Jim D'Emidio
It’s becoming clear that offices are not producing the copy and print volumes they once did. The ubiquitous memo that was once copied and distributed to all relevant parties within an organization is now delivered electronically as a PDF document. As a younger, more “digital-ready” generation enters the workforce, one that has become accustom to consuming, producing and editing information electronically, print volumes will continue to decline. Factor in the accelerated adoption of iPad’s and tablet computers and the future doesn’t look as bright for those who depend on the printed page to keep the business running.
The decline in print volumes is not going to reverse, at least in our opinion, however there are new business opportunities that dealers are well-positioned to capture if they take a proactive approach in modifying their business model. Dealers that transform their business from a hardware / break-fix model into a services-based approach will generate increased revenues, profitability and long-term stability. These services include the management of the customer’s documents (both printed and electronic), business processes (workflow) and IT services (PC help desk, network security, application installation / management, etc).
This isn’t a radical approach or idea. In fact, this approach has been the focus of your competition for many years. No, not the copier dealer down the street, we’re talking about managed IT services providers (MSP) and software/printer VAR’s. Just as you’re exploring new business opportunities, MSP’s and VAR’s have identified print management as an attractive area of growth. If they already control the customer’s network, including the management of applications and document traffic on the network, the conversation to include the management of the printing devices on the network becomes much easier. As they overtake printers the next area of focus will become the office MFP’s and copiers. Your MFP’s and copiers!
We understand the task of transforming a business is difficult; however Muratec is actively developing solutions to remove some of the pain and monetary risk from this transformation.
But the key message for 2012 is to begin protecting your base. A simple, yet effective program that we’ve created is called “Marking Your Territory”. The concept is simple; when your service technician or sales representative calls on a current customer they should take a stack of stickers with your dealership contact information on them. This could be your generic “Call for Service” sticker you place on your copier fleet. At the customer location they should affix the sticker to the printers throughout the office. This accomplishes two objectives. The first is that it will scare off the competition by showing that the printers are under active management. And second, it will provide your customer with a basic managed print services program to give them a single point of contact for printer service and supply fulfillment. As you add IT services to your portfolio you’ll have an active base of managed services accounts that will be primed for the solution. This approach is not a long-term strategy, simply a solution for 2012 that helps you protect your base as you invest in new deliverables.
