{"id":53427,"date":"2023-01-12T11:58:34","date_gmt":"2023-01-12T19:58:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/?p=53427"},"modified":"2023-01-12T11:58:36","modified_gmt":"2023-01-12T19:58:36","slug":"the-more-you-know-converting-2022s-lessons-into-executable-plans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/the-week-in-imaging-twii\/editors-blog\/2023\/01\/the-more-you-know-converting-2022s-lessons-into-executable-plans\/","title":{"rendered":"The More You Know: Converting 2022\u2019s Lessons into Executable Plans"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

If there\u2019s one thing the past three years have taught us, it\u2019s that lessons aren\u2019t truly learned unless we implement the knowledge into our processes and the way we conduct business moving forward. Repeated mistakes are often costly and can be accompanied by unforgiving consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thus, we have found it productive each new year to take stock of what lessons we have gleaned from the previous 365 days. The most successful of you conduct this exercise on a more frequent basis, but for our purposes, we don\u2019t want to bug readers more than once a year for their input. As a supplement to our January State of the Industry report on trends and predictions, we\u2019ve polled dealers, OEMs, suppliers, leasing companies\u2014all manner of providers to the office technology ecosystem\u2014on the primary takeaways from 2022 that should be factored into 2023\u2019s business plans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Dean Swenson, The Swenson Group<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The practice of business planning has been exacerbated by supply chain issues. Dean Swenson, president of The Swenson Group in Livermore, California, believes the situation will be much improved during 2023, allowing for a degree of certainty in planning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNow, more than ever, dealers realize the importance of recurring revenue,\u201d he said. \u201cAs we build out our 2023 plan, we will focus on how we grow our managed network services business and other recurring revenue offerings.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Mike Marusic, Sharp<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

One of the points of differentiation among dealers is the desire to trek down the path of diversification. Mike Marusic, president and CEO of Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America, notes that those partners who broadened their offerings throughout 2022 performed \u201ca cut above\u201d the others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEnd users have adjusted so much of their work environment, and they expect their suppliers to adjust with them,\u201d Marusic noted. \u201cDealers need to continue to look at how they can best support their customers\u2019 business objectives.  Those who do so will continue to succeed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Supporting customers\u2019 information needs through products such as interactive displays and laptops underscores Sharp\u2019s commitment to that objective. \u201cAt the end of the day, getting deeper and wider with the customer protects dealers\u2019 core print business with them,\u201d Marusic added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Diversifying Opportunities<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Melissa Confalone, Fraser<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Sharing Marusic\u2019s views on diversification is Melissa Confalone, recently promoted to president of Fraser Advanced Information Systems of West Reading, Pennsylvania. She feels it\u2019s incumbent upon dealers to demonstrate the strategic agility to diversify their product portfolios and remain ahead of the competition in light of the lingering supply chain issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The challenges associated with sourcing talent need to be augmented with programs that will incentivize them to focus on targeted business growth opportunities, which in Fraser\u2019s case is impressions, monthly recurring revenue and net-new business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFinally, dealers must be willing to automate processes and use technology to streamline business operations,\u201d Confalone said. \u201cWith the price increases everyone is experiencing, along with inflation, the key to getting ahead is to get rising operational expenses in check.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

One area most experts can agree upon is that the challenges of the past three years have been uniquely volatile. Dan Larkin, solutions sales director for St. Cloud, Minnesota-based Marco, believes a focused and discipline MPS program is paramount as some of the challenges abate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBy now, dealers should have learned the importance of having a strong managed print services strategy in place to help them retain existing customers,\u201d he said. \u201cFor those that have not yet refined their offerings, they should include such initiatives in their 2023 business plan.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Bob Burnett, Brother<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

With the continued acceptance and proliferation of the everything-as-a-service (XaaS) business model, Brother International\u2019s Bob Burnett\u2014director, B2B solutions development and planning\u2014sees a fantastic opportunity for dealers to implement a subscription service plan for their customers. This will allow them to capture reliable, recurring revenue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDifferent models will evolve, so the goal should be to support the contractual business with tools that range from infrastructure needs to solutions,\u201d Burnett remarked. \u201cA flexible, focused, and innovative dealership that truly comprehends their customers’ atmosphere and is more than willing to go the extra mile for their accounts will be the key to success as we move into 2023.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Dan Cooper, Novatech<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

One of the takeaways noted by Dan Cooper, CEO of Nashville, Tennessee-based Novatech, is the need for dealers to carefully consider who their long-term partners will be for product and service fulfillment. In light of events during 2022 and market trends, the idea of maintaining the status quo may need to be revisited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re concerned about a strategic partner today, your woes are not likely to improve in the coming years based on the economic climate, and the continued shift of the hybrid work model,\u201d Cooper cautioned. \u201cDealers also need to be asking themselves, \u2018Do I have the correct business model in place to sell technology as a service?\u2019 This includes learning and development for employees and a strategic marketing roadmap.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cloud Factor<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Clark Bugg, Lexmark<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

One of the significant developments in 2022 was the dealer\u2019s reliance on cloud services to improve customer service and the user experience. Clark Bugg, director of North America channel sales for Lexmark, believes it\u2019s an area that dealers should capitalize on when assessing their 2023 plans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCloud services allow for remote access to powerful software that monitors usage patterns on each machine,\u201d he said. \u201cThis enables dealers to plan for future needs or make necessary adjustments in the workplace and makes it possible for technicians to perform remote repairs when necessary\u2014allowing them to save time and money.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Dino Pagliarello, Konica Minolta<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Dino Pagliarello, senior vice president, product management and planning for Konica Minolta, believes dealer business plans should be centered on the people and skills they require to be reliable partners. Verticalization, a viable ecommerce strategy and delivering information customers require through an intuitive platform are also must-haves for the 2023 plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEvery business needs to think about crisis management,\u201d Pagliarello added. \u201cWhat is your backup plan to stay viable when the next challenge or disaster comes? It\u2019s crucial to consider what you need to have ready, such as communications, training and offerings.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If there\u2019s one thing the past three years have taught us, it\u2019s that lessons aren\u2019t truly learned unless we implement the knowledge into our processes and the way we conduct business moving forward. Repeated mistakes are often costly and can be accompanied by unforgiving consequences. Thus, we have found it productive each new year to take stock of what lessons we have gleaned from the previous 365 days. The most successful of you conduct this exercise on a more frequent basis, but for our purposes, we don\u2019t want to bug readers more than once a year for their input. As a supplement to our January State of the Industry report on trends and predictions, we\u2019ve polled dealers, OEMs, suppliers, leasing companies\u2014all manner of providers to the office technology ecosystem\u2014on the primary takeaways from 2022 that should be factored into 2023\u2019s business plans. The practice of business planning has been exacerbated by supply chain issues. Dean Swenson, president of The Swenson Group in Livermore, California, believes the situation will be much improved during 2023, allowing for a degree of certainty in planning. \u201cNow, more than ever, dealers realize the importance of recurring revenue,\u201d he said. \u201cAs we build out our 2023 plan, we will focus on how we grow our managed network services business and other recurring revenue offerings.\u201d One of the points of differentiation among dealers is the desire to trek down the path of diversification. Mike Marusic, president and CEO of Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America, notes that those partners who broadened their offerings throughout 2022 performed \u201ca cut above\u201d the others. \u201cEnd users have adjusted so much of their work environment, and they expect their suppliers to adjust with them,\u201d Marusic noted. \u201cDealers need to continue to look at how they can best support their customers\u2019 business objectives.  Those who do so will continue to succeed.\u201d Supporting customers\u2019 information needs through products such as interactive displays and laptops underscores Sharp\u2019s commitment to that objective. \u201cAt the end of the day, getting deeper and wider with the customer protects dealers\u2019 core print business with them,\u201d Marusic added. Diversifying Opportunities Sharing Marusic\u2019s views on diversification is Melissa Confalone, recently promoted to president of Fraser Advanced Information Systems of West Reading, Pennsylvania. She feels it\u2019s incumbent upon dealers to demonstrate the strategic agility to diversify their product portfolios and remain ahead of the competition in light of the lingering supply chain issues. The challenges associated with sourcing talent need to be augmented with programs that will incentivize them to focus on targeted business growth opportunities, which in Fraser\u2019s case is impressions, monthly recurring revenue and net-new business. \u201cFinally, dealers must be willing to automate processes and use technology to streamline business operations,\u201d Confalone said. \u201cWith the price increases everyone is experiencing, along with inflation, the key to getting ahead is to get rising operational expenses in check.\u201d One area most experts can agree upon is that the challenges of the past three years have been uniquely volatile. Dan Larkin, solutions sales director for St. Cloud, Minnesota-based Marco, believes a focused and discipline MPS program is paramount as some of the challenges abate. \u201cBy now, dealers should have learned the importance of having a strong managed print services strategy in place to help them retain existing customers,\u201d he said. \u201cFor those that have not yet refined their offerings, they should include such initiatives in their 2023 business plan.\u201d With the continued acceptance and proliferation of the everything-as-a-service (XaaS) business model, Brother International\u2019s Bob Burnett\u2014director, B2B solutions development and planning\u2014sees a fantastic opportunity for dealers to implement a subscription service plan for their customers. This will allow them to capture reliable, recurring revenue. \u201cDifferent models will evolve, so the goal should be to support the contractual business with tools that range from infrastructure needs to solutions,\u201d Burnett remarked. \u201cA flexible, focused, and innovative dealership that truly comprehends their customers’ atmosphere and is more than willing to go the extra mile for their accounts will be the key to success as we move into 2023.\u201d One of the takeaways noted by Dan Cooper, CEO of Nashville, Tennessee-based Novatech, is the need for dealers to carefully consider who their long-term partners will be for product and service fulfillment. In light of events during 2022 and market trends, the idea of maintaining the status quo may need to be revisited. \u201cIf you\u2019re concerned about a strategic partner today, your woes are not likely to improve in the coming years based on the economic climate, and the continued shift of the hybrid work model,\u201d Cooper cautioned. \u201cDealers also need to be asking themselves, \u2018Do I have the correct business model in place to sell technology as a service?\u2019 This includes learning and development for employees and a strategic marketing roadmap.\u201d Cloud Factor One of the significant developments in 2022 was the dealer\u2019s reliance on cloud services to improve customer service and the user experience. Clark Bugg, director of North America channel sales for Lexmark, believes it\u2019s an area that dealers should capitalize on when assessing their 2023 plans. \u201cCloud services allow for remote access to powerful software that monitors usage patterns on each machine,\u201d he said. \u201cThis enables dealers to plan for future needs or make necessary adjustments in the workplace and makes it possible for technicians to perform remote repairs when necessary\u2014allowing them to save time and money.\u201d Dino Pagliarello, senior vice president, product management and planning for Konica Minolta, believes dealer business plans should be centered on the people and skills they require to be reliable partners. Verticalization, a viable ecommerce strategy and delivering information customers require through an intuitive platform are also must-haves for the 2023 plan. \u201cEvery business needs to think about crisis management,\u201d Pagliarello added. \u201cWhat is your backup plan to stay viable when the next challenge or disaster comes? It\u2019s crucial to consider what you need to have ready, such as communications, training and offerings.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":166,"featured_media":53429,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[80,1650,82,1638],"tags":[2738,224,545],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53427"}],"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=53427"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53427\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":53432,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53427\/revisions\/53432"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/53429"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=53427"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=53427"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=53427"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}