{"id":25752,"date":"2017-09-25T13:29:29","date_gmt":"2017-09-25T20:29:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/?p=25752"},"modified":"2017-09-28T10:21:33","modified_gmt":"2017-09-28T17:21:33","slug":"its-survival-of-the-fittest-in-atlanta-but-united-office-systems-has-the-consistency-and-focus-to-succeed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/enx-features\/service-excellence-winner\/2017\/09\/its-survival-of-the-fittest-in-atlanta-but-united-office-systems-has-the-consistency-and-focus-to-succeed\/","title":{"rendered":"It\u2019s Survival of the Fittest in Atlanta, but United Office Systems Has the Consistency and Focus to Succeed"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"

Michael Walsh, President\/CEO<\/p><\/div>\n

Natural selection is not a term limited to the animal kingdom or even nature. Survival of the fittest most certainly applies to the world of office technology equipment, and Michael Walsh finds himself smack in the middle of a competition jungle down in the Atlanta suburb of Marietta, GA.<\/p>\n

Walsh is the president of United Office Systems, a 24-year-old dealership that started from scratch and grew into a $6 million performer that offers Konica Minolta and Lexmark equipment. But he is far from alone in that regard, especially when it comes to Konica Minolta gear. In each of the roughly 10 counties where Walsh is authorized to sell Konica Minolta product, there\u2019s an average of eight competitors between the direct branch and other dealerships. One county alone includes 10 competitors. With all that competition, it helps that United Office Systems has captured the Konica Minolta Pro-Tech award for 10 consecutive years.<\/p>\n

\"\"

(from left) Michael Walsh, President; Michelle Daniel, VP; David Harding, Director of Service<\/p><\/div>\n

United Office Systems, a proud member of the Select Dealer Group peer organization, has a retention rate of 90 percent for customers under lease contract, which is quite remarkable for a dealership vying for share in such a hotly contested and constantly evolving, market.<\/p>\n

\u201cAtlanta is a huge marketplace and it\u2019s amazing how many companies are bought and sold,\u201d Walsh observed. \u201cSmaller markets tend to be more static, with 15-20 employee businesses that have been around forever. In Atlanta, you\u2019ll have an organization pop up out of the blue and it will have 50-100 people within a year. But three years later, when the lease is about to be renewed, that company has been acquired by someone else. The churn of organizations going in and out of business is a challenge.\u201d<\/p>\n

Consistency and Focus<\/strong><\/p>\n

With a volatile business base and scores of competitors fishing from the same pond, United Office Systems thrives courtesy of a simple philosophy\u2014consistency and focus. Walsh doesn\u2019t try to be all things to all customers. Instead, he maintains a concentrated method of attack that has proven to be successful. About 80 percent of United Office Systems\u2019 client base consists of mid-sized organizations with 25 to 100 employees, and its bread and butter is the 25-75 page-per-minute range of A3 color multifunction devices, which plays well in a business-oriented metro area where demand is heavy.<\/p>\n

The dealership\u2019s philosophy further dictates that it is the responsibility of the service department to maintain its customers. That level of accountability, coupled with its 12th-place ranking in the country, has earned United Office Systems this month\u2019s BEI\/ENX Office Technology Service Excellence Platinum Award.<\/p>\n

For a company that is celebrating its silver anniversary, United Office Systems boasts an impressive record of tenure throughout its organization. The service department averages 15 years on the job, with sales and admin coming in at 10 years each. That experience, along with its 25-75 ppm, A3 MFP sweet spot, has enabled the service department to hone its craft through the years and register solid performances with the BEI metrics\u2014their most recent month\u2019s performance includes 70 percent first-call effectiveness, a 28 percent callback rate and a 10 percent hold-for-parts.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe advantage provided by that band of equipment is those machines are quite reliable,\u201d Walsh said. \u201cThey\u2019re user friendly and technician friendly from a servicing aspect. Clients are always a lot more satisfied with these segment machines. We see more consistent upgrading of these machines every three to four years. And because we focus so much on these segments, we\u2019re able to be a lot more competitive in the marketplace and a lot more efficient with service.\u201d<\/p>\n

Technician Empowerment<\/strong><\/p>\n

The company\u2019s tenure record has created an environment where technicians feel they are supported and empowered with the autonomy to make critical decisions that help ensure long-lasting relationships with clients. That autonomy is key in maintaining experienced technicians as well. \u201cWith tenure,\u201d Walsh noted, \u201cyou don\u2019t have to make sure everyone is on the same page and rowing in the right direction. Our people feel more trusted, and they are.\u201d<\/p>\n

The onus of responsibility for the customer is obviously vital in a hyper-competitive industry where customer loyalty can be tenuous at best, according to Walsh. Service creates the customer stickiness needed to prevent them from jumping ship when the lease contract expires. In lieu of being the lowest-cost provider, service becomes the value-add selling point.<\/p>\n

Walsh prefers to be the best rather than the cheapest. United Office Systems averages 2.5 hours on response time and prides itself on first-call effectiveness. He describes the service component as a high touch department, with courtesy calls constituting half of its service visits. It\u2019s the equivalent of a wellness visit in health care, with the techs dropping in to ensure the machines are clean and operating optimally.<\/p>\n

That level of service and familiarity serves as a catalyst for ongoing business. \u201cIt\u2019s a whole lot easier from the sales department standpoint to go into an account and upgrade them to a new machines when they\u2019re happy with the service and reliability as well as the technician,\u201d Walsh said.<\/p>\n

\"\"

David Harding, Service Manager<\/p><\/div>\n

United Office Systems is fortunate to foster a veteran crew of eight technicians, and part of the challenge for the dealership is complementing them with quality employees who value hard work, creativity, accountability, collaboration and competition, according to David Harding, director of service.<\/p>\n

The motivation behind joining the BEI program was to find ways to increase productivity while controlling cost. The BEI compensation program enables the technicians to relate their performances as if it were their own business, Harding said. When technicians are more efficient with parts and time, and the customer is kept up and operating, it is reflected in their level of bonus.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe program allows for the technician to manage their performance themselves,\u201d Harding added. \u201cThey come to their supervisor with an issue before the supervisor has to come to them. They\u2019re attuned to how their performance on a particular machine or customer situation impacts their bonus.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another perk of the BEI compensation plan is that the self-regulation factor enables Harding to spend more time focusing on other aspects of the business. Harding also values the technician assessment tool BEI offers, which helps the tech and supervisor identify specific areas that need improvement, develop a plan and monitor results. This has been most beneficial to technicians who have stagnated in their quest to improve. With newer technicians, the compensation program provides ample enticement to quickly ramp up their performance to the requisite levels for bonuses.<\/p>\n

Communicating Success<\/strong><\/p>\n

The feedback from customers has been extremely positive. United Office Systems sends out surveys to customers following every experience with the dealership, whether it\u2019s a service call or network issue. According to Harding, one of the most consistent notes they receive is the appreciation for the lines of communication United Office Systems provides, particularly email notifications and the ability to track technicians via GPS.<\/p>\n

\n
<\/div>\n
OTSEA Platinum award winners score in the top fifteen percent of all dealers evaluated. The evaluations are based on Call Back percentage, Hold for Parts percentage, MCBV (Mean Copies Between Visits) and Technician Grading. Tech Grading encompasses Time accountability and Time management along with individual HP, CB and MCBV rates. It also includes parts expense as it relates to parts CPC compared to world stats.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

United Office Systems also uses CEO Juice, an automated best practices tool for copier dealers, which provides chain-of-command notifications for unresolved issues. The objective with CEO Juice is to head off problems before the customer picks up the phone. Preserving the valued relationship is paramount, according to Harding.<\/p>\n

Looking ahead, Walsh\u2019s primary goal is to maintain the consistent growth United Office Systems has enjoyed while improving on its BEI key statistics. He takes pride in being the top-ranked performer in the Select Dealer Group when it comes to the Net Promoter Score and would like to bolster United Office Systems\u2019 nationwide ranking, which sits at 12. Harding added that the most telling analytic from the BEI survey is whether a customer would recommend United Office Systems to a friend or colleague.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just a matter of focusing on what works,\u201d Walsh concluded. \u201cWhen you do that, you\u2019re able to take care of the customer directly. They\u2019re satisfaction becomes ours.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
<\/div>\n
\n

About the Dealership:<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  • President\/CEO<\/strong>: Michael Walsh<\/li>\n
  • Vice President<\/strong>: Michelle Daniel<\/li>\n
  • Director of Service<\/strong>: David Harding<\/li>\n
  • Number of Techs<\/strong>: 8<\/li>\n
  • Number of Devices Serviced<\/strong>: 1,640<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Why They\u2019re a Platinum Award Winner<\/strong><\/p>\n

      \n
    • First-Call Effectiveness<\/strong>: 62%<\/li>\n
    • Call Back Rate<\/strong>: 28%<\/li>\n
    • Hold for Parts Rate<\/strong>: 10%<\/li>\n
    • Ranking<\/strong>: 12th overall of the 194 dealers<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Natural selection is not a term limited to the animal kingdom or even nature. Survival of the fittest most certainly applies to the world of office technology equipment, and Michael Walsh finds himself smack in the middle of a competition jungle down in the Atlanta suburb of Marietta, GA. Walsh is the president of United Office Systems, a 24-year-old dealership that started from scratch and grew into a $6 million performer that offers Konica Minolta and Lexmark equipment. But he is far from alone in that regard, especially when it comes to Konica Minolta gear. In each of the roughly 10 counties where Walsh is authorized to sell Konica Minolta product, there\u2019s an average of eight competitors between the direct branch and other dealerships. One county alone includes 10 competitors. With all that competition, it helps that United Office Systems has captured the Konica Minolta Pro-Tech award for 10 consecutive years. United Office Systems, a proud member of the Select Dealer Group peer organization, has a retention rate of 90 percent for customers under lease contract, which is quite remarkable for a dealership vying for share in such a hotly contested and constantly evolving, market. \u201cAtlanta is a huge marketplace and it\u2019s amazing how many companies are bought and sold,\u201d Walsh observed. \u201cSmaller markets tend to be more static, with 15-20 employee businesses that have been around forever. In Atlanta, you\u2019ll have an organization pop up out of the blue and it will have 50-100 people within a year. But three years later, when the lease is about to be renewed, that company has been acquired by someone else. The churn of organizations going in and out of business is a challenge.\u201d Consistency and Focus With a volatile business base and scores of competitors fishing from the same pond, United Office Systems thrives courtesy of a simple philosophy\u2014consistency and focus. Walsh doesn\u2019t try to be all things to all customers. Instead, he maintains a concentrated method of attack that has proven to be successful. About 80 percent of United Office Systems\u2019 client base consists of mid-sized organizations with 25 to 100 employees, and its bread and butter is the 25-75 page-per-minute range of A3 color multifunction devices, which plays well in a business-oriented metro area where demand is heavy. The dealership\u2019s philosophy further dictates that it is the responsibility of the service department to maintain its customers. That level of accountability, coupled with its 12th-place ranking in the country, has earned United Office Systems this month\u2019s BEI\/ENX Office Technology Service Excellence Platinum Award. For a company that is celebrating its silver anniversary, United Office Systems boasts an impressive record of tenure throughout its organization. The service department averages 15 years on the job, with sales and admin coming in at 10 years each. That experience, along with its 25-75 ppm, A3 MFP sweet spot, has enabled the service department to hone its craft through the years and register solid performances with the BEI metrics\u2014their most recent month\u2019s performance includes 70 percent first-call effectiveness, a 28 percent callback rate and a 10 percent hold-for-parts. \u201cThe advantage provided by that band of equipment is those machines are quite reliable,\u201d Walsh said. \u201cThey\u2019re user friendly and technician friendly from a servicing aspect. Clients are always a lot more satisfied with these segment machines. We see more consistent upgrading of these machines every three to four years. And because we focus so much on these segments, we\u2019re able to be a lot more competitive in the marketplace and a lot more efficient with service.\u201d Technician Empowerment The company\u2019s tenure record has created an environment where technicians feel they are supported and empowered with the autonomy to make critical decisions that help ensure long-lasting relationships with clients. That autonomy is key in maintaining experienced technicians as well. \u201cWith tenure,\u201d Walsh noted, \u201cyou don\u2019t have to make sure everyone is on the same page and rowing in the right direction. Our people feel more trusted, and they are.\u201d The onus of responsibility for the customer is obviously vital in a hyper-competitive industry where customer loyalty can be tenuous at best, according to Walsh. Service creates the customer stickiness needed to prevent them from jumping ship when the lease contract expires. In lieu of being the lowest-cost provider, service becomes the value-add selling point. Walsh prefers to be the best rather than the cheapest. United Office Systems averages 2.5 hours on response time and prides itself on first-call effectiveness. He describes the service component as a high touch department, with courtesy calls constituting half of its service visits. It\u2019s the equivalent of a wellness visit in health care, with the techs dropping in to ensure the machines are clean and operating optimally. That level of service and familiarity serves as a catalyst for ongoing business. \u201cIt\u2019s a whole lot easier from the sales department standpoint to go into an account and upgrade them to a new machines when they\u2019re happy with the service and reliability as well as the technician,\u201d Walsh said. United Office Systems is fortunate to foster a veteran crew of eight technicians, and part of the challenge for the dealership is complementing them with quality employees who value hard work, creativity, accountability, collaboration and competition, according to David Harding, director of service. The motivation behind joining the BEI program was to find ways to increase productivity while controlling cost. The BEI compensation program enables the technicians to relate their performances as if it were their own business, Harding said. When technicians are more efficient with parts and time, and the customer is kept up and operating, it is reflected in their level of bonus. \u201cThe program allows for the technician to manage their performance themselves,\u201d Harding added. \u201cThey come to their supervisor with an issue before the supervisor has to come to them. They\u2019re attuned to how their performance on a particular machine or customer situation impacts their bonus.\u201d Another perk of the BEI compensation plan is that the self-regulation factor enables Harding to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":166,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2195],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25752"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/166"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25752"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25752\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25876,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25752\/revisions\/25876"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25752"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25752"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25752"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}