{"id":45098,"date":"2021-05-25T00:08:06","date_gmt":"2021-05-25T07:08:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/?p=45098"},"modified":"2021-05-26T23:51:34","modified_gmt":"2021-05-27T06:51:34","slug":"rebirth-of-a-dealer-cultural-change-at-heart-of-fishers-technology-transformation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/dealer-spotlight\/2021\/05\/rebirth-of-a-dealer-cultural-change-at-heart-of-fishers-technology-transformation\/","title":{"rendered":"Rebirth of a Dealer: Cultural Change at Heart of Fisher\u2019s Technology Transformation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The date was Jan. 9, 2006. Chris Taylor, the newly minted president and CEO of Fisher\u2019s Technology, donned an apron bearing the company\u2019s old logo and stood before his crew of 40 employees.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Chris Taylor, Fisher’s Technology<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

These were the same people that the outgoing boss described as \u201c40 headaches.\u201d The former leader also offered Taylor this pithy observation, \u201cThis would be a great company if it weren\u2019t for the damn customers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taylor was \u201ca punk 32-year-old kid with no experience.\u201d No, that wasn\u2019t an assessment from anyone other than the man himself. Well, maybe an employee or two secretly harbored that notion. But in the minds of anyone with extensive knowledge about the Boise, Idaho-based dealership, this was a broken company that, theoretically, couldn\u2019t get worse under Taylor\u2019s guidance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Establishing a strong corporate culture centered on creating extremely happy employees and customers has been the driver behind the major transformation at Fisher’s Technology<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

While it was true that Taylor was an office technology and leadership neophyte, a \u201cdry sponge,\u201d he was also an extremely intelligent individual who graduated summa cum laude from the University of Idaho with a degree in chemical engineering, and would later garner an MBA from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Sloan School of Management. If ever there was an unproven quality prepared to be thrown into dysfunction and disarray, it was Taylor. And since his father-in-law, the owner of Fisher\u2019s Technology, recognized the need for an overhaul but didn\u2019t relish undertaking himself, Taylor was eager to take a crack at the challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It stands to reason that a pep rally wouldn\u2019t work for a winless team. Taylor recognized that instead, this team needed two things: a common direction to run in and a leader who would listen. So, as he stood before his new charges, Taylor opted for the direct approach. He told them, \u201cI don\u2019t know what I\u2019m doing. I\u2019m here to work for you. You know what we need to do in this business, you know what investments we need to make and the process that we need to take. You tell me what to do and I\u2019ll do it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Willing to listen and act was one need fulfilled. The other was a common direction. Taylor didn\u2019t plan on it, but a gut feel turned into a theme he made up on the spot: create extremely happy customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEvery investment we make, every person we hire and every process that we change is around that one mission,\u201d Taylor said. \u201cWe didn\u2019t know what we were doing, but we got lucky. We finally got everybody rowing in the same direction. The organization was so ready for a cultural change, and I was cut some slack because that change was needed so badly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Citing the work of business author Jim Collins and his New York Times bestseller, \u201cGood to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don\u2019t,\u201d Taylor followed the bus analogy to business transformation\u2014get the right people on the bus (in this case, Fisher\u2019s Technology), the wrong people off the bus and the right people in the proper seats. That first year under Taylor\u2019s guidance saw the heaviest turnover during his 15-year odyssey, but it was a necessary pain in order to deliver on the mission of creating extremely happy employees and customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe invested in how we hire, and we hired for culture. It was a matter of working on teaming, healthy conflict and healthy work environments. And we were having a blast in the process. Now, our people love what they do and love taking care of our customers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fresh Perspective<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps one of the keys to Taylor\u2019s success is that, as a chief executive with no previous experience at the helm of a business, he wasn\u2019t beholden to any preconceived notions as to how an office dealer business should be run. In fact, Taylor still prides himself on maintaining a \u201cbeginner\u2019s mind\u201d and remaining curious about better and more efficient\/effective ways of doing things. In asking so-called dumb questions, Taylor could maintain a fresh perspective and innovate as opposed to falling into the trappings offered by some traditional methods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe were lucky we weren\u2019t from the industry, because we could ask all of those dumb questions and not have the blinders on [dictating] this is how we do it,\u201d Taylor noted. \u201cThat was a huge advantage to ask dumb questions and be able to innovate on our company, culture and how we approach the market. The challenge now is keeping that beginner\u2019s mind, because we\u2019ve been at it for 15 years. We keep asking \u2018Is there a better way?\u2019 Our leadership is completely obsessed with reinforcing culture and innovating on the customer experience.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
The Spokane\/northern Idaho team enjoy a bowling night<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s little disputing Taylor\u2019s results. The company has grown from that single location with 40 oft-indifferent employees to 11 locations in three states (Idaho, Montana and Washington) and more than 150 team members who are fully invested in the \u201cextremely happy\u201d movement, which has yielded 6X growth. Fisher\u2019s Technology\u2019s sales are well north of $30 million annually\u2014fueled by the Canon, Konica Minolta, Ricoh and HP product lines\u2014through managed print services, managed IT services, production print, document management software solutions, security cameras and hosted phones, among other offerings. The dealer does business in 43 states.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Team members kick back and celebrate the newly-renovated break room at the company’s Boise, Idaho, headquarters<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

That beginner\u2019s\/curiosity mindset also serves Taylor well as president of the Copier Dealers Association, a peer group which comprises 60 office dealerships totaling $2 billion-plus in revenue across the country. Wanting to emphasize the growing importance of managed services (particularly IT) among the dealer community, he spun out a subgroup called the Managed Technology Association, which was slated to have its second meeting last month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tested Fortitude<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s safe to say that the launch of Fisher\u2019s Technology 2.0 back in 2006 provided the dealership with the hard shell necessary to handle the 2007\u20132009 Great Recession and, of course, the current pandemic. On the latter front, Taylor and his team began laying the groundwork in the February\u2013March 2020 time frame to counter a substantial hit to revenue by implementing a deep spending reduction program that included furloughs and pay cuts. While spending was greatly curtailed, communication reached an all-time high. Engaging employees and increasing transparency proved to be critical in plowing through the pandemic with as little pain as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe were doing all the basics to make sure we could generate cash and leverage that dry powder for whatever was in front of us,\u201d Taylor said. \u201cEven more important than having and executing that plan was communicating it to the company through ongoing videos and data modeling, showing cash generation and usage. What I found fascinating was we asked people to take pay cuts and furloughs, and reduced spending, but company morale went up. People were happy to know we had a plan, leadership was executing on it and they were part of the communication process.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the effective tools used by Taylor is Fishing Hole Fridays, a weekly Zoom meeting that doesn\u2019t have an agenda. Employees can log on and chat, ask questions and provide suggestions. The open-forum style ensures employees can ask tough questions and get deeper into the weeds of a given subject in a relaxed setting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Fisher’s Bozeman team members tailgate in advance of a Montana State University football game<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

If the first quarter of 2021 is any indication, the worst of times are in Fisher\u2019s rearview mirror. Taylor estimates the company is realizing 90% of traditional copier service volumes, largely due to business normalization in its Idaho and Montana markets. Washington state, among the earliest and deepest impacted, is still in the recovery process, which means the company\u2019s Spokane market is somewhat lagging. Taylor is among those who believe traditional print volumes, at least in his markets, will soon be quite close to pre-pandemic levels. Whatever shortfall gap remains will be more than addressed through the dealer\u2019s growth in managed services\u2014print and IT\u2014and cloud-based phone solutions. It was that uptick in managed services that sustained the company during the Great Recession.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Markets Returning<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the verticals standpoint, architecture, engineering and construction are incredibly robust, driven by large-city exodus. Hospitality continues to be challenged; as we\u2019ve seen, hotels have been among the deepest impacted. And while education would also fall into that category, many of the dealer\u2019s clients have returned to the classrooms and print volumes are exploding, according to Taylor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One thing COVID did was prompt the dealer to pause its growth initiative. A majority of the 10 non-headquarter branches were launched or acquired in the three years leading up to 2020. Four of the branches were startups, the balance were added via acquisitions. The pandemic allowed Fisher\u2019s Technology to take a much-needed M&A break, as the integration, onboarding of new employees and cultural merging take time to implement properly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still, don\u2019t expect Taylor to sit by the sidelines for a prolonged period. \u201cOur appetite for growth is now coming back pretty quickly,\u201d he said. \u201cWe definitely want to continue that geographic growth.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the true differentiators for Fisher\u2019s Technology and a catalyst for growth is the company\u2019s Boise Technology Show. The one-day event debuted in 2010 as a vehicle to bring potential clients to the company\u2019s technology headquarters and meet the dealer\u2019s team. The idea was to provide value-added content beyond the garden variety lunch-and-learn sessions. But as the show grew, Taylor and his marketing team wanted to widen its scope and speak to a variety of end-user personas beyond the tech-savvy folks. The idea was to cultivate content that could be grasped and appreciated by CFOs, controllers, entrepreneurs and business owners, along with marketing, human resources and admins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a peer group junkie in his own right (Taylor is a member of two YPO chapters and a Vistage CEO group), he wanted the show to provide a well-rounded experience that could meet the needs of an entire organization. The gatherings are peppered with regionally renowned keynoter speakers, music and fun, with a content balance of technology and leadership. Various topics covered include IT security, cloud transformation, multi-generational workforces, women-led business startups, A.I. and managing health care information. A number of Fisher\u2019s partners have hosted booths or sponsored content, including Konica Minolta, Canon, Microsoft, Laserfiche, PaperCut and Kofax, among other regional and national providers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The last show was held in 2019 at the Boise Centre East and attracted 400 guests, with an admission fee of about $50. The show requires an abundance of planning and preparation in conjunction with local colleges and universities (including Boise State), chambers of commerce, technical councils and other organizations that help devise the educational platform. Taylor jokes that the dealer has become a quasi-event-planning organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Proving that “business stinks” can be a good thing, Fisher’s Technology celebrates the eight-year “Fisher-versary” of doing business with Stinker Stores, a convenience store\/truck stop chain in Idaho<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf we just did nerd presentations, we wouldn\u2019t attract those other personas, so we added lots of content around leadership, multi-generational management and economics,\u201d he said. \u201cProbably half the content was technology, but rest of it is appealing to those other personas. That made the show different from anything else in our markets. We wanted it to be value-added content and not sales pitches. We wanted to make it an overall experience.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For now, the focus is on holding smaller events (lunch and learns, happy hours) at the various branches, but Taylor is hoping to reinstate the full show for 2022. Since Spokane was slated to host the event in 2020, that will be the likely candidate to host. The Boise Technology Show has strong brand recognition, but Taylor feels it will take some time to build the brand in Spokane.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brighter Prospects<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Optimism abounds for the dealer\u2019s future. Taylor is fiercely proud of the way his employees rallied in the face of the pandemic, maintaining morale while providing the optimal customer experience he envisioned and hoped to achieve that winter day in early 2006, when he asked the team to come together. He brought everyone back last August and restored full compensation; in hindsight, it was premature, but Taylor wanted to communicate the notion that he was just as \u201call in\u201d as the team members. While work levels were still lagging, Fisher\u2019s Technology used that extra time to work on areas that time ordinarily wouldn\u2019t allow, such as IT development and documenting processes. More importantly, the company grew closer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Shown from left, Kenny Rencher (lead program manager), Michael Rudolph (director of programs) and Jeromy Esplin (program manager) showcase the IT prowess at Fisher’s Technology<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As the post-COVID business acceleration garners more momentum, Taylor is eyeing 20% organic growth, which is ambitious considering the company generally reaps 11% to 17%. M&A opportunities in which culture and business model align will complement those growth endeavors. Security and cybersecurity will be cornerstones for all of its offerings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the cultural movement, more so than any other aspect of the business, is the true underpinning of success at Fisher\u2019s Technology. That the company has won 13 consecutive Best Places to Work in Idaho, an award sponsored by the Idaho Business Review and voted on by employees, is a testament to the rebirth of this business. And while Fisher\u2019s Technology was founded in 1936, it was truly reborn in January of 2006.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Members of the Great Falls team, one of 11 Fisher’s Technology locations in Idaho, Montana and Washington<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor me, 2020 is all about how our team responded to adversity, fear, uncertainty and doubt,\u201d Taylor concluded. \u201cThey rallied around each other, even though we had to do it through Zoom and Teams. Oddly, we grew even closer. There\u2019s no doubt in my mind that maintaining and improving our morale was the No. 1 accomplishment. We\u2019ve come a long way, and I couldn\u2019t be more proud of our team.\u201d <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The date was Jan. 9, 2006. Chris Taylor, the newly minted president and CEO of Fisher\u2019s Technology, donned an apron bearing the company\u2019s old logo and stood before his crew of 40 employees. These were the same people that the outgoing boss described as \u201c40 headaches.\u201d The former leader also offered Taylor this pithy observation, \u201cThis would be a great company if it weren\u2019t for the damn customers.\u201d Taylor was \u201ca punk 32-year-old kid with no experience.\u201d No, that wasn\u2019t an assessment from anyone other than the man himself. Well, maybe an employee or two secretly harbored that notion. But in the minds of anyone with extensive knowledge about the Boise, Idaho-based dealership, this was a broken company that, theoretically, couldn\u2019t get worse under Taylor\u2019s guidance. While it was true that Taylor was an office technology and leadership neophyte, a \u201cdry sponge,\u201d he was also an extremely intelligent individual who graduated summa cum laude from the University of Idaho with a degree in chemical engineering, and would later garner an MBA from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Sloan School of Management. If ever there was an unproven quality prepared to be thrown into dysfunction and disarray, it was Taylor. And since his father-in-law, the owner of Fisher\u2019s Technology, recognized the need for an overhaul but didn\u2019t relish undertaking himself, Taylor was eager to take a crack at the challenge. It stands to reason that a pep rally wouldn\u2019t work for a winless team. Taylor recognized that instead, this team needed two things: a common direction to run in and a leader who would listen. So, as he stood before his new charges, Taylor opted for the direct approach. He told them, \u201cI don\u2019t know what I\u2019m doing. I\u2019m here to work for you. You know what we need to do in this business, you know what investments we need to make and the process that we need to take. You tell me what to do and I\u2019ll do it.\u201d Willing to listen and act was one need fulfilled. The other was a common direction. Taylor didn\u2019t plan on it, but a gut feel turned into a theme he made up on the spot: create extremely happy customers. \u201cEvery investment we make, every person we hire and every process that we change is around that one mission,\u201d Taylor said. \u201cWe didn\u2019t know what we were doing, but we got lucky. We finally got everybody rowing in the same direction. The organization was so ready for a cultural change, and I was cut some slack because that change was needed so badly.\u201d Citing the work of business author Jim Collins and his New York Times bestseller, \u201cGood to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don\u2019t,\u201d Taylor followed the bus analogy to business transformation\u2014get the right people on the bus (in this case, Fisher\u2019s Technology), the wrong people off the bus and the right people in the proper seats. That first year under Taylor\u2019s guidance saw the heaviest turnover during his 15-year odyssey, but it was a necessary pain in order to deliver on the mission of creating extremely happy employees and customers. \u201cWe invested in how we hire, and we hired for culture. It was a matter of working on teaming, healthy conflict and healthy work environments. And we were having a blast in the process. Now, our people love what they do and love taking care of our customers.\u201d Fresh Perspective Perhaps one of the keys to Taylor\u2019s success is that, as a chief executive with no previous experience at the helm of a business, he wasn\u2019t beholden to any preconceived notions as to how an office dealer business should be run. In fact, Taylor still prides himself on maintaining a \u201cbeginner\u2019s mind\u201d and remaining curious about better and more efficient\/effective ways of doing things. In asking so-called dumb questions, Taylor could maintain a fresh perspective and innovate as opposed to falling into the trappings offered by some traditional methods. \u201cWe were lucky we weren\u2019t from the industry, because we could ask all of those dumb questions and not have the blinders on [dictating] this is how we do it,\u201d Taylor noted. \u201cThat was a huge advantage to ask dumb questions and be able to innovate on our company, culture and how we approach the market. The challenge now is keeping that beginner\u2019s mind, because we\u2019ve been at it for 15 years. We keep asking \u2018Is there a better way?\u2019 Our leadership is completely obsessed with reinforcing culture and innovating on the customer experience.\u201d There\u2019s little disputing Taylor\u2019s results. The company has grown from that single location with 40 oft-indifferent employees to 11 locations in three states (Idaho, Montana and Washington) and more than 150 team members who are fully invested in the \u201cextremely happy\u201d movement, which has yielded 6X growth. Fisher\u2019s Technology\u2019s sales are well north of $30 million annually\u2014fueled by the Canon, Konica Minolta, Ricoh and HP product lines\u2014through managed print services, managed IT services, production print, document management software solutions, security cameras and hosted phones, among other offerings. The dealer does business in 43 states. That beginner\u2019s\/curiosity mindset also serves Taylor well as president of the Copier Dealers Association, a peer group which comprises 60 office dealerships totaling $2 billion-plus in revenue across the country. Wanting to emphasize the growing importance of managed services (particularly IT) among the dealer community, he spun out a subgroup called the Managed Technology Association, which was slated to have its second meeting last month. Tested Fortitude It\u2019s safe to say that the launch of Fisher\u2019s Technology 2.0 back in 2006 provided the dealership with the hard shell necessary to handle the 2007\u20132009 Great Recession and, of course, the current pandemic. On the latter front, Taylor and his team began laying the groundwork in the February\u2013March 2020 time frame to counter a substantial hit to revenue by implementing a deep spending reduction program that included furloughs and pay cuts. While spending was greatly curtailed, communication reached an all-time high. 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