{"id":57461,"date":"2023-10-26T12:23:24","date_gmt":"2023-10-26T19:23:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/?p=57461"},"modified":"2023-10-26T12:23:33","modified_gmt":"2023-10-26T19:23:33","slug":"a-different-world-has-mps-markedly-changed-from-five-years-ago","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/feature-articles\/2023\/10\/a-different-world-has-mps-markedly-changed-from-five-years-ago\/","title":{"rendered":"A Different World: Has MPS Markedly Changed from Five Years Ago?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

It comes as no big secret that the business community and the way companies and people go about their day has dramatically shifted in the past five years. It will likely take about 10 years for historians, economists and prognosticators to gain clarity and assess the major shifts, but we\u2019ve already taken note of the vast changes in the way business is conducted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What has this all meant to managed print services (MPS)? Certainly, mobile work was already trending upward, with road warriors requiring the ability to print from anywhere. But work from home? We didn\u2019t see that coming until March of 2020. Companies had long provided flexibility for the occasional Friday WFH, and it was seen as a perk that employees tried not to abuse, out of fear employers would put their foot down at some point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Little did we know exactly how much that would change. As we close out this month\u2019s focus on MPS, we surveyed our dealer panel to discuss what strategies providers should employ that perhaps weren\u2019t relevant five years ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Dan Larkin, Marco<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The prime selling point is innovation, notes Dan Larkin, solutions sales director for Marco of St. Cloud, Minnesota. He recommends software augmentation that can offer additional security, automation and mobility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a worthwhile investment for any dealer that wants to move their services out of that older MPS model that\u2019s only focused on servicing equipment and into something that takes a more holistic approach to optimizing and securing print environments,\u201d Larkin said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Number-Crunching<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Josh Britton, imageOne<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Having a firm grip on the financial considerations is no small matter; providing cost and efficiency savings to the client is paramount, but a sustainable profit margin to make it worth your dealership\u2019s time and energy cannot be discounted. Josh Britton, president of imageOne in Oak Park, Michigan, financial acumen beyond the CEO and CFO roles is vitally important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think all of your leadership should really be tied into the full financial picture,\u201d Britton said. \u201cThey need to understand the relationships between the numbers, the financial levers, and be tied into the trends and movements, both good and bad. It\u2019s a great way for your management team to take actions and interventions. In our industry, costs are increasing more quickly and in different ways, and you need to be responsive.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
TJ DeBello, Stargel Office Solutions<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

TJ DeBello, vice president of sales for Houston-based Stargel Office Solutions, feels the evolving MPS landscape has prompted his company to remain agile and open to adopting new technologies and strategies to remain competitive while still meeting client demands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSome examples would be remote work support, a larger emphasis on enhanced data security, customized solutions, and continuing our education and training to stay ahead of industry trends,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Hunter Woolfolk, DOCUmation<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not a great mystery for Hunter Woolfolk, the co-president of DOCUmation in San Antonio, Texas. It all begins and ends with service, which he feels is the heart of the offering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf you can\u2019t provide excellent service, why are you even in this business?\u201d Woolfolk posed. \u201cWhy sell something people can buy on Amazon if you\u2019re not going to be a value to them?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Talk Track<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Ray Belanger, Bay Copy<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

How one approaches MPS is nearly as important as the elements it comprises. Ray Belanger, president of Bay Copy in Rockland, Massachusetts, believes an important step is not to lead with the message of MPS as a cost-cutting strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFocus instead on the other benefits, such as freeing up IT staff, and the ease of outsourcing the management,\u201d he said. \u201cShift the focus more on environmental issues. These tactics can not only support the MPS program but can also be another point of entry when approaching a new customer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Jeff Wilson, FTG<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Given that each dealer is at a different junction in its MPS journey, it\u2019s tough to offer a one-size-fits-all perspective, notes Jeff Wilson, vice president of business development for Mesa, Arizona-based Flex Technology Group. But there is one universal tie that binds all programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSuccess and failure start first with the people you hire and how you develop them,\u201d Wilson said. \u201cAt FTG, we continue to do the things that got us here, listening to our customers and delivering on what they ask of us. That\u2019s the best advice we can give to anyone that is trying to build a new business or break into new markets.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It comes as no big secret that the business community and the way companies and people go about their day has dramatically shifted in the past five years. It will likely take about 10 years for historians, economists and prognosticators to gain clarity and assess the major shifts, but we\u2019ve already taken note of the vast changes in the way business is conducted. What has this all meant to managed print services (MPS)? Certainly, mobile work was already trending upward, with road warriors requiring the ability to print from anywhere. But work from home? We didn\u2019t see that coming until March of 2020. Companies had long provided flexibility for the occasional Friday WFH, and it was seen as a perk that employees tried not to abuse, out of fear employers would put their foot down at some point. Little did we know exactly how much that would change. As we close out this month\u2019s focus on MPS, we surveyed our dealer panel to discuss what strategies providers should employ that perhaps weren\u2019t relevant five years ago. The prime selling point is innovation, notes Dan Larkin, solutions sales director for Marco of St. Cloud, Minnesota. He recommends software augmentation that can offer additional security, automation and mobility. \u201cIt\u2019s a worthwhile investment for any dealer that wants to move their services out of that older MPS model that\u2019s only focused on servicing equipment and into something that takes a more holistic approach to optimizing and securing print environments,\u201d Larkin said. Number-Crunching Having a firm grip on the financial considerations is no small matter; providing cost and efficiency savings to the client is paramount, but a sustainable profit margin to make it worth your dealership\u2019s time and energy cannot be discounted. Josh Britton, president of imageOne in Oak Park, Michigan, financial acumen beyond the CEO and CFO roles is vitally important. \u201cI think all of your leadership should really be tied into the full financial picture,\u201d Britton said. \u201cThey need to understand the relationships between the numbers, the financial levers, and be tied into the trends and movements, both good and bad. It\u2019s a great way for your management team to take actions and interventions. In our industry, costs are increasing more quickly and in different ways, and you need to be responsive.\u201d TJ DeBello, vice president of sales for Houston-based Stargel Office Solutions, feels the evolving MPS landscape has prompted his company to remain agile and open to adopting new technologies and strategies to remain competitive while still meeting client demands. \u201cSome examples would be remote work support, a larger emphasis on enhanced data security, customized solutions, and continuing our education and training to stay ahead of industry trends,\u201d he said. It\u2019s not a great mystery for Hunter Woolfolk, the co-president of DOCUmation in San Antonio, Texas. It all begins and ends with service, which he feels is the heart of the offering. \u201cIf you can\u2019t provide excellent service, why are you even in this business?\u201d Woolfolk posed. \u201cWhy sell something people can buy on Amazon if you\u2019re not going to be a value to them?\u201d Talk Track How one approaches MPS is nearly as important as the elements it comprises. Ray Belanger, president of Bay Copy in Rockland, Massachusetts, believes an important step is not to lead with the message of MPS as a cost-cutting strategy. \u201cFocus instead on the other benefits, such as freeing up IT staff, and the ease of outsourcing the management,\u201d he said. \u201cShift the focus more on environmental issues. These tactics can not only support the MPS program but can also be another point of entry when approaching a new customer.\u201d Given that each dealer is at a different junction in its MPS journey, it\u2019s tough to offer a one-size-fits-all perspective, notes Jeff Wilson, vice president of business development for Mesa, Arizona-based Flex Technology Group. But there is one universal tie that binds all programs. \u201cSuccess and failure start first with the people you hire and how you develop them,\u201d Wilson said. \u201cAt FTG, we continue to do the things that got us here, listening to our customers and delivering on what they ask of us. That\u2019s the best advice we can give to anyone that is trying to build a new business or break into new markets.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":166,"featured_media":57462,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1650,82,87,1638],"tags":[3487],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57461"}],"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=57461"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57461\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":57463,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57461\/revisions\/57463"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/57462"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=57461"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=57461"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=57461"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}