The Interview I know You Can't Pass Up: Adventures in Office Imaging Queries DOTC

Nathan has moved back to Blogger - and so has THE Interview.

Enjoy, here.

Oh, and enjoy a bit of the Gypsy - in honor of AIOI's travels.

Grrr Baby Grrr...

It's a Double Dip Recession, Which is really a Depression - Are You Ready To Make an MPS Stand?

7/13/2010 

Companies are reporting "better days". IT budgets are loosening up. But, aren't the copier companies comparing this year's numbers to last year's numbers?

And weren't some numbers last year down as much as 62%?

So, like, if I lost 10 machines last year, but sold 1 machine this year, is that good?

Let me ask you this...are you finding it easier to get leasing for your SMB prospects?

Are the business parks just as empty today, as they were this time last year?

Hell, mine out here in SoCali have TUMBLE WEEDS rolling through the parking lots!

I ain't kidding, I've seen this with my own eyes.

How many homes in your neighborhood are still for sale? After a year?

When was the last time your company ADDED to the employee rolls? Additional salespeople? Additional service technicians?

How's all that "hope and change" working out for you?

The banks have been "rescued", 2 out of three of the Big Three automakers are no longer American owned, un-enjoyment has gone UP, there are no such things as "green jobs", our debt is now 62% of our GDP, the United States of America has bowed to the Saudi's and the Chinese.

And France is giving US economic advice.

There is still a hole where the Towers once stood; a Mosque, feet from Ground Zero, will be built before any structure replaces our fallen structures.

And we can't get a copier lease approved for a church in Cleveland.

Huh, ain't this some sh*t?

As MPS providers, we often tout "30% cost reductions..." or "59% equipment reduction and 1000% reduction in your carbon footprint"

Carbon Footprint? Save the trees? Do the trees have bills to pay?

How about saving somebody's job?

Sure, printing and printers are not as sexy as Quad-Core thing-a-ma-jobs and nifty blade server-things.

And "the Cloud" sounds really cool - Can the cloud save Sally's job in shipping?

Can a quad-core watchma-whosit sell more widgets? Well, ok maybe they can, but that's not important.

Here's where I am going with this - on your report to the CFO, after performing the exhaustive study, are you mentioning how many jobs can be saved by moving to MPS?

In addition to how many trees were rescued, how much carbon was reduced, and how many barbecue propane tanks worth of energy were conserved, do you have a column for cube-rat jobs preserved?

Can you figure that one out? Sure you can. Add it to your ROI.

That's right - add "Number of Positions Saved".

Ahhhh...makes you nervous, doesn't it?

I mean, how in the world can you approach this subject with the director of IT? The office manager? The Head of Purchasing, Mr. CPM?

YOU CAN'T.

Sure, the IT Director might find it nifty and pitch the fact that 50 propane tanks will be saved by moving to duplex, but FTE's ? No way.

I know you're asking, "But Mr. DOTC-Dude, how can I find out how much they're paying Sally in Shipping?"

"Are you kidding me?" is my reply.

True, you won't find this data by digging through "last year's toner spend" with Staples.

And, it is unlikely to jump out at you, reviewing Toshiba copier lease "expiration dates".

How about if you, let's say just for shits and giggles, want to find out how much time and the cost is invested by your prospect when processing those incoming shipments of toner from Staples?

I don't know, call me crazy, but do you think you could get a "burden" for a shipping clerk in say, Detroit? (or accounting or HR...)

How cool will it look when you're the only one to propose "saving jobs", when the rest of them, even the "big boys" are still pitching "lowest CPI and lowest TCO"?

Yeah, you can.

I dare you. Double-dog-dare you.






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ACS, A Xerox Company, Helps Michigan Lower Costs, Improve Services

See Your Future, Be Your Future - From "paper food vouchers...to EBT magnetic stripe card..."

I noticed this press release, illustrating, once again, the IT integrators and MSP's will be in "our" space.

And, of course, reminding us all that print is dying.

08/07/2010 15:30

The FINANCIAL -- The State of Michigan’s program that provides Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) benefits is saving more than 25 percent in processing costs by moving from paper-based food vouchers to an electronic benefit transfer (EBT) system provided by Affiliated Computer Services, Inc. (ACS), A Xerox Company (NYSE: XRX).

Michigan’s WIC program provides nutritious foods and nutrition education for approximately half the infants born in the state. Moving to EBT, the state went from issuing more than 10 million paper food vouchers annually to providing recipients with an EBT magnetic stripe card for use at point-of-service terminals at retailers.

The List - First Published, Feb 2008

The List has been around well before it was ever posted.

The List has gone through many edits, additions, and removals.

The List has grown, blossomed, and matured.

It is a living document, a bevy of beauties.

Friday is Funday: The Globe of Light - Another form of Documents. Oh, and Ozzy!

MPSA Task Force Brings Meaning to Managed Print Services

"Managed print services is the active management and optimization of document output devices and related business processes." - MPSA, 2010 DOTC 

Reflection - This was a very difficult task. One which Joe and Matt struggle with for months. A task that created a lot of dynamics within the MPSA Board. Joe and Matt came through and the board unanimously(yes, including me) approved. 

I like that the definition can be applied to both MPS provider and a self-implemented MPS engagement, like Nationwide Insurance. It's a good base, a solid foundation to build upon. And something easily Incorporated into multiple MPS talk-tracks for your prospects and clients. 

Good Form! 

PRESS RELEASE: New MPS definition helps end-users and providers standardize services, expectations 

Mount Laurel, NJ – July 8, 2010 – As the managed print services juggernaut rolls on to its projected $60 billion market size by 2013, one thing has been missing – a definition of this amazing segment. Just what exactly do we mean by “managed print services”? 

Background: The Emergence of Managed Print Services Over the past 10 years, the traditional copier and printer industries have converged, especially with the introduction of multifunction peripherals (MFPs). With the blending of these two hardware-focused industry segments, their products became commoditized. 

At the same time, users need more help managing their output devices, so a managed services approach to output emerged. Managed print services (MPS) grew as a business model revolving around servicing end-users’ output needs, not focused on a specific hardware manufacturer. The true MPS provider is a new breed: vendor agnostic and customer-focused. 

Ultimately they are paid for their consulting value, in addition to the tangible products that fulfill the consultation. Defining a New Business Model Until now, MPS has gone undefined, but thanks to the efforts of the Managed Print Services Association (MPSA), the market (worth over $25 billion globally) has a focus. 

According to the MPSA, "Managed print services is the active management and optimization of document output devices and related business processes."