BTA West to Host Capture the Magic Aug. 1-2 in Las Vegas
June 28, 2013 — On Aug. 1-2, 2013, the Business Technology Association’s (BTA; www.bta.org) West district will host Capture the Magic, its annual educational and networking event, at the Mandarin Oriental in Las Vegas. The event will feature a keynote presentation by Kurt Schmelz, president of North American Resellers (NARS) of the Channel Partner Organization at Xerox Corp., and five additional educational sessions presented by industry leaders.
Dealers will be able to participate in networking events that will allow them to connect with their peers, including a welcoming reception on Aug. 1, and a trip to the Bellagio on Aug. 2 to see Cirque du Soleil’s O performance. In addition, there will be time to visit with 30-plus exhibiting sponsors, many of which will hold drawings for great prizes during the event. Dealer attendees can also enter on site for a chance to win a one of five $100 American Express gift card from BTA West.
Capture the Magic begins at 1 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 1, with one-on-one vendor/dealer meetings that will be held until 3:15 p.m. These meetings will give dealers the opportunity to earn $30 for each 15-minute one-on-one meeting attended, up to $210 per dealership. These meetings have been established to allow quality time with the vendors of your choice and help to defray travel costs. For more information, visit www.bta.org/West15MinMeetings.
At 4 p.m., the event will kick off with opening comments and Schmelz’s keynote presentation, “Business Model Strategies for Growth.” Following the keynote, attendees will have time to network with peers and exhibiting sponsors during the welcoming reception, which will be held from 5:30 until 7 p.m.
Breakfast will begin at 7 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 2, followed by opening comments, educational sessions and lunch. After lunch, the final educational sessions, closing comments and prize drawings will be held. Breaks will be held during the day to give attendees time to network with peers and sponsors. On Friday evening, attendees will enjoy Cirque du Soleil’s O performance at the Bellagio.
In addition to the keynote presentation, the Capture the Magic educational sessions will be: “If I Were You,” with Ed McLaughlin of Valderus LLC; “Proactive Prospecting,” with Tibor Shanto of Renbor Sales Solutions Inc.; “Business Model for Managed Services,” with Mitch Morgan of Growth Achievement Partners; “Service & Operational Opportunities to Improve Your Profitability,” with Ken Staubitz of BEI Services; and “Changing Market Dynamics & Exploding Opportunities in Document Management,” with John Mancini of AIIM.
BTA General Counsel Bob Goldberg will also be available during the event to provide free legal consultations to BTA members.
Front-runner and post-event workshops will also be held in conjunction with Capture the Magic. From July 30 to Aug. 1, John Hamilton of Service Strategies Corp. will present the BTA Field Service Foundations Workshop (www.bta.org/FieldServiceFoundations), and on Aug. 3, Bob Larrivee, director of the AIIM Learning Center, will present How to Sell Document Management Solutions (www.bta.org/AIIMDMS). Attendees to either of these workshops will receive free registration to Capture the Magic.
BTA member dealer registration for Capture the Magic is only $99, which includes the Thursday and Friday educational sessions, Thursday welcoming reception, Friday breakfast, lunch and breaks, and O performance. Non-member dealer registration is $149.
For more information, including full session descriptions and the registration form for the event, visit www.bta.org/BTAWestEvent.
2013 BTA Finance Report Now Available for Download
June 28, 2013 — The Business Technology Association (BTA; www.bta.org) has finalized the last report in its most recent series of benchmarking reports. The 2013 BTA Finance Report helps dealers compare their company’s finances to those of their competitors. The report compares key income statements and balance sheet indicators of BTA members to the benchmarks recommended by John Hanson and John Hey of Strategic Business Associates and taught in BTA’s ProFinance 2.0 workshop. Employee productivity, profitability, expense and asset management performance benchmarks are provided and compared to the recommended benchmarks. Benchmarking results are provided by size of business (annual revenue) and geographic region. The report also includes several years of data (2005, 2008, 2010 and 2013) for comparison.
Prepared for BTA by Survey Advantage, the results of the 2013 Finance Report are based on data provided to BTA in early 2013 through a survey of current and former members. The 2013 report compiles the results of 202 surveys, a significant increase from 2010’s survey, which had 53 responses.
A few examples of the types of data you will find in the report:
- Supplies gross profit increased from 37 percent in 2010 to 39 percent in 2013.
- The annual sales per employee for the Midwest dealer is $156,544.
- The annual service sales per service employee in the $5 million to $10 million dealership is $158,558.
In addition to the 2013 BTA Finance Report, the 2012 BTA Compensation Report and 2012 BTA Service Report are available for download. The 2012 BTA Compensation Report gives detailed salary information on a wide variety of dealer positions, from executive compensation to sales and service to administration. Results are available by size of business and geographic region. The 2012 Service Report tabulates and compares median industry performance by size of business and geographic region. This report is useful for comparing your service operations to those of your peers.
BTA members can download all three of these reports for free. Non-members may purchase each report individually or can buy all three for $650. For more information or to download these benchmarking reports, visit www.bta.org/BenchmarkingReports or call (800) 843-5059.
Copystar Earns Business Technology Association’s Top 2013 Channel’s Choice Award
June 28, 2013 – Copystar (www.copystar.com) was recently presented with the 2013 Channel’s Choice Superior Performance award by the Business Technology Association (BTA; www.bta.org). Bob Burke, vice president of sales for Copystar, accepted the coveted award on June 17 from 2012-13 BTA President Terry Chapman at BTA Mid-America’s Cruise to Success event at the DoubleTree – Magnificent Mile in Chicago. In addition, Copystar received Channel’s Choice awards in three other performance categories: Corporate Support, Distribution and Product Line.
Two other manufacturers were also presented with 2013 Channel’s Choice awards at the BTA Mid-America event. Canon U.S.A. received an award for its Outstanding Performance as a Secondary Product Line Provider. Paul Piotrowski, director of field sales in the Dealer Sales Division at Canon, accepted the award. Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America (SIICA) received the 2013 Channel’s Choice award for the Inventory performance category. Doug Albregts, president of SIICA, accepted the award. Albregts was the Cruise to Success keynote speaker.
New this year, BTA added three additional categories to the award program. LMI Solutions received the Channel’s Choice award in the category of Remanufactured Cartridges. Gary Willert, president and CEO of LMI, accepted the award. GE Capital received an award in the new Third-Party Leasing category. Glen Clark, general manager of GE Capital Office Imaging, accepted the award. The winner in the third new category, Remote Meter Capture, was Print Tracker. No Print Tracker representative was able to attend the Chicago event.
Earlier this year, BTA mailed ballots to all of its dealer members and a number of dealers outside of its membership. The association also posted the ballot on the BTA website and encouraged the industry’s hardware vendors to provide their dealers with a link to the ballot for them to submit online. The ballot asked dealers to rate their primary and secondary line vendors in key performance categories, as well as to rate vendors in the three new award categories. The balloting results determined the Channel’s Choice award winners. BTA received 353 completed ballots.
A comprehensive look at the balloting results will be presented in the BTA 2013 Channel’s Choice Report, free to BTA members. The report, currently being prepared by Industry Analysts Inc., based in Rochester, N.Y., will provide an unparalleled view of how dealers rate their vendor partners. When completed, the report will be available for download at www.bta.org/ChannelsChoice (a member username and password is required to download the report). Previous years’ reports are currently available for download from the BTA Website.
Innovolt Launches Cloud Management Platform
June 18, 2013 – Innovolt Inc., a provider of intelligent asset management technology, has announced the Innovolt Management Cloud (IMC), which enables enterprise users to remotely track and monitor business critical electronics environments. The IMC, the next evolution of the company’s offerings, powers the performance of vital distributed electronic assets by collecting and aggregating data into a centralized cloud location. The platform allows users the ability to analyze key information such as the frequency, type and location of power-related events.
In conjunction with the launch of the IMC, Innovolt also is rolling out its Power Doctor SmartPhone Adaptor which is designed to read data generated by Innovolt’s electronics management appliances and upload it immediately to the cloud platform. Users can simply plug the Adaptor into a smartphone and, using the Innovolt App, optically read performance data associated with the asset’s environment. The data is then available for analysis from any web-enabled device and can be uploaded directly into the IMC.
Innovolt’s new IMC provides the necessary tools to be able to predict, measure and maximize the performance of assets across the distributed enterprise from an easy-to-use, Web-based solution. The software solution ensures system uptime and data integrity and offers a user-friendly interface that provides:
- Access to data from any Web-enabled device
- Graphical representation and dashboards of collected data
- Summary view with different ways to analyze data
- Differential readings with date comparisons
- Detailed information on connected equipment
- Ability to export-data and print-friendly reports
The Power Doctor Smartphone Adaptor application is currently available for download in the iTunes App Store, here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/innovolt/id618073860?mt=8. The Android application will be available later this year.
DocuWorld 2013: Dallas – Düsseldorf – Munich Record Participation at DocuWare Conferences
June 25, 2013 – DocuWare has hosted over 1,000 of its worldwide sales partners and product users for an exchange of ideas and information at three DocuWorld Conference locations. At the center was DocuWare’s Web-based Version 6. Approximately 350 partners and users from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland attended DocuWorld DACH, held in Düsseldorf. DocuWorld Americas in Dallas also set a new record with about 550 attendees. In Munich, 110 DocuWare specialists from Europe, the Middle East, and Africa met as part of DocuWare EMEA (without European partners from Germany, Austria and Switzerland).
DocuWare President and company founder, Jürgen Biffar, highlighted the successes over the past 25 years as the most secure, reliable and technologically progressive partner in the market. The company was an early adopter of cloud computing and offers DocuWare Online, which is identical to its in-house solution. Access to DocuWare file cabinets is possible from anywhere and at any time with modern web client technology employing browsers and mobile apps. However, Biffar expressed the company’s continued commitment to its in-house product use and development.
Together with co-president Thomas Schneck, Biffar was extremely pleased with the tremendous turn-out for the events and the support expressed by partners and customers. This was especially true for their Version 6 and Intelligent Indexing Service, which many partners described as “one of a kind” after the demo. DocuWare Intelligent Indexing Service is a Web-based service that automatically captures metadata from a scanned document and learns from feedback so that it can recommend index words for known document types for future filing.
Applied Imaging and Ricoh Americas Corp. Reach Strategic Agreement
June 25, 2013 – Applied Imaging (www.appliedimaging.com), a Michigan office technology solutions provider has continued its growth by acquiring select Ricoh accounts after forging a strategic agreement with Ricoh Americas Corporation, which came into effect May 1, 2013.
As part of the agreement, Applied Imaging will now support the sales, service, and supplies for select Ricoh commercial accounts in Traverse City and Northern Michigan areas from Alpena to Mackinaw City. John Lowery, president of Applied Imaging comments, “Applied Imaging has been Michigan’s largest Ricoh dealer for over 20 years. This agreement with Ricoh Americas Corporation is an opportunity for Applied Imaging to further that relationship. We look forward to expanding our business and providing these accounts with superior technology and extraordinary service.”
Local Northern Michigan businesses now have the opportunity to access a wider range of advanced technology from world famous document management leaders with unmatched local accountability from Applied Imaging, according to an Applied Imaging press announcement.
“This announcement is the result of a strong partnership between Ricoh and Applied Imaging,” says Jim Coriddi, vice president, Dealer Division, Ricoh Americas Corporation. “It is also an example of Ricoh’s commitment to expand our business and collaborate with our dealer community. While this agreement with Applied Imaging is not part of a national strategy for Ricoh commercial accounts, we have identified a unique opportunity in Michigan to provide a stronger collective Ricoh footprint in this segment and look forward to continued success for our customers in the area.”
Hinshaw & Culbertson Capitalizes on National Managed Print Services from FlexPrint
June 25, 2013 –FlexPrint, Inc., a privately held managed print services provider, recently added Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP to its legal client roster. Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP is an AM Law 200 firm that takes great pride in giving clients a “One Firm Approach”. They strive to provide a consistent high-level of service at all of their locations across the nation, which helps them build long lasting relationships and remain competitive.
Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP’s objective was to provide their 500+ lawyers and associates across the country with a print infrastructure that is efficient, cost effective, and most importantly reliable – so the firm can execute flawlessly on their “One Firm Approach” strategy. Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP partnered with FlexPrint, Inc. to accomplish this task. With 23 offices that span 12 states coast to coast, FlexPrint helped Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP centralize the responsibility and accountability of their printing enterprise to a single professional source, which in turn is helping the firm save time, money, and improve the flow of information.
FSSI Delivers High-Impact Solutions with the Océ ColorStream 3900
June 25, 2013 – Canon Solutions America, Inc. has announced that Financial Statement Services Inc. (FSSI), a full-service print and mail leader specializing in the design/redesign, production and delivery of high-impact statements, letters, and other time-critical customer communications, has installed an Océ ColorStream® 3900 digital color printing system, part of the Océ ColorStream 3000 Twin Series.
Founded in 1980, FSSI provides a wide array of print and mail solutions to financial services, insurance, healthcare and government entities from its 168,000 square-foot corporate headquarters in Santa Ana, CA. From billing statements and invoices to letters and digital color mailers, FSSI prides itself on delivering highly customized mailings that boost response rates, build brand loyalty, and increase return on investment.
Widely recognized as one of the largest independent woman-owned print service providers in the western United States, FSSI has been a pioneering technology leader in outsourced document production. Keeping up with technological advances can be difficult, admits president, Jennifer Dietz. So when FSSI found itself with a number of printers going off-lease, the company embarked on an ambitious 18-month quest to identify the “latest and greatest technology” to add to its arsenal. FSSI’s technical staff hit the road, meeting with makers of various digital printing systems and actual users. That search led them to Canon Solutions America and specifically to the Océ ColorStream 3900 digital color printing system.
Canon Customers Protected from Patent Infringement Claims
June 21, 2013 – Canon U.S.A., Inc. has reached an agreement with MPHJ Technology Investments, LLC (MPHJ) to protect Canon customers from MPHJ’s patent infringement allegations directed toward end-user systems using network addressable document scanning equipment and software.
While Canon products themselves were not alleged to infringe these patents, Canon determined that, in this unique situation, entering into an agreement with MPHJ was the best way to protect the interests of Canon customers. “At Canon, our top priority is supporting our customers,” noted Seymour Liebman, executive vice president, chief administrative officer and general counsel, Canon U.S.A. “This is an unusual situation as it targets our customers, not Canon. Because providing superior customer service and support is paramount for us, we determined that entering into this agreement was the best way to support our valued customers.”
MPHJ has been engaging in a patent licensing campaign asserting a number of patents it owns relating to “systems having a digital copier/scanner/multifunctional device with an interface to office equipment (or to the web) and related software, for scanning or copying and transmitting images electronically to one or more destinations such as e-mail, applications or local files.” MPHJ’s patents are related to the whole “enterprise system” for accomplishing the goal and are not directed at an MFP or scanning device alone. Thus, it is end-users, not manufacturers, who are the target of the patent owner. Through its agreement with MPHJ, Canon has ensured that users of devices purchased from Canon or any Canon distributor or reseller are protected from any allegations of infringement by MPHJ with respect to use of those devices in end-user systems.
End-users of Canon document scanning equipment who have been contacted by MPHJ should contact their Canon authorized dealer or should contact (877) 358-3855 if they have questions about how the agreement between Canon and MPHJ may impact them.
Canon remains committed to pursuing legal enforcement against those who do not respect Canon’s intellectual property, and to aggressively defending itself against allegations related to intellectual property infringement.
EverBank Commercial Finance Expands Office Products Sales Team
June 20, 2013 – EverBank Commercial Finance, Inc. has announced that Michael Chard has joined EverBank Commercial Finance’s Office Products Team as a relationship manager for the firm’s Mountain States and Minnesota region. He will report directly to Jody Salino, sales manager for the firm’s West Coast region. Chard has spent more than 23 years in the office equipment financing sector, with a breadth of experience in the leasing industry. Prior to joining EverBank Commercial Finance, Chard served as regional sales manager for GE Capital. He also served with Marlin Financial Service Corp., as a national account manager for the western region and as a regional sales manager for Key Equipment Finance for seven years, supervising seven different regions.
Depot International Extends Parts Warranty
June 18, 2013 – Depot International, a distributor and manufacturer of printer parts, has announced that the warranty for Depot International branded remanufactured printer parts has been increased to a full 1-year warranty. Depot International now leads the industry with the longest warranty period on remanufactured printer parts, according to a company news release.
This new warranty goes into effect immediately and applies to all Depot International branded remanufactured printer parts purchased after May 1st, 2013.
KYOCERA HomePOINT Frees Users to Scan to and Print From Chosen Home Folders— Directly from a Kyocera MFP
June 20, 2013 – KYOCERA Document Solutions America has announced the release of KYOCERA HomePOINT, the latest in a list of Kyocera-developed business applications designed to save time and boost productivity in the workplace. Kyocera designed HomePOINT to leverage an organizations existing IT infrastructure. Without any middleware or add-ons, KYOCERA HomePOINT establishes a direct link from a Kyocera MFP to the individual user’s Active Directory account. It allows users to scan documents directly to—and print documents directly from—their existing network home folders. Plus, it makes it easy to browse through their folders/sub-folders and create new folders without leaving the MFP. This saves the user the extra step of returning to their PC or workstation to move the scanned document to its proper place. KYOCERA HomePOINT allows users the option of scanning to a PDF, TIFF, or JPEG file type; it also lets them scan in color or in black-and-white and choose a number of other preferences, including resolution. The application works seamlessly with select Kyocera HyPAS-enabled MFPs (Hybrid Platform for Advanced Solutions), a powerful and scalable software solution platform. It supports Windows shared folders and Windows distributed file system; it also supports a range of Windows file servers.
Kyocera Printers Support AirPrint
June 14, 2013 – KYOCERA Document Solutions, Inc. has announced its ECOSYS FS-4300DN printer series (ECOSYS FS-4300DN, FS-4200DN, FS-4100DN and FS-2100DN) will support AirPrint wireless printing for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. The KYOCERA printer series supported by AirPrint will be available beginning August 2013.
AirPrint allows users to wirelessly print photos, email, web pages and documents without installing device drivers providing small business owners, on-the-go executives and professionals an easy mobile solution without complexity.
KYOCERA intends to expand its range of printers and multifunctional products that support AirPrint, aiming to meet the demand of wider business printing solutions.
Toshiba Delivers New Equipment to Upgrade Bay Area NonProfit’s Tech Infrastructure
June 17, 2013 — As one of the winners of its second annual Helping the Helpers Technology Makeover contest, Toshiba America Business Solutions, Inc. (http://business.toshiba.com) delivered $31,000 worth of new technology to Bay Area Rescue Mission. The Richmond, Calif. nonprofit is one of the largest providers of social services helping homeless and other needy individuals in Contra Costa County.
Bay Area Rescue Mission celebrated its technology windfall on June 17 at its headquarters during a 1 p.m. PST ribbon-cutting ceremony. To commemorate the event while recognizing the good works of Bay Area Rescue Mission and other area nonprofits, elected officials, Richmond Mayor Gayle McLaughlin and Contra Costa County Supervisor John Gioia are proclaiming Helping the Helpers Day throughout their respective districts.
California State Senator Loni Hancock and California Assemblymember Nancy Skinner also support Bay Area Rescue Mission’s important work for people in need within Contra Costa County and thank Toshiba’s heartfelt contribution to the nonprofit.
The charity was one of nearly 80 U.S. nonprofits submitting a two-minute or less video outlining their mission while articulating how a technology upgrade would benefit their organization. The contest took place on Toshiba’s corporate social responsibility Facebook portal, Toshiba for Good.
Bay Area Rescue Mission receives a prize package of Toshiba products and services, including a new e-STUDIO multifunction product, all-in-one desktop computer, Protégélaptop, LED HDTV, CAMILEO camcorder, Excite tablet, memory cards and even energy-saving LED light bulbs to help them reduce costs, streamline operations and conserve resources.
CCS Printing Taps Ricoh for Secure Delivery of Two Million HIPAA-compliant Pages Each Month
June 18, 2013 – Ricoh Production Print Solutions (Ricoh) has announced that CCS Printing has successfully integrated the RICOH ProcessDirector workflow solution, a key component of Ricoh’s centralized critical communications suite of solutions, enabling the production of more than two million pages a month. CCS Printing, a provider of digital and offset print, fulfillment logistics, graphic design and web development, ultimately chose the Ricoh solution over many competitors due to its leadership in the software print environment and its ability to deliver the capabilities necessary to monitor a sizable and complex workflow. Production includes the tracking and reporting of two million pages each month.
The solution, implemented in a six-month window, includes a camera solution with RICOH ProcessDirector. The technology allows CCS Printing to track and report in real-time on the more than two million documents it processes each month. These seamless capabilities help the company meet the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requirements, ensuring that each document ends up in the correct envelope, as well as assisting with billing-related actions.
Ricoh’s solution also provides post-processing print stream manipulation which employs two-dimensional bar codes that allow splitting, sorting and grouping of documents, optimizing the production workflow by eliminating the need for upstream changes on the mainframe, saving both time and money.
RICOH ProcessDirector is a key component of the Ricoh critical communications suite of solutions. This recently enhanced solution now also features a completely redesigned visual interface for workflow building as well as new printer connections. The enhancements support RICOH ProcessDirector and RICOH ProcessDirector Express’ ability to streamline print operations, improve process integrity, increase operator productivity and lower costs. An extensible, configurable output process management system that lets customers start small and grow over time, RICOH ProcessDirector is modular software that can help customers control and manage transaction output processes in high-volume environments.
Find more information about RICOH ProcessDirector and Ricoh’s critical communications suite of solutions here: http://www.infoprint.com/internet/ipww.nsf/vwWebPublished/swip_ricoh-process-director_en
DPOE names Vince Miceli Solutions Specialist
June 18, 2013 — Des Plaines Office Equipment (DPOE), a Chicago area provider of office equipment solutions, has announced that Vince Miceli of Palatine, IL has been named as a Solutions Specialist, operating from the company’s Elk Grove Village location. In this role, he will cultivate relationships with prospective customers in addition to ensuring that current accounts are maintained up-to-date with new programs and technology offered by DPOE. His territory encompasses the Elk Grove Village and Schaumburg area. Miceli has five years of experience in the office equipment solutions industry; prior to joining DPOE, he was a Supervisor with Schenker Logistics.
Copier Careers Publishes 2013 Technician Salary Survey Results
June 12, 2013 – Copier Careers , a Minneapolis based niche recruiting firm serving the Document Imaging Industry for almost 30 years, just published their annual Service Technician Salary Survey. This year’s survey garnered a record response from over 4,158 copier technicians across the United States. Only Copier Careers has the database and dedicated resources to produce this information for the industry. Highlights include:
- For the first time ever, we started tracking how many copier techs are working for IT or MNS providers rather than copier dealerships.
- Average salaries are up 2 percent since 2012.
- The divide between traditional break/fix and modern hybrid techs is growing, and employers are increasingly looking to hire people with strong networking skills.
- Competition from IT and MNS providers is causing big recruitment headaches for copier dealerships looking to hire hybrid techs.
Visit http://www.copiercareers.com/salary_survey/2013_service_tech_salary_survey.pdf for the entire salary survey in the new eight-page format. Service Technicians answered a series of questions online anonymously. Copier Careers then compares results from the prior eleven years of survey data and provides the data and insight free of charge to the industry via www.copiercareers.com.
BTA Field Service Foundations Workshop Set for July 30 – Aug. 1
June 11, 2013 – The Business Technology Association (BTA; www.bta.org and Service Strategies Corp. (www.servicestrategies.com) have announced upcoming dates for the BTA Field Service Foundations Workshop. The workshop will provide office technology service professionals the guidance and tools they need to manage a highly successful field service operation. The class will be held July 30 through Aug. 1, 2013, in Las Vegas, Nev., at the Mandarin Oriental. Attendees to the workshop receive free registration to BTA’s Capture the Magic district event (www.bta.org/BTAWestEvent), hosted by BTA West, on Aug. 1-2 at the Mandarin.
The BTA Field Service Foundations Workshop, designed for service management and dealership principals, is a two-full-day course that will provide a solid foundation of skills needed to successfully manage a field service operation. Field service managers must have a high quotient of skills and insights into the specific demands of their customers, team members and the service business environment. This workshop includes topics covering leadership, coaching and facilitating the activities of a field service team toward the accomplishment of the evolving technical services mission.
The workshop is broken up into 10 modules, each with its own learning objectives: Leading the Knowledge-Based Organization; Managerial Leadership and Behavior; Understanding the Service Product; Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty; Managing Strategically for Field Service Operations; Management Operations Analysis; Decision Making for Field Service; Staffing and Resource Planning; Performance Measurement and Metrics; and Performance Coaching and Retention.
Examples of learning objectives include:
- Assess the impact of change on the service operation.
- · Identify the three managerial systems that make up the foundation of an effectively managed field service organization.
- · Examine and explain the nature of field service solutions as service products.
- · Explain how service offerings contribute to the overall strategies of the organization.
- · Identify the production resources of the field service organization.
- · Understand the impact of combining scheduled, semi-scheduled and demand activities in a field service operation.
- Explain the value of inspiring, encouraging and challenging members of the field service team.
The BTA Field Service Foundations Workshop instructor is John Hamilton, president of Service Strategies Corp. He has more than 30 years of service industry experience, and has a well-rounded background from managing engineering, quality control and training organizations. Hamilton is also a frequent speaker at service and support conferences worldwide. Prior to founding Service Strategies, he was global director for technical support at EDS, Unigraphics, a provider of CAD/CAM and PLM systems.
BTA member tuition for the BTA Field Service Foundations Workshop is $1,695; a 10 percent discount applies when dealerships send multiple attendees to the same workshop offering. BTA members may also apply their $150 or $250 discount coupon received with their membership toward this workshop. Non-member tuition is $2,125 and includes a one-year BTA dealer membership.
For more information on this workshop, visit www.bta.org/FieldServiceFoundations or call (800) 843-5059.
ESP Unveils Next Generation Energy Management Platform
June 11, 2013 – ESP (http://www.espei.com), an energy intelligence firm, has announced the launch of the second generation of its eCommandCenter, an innovative platform that empowers businesses to control plug-level energy consumption, protect equipment and implement sustainability programs.
ESP’s energy management product line has been updated with cloud-based technology to make it simpler for dealerships to sell managed energy services, according to the company. The ESP eCommandCenter now features a new online interface and energy tracking technology to enable businesses to manage real-time energy costs proactively.
By monitoring the energy consumption of office equipment, including copiers and vending machines, ESP’s cloud-based technology gives businesses a dashboard to manage real-time usage patterns and pinpoint high consumption office equipment. The company’s second generation eCommandCenter technology includes a new Web interface and power protection hardware platform that reportedly helps businesses reduce energy costs, control office equipment energy consumption, manage time of use billing, engage employees, report plug-level energy usage, and implement green initiatives.
For more details and ESP’s full line of energy intelligence and power protection solutions, visit http://www.espei.com.
DocuLex, LLC Becomes Part of Protected Trust, LLC
June 11, 2013 – DocuLex, LLC has announced that it has expanded its product and service offerings by partnering with three other companies under the corporate banner of Protected Trust, LLC. The new entity, Protected Trust, brings decades of experience in managed services and infrastructure that provide solutions to keep digital information assets secure, private, and compliant. According to an e-mail to customers from Protected Trust Vice President and former DocuLex CEO David Bailey, “Protected Trust believes trust and privacy are essential for building meaningful relationships. Because of that, we want you to feel comfortable with the changes and to answer whatever questions you may have. Contact us or visit our announcement page www.DocuLex.com/ProtectedTrust for more information.”
Expanded products and services for Protected Trust include e-mail services, e-mail encryption, document management, and e-mail archiving and discovery as well as data center services such as server co-location, virtual dedicated servers, private data suites, and more. Bailey adds that Protected Trust provides security and privacy throughout the data lifecycle – from creation to destruction.
Print Audit Releases Embedded for Sharp OSA 6.3.18 and Print Audit 6.4.2 for Mac
June 11, 2013 – Print Audit has released updates for its Embedded for Sharp OSA and Print Audit for Mac products. Embedded for Sharp OSA 6.3.18 and Print Audit 6.4.2 for Mac are free updates for current users of the products and contain fixes for issues found in previous releases.
Print Audit Embedded installs directly onto supported Sharp OSA -enabled MFPs, allowing users to control and recover printing, copying, faxing and scanning costs. Seamlessly integrated with desktop versions of Print Audit 6 and Print Audit Secure, Embedded is a complete document tracking, chargeback, secure release and pull printing solution that eliminates the need for external hardware. Print Audit 6 for Mac is a suite of print management products that can be used to uncover document creation inefficiencies, enforce printing rules and recover expenses from clients or users. The suite is comprised of 3 components called Analysis, Rules and Recovery which can be purchased in a variety of configurations depending on the needs of the organization.
Visit the following link to upgrade to Print Audit 6 for Mac version 6.4.2 or to learn more about what is new in this release: www.printaudit.com/software-updates.asp?id=3
Visit the following link to upgrade to Embedded for Sharp OSA® 6.3.18 or to learn more about what is new in this release: www.printaudit.com/software-updates.asp?id=2
Anthony Sedotto Joins EverBank Commercial Finance as Relationship Manager
June 11, 2013 – EverBank Commercial Finance, Inc. has announced the appointment of Anthony Sedotto to the firm’s nationally growing Office Products team. Sedotto joins EverBank Commercial Finance as a Relationship Manager, serving the company’s New England region. Sedotto will report directly to Jeff Stellinga, EverBank’s Eastern Sales Manager.
“Anthony’s extensive expertise in the office products sector, coupled with his established relationships across New England, will be an asset in the continued growth of our Office Products team,” said Jeff Stellinga, EverBank’s Eastern Sales Manager. “Anthony’s appointment also helps ensure that we are able to continue providing our clients with new and innovative products, supported by the best possible customer service.”
Previously, Sedotto spent 12 years at GE Capital serving in a number of roles with increasing responsibilities and oversight, including a business development representative, north east sales manager, major account representative and regional sales manager.
Walters & Shutwell Inc. and ALL Associates Group Announce Strategic Initiative
June 10, 2013 – Walters & Shutwell Inc. and ALL Associates Group have announced an international, independent network of experts, solutions, and services that help companies identify and achieve the reality of the paperless work environment. These solutions and services align technology strategies with the goals of the end user. This initiative will leverage best practice analytical tools, models and methodologies to rapidly audit and reveal gaps in technology utilization and optimization.
The partnership is responding to growing market demand for independent thought leadership, clarity and innovation. Managing the explosive growth of content and its impact on business processes and operations is now critical in both mature and emerging markets.
“We are pleased to partner with ALL Associates Group“, says Greg Walters, President, Walters & Shutwell, “ALL Associates brings a wealth of data, expertise and credibility from the business intelligence industry. The timing for this alchemy is ideal as end users have access to unprecedented amounts of data, however, data alone is insufficient and unbiased expertise is essential.”
“ALL Associates Group has been exploring ways to empower end user decision making,” adds Eddie Riddell, ALL Associates Group, “This partnership with Walters & Shutwell, affords us considerable talent to expand a compelling and sustainable framework that delivers value through knowledge and data.”
Katun Corporation Introduces New Products for Ricoh, Sharp and Konica Minolta Applications
June 6, 2013 – Katun Corporation has introduced several new high-quality toner and drum products. The addition of these new products reaffirms Katun’s commitment to providing a comprehensive product offering to office equipment dealers throughout North America – while helping them improve bottom-line profitability, according to the company.
Among the many products being introduced in June are Katun Performance toner for use in Ricoh Aficio 2051-series applications, the Katun Performance drum unit for use in Konica Minolta bizhub C6000-series applications, the Katun Performance drum unit for use in Konica Minolta bizhub C220-series machines and the Katun Performance OPC drum for use in Sharp AR M256 / M316 digital copier/printers. These products provide performance, life/yields and image quality that are equivalent to that of the comparable OEM products.
Katun Performance products may be ordered by phone, fax or email, or via the Katun Online Catalog – Katun’s one-stop Internet resource that allows registered customers to locate and order thousands of Katun products while viewing real-time information about their orders and accounts. Customers can access the Katun Online Catalogue, or find Katun customer service contact information, at www.katun.com.
GreatAmerica Announces Managed IT Navigator Business Planning Summer Session
June 7, 2013 – GreatAmerica Financial Services Corporation and Collabrance LLC have announced that they will host their 5th Managed Information Technology (IT) Navigator business planning session on July 16-17, 2013 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The Navigator session provides hands-on managed IT business planning for office equipment and telecommunication dealerships, independent VARs, Managed Service Providers (MSPs), and resellers.
The one-and-a-half day session guides executive teams through the step-by-step development of a managed IT services business model and operational structure. Businesses starting a managed IT offering, or scaling and enhancing a current one, will gain insight in sales force compensation, pricing strategies, and specific operational considerations, such as team structure and project implementation management. This business planning session will be facilitated by Milton Bartley, President and CEO of ImageQuest from of Nashville, TN, a solution provider who continues to experience great success in this space.
“Our attendees have consistently endorsed the session content, saying that it has helped them avoid mistakes and capitalize on key insights in growing their managed IT businesses,” said Jim Burns, Vice President and General Manager of Collabrance.
“It was so helpful to our business to have GreatAmerica bring the Navigator session to us,” said previous attendee, June Crawford, President of Copygraphix in Tucson, AZ. “The fact that Milton is still in managed IT today brings a lot of credibility, and what he shared will no doubt help us shorten our timeline to success.”
Interested solution providers can receive a $500 early bird discount when they register before June 21, 2013. Managed IT Navigator participants do not need to be current GreatAmerica or Collabrance customers to take part in the Navigator programs.
For additional information or registration contact Collabrance at 877-715-8485 or go to ww.greatamerica.com/ManagedITNavigator.
Nubeprint Launches Local Consumables Stock Management Module
June 7, 2013 – Nubeprint has launched a new local stock module integrated into the CloudPrinting Suite solution to help MPS providers realize more profits from existing MPS contracts. Additionally, this allows MPS providers to reduce their logistic and inventory management costs while drastically reducing the lost cartridges and wasted toner, according to the company. The module also provides fully automated control of any cartridge stocked at customer’s offices just as if they were in the MPS provider’s own warehouse. This control is aligned with the predictive information and management about supplies and parts needs that Nubeprint provides. As a result it’s no longer necessary to recover or reassign cartridges when devices are changed or retired by the customer.
Clover Named to Crain’s Fast 50
June 5, 2013 – Clover Holdings, Inc., a provider of electronic asset lifecycle management and environmental solutions, has been named to the 2013 Crain’s Chicago Business Fast Fifty list.
Each year, Crain’s Chicago Business publishes its Fast Fifty list highlighting the Chicago region’s best and most innovative public and private companies. Required credentials included 2012 revenue of at least $20 million and no more than one year of declining revenue over the past five years. This year, Clover ranked 25th. In 2013, Clover’s revenue was $750.1 million with a 221 percent five-year growth rate and 15,000 employees worldwide.
Jim Cerkleski, CEO of Clover Holdings, had this to say, “It’s an honor to be included on this list of top organizations. Our continued investments in infrastructure and people have enabled us to execute an aggressive growth strategy.”
Clover is the world’s largest collector and recycler of wireless devices and printer cartridges and provides resellers, mass merchants, and value-added specialty suppliers with total environmental solutions. Clover is rapidly expanding its business to include a comprehensive portfolio of reverse logistics solutions for wireless devices.
To view Crain’s Chicago Business Fast Fifty list, go to http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20130601/ISSUE02/130539938
ECi Acquires Red Cheetah
June 05, 2013 – ECi Software Solutions (www.ECiSolutions.com), a provider of industry-specific information technology solutions, has announced that it has acquired the assets of Red Cheetah Software, LP. ECi’s acquisition of Red Cheetah will allow both companies to better serve the needs of dealers in the office products and adjacent industries, according to an ECi press release. Red Cheetah’s products and services will become part of ECi’s office supplies portfolio. “This is a great opportunity for Red Cheetah and our customers and we are happy to become part of the ECi family,” said Andrew Morgan, CEO of Red Cheetah. “This will bring out the best efforts of both organizations on behalf of the independent dealers we serve.” To learn more about the acquisition, visit Welcome Red Cheetah.
BEI Services, Inc. Releases Free Software to Help Companies Avoid Parts Obsolescence
June 3, 2013 – BEI Services Inc. has announced the release of their newest software product called AIM (Advanced Inventory Management), and the creation of a new company and ecommerce solution called Overstockpartsnetwork.com. The new AIM product will provide companies a number of beneficial reporting tools to help identify what inventory is becoming or has become obsolete, compare their parts yield status against national averages, better understand under stocked items in inventory to help decrease service calls and reduce shipping costs, as well as other valuable tools. When parts are identified as nearing or have become obsolete, BEI will identify members in the network still using those parts. If there is enough need within the network or other sources, the customer will receive an offer to purchase those obsolete parts. Dealers participating in network that are identified as still using these purchased parts will receive notification that they can buy them at significant discounts.
“We see a very serious epidemic in our industry that needs to be addressed, and that is why we are offering this service that includes the free AIM reporting software.” says Bud Karakey VP of operations for BEI Services. “In our initial studies within our customer base, we identified a significant need to help dealerships turn their overstocked and obsolete inventory. At this time, we see that at the average dealership about 32 percent of their total inventory is aged over 18 months. Think about that statement…almost 1/3 of the average dealers cash in inventory is over 18 months old. This amounts to millions of dollars of obsolete inventory that we see other dealers actively using. We help identify and distribute these parts to dealers within the network. The more dealers that participate in the network, the more successful it will be for everybody who joins.”
PrintFleet Announces New Distribution Partner
June 4, 2013 – PrintFleet Inc. has announced that it has entered into a distribution agreement with MaPS Nordic AB (Managed Asset & Print Services Nordic AB). MaPS Nordic AB will base its managed print services program on PrintFleet technology, enabling just in time supplies and service solutions as well as data-driven fleet optimization for their customers in Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Denmark.
PrintFleet is recognized on the 2013 PROFIT 500
June 3, 2013 – PROFIT Magazine has ranked PrintFleet Inc. on the 25th annual PROFIT 500, the definitive ranking of Canada’s Fastest-Growing Companies. Published in the Summer issue of PROFIT Magazine and online at PROFITguide.com, the PROFIT 500 ranks Canadian businesses by their revenue growth over five years. PrintFleet Inc., a global leader in managed print software made the PROFIT 500 list with five-year revenue growth of 107 percent.
ECi Adds Supplies Wholesalers to Private Supply Network
June 1, 2013 – ECi Software Solutions (www.ECiSolutions.com), a provider of industry-specific information technology solutions, has announced the newest integration on its Private Supply Network (PSN). DDMS and e-automate business system software now streamline purchasing with “the cartridge experts,” Supplies Wholesalers.
Supplies Wholesalers joins a growing list of vendors that have integrated their systems to work with ECi’s specialized business system software. More than 1500 independent dealers across the United States use either DDMS or e-automate to manage their businesses in both the office products and office equipment sectors.
ECi’s PSN makes the ordering process easier and more efficient:
- Dealers can check vendor stock availability and price while building orders. This makes it easy to pick the best-priced or fastest-shipping item for their customers.
- Dealers can transmit purchase orders directly into the vendor’s system. The system can automate fulfillment.
