{"id":69802,"date":"2026-06-12T07:11:56","date_gmt":"2026-06-12T14:11:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/?p=69802"},"modified":"2026-06-15T09:08:41","modified_gmt":"2026-06-15T16:08:41","slug":"mfps-under-attack-dealers-discuss-biggest-threats-to-a3-a4-business","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/feature-articles\/2026\/06\/mfps-under-attack-dealers-discuss-biggest-threats-to-a3-a4-business\/","title":{"rendered":"MFPs Under Attack: Dealers Discuss Biggest Threats to A3\/A4 Business"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

When it comes to enjoying success in the MFP realm, dealers have the potential to be their own worst enemy. The highest-performing resellers rely on different value propositions beyond speeds and feeds, and price is certainly not one of them. With the bevy of non-channel purveyors seeking to undercut dealers, sometimes it\u2019s necessary for dealers to recognize that certain customers are not a good fit for them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stressing a greater value, one in which the box is but one element, will always win the day. In this week\u2019s State of the Industry report on A3\/A4, we turned to our esteemed dealer panel for their thoughts on the greatest challenges confronting box sales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
J.D. Sullivan, Image Matters<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The generational disconnect pitting print against digital is a real issue moving into the future, in the estimation of J.D. Sullivan, president of Image Matters in Knoxville, Tennessee. Print is not as ingrained in the thought process with Gen Z youngsters, who have known digital throughout life, particularly in the education process. Millennials also skew toward digital, only not as prominently, and with the Gen X workforce approaching retirement age, the erosion of print will continue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AI is a wild card that poses more of a threat on the MNS side. \u201cYou can’t change a drum with AI, you can’t put toner in with it and you can’t walk a customer through a problem the way we’ve always done,\u201d Sullivan said. \u201cAnd while that may sound antiquated, there’s still so much market opportunity for us out here that we simply overlook, especially on the A4 side.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
John Hastings, Loffler Companies<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The single-biggest threat doesn\u2019t involve the competition, notes John Hastings, executive vice president, sales and service, for Loffler Companies in St. Louis Park, Minnesota. The greater challenges consist of commoditization in tandem with client apathy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hastings believes OEM-direct and online procurement models are a secondary threat, in additional to internal IT teams absorbing print decisions without lifecycle expertise. They also have to deal with short-tern pricing plays by low-service competitors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The scourge of commoditization remains front and center. \u201cWhen print is viewed as interchangeable, price-driven or \u2018good enough,\u2019 differentiation erodes,\u201d he said. \u201cOur defense is sustained value delivery, not transaction-based selling.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Melissa Confalone, president of Fraser Advanced Information Systems in West Reading, Pennsylvania, notes that direct sales channels, IT providers and online purchasing all drive price transparency, thus device margins continue to shrink. Playing the pricing game is not a successful MO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe reality is, if you\u2019re leading with price, you\u2019ve already lost,\u201d she stressed. \u201cThe dealers who stand out are the ones shifting the focus to value, helping clients address workflow inefficiencies, strengthen security and reduce total cost of ownership in ways that go far beyond the device itself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Joe Blatchford, Image 2000<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Some of the stiffest challenges on the A4 side are being offered by online retailers and large, consumer-focused outlets, notes Joe Blatchford, CEO of Image 2000 in Valencia, California. He points out these channels can sell devices at aggressive price points, often without the need for professional installation or ongoing service. As such, competing purely on price is a losing proposition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the A3 side, competing against the big boys can be daunting. \u201cThe competitive pressure tends to come from large megadealers with significant buying power,\u201d Blatchford said. \u201cTheir ability to compete aggressively on pricing alone has created challenges for smaller and mid-sized dealers that don\u2019t have access to the same cost structures.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Matthew Salzano, Network Digital Office Systems<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Matthew Salzano, vice president of Network Digital Office Systems in Fairfield, New Jersey, is aligned with his colleagues in identifying commoditization as public enemy number-one. The biggest problem, in his estimation, is the dealer that focuses on selling hardware in isolation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe ones that consistently win are those positioning A3 and A4 as part of a broader business solution, one that addresses security, efficiency and long-term cost control,\u201d he said. \u201cThat shift in conversation is what protects margin and builds stronger client relationships.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When it comes to enjoying success in the MFP realm, dealers have the potential to be their own worst enemy. The highest-performing resellers rely on different value propositions beyond speeds and feeds, and price is certainly not one of them. With the bevy of non-channel purveyors seeking to undercut dealers, sometimes it\u2019s necessary for dealers to recognize that certain customers are not a good fit for them. Stressing a greater value, one in which the box is but one element, will always win the day. In this week\u2019s State of the Industry report on A3\/A4, we turned to our esteemed dealer panel for their thoughts on the greatest challenges confronting box sales. The generational disconnect pitting print against digital is a real issue moving into the future, in the estimation of J.D. Sullivan, president of Image Matters in Knoxville, Tennessee. Print is not as ingrained in the thought process with Gen Z youngsters, who have known digital throughout life, particularly in the education process. Millennials also skew toward digital, only not as prominently, and with the Gen X workforce approaching retirement age, the erosion of print will continue. AI is a wild card that poses more of a threat on the MNS side. \u201cYou can’t change a drum with AI, you can’t put toner in with it and you can’t walk a customer through a problem the way we’ve always done,\u201d Sullivan said. \u201cAnd while that may sound antiquated, there’s still so much market opportunity for us out here that we simply overlook, especially on the A4 side.\u201d The single-biggest threat doesn\u2019t involve the competition, notes John Hastings, executive vice president, sales and service, for Loffler Companies in St. Louis Park, Minnesota. The greater challenges consist of commoditization in tandem with client apathy. Hastings believes OEM-direct and online procurement models are a secondary threat, in additional to internal IT teams absorbing print decisions without lifecycle expertise. They also have to deal with short-tern pricing plays by low-service competitors. The scourge of commoditization remains front and center. \u201cWhen print is viewed as interchangeable, price-driven or \u2018good enough,\u2019 differentiation erodes,\u201d he said. \u201cOur defense is sustained value delivery, not transaction-based selling.\u201d Melissa Confalone, president of Fraser Advanced Information Systems in West Reading, Pennsylvania, notes that direct sales channels, IT providers and online purchasing all drive price transparency, thus device margins continue to shrink. Playing the pricing game is not a successful MO. \u201cThe reality is, if you\u2019re leading with price, you\u2019ve already lost,\u201d she stressed. \u201cThe dealers who stand out are the ones shifting the focus to value, helping clients address workflow inefficiencies, strengthen security and reduce total cost of ownership in ways that go far beyond the device itself.\u201d Some of the stiffest challenges on the A4 side are being offered by online retailers and large, consumer-focused outlets, notes Joe Blatchford, CEO of Image 2000 in Valencia, California. He points out these channels can sell devices at aggressive price points, often without the need for professional installation or ongoing service. As such, competing purely on price is a losing proposition. On the A3 side, competing against the big boys can be daunting. \u201cThe competitive pressure tends to come from large megadealers with significant buying power,\u201d Blatchford said. \u201cTheir ability to compete aggressively on pricing alone has created challenges for smaller and mid-sized dealers that don\u2019t have access to the same cost structures.\u201d Matthew Salzano, vice president of Network Digital Office Systems in Fairfield, New Jersey, is aligned with his colleagues in identifying commoditization as public enemy number-one. The biggest problem, in his estimation, is the dealer that focuses on selling hardware in isolation. \u201cThe ones that consistently win are those positioning A3 and A4 as part of a broader business solution, one that addresses security, efficiency and long-term cost control,\u201d he said. \u201cThat shift in conversation is what protects margin and builds stronger client relationships.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":166,"featured_media":69803,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1650,82,87,1638],"tags":[2738,3926,919,560,4407],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69802"}],"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=69802"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69802\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":69807,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69802\/revisions\/69807"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/69803"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=69802"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=69802"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=69802"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}