Page 19 - BOSS Today Issue 21

Invest In People, Too Certainly, both the dealers companies, because the initial
Indeed, the successful interviewed appreciated returns on investments are
implementation of an MPS the benefits of having this usually very clear. If a company
offering requires not just ‘locked in’ income stream, has less than 20 office workers
investment in technology but they were also quick to they would be more likely to
and systems, but also in the point out other less obvious buy printers and cartridges
training and development of gains. As Tindale sees it, any traditionally because there
staff, as Rumble notes: “It’s not dealer doing a print audit and often isn’t a return on
just about having accredited supplying a customer with two investment case with the “Someone will
hardware service technicians, new machines and taking on print volumes involved that
it’s about having people the rest of their equipment would make an MPS mutually eventually
that really do understand would be immediately tied beneficial.”
the integration with IT and in to getting the rest of that Nevertheless, it is widely offer MPS to a
business processes and can equipment. Whereas if the agreed that the potential customer, so it’s
work with software products dealer had approached the for growth remains strong
and network integration. We customer in the traditional for MPS: while it may be a better to offer
have to have Professional way, they would have to wait ‘drop in the ocean’ for many
Services people trained as for the lease to expire or would dealers currently (for Walters it yourself!”
Microsoft engineers and have to offer the customer Ltd it is still less than 5% of
who are Advanced Solutions some attractive deal to get turnover), both the dealers are Adrian Rumble
accredited with Canon and them to upgrade immediately. expecting at least 10% year
other software OEMs so For Rumble, MPS also on year growth, while some
they are able to deal with has the benefit of lowering other companies are reporting
the complete printing and servicing and print costs: annual increases of as much as
document environment.” “We also manage the devices 20-25%.
It is partly because they remotely, so we can do a lot However, as Rumble
have the resources available to of preventative maintenance explains, this growth can cause
meet these needs that dealer without the customer even problems within any business
groups tend to report that it is knowing that it’s going to that is also committed to
their larger members who are happen, which means that selling consumables the
most likely to be offering MPS the first time fix rates are a lot traditional way: “We have some
at present. better. That means we don’t internal discussions there
have to return to fix, and we because our office supplies “Those people
The Rewards can keep our cost per print teams are actively selling who are going
As Lee Mockett, head of competitive.” some toners and cartridges,
managed print services at while our technology division out and
Brother UK, points out, the Into The Dealer is telling customers to do
benefits of MPS far outweigh Heartland away with that and go to a offering MPS
any difficulties in getting Industry convention has it print solution where they will across a range
started: “Resellers can use this that the benefits of MPS will be charged cost per print or
service-led approach in their increasingly be required by the copy!” of ten brands?
favour, to support a more mid-market SME sector – the However, as he also points
value-based relationship very heartland of the OP dealer out, while there are challenges, Well, their
with customers. They can channel. However, Tindale’s it is worth remembering that engineers
establish a level of trust and belief is that it is still most someone will eventually offer
understanding in supporting suited to larger companies MPS to a customer, so it’s surely cannot
customers’ long-term aims for with over 100 employees, better to offer it yourself!
their business requirements, and Rumble maintains that be any good at
now and in the future. In it is primarily a question of Martin Wilde is Managing being experts in
addition, MPS provides future the customers’ sector and Director of OP market
contracted income in what financial capability: “We have research specialists Martin all of them...!”
is currently a tough business a full range of customers: it’s Wilde Associates Ltd (www.
environment.” more relevant in the larger martinwildeassociates.com) Vince Tindale

February/March 2014 | BOSS TODAY 19

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