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Office Technology magazine is the magazine of the Business Technology Association, an association of copier/MFP dealers.
Transcript of November 2009 Office Technology
Cover Nov 09:Cover Oct 09 10/29/09 4:31 PM Page 1
Get the Hybrid Dealer Tool Kit at ITEX 2010
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ITEX ad Nov 09:Layout 1 10/20/09 10:56 AM Page 1
&March 3-4, 2010 • Las Vegas Convention Center
ITEX ad Nov 09:Layout 1 10/20/09 10:56 AM Page 2
Staff ‘Hats’
How effective are
your employees?by Jim KahrsPPMC Inc.How do we correct people who are not caring orwho are being lazy? We can look at this problem onan employee-by-employee basis.
Grand Slam
BTA East district
hosts event Sept. 24-25by Brent HoskinsOffice Technology MagazineWith the goal of providing atten-dees with an office technologydealer-focused educational and networking opportu-nity, the BTA East district of the Business TechnologyAssociation hosted Grand Slam on Sept. 24-25.
4 | w w w . o f f i c e t e c h n o l o g y m a g . c o m | N o v e m b e r 2 0 0 9
CONTENTS
Business Color
The transition in the
workplace continuesby Brent HoskinsOffice Technology MagazineWe are no longer waiting for whatwas once the elusive “Year of Color.”Quality is no longer an issue and thecost per page has dropped. Today, business color outputin the workplace is becoming more commonplace.
Volume 16 � No. 5
18
10
F E A T U R E A R T I C L E S
23 Retaliate & You Pay
Proceed carefully when
taking an employment actionby Robert C. GoldbergBTA General CounselThe Legal Hotline rings and the mem-ber on the other end wishes toknow if he (or she) can terminate an employee who isout with a workers’ compensation claim. The facts arealways similar.
P R I N C I P A L I S S U E S
No MPS ‘Silver Bullet’
Instead, hard work
is the key to successby Ed CarrollStrategy DevelopmentYes, there are many tools that are available to assistwith the MPS process, but there are none that addressall aspects of a successful MPS program.
29
D E P A R T M E N T S
6
8
30
Executive Director’s Page
BTA President’s Message
Advertiser Index
24
20 Building a Help Desk
You may already have many
of the elements in placeby Mitch MorganProfessional Services RoundtableWith the current trends in the indus-try, along with the impact of a softeconomy, many office technology dealerships are seekingrevenue growth opportunities. One of the steps that adealer can implement quickly is building a help desk.
C O U R T S & C A P I T O L S
Business Technology Association� BTA Highlights22
M P S S T R A T E G I E S
‘Well-Armed’ Dealers
It is a great time to be in
the copier/MFP businessby Mike StramaglioMWA Intelligence Inc.Today, the dealer community, OEMs and end usershave a growing list of productivity tools, asset man-agement solutions and MPS available to them.
26
Office Document Strategy
MPS primary focus of recent
InfoTrends conferenceby Brent HoskinsOffice Technology MagazineFocusing on the major trends in the market,InfoTrends, a market research firm, recently hostedits annual Office Document Strategy Conference.
28
04OT1109:04OT1109 10/30/09 8:43 AM Page 4
Docuware ad Aug 08 Member logo:Layout 1 7/24/08 4:53 PM Page 1
Executive Director/BTAEditor/Office Technology
Brent [email protected]
(816) 303-4040
Associate EditorElizabeth Marvel
[email protected](816) 303-4060
Contributing WritersEd Carroll, Strategy Development
www.strategydevelopment.org
Robert C. Goldberg, General Counsel Business Technology Association
Jim Kahrs, Prosperity Plus Management Consulting Inc.www.prosperityplus.com
Mitch Morgan, Professional Services Roundtable
Mike Stramaglio, MWA Intelligence Inc.www.mwaintelligence.com
Business Technology Association12411 Wornall Road
Kansas City, MO 64145(816) 941-3100
www.bta.org
Member Services: (800) 505-2821BTA Legal Hotline: (800) 869-6688
Valerie BrisenoMembership & Marketing Manager
Mary HopkinsDatabase Administrator
Teresa LeerarBookkeeper
Brian SmithMembership Sales Representative
©2009 by the Business Technology Association. All RightsReserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced by anymeans without the written permission of the publisher. Everyeffort is made to ensure the accuracy of published material.However, the publisher assumes no liability for errors in articlesnor are opinions expressed necessarily those of the publisher.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S PAGE
Ihave seen it many
times before — the
open dialog between
BTA member dealers
with the goal of advising
one another. Your associ-
ation has been doing that
for years, bringing non-
competing dealers together to ensure each
leaves better able to manage his or her busi-
ness, employees and future.
Recently, I saw this take place at the BTA
Southeast district Fall Colors Conference,
held Oct. 16-17 in Waynesville, N.C. While
the entire conference provided the means for
attendees to gain insight and guidance to
help them in their businesses, it was the first
event on the agenda that especially demon-
strated the value of BTA membership. Late
Friday afternoon, prior to the conference’s
welcome reception, a number of attendees
gathered for an open round-table discussion.
BTA President Bill James, who also serves
as BTA Southeast secretary/treasurer, and
Mike Upchurch, who serves as president of
BTA Southeast, facilitated the discussion.
There were three topics at hand: disaster
recovery, accounts receivable and leasing. A
quick look at one of the topics — disaster
recovery — illustrates the type of insight
and guidance one member can share with
others in a BTA-sponsored setting.
Bill shared his personal experience,
recalling the impact of Hurricane Katrina on
WJS Enterprises Inc., with two locations in
southern Louisiana. Bill serves as systems
support manager at the dealership. Encour-
aging his fellow dealer members to be pre-
pared for any disaster, following are three of
the takeaways I wrote down as he spoke:
� It is important to have a system in place
to communicate with employees following a
disaster, which proved to be a key problem
after Katrina, given the lack of telephone
service. E-mail proved to be the best solu-
tion. Bill’s suggestion: Set up an employee-
only Web site that provides information to
employees in the event of a disaster.
� If the employee who handles payroll is
among the employees you cannot contact
or locate after a disaster, who will handle
payroll in the interim? You do not know in
advance which employees are going to be
available in the days following a disaster.
Bill’s suggestion: Make sure employees are
cross-trained to perform multiple duties to
reduce or eliminate the risk of not being
able to rely on a single person to perform a
key task, such as processing payroll.
� When a regional disaster strikes, like
Katrina, it obviously affects employees’ per-
sonal situations as well, with the loss of
homes, etc. Consequently, their focus may
exclusively be on addressing their personal
losses. Bill’s suggestion: While taking care of
one’s family and personal situation should
be a person’s first priority, employees should
be encouraged to have a personal disaster
plan in place. With such a plan, the em-
ployee will be able to return to work more
quickly to help the business as well.
Welcomed advice? Those participating in
the BTA Southeast conference round-table
discussion thought so. After Bill shared his
story and advice, others did the same. And
everyone left the room better prepared for
any future disasters. Once again, BTA mem-
bers advised one another.
Watch for additional coverage of the BTA
Southeast Fall Colors Conference in the
December issue of Office Technology. �
— Brent Hoskins
Again, BTA MembersAdvise One Another
6 | w w w . o f f i c e t e c h n o l o g y m a g . c o m | N o v e m b e r 2 0 0 9
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BTA PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Ihaven’t met a person
yet who doesn’t en-
joy the Thanksgiving
holiday. It’s a break from
work. It’s a time to enjoy
a little extra at meal time
that we work to avoid
the rest of the year. And,
it ’s a time for family members — often
extended family members — to come
together away from the sometimes hectic
pace of their normal routines. Of course, it
is also a time to be thankful.
With the arrival of November and, as I
write this, Thanksgiving a few weeks away, I
can’t help but consider what we, as BTA
members, should be thankful for in regard
to our association. It has endured the ebbs
and f low s of our industr y and , yes , a
number of recessions — even the Great
Depression. The association was founded in
1926, so we are now in our 83rd year.
Here is my list of what I am thankful for
as I consider BTA:
� Eighty-three years is a long time for any
organization to endure. I am thankful that the
founders of BTA, then the National Typewriter
and Office Machine Dealers Association, had
the foresight to structure the association in a
way that it would remain a member-dealer-
governed organization. That has ensured that
BTA has always remained focused on serving
its core member — the dealer.
� None of us really knows how many vol-
unt eers have ser ved th e asso ciation
through the years, but it is certainly in the
thousands. Just in the years that I have been
a volunteer there have been hundreds. I am
thankful that all of these individuals have
stepped forward to give back to BTA by
helping to guide the association and serve
their fellow dealers. Of course, I am particu-
larly thankful for the commitment and hard
work of my current fellow volunteers.
� Along with an appreciation for the vol-
unteers comes appreciation for our staff
members at BTA’s headquarters in Kansas
City, Mo. Under the leadership of our execu-
tive director, Brent Hoskins (whose 23rd
anniversary at BTA occurs Thanksgiving
week) the staff members — and our general
counsel, Bob Goldberg — are dedicated
individuals who enjoy working to serve the
office technology industry. I am thankful for
their dedication.
� The leadership and guidance of the
current and recent volunteers and the
efforts of our staff have led to a revival of
BTA in recent years. We have added to our
education and benefit line-up in order to
better serve dealers. We have ensured that
BTA is present at virtually all manufacturer
dealer meetings and key events, such as the
ITEX show. We have begun hosting more
BTA district educational events. We have
also recently maintained the best member-
ship retention rate in more than 10 years. I
am thankful to see BTA thriving.
� And, saving the best for last, I am
thankful for each of you, the members of
BTA. Every member plays an important role
in further strengthening the independent
dealer channel of distribution. BTA is your
advocate, the industry’s leading champion
of the dealer channel. Consider that the
dealer channel is known industry-wide as
the “BTA Channel.” Without all of you as
members, there would be no association.
I am sure you share in my thanks for our
association. Certainly, I wish all of you a
Happy Thanksgiving. �
— Bill James
Expressing Thanksfor Our Association
®
2009-2010 Board of Directors
PresidentBill James
WJS Enterprises Inc.3315 Ridgelake DriveMetairie, LA 70002
President-ElectRock Janecek
Burtronics Business Systems Inc.216 S. Arrowhead Ave.
San Bernardino, CA [email protected]
Vice PresidentTom Ouellette
Budget Document Technology251 Goddard Road
Lewiston, ME [email protected]
BTA EastTodd J. Fitzsimons
Network Imaging LLC122 Spring St.
Southington, CT [email protected]
BTA Mid-AmericaRon Hulett
U.S. Business Systems Inc.3221 Southview Drive
Elkhart, IN [email protected]
BTA SoutheastTerry Chapman
Business Electronics Corp.219 Oxmoor Circle
Birmingham, AL [email protected]
BTA WestLokke PatrickDocutxt Corp.
11110 E. Artesia Blvd., Ste. BCerritos, CA [email protected]
Ex-Officio/ImmediatePast President
Ronelle IngramSteven Enterprises Inc.
17952 Sky Park Circle, Ste. EIrvine, CA 92614
Ex-Officio/General CounselRobert C. Goldberg
Schoenberg Finkel Newman & Rosenberg LLC222 S. Riverside Plaza, Ste. 2100
Chicago, IL [email protected]
8 | w w w . o f f i c e t e c h n o l o g y m a g . c o m | N o v e m b e r 2 0 0 9
08OT1109:08OT1109 10/30/09 3:51 PM Page 8
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10 | w w w . o f f i c e t e c h n o l o g y m a g . c o m | N o v e m b e r 2 0 0 9
by: Brent Hoskins, Office Technology Magazine
Business ColorThe transition in the workplace continues
We are no longer simply waiting for
what was once the elusive “Year
of Color.” Quality is no longer an
issue, the cost per page has dropped and
end-user demand has increased. Today, busi-
ness color output in the workplace — from
both MFPs and printers — is becoming more
commonplace. So, rather than the “Year of
Color” this is the “Year of the Continued
Transition to Color in the Workplace.”
It is a welcomed growth area in an otherwise generally flat
industry. InfoTrends, the market research firm, forecasts that
the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for U.S. color MFP
and single-function printer placements will be 12 percent
through 2012. That includes laser, solid ink and page-wide
inkjet. In contrast, the firm forecasts the CAGR for mono-
chrome MFP and single-function printer placements will be
-2.3 percent through 2013.
Market research firm IDC offers a similar forecast for
color, at least for color MFPs (including laser, LED and solid
ink). The firm forecasts a 9 percent CAGR through 2013.
However, the firm forecasts a -12 percent CAGR during the
same time period for single-function color printers. IDC’s
forecast for the total monochrome market is -6 percent
through 2013.
“Color printers get hit hard from two fronts,” says Keith
Kmetz, vice president of Hardcopy Peripherals Solutions
and Services at IDC. “The lowest cost option is typically a
black-and-white printer versus a color printer and any color
MFP. So, some customers may opt for this kind of configura-
tion based on the lowest available hardware cost. On the
other front, a color MFP offers the ability to consolidate doc-
ument functions [copy/fax/print/scan] into one machine
versus a single-function printer. Overall, this MFP approach
helps customers save money by consolidating the number of
devices, supplies and maintenance requirements, while still
offering color capability.”
Despite InfoTrends’ projection of growth
for color MFPs and printers, it should be
noted that by 2012, the firm forecasts that
color devices will still claim less than half of
the total market share — 39 percent. “What
we’ve seen over the past three years is that
the monochrome business is not going away
as quickly as we thought,” said Robert
Palmer, director of the firm’s Digital Periph-
erals Solutions advisory service, in a presentation during
InfoTrends’ annual Office Document Strategy Conference in
September. “The monochrome ‘tail’ is long. This is an
important business and a very good business for a number
of vendors. It is one that we cannot ignore as we continue to
drive the shift to color.”
Even with the continued dominance of the monochrome
market in at least the next few years, many would say that
the forecasted growth of the color market should have the
attention of all office technology dealers. Is your dealership
actively selling color devices? Are you reaching your full
potential? Certainly, many end users today have a prefer-
ence for a color MFP or printer.
Rory Fox, a senior product manager for Toshiba America
Business Solutions Inc., confirms the preference for color
based on his own experience in presenting product demos
for prospective customers. “Once I am done with the color
demo, nine times out of ten, they don’t even want to have a
black-and-white demo,” he says. “I cannot even recall the last
time somebody just wanted to see a black-and-white demo.”
It is not a difficult task to make the case for a color docu-
ment as compared to a monochrome document. Like others
in the industry, Xerox Corp. shares some statistics — from a
variety of sources — that illustrate the impact of color over
black-and-white pages. For example, cites Xerox: Color
makes an impression that is 39 percent more memorable;
Cover Story Nov 09:Cover Story Nov 09 10/30/09 11:00 AM Page 10
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the payment response rate
for an invoice increases up
to 30 p ercent w h en th e
amount owed and the due
date are highlighted in
color ; and color can boost
survey participation by 80
percent. The list goes on.
Are end users motivated
by such statistics? “We have
a bit of a debate among our-
selves about whether these
statistics move people or
not,” says David Bates, vice president of Xerox Office Mar-
keting Programs. “I think we really like the stats because we
think they are proof points that people should use color …
Personally, I’m not a big advocate of trying to tell people that
color is 59 percent more this and 55 percent more that. Every-
body knows that color is better.”
If everyone knows color is
better, then why isn’t eve-
ryone buying color output
devices? “People are re-
si sting color b ecause of
expense,” says Bates. “They
know color is better. They
want to print in color. But
some are not willing to pay
nine times more for color.
So, that has been a barrier.”
Part of the problem is the
lack of an understanding
among customers who have yet to purchase a color device,
says Bates. “The broadest perception of color is what they
see in the window at office supply stores and copy shops,” he
says. “It is usually 50 cents a sheet or, if it is on sale, it is 35
cents a sheet. Meanwhile, the general perception is that
monochrome is one penny no matter how much coverage.”
12 | w w w . o f f i c e t e c h n o l o g y m a g . c o m | N o v e m b e r 2 0 0 9
“People are resisting colorbecause of expense. They know color is better.They want to print in color.But some are not willingto pay nine times morefor color. So that hasbeen a barrier. ”
— David BatesXerox Corp.
Cover Story Nov 09:Cover Story Nov 09 10/30/09 11:00 AM Page 11
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Of course, the cost of
color for an MFP is far less
than 50 cents or even 35
cents a page, so Bates’ point
demonstrates the need for
dealerships to educate pro-
spective customers. The re-
ality is, on average, the cost
of a color page on a color
MFP is typically quoted at
seven to eight cents a page.
Fox notes that this pricing
has been about the same for,
perhaps, seven years or so. “It has migrated down to about
five and sometimes six cents in some cases, but it hasn’t gone
very far,” he says. “So, the CPC for color has not changed a
whole lot as color MFP sales have gone up exponentially.”
Add to that the reality that many laser MFP products on
the market are similar in performance. “I took a look at this
last month and identified
more than 70 dif ferent
models that offer color at 45
pages per minute or higher,”
says David Murphy, v ice
president of marketing for
RISO Inc. “The quality looks
about the same on most of
them; I think most users rec-
ognize that color looks good
on all of the MFPs on the
market today. So, what hap-
pens is, there is not much
differentiation among them.”
Today, says Fox, differentiation is particularly important.
For Toshiba, differentiation comes in the form of certain capa-
bilities among its color MFPs — such as the ability to print on
thick paper, print a 12-by-47-inch banner and print from a USB
key (these features not available on all Toshiba color MFPs).
14 | w w w . o f f i c e t e c h n o l o g y m a g . c o m | N o v e m b e r 2 0 0 9
“Plus, the image quality isso good on these high-end models that we are getting into some marketsthat we haven’t been infor a while. This includesgraphic arts firms, magazine publishers and PR firms.”
— Rory FoxToshiba America Business Solutions Inc.
Cover Story Nov 09:Cover Story Nov 09 10/30/09 11:00 AM Page 12
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16 | w w w . o f f i c e t e c h n o l o g y m a g . c o m | N o v e m b e r 2 0 0 9
The company now also offers
several high-speed color
models — up to 70 pages per
minute (ppm) — that have
helped to further differen-
tiate the company’s product
offering in many selling situa-
tions. “Plus, the image quality
is so good on these high-end
models that we are getting
into some markets that we
haven’t been in for a while,”
says Fox. “ This includes
graphic arts firms, magazine publishers and PR firms.”
Xerox and RISO have pursued differentiation with an eye on
both technology and a low CPC. In June of this year, RISO intro-
duced its ComColor® series of oil-based pigment inkjet printers.
With industrial-grade Piezoelectric inkjet heads, ComColor’s
five models range from 90 ppm to 150 ppm. They are being
placed in high-volume workgroup environments as well as in
production environments. Murphy notes that the use of Com-
Color often replaces that of two devices in the customer’s loca-
tion — the use of a high-speed color MFP and a high-speed
monochrome MFP. “If you have a 90- to 135-ppm monochrome
device, you are paying about four-tenths of a cent per page;
you’re going to pay the same on our device,” he explains. “But,
with color, you don’t have to pay five to seven cents. On a Com-
Color you are able to print the color jobs for anywhere from
one to three cents a page, depending on coverage.”
When accustomed to color MFPs (which, incidentally,
RISO does not expect to replace in many situations but
rather augment for many print jobs, since ComColor models
do not print on glossy paper), users think in terms of a color
page costing ten times more than a monochrome page, says
Murphy. “If it is a half cent for black and five cents for color,
that’s 10 times more expensive,” he says. “That is a big hurdle
and is a great advantage for us because what we are able to
do is break down that barrier and show that color doesn’t
have to be 10 times more expensive, but maybe just another
half cent or one cent more.”
As noted, Xerox officials have scrutinized the barrier of the
CPC on color laser MFPs as well. In May of this year, Xerox
launched the ColorQube 9200 series of solid ink-based A3
MFPs — three models ranging in color output speeds from 38
to 50 ppm. Based on certain coverage thresholds, color pages
are printed in one of three categories and are priced accord-
ingly: Useful Color, such as a page with a company logo, is at
one cent per page, the same
as monochrome; Everyday
Color, such as a page of a
newsletter with a single
photo or a color bar across
the top, is at three cents per
page; and Expressive Color,
such as a PowerPoint slide
with multiple photos, is at
eight cents a page.
“We believe that some-
where around 10 percent of
color pages in the office fall
into the Useful Color category, and about 65 percent fall into
the Everyday Category,” says Bates. “This is 75 percent of the
pages offering a huge cost reduction over the current mar-
ketplace CPCs.”
Bates adds that the goal is to move people to print more
color. “The vast majority of all documents on your PC have
color in them of some kind,” he says. “We just believe that
you should print what you see on screen.”
It should be noted that the ColorQube it not currently
available to the independent dealer channel. It is only sold
direct. Bates says Xerox has plans to expand distribution of
the ColorQube to other channels in the first half of 2010.
Xerox does currently offer a number of other low-end color
MFPs and printers through its dealer channel, including two
solid-ink MFPs with print speeds up to 30 ppm in color.
Whether the color MFP is differentiated by features or
technology, it is also important for dealerships and their
sales reps to differentiate themselves in the selling process,
says Bates. “The sales strategy that I prefer and that I have
seen used successfully is don’t try to talk them into ‘all color’
today,” he explains. “Instead, go to them and explain that
you are a color expert and that you know the products and
want to help them transition to color.”
Bates suggests a line of questions and comments for the
sales rep: “‘You can see that color page output is coming to
the workplace. What is your plan? How do you plan to
manage this transition in your office? Let’s talk about the
next three years. What is your plan for color? Let’s be careful
about buying a monochrome machine today if you think
most of your people are going to be using color in two years.’”
He adds: “I think the way to sell color is not to try to tell
people that color is better; everybody knows that. Instead,
work with clients on their plan. People agree that they
need a plan and they need you to start helping with that
“If it is a half cent forblack and five cents forcolor, that’s 10 timesmore expensive ... Whatwe are able to do is breakdown that barrier andshow that color doesn’thave to be 10 times more expensive ... ”
— David MurphyRISO Inc.
Cover Story Nov 09:Cover Story Nov 09 10/30/09 3:52 PM Page 13
transition. Then, once you
get the color in place, they
recognize its value and it be-
com es increasingly im-
portant to them.”
Murphy agrees that a
consultative approach is
always better. Five years ago,
he says, RISO was selling the
speeds and low cost of its
earlier generation of color
inkjet printers. “It is not as
simple as that,” he explains.
“We are now taking a consultative approach and are not
restricting ourselves to just counting pages. We take a look
at the applications and listen to the customer, categorizing
their applications and making recommendations as to
which applications should go on which devices. This
approach has been very well received by customers.”
Selling based on customer needs is important for success
in the color market, said InfoTrends’ Palmer in his recent
Office Document Strategy Conference presentation. “In a lot
of cases, we have some of
these devices in applica-
tions where customers have
very little color print vol-
ume,” he said. “The focus
needs to be on shifting to a
page-oriented focus rather
than a unit focus. We want
to put our devices in those
applications where there is
high color volume and high
value for those pages.”
Whatever their dealer-
ships’ sales strategies, it is paramount for dealers to aggres-
sively pursue the color opportunity if they are not already doing
so, says Bates. “Clearly, the demand for color is increasing,” he
says. “If you are not pushing color, some-
body else is going to beat you to it.” �Brent Hoskins, executive director of
the Business Technology Association,
is editor of Office Technology magazine.
He can be reached at [email protected].
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w w w . o f f i c e t e c h n o l o g y m a g . c o m | N o v e m b e r 2 0 0 9 | 17
“In a lot of cases, we havesome of these devices inapplications where customers have very littlecolor print volume. Thefocus needs to be on shifting to a page-orientedfocus rather than a unit focus.”
— Robert PalmerInfoTrends
Cover Story Nov 09:Cover Story Nov 09 10/30/09 11:00 AM Page 14
18 | w w w . o f f i c e t e c h n o l o g y m a g . c o m | N o v e m b e r 2 0 0 9
by: Brent Hoskins, Office Technology Magazine
Grand SlamBTA East district hosts event Sept. 24-25
With the goal of providing attendees with an
office technology dealer-focused educational
and networking opportunity, the BTA East dis-
trict of the Business Technology Association hosted
Grand Slam on Sept. 24-25, which featured six education
sessions, 15 exhibiting sponsors and an evening at Yankee
Stadium to see the Boston Red Sox take on the New York
Yankees. The event was held at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in
downtown White Plains, N.Y.
“Developed and hosted by BTA member dealers, the
Grand Slam event was intended to provide our fellow
dealers with an event that would give them meaningful
insight, practical advice and valuable guidance to help
them in their businesses,” said BTA East President Todd J.
Fitzsimons, president of Netw ork Imaging LLC,
Southington, Conn. “The feedback we have received indi-
cates that we accomplished that goal. In fact, based on
that feedback and the success of the event, plans are
underway to return to White Plains in September 2010
with a great speaker line-up, another opportunity to visit
with some of the industry ’s leading vendors and the
chance to once again attend a game at Yankee Stadium.”
Fitzsimons expressed appreciation for the support of
each of the exhibiting sponsors. “The sponsorship of each
of these companies helped to make the Grand Slam event
a success,” he said. “We greatly value their commitment to
the independent dealer channel and their support of BTA.”
The Grand Slam event sponsors: Kyocera Mita America
(Red Sox/Yankees game sponsor), MWA Intelligence
(welcome reception sponsor), Image Star (Sept. 25 break-
fast sponsor), Compass Sales Solutions (Sept. 25 lunch
sponsor); Color Imaging, DocuWare, ECi, Electronic
Systems Protection (ESP), Falcon Technology Solutions,
FMAudit, LEAF Dealer Solutions, Muratec America, Sup-
plies Network, Wells Fargo and West Point Products.
Following the event, an e-mail message that was sent to
Clockwise from top: Representatives of sponsoring exhibitor
DocuWare alongside attendees; presenter Mitch Morgan of
the Professional Services Roundtable; and attendees listen
intently to one of the six education session presenters.
BTA East Grand Slam Sponsors
BTA East Nov 09:BTA East Nov 09 10/30/09 9:02 AM Page 10
all attendees from
Mike Stramaglio,
president and CEO
of exhibiting spon-
sor MWA Intelli-
gence, captured
the spirit of the
Grand Slam expe-
rience. He wrote:
“Please allow me
to thank you and applaud you for your enthusiastic partici-
pation in the recently held BTA East Grand Slam event in
White Plains, N.Y. It was a pleasure for MWAi to join such a
great group of dealers, industry experts and other software
vendors and manufacturers. There were great presentations
by Frank Cannata, John Hey, etc., and congratulations to a
BTA favorite, Ronelle Ingram. I appreciate the opportunity to
work with such a refreshing group of people. Great job BTA!”
The event’s six education sessions provided a broad
range of topics from some of the industry’s leading pre-
senters. The education line-up: “An Industry Undergoing
Radical Change,” with Frank Cannata, Marketing Research
Consultants; “You & Your Business in This Economy,” with
John Hey, Strategic Business Associates; “Best-in-Class
Service Organizations: What Great Looks Like,” with Mike
Woodard, Strategy Development; “Make More Meetings:
Guaranteeing Your Dealership’s Ability to Flourish,” with
Kate Kingston, Kingston Training Group; “Professional
Services: From Adjacent to Core Business,” with Mitch
Morgan, Professional Services Roundtable; and “What is
My Dealership Really Worth?” with Jim Kahrs, Prosperity
Plus Management Consulting. In addition, BTA’s ProFi-
nance, led by Hey and John Hanson of Strategic Business
Associates, was held as a front runner to the event.
The event also provided the opportunity for BTA to rec-
ognize long-time volunteer Ronelle Ingram, who served as
2008-09 national president. Ingram also serves as instructor
for the association’s “FIX: Cost Management for Service
Workshop.” Current BTA President Bill James recognized
Ingram for her years of service, announcing that a BTA
scholarship would be presented in her honor for the 2010-
2011 school year. At the event, James announced that BTA
had made a $1,000 contribution to the BTA Scholarship
Foundation in Ingram’s honor. �Brent Hoskins, executive director of the Business Technology
Association, is editor of Office Technology magazine.
He can be reached at [email protected].
“Please allow me tothank you and applaudyou for your enthusiasticparticipation in therecently held BTA EastGrand Slam event in White Plains, N.Y.”
w w w . o f f i c e t e c h n o l o g y m a g . c o m | N o v e m b e r 2 0 0 9 | 19
Attendees had the opportunity to see the Boston Red Sox
take on the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium.
Clockwise from top: John Hanson and John Hey lead the
front-runner education program, ProFinance; David
Sansenbach of exhibiting sponsor ESP asks an attendee to
assist with his company’s prize drawing, one of many held at
the event; attendees had several scheduled opportunities to
visit with exhibiting sponsors; ProFinance attendees; and pre-
senter Frank Cannata of Marketing Research Consultants.
BTA East Nov 09:BTA East Nov 09 10/30/09 9:02 AM Page 11
20 | w w w . o f f i c e t e c h n o l o g y m a g . c o m | N o v e m b e r 2 0 0 9
by: Mitch Morgan, Professional Services Roundtable
Building a Help DeskYou may already have many of the elements in place
With the current trends in the
industry, along with the impact
of a soft economy, many office
technology dealerships are seeking revenue
growth opportunities. One of the steps that
a dealer can implement quickly that offers
both revenue enhancement and profit
improvement is building a help desk, also
known as a call center. A help desk is a place that a user of
information technology can contact to get help with a
problem. This communication can take many forms, but the
most common is inbound telephone calls.
A high-performance help desk should be a profit center,
bringing in annuity-based service revenue. This revenue is
adjacent to our current business and represents a natural
extension to our current operations. The primary drivers of
this strategy include:
� Connectivity support related to MFP devices that are
sold. I have clients who are generating tens of thousands of
dollars in monthly annuity revenue for connectivity support
alone. For several of my clients, the help-desk technicians
are the most profitable technicians in their business.
� Printer support as an “add on” to your MPS offering.
Many companies roll out an MPS offering as a hardware
“break/fix” and a supplies revenue strategy. These dealers
are leaving revenue opportunities on the table. In addition,
they can differentiate against MPS competitors and truly
solve the managed print challenges for IT.
� IT services. The opportunity for managed IT services
can be the icing on the cake for a help desk. The IT services
or network services market represents a segment that is
growing at a fast pace and is increasingly seen as an attrac-
tive business for dealers.
Remote support tools are common in many dealerships.
Tools such as GoToAssist, LogMeIn and Bomgar allow the
help-desk personnel to do everything they can do on site for
connectivity support except hardware-
related issues. The advantages are reduced
service calls and a faster response to the
customer. In addition, some dealerships are
even using remote capabilities to do initial
connectivity installations. The defensive
strategy associated with a help desk will
allow dealerships to enhance service profit
margins and increase the service level with customers.
Technology is a Key DriverTwo of the trends that are irreversible and accelerating
are the following:
� Utilization of remote tools and technology to resolve
issues. The technology has improved to the point that MFP
dealerships can apply technology to “do more with less.” In
addition to the commonly used support tools described
above, there is a growing set of tools that allow further effi-
ciencies to be built. These strategic tools include moni-
toring, alert notification, remote assist tools, knowledge
bases, scripts and automation.
� An equally important trend is the acceptance of IT
departments in allowing technology-based tools inside their
environments. Many IT departments are encouraging this
practice and even include it when they are evaluating service
level agreements (SLAs) from their vendors. In short, cus-
tomers are increasingly evaluating service providers by their
capabilities in this area. The trend is increasing for your cus-
tomers to allow trusted support professionals to access their
systems to provide preventative, proactive and incident-
based support.
What is a World-Class Help Desk?First, let me describe what a world-class help desk is not. It
is not a tag team of MFP technicians passing around respon-
sibility for inbound calls. It is not a dispatching operation,
Morgan Nov 09:Morgan Nov 09 10/30/09 3:54 PM Page 10
although a number
of my clients are
combining dispatch
with the help desk. It
also does not require
a huge investment of
time and money.
Instead, a world-
class help desk:
� Requires care-
ful, up-front planning for implementation, as well as poli-
cies, procedures and tasks surrounding the help desk.
� Features dedicated personnel with job descriptions
and industry certifications. As an example, CompTIA
(www.comptia.org), the Help Desk Institute (www.think
hdi.com) and the Resource Center for Customer Service
Professionals (RCCSP) (www.the-resource-center.com) offer
courses and certifications designed for all levels of the help-
desk operation.
� Has standards for the call center itself in areas such as
internal processes and external service levels. A help desk
can achieve independent certification through an interna-
tionally recognized support center certification (www.think
hdi.com/scc).
� Utilizes key metrics and key performance indicators
(KPIs) to measure performance and drive improvement.
Common metrics include: call volume, calls per agent, type of
call, first-call resolution, cost per call, average talk time, system
availability and revenue per help-desk agent to name just a few.
� Is constantly developing and enhancing knowledge
management capabilities to allow for the best possible inter-
action between your customers and the help desk.
The reality is a help desk or call center is not likely to achieve
all of these characteristics at inception. While it is critical to
adopt certain standards, tools and processes from the begin-
ning, most dealerships have many of the elements in place
already. As an industry, we certainly have the right customer
service orientation and service discipline to be successful. The
key is to get started and get started the right way.�In 2001, Mitch Morgan formed the Professional Services
division for IKON. Through CEO Focus (www.ceofocus.com),
he has been consulting with CEOs on
strategy, operations, organizational
development and sales since 2005. He formed
the Professional Services Roundtable in 2007.
Morgan can be reached at
[email protected] or (913) 269-7255.
... A world-class helpdesk requires careful,up-front planning for implementation, as wellas policies, proceduresand tasks surroundingthe help desk.
w w w . o f f i c e t e c h n o l o g y m a g . c o m | N o v e m b e r 2 0 0 9 | 21
Build, Buy or Partner?For many dealers, offering network services capabilities is a nat-
ural next step. It can bring a deeper relationship with the customerthrough managing their IT infrastructure. In addition, when the busi-ness is approached in the right way, it can bring annuity-based rev-enue that contains attractive margins when the business reachesmaturity. Some options for entering this lucrative market:
Build It Yourself — This is an alternative that dealers choosewhen they have a strong desire to control the delivery of the service.The biggest advantage is controlling the customer experience andhaving a direct line of supervision over the personnel. This alterna-tive brings an investment in a managed services platform (such asN-able or Kaseya), as well as an investment in a professional servic-es automation package (ConnectWise and Autotask are options).This, combined with hardware infrastructure, represents a sizeableinvestment for some dealers. The fixed costs associated with dedicat-ed personnel and the hardware/software mean it will take sometime to break even on the offering. While the platform is stable andthe monitoring tools work well, the ramp up will likely be slowerthan some other options. According to Brian Chancey, CEO of TheScarlett Group in Jacksonville, Fla. (and a member of the MSP[Managed Services Provider] 100 group of elite providers): “It liter-ally takes months to develop the tools and processes needed to beefficient as a service provider, and even longer to develop the work-flow, templates and integration to deliver truly proactive service.”
Acquire a Network Services Company — Some dealersseek to acquire a company that is currently in the network servicesbusiness. This allows an immediate entry and, hopefully, a customerbase. It is important to ensure that the acquisition candidate hasbuilt the tools, processes and automation that are traits of a high-performance MSP. According to N-able, less than 15 percent of thenetwork services companies in the United States have fully transi-tioned to a remote services-led business model. Many are still in areactive service or a project-based business model. In addition,when reviewing an acquisition, dealers should ensure that the pric-ing to the customer fits with the revenue and margin requirementsthat the dealer is seeking. A big portion of the acquisition is thetechnical capabilities of the personnel, and retention of personnel isa critical aspect of any acquisition of this nature.
Partner with an Existing Managed Services Provider(MSP) — The fastest way to enter the market, with the smallest ini-tial investment, is to partner with an existing MSP that providesthese services today. There are a number of companies that pro-vide these services to dealers that mark up the services to the cus-tomer. The dealer usually offers the local on-site support, which usu-ally represents 10 to 20 percent of service incidents. The ability toscale up quickly is an advantage and the gross profit margin ispositive from the first sale. The reality for dealers is that if theychoose to enter this market, partnering will be a fact of life. As anexample, if a dealer was planning to offer remote data back-upservices, the smart decision would be to utilize an infrastructure andservices delivery platform that has already been built. Even thelargest MSPs utilize partnering in this manner where it makes sense.If you choose a partner approach, you can see exactly what theservice offering will be for your customer. �
Morgan Nov 09:Morgan Nov 09 10/30/09 9:14 AM Page 11
BTA HIGHLIGHTS
The following new members joined BTA during themonth of September:Dealer MembersDick Roundtree Copiers, Baton Rouge, LALaser Technologies Service Inc., Concord, MAMidwest Business Products, Dubuque, IANetwise Resources, Indianapolis, INOffice Dynamics Inc., Hawthorne, NYTBS/NY, Rochester, NYTown Business Systems, Norwood, MA
Service Associate Membersb2b sales coach, London, United Kingdom
Vendor Associate MembersAzerty/A Division of United Stationers,
Deerfield, ILDocuLex Inc., Winter Haven, FL
For full contact information of thesenew members, visit www.bta.org.
Sentry Insurance Member BenefitSentry Insurance is one of the
nation’s leading insurers ofdistributors and retailers. Thecompany provides a full line ofbusiness insurance for BTA
members. Sentry’s experience in the copier/MFP industry means it knows how to insureyour business from the ground up, with prop-erty, casualty, retirement and group insurancebenefits. To learn more or to get a quote, callRandy Dombrowski at (800) 624-8369 ext.77, e-mail [email protected] orvisit www.bta.org and click on “MemberBenefits” then “Insurance Services” in the left-hand column of the home page.
For more information on BTA member benefits,visit www.bta.org.
For the benefit of its dealer members, eachmonth, BTA features two of its Vendor or ServiceAssociate members in this space.
BTA Service Associatemember Equipment DataAssociates is a provider ofmarket intelligence and
UCC filing and purchasing data for thecopier/MFP industry. They can provide thedetailed purchasing histories of 26,319-plusbuyers nationwide. These companies havefinanced more than 95,971 units of copier/MFP equipment since 2008. A customizedsummary of this information is available thatshows the complete purchasing history offinanced equipment for a specific buyer. Thisinformation also identifies brand loyalty, buyingcycles and type and age of equipment.
www.edadata.com
BTA VendorAssociate member
FMAudit is a provider of remote meterreading and managed print services solutionsand infrastructure. Since 1998, FMAudit hasbeen providing tools for cost-recovery,including Web-based meter collection, non-networked device meter collection, total cost ofownership, supply-triggered delivery and two-way ERP synchronization. In addition to theseofferings, FMAudit continues to developsolutions for the office technology industry tokeep your business moving forward.
www.fmaudit.com
A full list of BTA Vendor and Service Associate members can be found online at www.bta.org.
22 | w w w . o f f i c e t e c h n o l o g y m a g . c o m | N o v e m b e r 2 0 0 9
Highlights Nov 09:Highlights Nov 09 10/29/09 3:39 PM Page 25
The Legal Hotline rings and the member
on the other end wishes to know if he
(or she) can terminate an employee
who is out with a workers’ compensation
claim. The facts are always similar. The
employee has not been doing a great job and
there have been management discussions
regarding termination, but nothing has been
done. In the meantime, the employee injured
himself while at work and will be out for a
month. Can we terminate him now in light of
our previous dissatisfaction?
My inquiry seeks a review of the discipli-
nary action(s) that have been taken re-
garding the employee. Typically there are
none. Although I have no doubt the em-
ployee is not meeting expectations, there is
no record to support his shortcomings. Meanwhile, the
employee is in a “protected class” and any employment deci-
sion must be examined in that light.
There has been a dramatic increase in the number of cases
presented to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
(EEOC) claiming retaliation. In the last year, retaliation claims
increased 23 percent. Retaliation claims represented more
than one-third of all claims filed with the EEOC. A retaliation
claim is often easier to establish than a discrimination claim.
Recently, a female employee filed a complaint with the EEOC
alleging discrimination due to unequal access to bathroom
facilities for female employees. Subsequently, the complaining
employee was terminated and she added retaliation to her
complaint with the EEOC. The EEOC denied the employee’s
claim regarding access to the restrooms, but upheld her retali-
ation complaint.
The EEOC has indicated that eliminating retaliation is a top
priority. If employees feel they cannot file initial claims of dis-
crimination due to potential retaliation, then matters will not
be brought to the EEOC. Employers must recognize that once
an employee takes an action permitted by statute, he is no
longer a regular employee, but now has entered a “protected
class.” Thus, the employee who filed a workers’ compensation
claim is no longer an “at will” employee that can be terminated
with or without cause, and any negative
action must be fully documented and unre-
lated to the claim. Dissatisfaction that
occurred prior to the worker’s injury that
was not acted upon cannot be used to termi-
nate the employee after the accident. If the
employee were to be terminated, the basis
would have to be documented and unre-
lated to the injury.
Terminated employees have filed a signifi-
cant number of retaliation claims during the
recession. No one likes being terminated and
those who have been laid off are looking for a
reason why, other than economics or them-
selves. Employees review their employment
history and recall any instance where they
complained of a specific practice and imme-
diately conclude that it was the “real” basis for their termina-
tion. So how does a dealer protect himself?
As a general policy, any employee complaints should be
required in writing. A crude joke, followed by a suggestion that
it could constitute sexual harassment, should not constitute a
legitimate complaint unless it is submitted in writing. Your
Employee Policy and Procedure Manual should set out the
exact procedure to be followed in the event of a discrimination
(or any) complaint. With this practice, an oral comment cannot
form the basis of an actual complaint to management. If the
conduct was so offensive, the simple question in defending a
complaint would be: “Why wasn’t the complaint submitted to
management in writing?” The failure to follow policy and do so
clearly affects the credibility of the complaint.
You may further protect yourself by proceeding carefully
when taking an employment action in regard to an employee
who has presented a complaint or filed a claim regarding his
employment. In this instance, it is essential that an inde-
pendent basis forms the grounds for the employ-
ment action. Of course, if you are unsure as to
how to proceed, contact the Legal Hotline. �Robert C. Goldberg is general counsel
for the Business Technology Association.
He can be reached at [email protected].
by: Robert C. Goldberg, General Counsel for the Business Technology Association
COURTS & CAPITOLS
Retaliate & You PayProceed carefully when taking an employment action
w w w . o f f i c e t e c h n o l o g y m a g . c o m | N o v e m b e r 2 0 0 9 | 23
Goldberg Nov 09:Goldberg Nov 09 10/30/09 11:08 AM Page 26
In my travels around the coun-
try I am often asked, “How can
I get my employees to do what
they’re supposed to do?” Many a
dealer has felt the frustration of
uncovering a problem in the busi-
ness that should have been han-
dled by an employee in the normal
course of business. I hear explana-
tions like, “Well, that’s how things
are today. People really don’t care”
or “People are just lazy.” The prob-
lem with these explanations is that
they do not open the door to han-
dling the problem. How do we
correct people who are not caring
or who are being lazy? In reality,
this is a very dif f icult thing to
tackle as a generality pertaining to
all people. We can, however, look
at this problem on an employee-
by-employee basis.
A major tool in the Hubbard
Management System is staff “hats.” As defined in the Hubbard
Management System, “hat” is “a term used to describe the
write-ups, check sheets and packs that outline the purposes,
know-how and duties of a post.” The term comes from the days
of rail travel where each of the workers on a train could be
identified by the hat they wore; the engineer, conductor,
porter, etc., each wore a distinctly different hat. Though many
dealerships have and use job descriptions, few of them contain
all of the components called for in a “hat.”
In today’s society, most people operate with the belief and
understanding that they have a “job.” Most tend to lump all of
the duties they perform into this nebulous concept called their
“job,” often missing the fact that this “job” is actually the combi-
nation of several different hats. For example, in a dealership it is
common for one person to wear the receptionist hat as well as
the cash application hat, applying customer payments to their
accounts. These are clearly two different hats, yet they can be
confused. When the phones get really busy, the receptionist has
no time to get the payments ap-
plied and the result is no deposit
that day. The employee feels that he
(or she) was busy all day and did the
“job,” yet there was no production
from one of the hats and that “job”
went completely undone.
Another common example is for
the sales manager to also wear the
marketing manager hat. In this
case, the outcome is typically little
or no marketing being done as the
demands of the sales team are
more immediate and potentially
more rewarding in the short term.
In both of these examples, you have
an employee with two very impor-
tant hats allowing one of them to
go with little or no production and
thus little or no results. These sce-
narios play out in dealerships all
over the country on a daily basis.
Employees, not understanding the
need to separate out their hats and get production under each
one, leave large areas of the business uncovered.
So, how do you correct this? In applying the hat concept as
outlined in the Hubbard Management System, you need to
have nine components clearly outlined and understood for
each hat or post in your company. I will list each of them with
a brief description.
(A) The purpose of the post: Each hat must have a write-
up of the purpose of the post. All too often employees go
through the motions of their post with little understanding of
why they are doing what they are doing. For example, I asked a
technician why he had to document all of the parts he used
and where. His response was, “So the owner knows I’m not
stealing the parts.” He had no concept of how parts usage data
was tracked to report profitability of contracts and no real
understanding that a big part of the purpose of his job was to
fix the systems in the field as profitably as possible. He replied
by saying, “Wait a minute, I ’m supposed to be helping us
Staff ‘Hats’How effective are your employees?
by: Jim Kahrs, Prosperity Plus Management Consulting Inc.
PRINCIPAL ISSUES
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Kahrs Nov 09:Kahrs Nov 09 10/30/09 12:15 PM Page 26
remain profitable? In that case we should
be doing … ” He went on to list five things
that he felt were wasting money in the
service department and how they could be
corrected. (By the way, three of those sug-
gestions were great.) Employees who are
not given a clear understanding of the
purpose of their post are very limited.
With a clear understanding of the purpose
of the post, employees can now think on
their feet and make suggestions as to how they can better
achieve the purpose rather than blindly following the path
laid out by their predecessors.
(B) Its relative position on the Organizing Board: The
Organizing Board is another tool in the Hubbard Manage-
ment System. It is a document that lays out all of the posts
and functions of the company. All functions are aligned in
seven divisions of the company following their natural
sequence. Having each person know how their hats relate to
the others is also critical to success.
(C) A write-up of the post: Each post or hat must have a
write-up outlining the basics included here. This write-up is
best done by someone holding the post with input from his
manager and other people who interact with the post. Parts of
this write-up are what most dealerships have in place as their
current job descriptions. However, I have seen far too many
that omit key components like those listed here as items A, B,
F, H and I.
(D) A checksheet of all policies, manuals, procedures,
etc., for the post: Each post will have its own key policies and
procedures as well as specific documents and manuals that are
used regularly. These should be included in the hat materials
along with a checksheet that tells the employee in what order
to study them, and provides a process for him to report what he
has done. This makes the initial training phase — what is
referred to as instant “hatting” — a simple and quick process.
(E) A full pack of written materials: Having all of the nec-
essary written materials in one pack, called a “hat pack,” makes
it easy for the employee and his manager to review as needed
and it keeps all pertinent information at their fingertips.
(F) A copy of the Organizing Board: Since the Organizing
Board is essentially the roadmap of the organization, listing
all functions and who handles each one, it is important that
each hat pack contain a current copy.
(G) A flow chart for the post: This flow chart illustrates
what is received by the post, what changes are expected to be
made by the post and where they are to be routed upon com-
pletion. For example, cash application
would receive checks, be expected to post
them to customers’ accounts and then
route them to accounting for posting to
the bank account and deposit in the bank.
(H) The product or products of the
post: Every post must have one or more
things that it produces — the actual
product of the post. The hat must contain
a clear write-up of the product(s). For
example, the product of the sales post is closed sales. For a
service technician, it is completed service calls. For accounts
receivable, it is funds collected, etc. Like the purpose listed
earlier, it is vital that each employee know what products(s)
are expected to be produced from each hat he wears.
(I) The statistics of the post: Statistics measure the level
of production called for in item H. Mirroring the products
listed above, the statistics for a sales rep would include prod-
ucts sold and things like the number of appointments. For a
technician, they would include the number of calls completed
and probably first-call effectiveness. For accounts receivable,
you would have things like dollars collected and the number
of collection calls made.
By following this process and creating hats in your dealer-
ship that contain the nine items above, you will create an
environment where your staff members understand what is
expected of them and have the knowledge to really think on
their feet. Each employee is empowered with the data and
tools to truly get the job done and to understand what “jobs”
he is doing. The confusion created by assigning dissimilar
functions to one employee can be sorted out, leading to pro-
duction in all areas. I have seen miraculous changes happen in
dealerships almost overnight. The people who used to be cat-
egorized as “not caring” or “just lazy” all of a sudden wake up
and really get it into gear.
So, I will close with a challenge: Go back and compare your
current job descriptions to the list above and see if you are cov-
ering all of the points. If not, work out a plan to get them all in
place and see what happens. You will be amazed at the results
you can get. Do not hesitate to call on us if you need help. �Jim Kahrs is the founder and president of Prosperity Plus
Management Consulting Inc. Prosperity Plus
works with companies in the office systems
industry building revenue and profitability and
improving organization structure. Kahrs can be
reached at (631) 382-7762 or
By following this processand creating hats in yourdealership ... you willcreate an environmentwhere your staff membersunderstand what isexpected of them ...
w w w . o f f i c e t e c h n o l o g y m a g . c o m | N o v e m b e r 2 0 0 9 | 25
Kahrs Nov 09:Kahrs Nov 09 10/30/09 12:15 PM Page 27
Ihope I caught your attention with my
headline and subhead. Candidly, some
folks would argue that this is the most
challenging time we have ever seen in our
lifetime and I would agree with them.
As I write this, the general business
community at large is struggling with
unprecedented unemployment, capital
market constraints, R&D limitations and
downward sales trends. That is not a
pretty picture for many folks.
At the risk of sounding overly dramatic,
the copier/MFP/printer marketplace is
facing many challenges more specific to
our channel. Certainly, capital markets are
tight and the leasing business — which is
the backbone of our formula — is hamstrung, with changing
business models and product migration. Dealers are watching
many of their end users postpone decisions or go out of busi-
ness. OEMs are facing the most difficult of circumstances as
they attempt to deliver great new products, grow distribution
and stabilize the various acquisitions that have been made in
the past year or so. We need healthy OEMs and I respect the
challenges they face.
So this is the “not-so-good news” for the marketplace. Now
let us look at the positive side of our current and mid-term
prospects. Today, the dealer community, OEMs and end users
have a growing list of productivity tools, asset management
solutions and managed print services (MPS) available to them.
More than ever before, end users and copier/MFP distribu-
tors/dealers are in harmony with the types of products, serv-
ices and solutions that must be delivered to a demanding
customer. Solutions are now available that effectively provide
everything from new “automation” of metering to consumable
notification, inventory management, service alerts and fleet
management tools that enable cost-effective management of
small businesses to the largest major accounts.
Large numbers of dealers are quickly moving to a full utiliza-
tion of solutions that address everything from automation of
service departments to the automation of their sales forces,
including proposal generation, MPS tool kits and automated
print assessments. All of these technologies
are no longer new and are now enthusiasti-
cally embraced and oftentimes demanded
by the end-user client, which allows for
easier migration for the dealer community.
As a community that serves the office
equipment space, we are fortunate to have
many software and hardware companies
that have invested millions of dollars in
solutions that have become an integral part
of today’s, as well as tomorrow’s, workplace.
Yes, the marketplace is challenged in
many new ways, but the dealer community
is better armed than ever and will be even
better equipped in the future. New applica-
tions will be coming to you soon and these
applications will be very productive, highly imaginative and
will leverage the full scope of service, printing, fleet manage-
ment, wireless applications and other exciting developments.
It is amazing to me how quickly things change in combina-
tion with the things that remain important. Consider, if you
will, the uncompromising need for great customer support
and service. Then add to that the usage of new technologies
such as real-time blogs, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and other
social networking and communication methods. For us baby
boomers, it is difficult to imagine how these tools will con-
tribute, but rest assured they will.
As a long-time industry veteran, I offer my respect and
appreciation to all who make things happen in our business:
the dealers, software companies, OEMs, partners and the Busi-
ness Technology Association. These are amazing times for
amazing people. �Mike Stramaglio is president and CEO of MWA Intelligence Inc.
(MWAi), which provides M2M (machine-to-machine) and M2P
(machine-to-people) solutions to the office technology industry.
He has more than 30 years experience
in the industry, previously serving at such
companies as Minolta, Ricoh and Hitachi Koki.
Stramaglio can be reached at
Visit www.mwaintel.com.
‘Well-Armed’ DealersIt is a great time to be in the copier/MFP business
by: Mike Stramaglio, MWA Intelligence Inc.
PRINCIPAL ISSUES
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Stramaglio Nov 09:Stramaglio Nov 09 10/30/09 12:20 PM Page 26
BTAMPSWorkshops:Layout 1 11/2/09 10:18 AM Page 1
Focusing on major trends in the market and the resulting
opportunities and challenges for manufacturers and
dealers, InfoTrends (www.infotrends.com), a market
research firm based in Weymouth, Mass., recently hosted its
annual Office Document Strategy Conference. The Sept. 30-
Oct. 1 event was held at the Hyatt Harborside in Boston, Mass.
Much of the conference focused on the predominant trends
in the industry, including the rise of managed print services
(MPS), which was the topic of seven of the 19 education ses-
sions that were offered. They ranged from “Defining the Best
MPS Approach for Your Business” to “The Future of Managed
Print Services.” The topic was also addressed in the opening
session, “InfoTrends State & Future of the Industry,” presented
by several of the research firm’s lead analysts.
“The big trend today is MPS,” said Randy Dazo, director of
both the Network Document Solutions and the Professional &
Managed Print Services advisory services at InfoTrends, in the
opening session. “This was the year that everybody talked
about MPS and vendors came out with strategies announcing
them to their dealers and the community.”
InfoTrends analysts see the rise of MPS as the result of a colli-
sion of current trends in hardware, supplies, solutions and serv-
ices, said Dazo. “And the economy has wrapped around
everything to help drive the message of managed print services.”
The primary manifestation of MPS, said Dazo, is the current
transition from a focus on unit placements to a focus on cap-
turing pages. “Who would have thought 10 years ago that
vendors would actually be selling the supplies of other
vendors?” he asked. “So, it is really not about just capturing
the devices that are out there, it’s about capturing pages — not
only your customers’ pages, but your competitors’ pages.”
In his portion of the opening session, John Shane, director
of the U.S. Communication Supplies advisory service for
InfoTrends, noted that while capturing pages is the focus of
MPS, there are now fewer pages output in the workplace,
resulting primarily from the pressures of the current recession.
Other relatively recent recessions — in 1991 and 2001 — had
little impact on page volumes in the workplace, he said. “But
this one is different,” he explained. “We have seen a decline in
volume in the last two years — a decline of 9 percent from the
peak in 2007 to now in 2009.”
While he expects to see some growth in page volume as the
economy improves, Shane said he does not expect a return to
the peak volume of 2007 within InfoTrends’ current forecast
period, through 2013. “I would have to say that the largest
threat to the supplies market is MPS,” he said. “The goal is to
find ways to save money and that means less print. It also
means increasing duplex rates.
“If it were not for MPS, we would be more bullish on our
supplies forecast,” added Shane. “Now we do have MPS. It is a
reality. And it is causing, we believe, the supplies market to not
grow like it might have otherwise.”
While it is now a reality in the industry, Dazo did note that
an exact definition of MPS sometimes seems a bit elusive.
“There are so many different ways that people are defining the
market,” he said. “Is it a professional service? Is it a different
form of print management?”
Aligning MPS with professional services, Dazo shared with
attendees InfoTrends’ definition: “Professional and managed
print services are services-led offerings that help companies
solve their pain points, typically around the management, costs
and/or document processes, by delivering continuous improve-
ments, particularly around an organization’s print, copy and doc-
ument environments.” �Brent Hoskins, executive director of the Business Technology
Association, is editor of Office Technology magazine.
He can be reached at [email protected].
Office Document StrategyMPS primary focus of recent InfoTrends conference
by: Brent Hoskins, Office Technology Magazine
PRINCIPAL ISSUES
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InfoTrends Nov 09:InfoTrends Nov 09 10/30/09 12:26 PM Page 26
As I work with clients or conduct
workshops on managed print serv-
ices (MPS), inevitably the question
comes up: “How do we simplify the sales
process and make it easier for professionals
or businesses focused on this area?” There
is a belief out there that there is a software
package that has all the answers to an effec-
tive managed print services program — one
that will streamline the process, uncover
the costs, calculate true output costs for any business, identify
and recommend ways to improve profitability (or reduce the
customer’s cost), recommend ways to improve fleet administra-
tion or even identify the right prospect, contact and reasons
why MPS is a valuable option for him (or her).
Of course, there is more to the process than what I just
covered. Those who are engaged in MPS can appreciate the
complexity of identifying this type of software, but everyone
would welcome such a solution. The fact is, there is no such
product and I can safely say there never will be. Yes, there are
many tools (most of which are software products) that are avail-
able to assist with the process, but there are none that address
all aspects of a successful MPS program. In fact, from my point
of view, there are none that will substantially address (better
than 90 percent of the time) any portion of the MPS sales
process. There are no silver bullets in an effective MPS program.
By now I am sure I have offended some of the solutions
providers who provide the channel with tools to support their
MPS programs, and they may very well look to dispute my
claim. I am not saying the tools available are not good tools;
they are and many will help certain parts of your process be
more efficient. For example, take the data collection tools
(DCA) that are available. The claims made by most, if not all,
are that the solution will collect all the print volumes for the
fleet of printers you are assessing. This is especially true if the
fleet is 100 percent networked and there is no resistance from
the prospect to deploy the DCA. When prospects have local
devices, when they have standalone fax machines or when
they will not allow deployment of the DCA (very seldom for
good reason), what are you to do? Ignore the local devices and
fax machines or move on to the next opportunity if you cannot
deploy the DCA? I hope not. If this is your
approach, then you are severely limiting
the profitability of the program or the
number of opportunities to pursue.
The fact is that there are many reasons
why D CA technolog y wil l not be 100
percent effective. Does this mean you
should not use one with your program?
Absolutely not. You should. They are a
valuable part of a successful MPS pro-
gram, but they are not your silver bullet for data collection.
Another example is proposal software. Is there proposal
software that will enable you to calculate all costs associated
with completing the results of an assessment, all the time, with
every opportunity you are pursuing? No, and once again, there
never will be.
Most proposal software that I am familiar with will help
present the details of your findings, but will not effectively
capture those details for you all the time. For example, they
can be used to calculate the cost per page for an opportunity,
but even this involves either accepting the assumptions made
by the developers of the software as to what method is the
most appropriate way to calculate a cost per page, or you will
need to input the criteria you will want to follow. Once again,
this might not hold true for all opportunities you are pursuing.
So, is the outcome not to use proposal tools for your MPS
program? Probably not.
The reason for being cautious in this area is that when you
become dependent on software to present your business case,
you accept the methods used by this software as being valid
for your prospect’s business case. If this does not meet the
profile of his operations, or if you do not fully understand the
methods used to determine the costs and you present the
business case to the prospect, what are you going to do when
he challenges the details? Wing it, state it uses industry aver-
ages or tell him you need to look into it and get back to him? If
so, then you have lost all credibility and the chances of closing
this opportunity are slim to none.
From my experience, I see too many companies using pro-
posal software and, as a result, have no clue as to the details of
what is being presented. You are not presenting an equipment
No MPS ‘Silver Bullet’Instead, hard work is the key to success
by: Ed Carroll, Strategy Development
MPS STRATEGIES
w w w . o f f i c e t e c h n o l o g y m a g . c o m | N o v e m b e r 2 0 0 9 | 29
Carroll Nov 09:Carroll Nov 09 10/30/09 12:33 PM Page 26
transaction that focuses on a lease pay-
ment and the basic features of the equip-
ment. MPS is a complex sale and you must
know the details in order to be successful
and be in a position to present a con-
vincing business case as to the reasons
your prospect should move forward with
your findings.
The opportunities in managed print
services are tremendous; it is the hottest
growth area in the document imaging industry today, and will
continue to be for years to come. You know this if you are
already pursuing MPS opportunities and you believe this if you
are just beginning to move in this direction. It is also a very dif-
ferent sale than most are experienced with.
To be effective, you need to focus your energy on the details;
you need to understand the important elements of the busi-
ness case; you need to uncover operational costs; you need to
understand business processes; you need the ability to be a
good project manager; you need to be good at analysis; and
you need good initiative and strong communications skills.
The tools available are tools — they can assist, in limited situ-
ations they can streamline, they can improve the look of the
materials, they can enhance the perception of you being an
expert in this field, but they cannot do the process for you.
There are no silver bullets — not overall
and not in any one step of the sales cycle.
You must focus on the specif ics. It is
tedious, it involves rolling up your sleeves
and getting into the details, and it involves
being inquisitive and logical. Without a
complete understanding of the importance
of particulars and the willingness to focus
on them, the chance of success in MPS is
only moderate.
Use the tools, but do not be overly dependent on them. Seek
help, but understand the motives or experience of the support
you are seeking. Many say they are involved with MPS, but few
have the overall knowledge, understanding or experience to be
successful. Looking for shortcuts, that silver bullet, is not your
answer. Nor is luck. It is hard work. �Ed Carroll is a principal of Strategy Development, an advanced
management consulting firm engaged in sales leadership,
managed print services, operational efficiency, service
productivity and business planning. Clients
include equipment manufacturers and resellers
focused on equipment and service in the
document and imaging industry throughout
North America. Carroll can be reached at (703)
722-2973 or [email protected].
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30 | w w w . o f f i c e t e c h n o l o g y m a g . c o m | N o v e m b e r 2 0 0 9
The opportunities inmanaged print servicesare tremendous; it is thehottest growth area inthe document imagingindustry today, and willcontinue to be ...
Carroll Nov 09:Carroll Nov 09 10/30/09 12:33 PM Page 27
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