue within the use-by-date and when it’s expired it would turn red,” he says.
The results could also provide a cheaper alternative to some metals, such as copper. Copper is commonly used to shield equipment sensitive to electromagnetic radiation such as cellular and wireless network frequencies.
“For equipment that’s sensitive to inference you could line the walls of a room with cardboard coated with nanomaterials to block out problematic frequencies. The same material is anti-static and could be used to package sensitive equipment such as computer components.”
New Zealand exports more than $600 million of paper products a year and new markets in higher value printing and packaging papers are expected to emerge within 10 years.
Dr Small says his PhD research aimed to use “clever chemistry” to increase the value of New Zealand’s specialist paper products.
Over the course of his three-year doctorate, Dr Small worked in laboratories at Victoria University, Industrial Research Limited, the Australian Defence Science and Technology Organisation in Melbourne and the Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe, a government research institute in Germany.
He has established how to synthesise the nanoparticles and characterise their properties. Further research or a larger pilot project will be undertaken if financial support can be secured.
So now I "Tweet" - and now I get to experience "Spam" at a whole other level - Tweet Spam.
