There’s a myth being perpetuated across the document imaging industry in that there are riches to be made in Managed Services. Go to any BTA conference, most dealer meetings, or read online or print publications like this one and you can’t sit through more than 15 minutes of seminars or flip through fourteen pages without hearing or reading about Managed Services.
Do the document imaging industry prognosticators and power players really think that getting involved with a customer’s network is going to keep dealers relevant? What about the foundation of their business? The document imaging industry was built on boxes and to focus on anything else, especially a segment of the customer’s business that involves IT is pure lunacy. Ever met an IT person or seen one up close? I rest my case.
In case you’re missing my point, Managed Services is the biggest scam to hit the document imaging industry since Managed Print Services. And we’ve all seen what’s happened with that. Does anybody even offer Managed Print Services anymore and has anyone ever made any money from it?
I’m sure your blood pressure is rising to an unhealthy level as you read this, especially if you’re with one of those OEMs or consulting firms that are weaving this Managed Services black magic across the document imaging industry. I’ll bet there are plenty of dealers falling for your line too. It’s so easy to be seduced by the smell of green.
Turns out I’m weaving that black magic too right here in this issue in my article “Managed Services Made Easy.” It’s not easy, but it’s a good title. And as far as everything I wrote prior to this paragraph, I don’t believe a word of it, I was just trying to get your attention.
I’m convinced there is something to this Managed Services thing even if it may not be for everyone. If you’re not in yet, there’s plenty of help out there to assist you in navigating your way to success without totally drifting away from your core business. If you’re in already and not doing as well as you’d like, I spoke with some people this month that may be able to get things moving in the right direction for you. And I only scratched the surface of the experts who have a proven track record in this arena.
Thanks for reading.
