{"id":44288,"date":"2021-03-25T10:32:12","date_gmt":"2021-03-25T17:32:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/?p=44288"},"modified":"2021-03-25T10:32:15","modified_gmt":"2021-03-25T17:32:15","slug":"whats-next-dealers-ponder-future-additions-to-their-product-lines","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/the-week-in-imaging-twii\/editors-blog\/2021\/03\/whats-next-dealers-ponder-future-additions-to-their-product-lines\/","title":{"rendered":"What\u2019s Next: Dealers Ponder Future Additions to their Product Lines"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

As we put the March State of the Industry theme of ancillary products and services to bed, we\u2019ll conclude with a few thoughts from our dealer panel as to what their dealerships may be looking to add in the not-too-distant future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are a few variables common to what most dealers will weigh as they ponder growing the portfolio. Sourcing is a top concern; as temperature-scanning devices showed, dealers need to be assured that they can easily access product once they bring it under their flag. It\u2019s not only our industry, either. As anyone who has tried to perform home renovations or make significant purchases of certain items, the term \u201cback order\u201d is a familiar one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then there\u2019s the quality concern. This is where having a peer group or reliable cadre of dealer friends will help in ensuring a provider\u2014particularly one that falls outside the realm of typical office equipment\u2014has left a trail of satisfied resellers in its wake. Knowing that dealer \u201cA\u201d has nothing but good things to say about a lesser-known security camera specialist will make it easier for you to pull the trigger on partnering with them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Certainly not the least of considerations is recurring revenue. Unless the initial sale is so lucrative that post-sale support becomes moot\u2026wait, what are we saying? The ability to deliver post-sale service and supplies is a no-brainer. If it\u2019s not part of the equation, you will need another highly compelling reason to onboard a new item. Certainly, such a product would need to be a gateway to furnishing other products and services to net-new accounts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With that in mind, let\u2019s see what our dealer amigos have to say on the subject.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
John Lowery, Applied Imaging<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The next new product is a question most dealers ponder, and at Applied Imaging, the Grand Rapids, Michigan-based firm is performing due diligence on a number of areas that might translate into success with its client base. President John Lowery notes his company continues to proliferate telephony and managed IT with ancillary offerings that complement its current platform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe continue to move upstream with products so, regardless of account size, we can provide a solution,\u201d Lowery said. \u201cWe created innovation teams last year and worked with some knowledgeable consultants to take our ideas to the next level. We continue to lead by being a forward-thinking company and anticipating what\u2019s to come years before it arrives. That, in addition to our culture, is what sets us apart from others.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Growing Services<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Nark DeNicola, Centriworks<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Obviously, various segments of the managed services realm, particularly in IT, provide the path and opportunity to expand within that discipline without having to stray off into unchartered waters. That\u2019s the case with Centriworks. CFO\/CSO Mark DeNicola points out the dealership is working toward obtaining its CompTIA Security Trustmark certification and developing a business plan that entails a whole new suite of IT security services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Given the opportunities in IT, DeNicola doesn\u2019t anticipate the need to expand beyond those core competencies. \u201cWe have no plans to branch off into a nontraditional office product,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Brian Gertler, LDI Color ToolBox<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

At LDI Color ToolBox in Jericho, New York, the future path has already been paved with investments in managed IT, communication and collaboration strategies that will fill the recurring revenue funnel for years to come. According to Vice President Brian Gertler, it\u2019s part of the blend in LDI\u2019s overall strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLDI\u2019s success has always been a careful and balanced mixture of reliability, accountability and future vision,\u201d Gertler said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Brad Knepper, All Copy Products<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Brad Knepper, president of Denver-based All Copy Products, notes the firm\u2014particularly, its Verticomm managed IT division\u2014continues to invest time and money in cybersecurity training and bolstering other aspects of its operation, such as attaining SOC 2 authorization. In the coming months, the dealer will be adding third-party services with an eye toward bringing them in-house. Knepper is bullish on security, and for a company that already offers coffee, water and postage meters, there aren\u2019t many things he won\u2019t try. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Knepper offered this insight for the dealer looking to expand. \u201cHosted phones and security cameras are a couple of areas that have been home runs, and are parallel enough with what the reps already sell\u2014copiers and printers,\u201d he said. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t take a significantly built-out IT department to support them. I\u2019m really excited about it, and quite a few peers have done well with those products.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As we put the March State of the Industry theme of ancillary products and services to bed, we\u2019ll conclude with a few thoughts from our dealer panel as to what their dealerships may be looking to add in the not-too-distant future. There are a few variables common to what most dealers will weigh as they ponder growing the portfolio. Sourcing is a top concern; as temperature-scanning devices showed, dealers need to be assured that they can easily access product once they bring it under their flag. It\u2019s not only our industry, either. As anyone who has tried to perform home renovations or make significant purchases of certain items, the term \u201cback order\u201d is a familiar one. Then there\u2019s the quality concern. This is where having a peer group or reliable cadre of dealer friends will help in ensuring a provider\u2014particularly one that falls outside the realm of typical office equipment\u2014has left a trail of satisfied resellers in its wake. Knowing that dealer \u201cA\u201d has nothing but good things to say about a lesser-known security camera specialist will make it easier for you to pull the trigger on partnering with them. Certainly not the least of considerations is recurring revenue. Unless the initial sale is so lucrative that post-sale support becomes moot\u2026wait, what are we saying? The ability to deliver post-sale service and supplies is a no-brainer. If it\u2019s not part of the equation, you will need another highly compelling reason to onboard a new item. Certainly, such a product would need to be a gateway to furnishing other products and services to net-new accounts. With that in mind, let\u2019s see what our dealer amigos have to say on the subject. The next new product is a question most dealers ponder, and at Applied Imaging, the Grand Rapids, Michigan-based firm is performing due diligence on a number of areas that might translate into success with its client base. President John Lowery notes his company continues to proliferate telephony and managed IT with ancillary offerings that complement its current platform. \u201cWe continue to move upstream with products so, regardless of account size, we can provide a solution,\u201d Lowery said. \u201cWe created innovation teams last year and worked with some knowledgeable consultants to take our ideas to the next level. We continue to lead by being a forward-thinking company and anticipating what\u2019s to come years before it arrives. That, in addition to our culture, is what sets us apart from others.\u201d Growing Services Obviously, various segments of the managed services realm, particularly in IT, provide the path and opportunity to expand within that discipline without having to stray off into unchartered waters. That\u2019s the case with Centriworks. CFO\/CSO Mark DeNicola points out the dealership is working toward obtaining its CompTIA Security Trustmark certification and developing a business plan that entails a whole new suite of IT security services. Given the opportunities in IT, DeNicola doesn\u2019t anticipate the need to expand beyond those core competencies. \u201cWe have no plans to branch off into a nontraditional office product,\u201d he added. At LDI Color ToolBox in Jericho, New York, the future path has already been paved with investments in managed IT, communication and collaboration strategies that will fill the recurring revenue funnel for years to come. According to Vice President Brian Gertler, it\u2019s part of the blend in LDI\u2019s overall strategy. \u201cLDI\u2019s success has always been a careful and balanced mixture of reliability, accountability and future vision,\u201d Gertler said. Brad Knepper, president of Denver-based All Copy Products, notes the firm\u2014particularly, its Verticomm managed IT division\u2014continues to invest time and money in cybersecurity training and bolstering other aspects of its operation, such as attaining SOC 2 authorization. In the coming months, the dealer will be adding third-party services with an eye toward bringing them in-house. Knepper is bullish on security, and for a company that already offers coffee, water and postage meters, there aren\u2019t many things he won\u2019t try. Knepper offered this insight for the dealer looking to expand. \u201cHosted phones and security cameras are a couple of areas that have been home runs, and are parallel enough with what the reps already sell\u2014copiers and printers,\u201d he said. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t take a significantly built-out IT department to support them. I\u2019m really excited about it, and quite a few peers have done well with those products.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":166,"featured_media":44289,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[80,1650,82,1638],"tags":[715],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44288"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/166"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=44288"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44288\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":44290,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44288\/revisions\/44290"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/44289"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=44288"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=44288"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=44288"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}