It comes as no big secret that the business community and the way companies and people go about their day has dramatically shifted in the past five years. It will likely take about 10 years for historians, economists and prognosticators to gain clarity and assess the major shifts, but we’ve already taken note of the vast changes in the way business is conducted.
What has this all meant to managed print services (MPS)? Certainly, mobile work was already trending upward, with road warriors requiring the ability to print from anywhere. But work from home? We didn’t see that coming until March of 2020. Companies had long provided flexibility for the occasional Friday WFH, and it was seen as a perk that employees tried not to abuse, out of fear employers would put their foot down at some point.
Little did we know exactly how much that would change. As we close out this month’s focus on MPS, we surveyed our dealer panel to discuss what strategies providers should employ that perhaps weren’t relevant five years ago.
The prime selling point is innovation, notes Dan Larkin, solutions sales director for Marco of St. Cloud, Minnesota. He recommends software augmentation that can offer additional security, automation and mobility.
“It’s a worthwhile investment for any dealer that wants to move their services out of that older MPS model that’s only focused on servicing equipment and into something that takes a more holistic approach to optimizing and securing print environments,” Larkin said.
Number-Crunching
Having a firm grip on the financial considerations is no small matter; providing cost and efficiency savings to the client is paramount, but a sustainable profit margin to make it worth your dealership’s time and energy cannot be discounted. Josh Britton, president of imageOne in Oak Park, Michigan, financial acumen beyond the CEO and CFO roles is vitally important.
“I think all of your leadership should really be tied into the full financial picture,” Britton said. “They need to understand the relationships between the numbers, the financial levers, and be tied into the trends and movements, both good and bad. It’s a great way for your management team to take actions and interventions. In our industry, costs are increasing more quickly and in different ways, and you need to be responsive.”
TJ DeBello, vice president of sales for Houston-based Stargel Office Solutions, feels the evolving MPS landscape has prompted his company to remain agile and open to adopting new technologies and strategies to remain competitive while still meeting client demands.
“Some examples would be remote work support, a larger emphasis on enhanced data security, customized solutions, and continuing our education and training to stay ahead of industry trends,” he said.
It’s not a great mystery for Hunter Woolfolk, the co-president of DOCUmation in San Antonio, Texas. It all begins and ends with service, which he feels is the heart of the offering.
“If you can’t provide excellent service, why are you even in this business?” Woolfolk posed. “Why sell something people can buy on Amazon if you’re not going to be a value to them?”
Talk Track
How one approaches MPS is nearly as important as the elements it comprises. Ray Belanger, president of Bay Copy in Rockland, Massachusetts, believes an important step is not to lead with the message of MPS as a cost-cutting strategy.
“Focus instead on the other benefits, such as freeing up IT staff, and the ease of outsourcing the management,” he said. “Shift the focus more on environmental issues. These tactics can not only support the MPS program but can also be another point of entry when approaching a new customer.”
Given that each dealer is at a different junction in its MPS journey, it’s tough to offer a one-size-fits-all perspective, notes Jeff Wilson, vice president of business development for Mesa, Arizona-based Flex Technology Group. But there is one universal tie that binds all programs.
“Success and failure start first with the people you hire and how you develop them,” Wilson said. “At FTG, we continue to do the things that got us here, listening to our customers and delivering on what they ask of us. That’s the best advice we can give to anyone that is trying to build a new business or break into new markets.”
