As part of the Channel Managed Print Services team, I am fortunate enough to work with channel partners from across the globe. Talking to those channel partners has inspired me to write about the art of selling managed print services.
In this article, I’m going to cover something that crops up time and again in my discussions, the hidden costs of a client managing their own printer supplies process – and why it is vital that channel partners uncover those hidden costs on every sales call.
Typical client supplies process
First, consider what happens when a printer needs supplies. For the sake of brevity, I will start at the point when the helpdesk (or designated person in the client’s business) receives the call from a hopefully, not too frustrated user.
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- Take and log call from user – hopefully it’s not too late and the printer still has some supplies
- Check stock room or cabinet to see if we have any spare toner on other floors or buildings
- Look up the last order – who did we order from last time?
- Research prices and check if you have the best deal – Google/search toner numbers
- Validate address, contact & asset information with user – has the machine moved?
- Prepare order and seek approval – hopefully approvers provide quick response
- Purchasing department processes the order – rush shipping charges may apply if the users failed to notify you until the last minute
- Contact vendor to check on shipment if toner doesn’t arrive in a couple of days
- Ensure it has been delivered, who signed for it, or has someone else innocently used in their area
- Restock the supply cabinets and balance inventory between locations
- Deal with the invoice
- Deal with any quality issues/returns
Clearly, this process takes up time and resource and therefore has a cost. Now, to be honest it is not easy to quantify as each client, and his or her processes will vary. However, there is a cost, so where do you start?
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