So, here I am, again, in Orlando – this time for the Sharp dealer meeting held at the Hyatt (formerly the Peabody but, sadly, without the ducks) from 11/11 to 11/13. Interestingly, Toshiba chose to hold their dealer meeting at the same time in the same city (see our 11/12 newsletter). Some dual line dealers as well as many analysts were running around with their hair on fire trying to cover both events.
Sharp’s event began on Monday evening with a private walkthrough for analysts of the expo floor. Here, we saw a full array of both software and hardware up to and including the Pro Series Color MX7500N equipped with a Plockmatic booklet maker.
After the tour, we were treated to a frank talk with Doug Albregts (President), Laura Blackmer (Sr. VP, Sales) and Mike Marusic (Sr. VP, Marketing). Of the three, Mike had the most longevity at more than 10 years with Sharp. Both Doug and Laura were relatively new to both Sharp and the imaging industry. I was looking forward to the impact these new leaders would have on the company. Based on the following days’ meetings, I was not to be disappointed.
Sharp shared that the meeting drew roughly 600 dealer attendees and 100 exhibitors and partners. Twenty-eight partners were exhibiting out of the 171 total US partners integrating with Sharp’s OSA user interface.
The general session on the following day was hosted by Laura. This was her baptism in fire, given that she has only been with Sharp for six months.
She thanked dealers for their efforts to keep selling through the bad financial times of last year, admitting that competitors were trying to take advantage by creating doubts regarding Sharp’s stability. Sharp must have done something right since their document business was reported to be up by 12% in the U.S.
I was struck by the apparent difference between her evolving relationship with the dealers and the previous hard charging “take it or leave it” approach of previous managers. She stressed the intent to be business partners with Sharp dealers, going beyond the traditional vendor/dealer relationship.
Next, we heard from Doug Albregts who continues to bill himself as the industry’s “most interesting non-copier guy.”
Given the challenges faced by Sharp, that might not be a bad thing. He contrasted Sharp’s copier group performance with the rest of the corporation. It would appear that this is one of the few divisions that continues to earn a profit and is, possibly, the most profitable in an otherwise troubled company. Operating income for the division was up for the fourth straight quarter – this year by 14%.
Last year, Sharp announced that they would no longer be offering end of month “specials” that cause dealers to build inventory. Instead, they offered the “best price all the time.” Great plan but, as always happens, there were unintended consequences. A sudden increase in sales caused serious backorder problems, especially for accessories. This caused a dramatic change in Sharp’s distribution policy. Doug announced that, effective January 1, all products will be distributed through Tech Data. The distributor will handle all shipping, order entry, billing and credit. Sharp will no doubt save a ton in infrastructure cost. Surprisingly, dealers were pleased with most stating that they don’t care who ships the equipment, as long as they get it. The agreement calls for a closed distribution of Sharp products, with Tech Data shipping only to authorized Sharp dealers.
Finally, Mike Marusic reviewed the new product lineup that included new A3 and A4 engines as well as a new line of low cost desktop laser printers.
Now back to the product expo. For the first time in my memory, dealers were more interested in Sharp’s new software offerings than hardware. Two in particular drew crowds.
First was Cloud Portal Office, a cloud software solution fully integrated into Sharp’s MFP products. What differentiates Cloud Portal Office from other cloud solutions currently on the market is the combination of capabilities it brings together, and the solution’s optimization for the Sharp B2B channel. Cloud Portal Office allows businesses to:
- Connect from virtually anywhere. Whether in the office, traveling, or working remotely, Cloud Portal Office helps maximize productivity by allowing workers to stay connected and access business content wherever they are and from a range of devices, including computers, tablets or smartphones.
- Collaborate more seamlessly. Files and folders can quickly be shared with remote workers, or those in the same office, when collaborating on projects.
- Conference with confidence through Cloud Portal Office’s seamless integration with Sharp’s AQUOS BOARD displays. Presentations are now easy to access and present – no laptops or other technology needed.
- Capture and archive hard copy documents through Sharp OSA enabled MFPs. The system integrates directly with MFPs, allowing hard copy documents to be stored alongside digital files. Indexing capabilities make finding information simple.
- Control content through Cloud Portal Office’s security over stored content. Enhanced folder sharing and permission setting capabilities allow users to share as much or as little as they like.
Second, Sharp introduced MICAS, a software solution that can help dealerships automate the controlling and monitoring of Sharp business products through real-time service notifications and remote diagnostic capability. This content management system helps take the guesswork out of troubleshooting MFPs, as users can exactly pinpoint issues or errors with the help of printed and video content. For Sharp dealers, MICAS increases first call resolution, meaning less business interruption, optimized device uptime and a more efficient service delivery. When a service code is received, the system points to all documentation needed to solve the problem, including part numbers and video based installation instructions. The system can be used by service dispatch, help desk environments, or pushed directly to the service tech using a remote tablet or smart phone.
Overall, I would rate this meeting a winner. Senior staff was omnipresent. Workshops were full. Even the expo was well attended right up until closing. The event had the feeling of a celebration more than a business meeting and was capped by Sharp staff playing in a rock band (Doug on bass) at the closing event. Well done, Sharp!
