Hold on a minute! If everything else has changed so dramatically in the 8 years since 2006, how about your MPS program? Think your MPS offering could use some modernizing? Here is sign #1 that your MPS practice is stuck in 2006:
[Tweet “5 Signs Your MPS Program is Stuck in 2006”]
Sign # 1 – Device Centric MPS: You think MPS is about improving device utilization levels and cost reduction through “Consolidation.”
Customers have had 8 years to learn that consolidation efforts don’t always deliver as expected. Don’t get me wrong, it is often the perfect solution provided it fits within the customer’s needs.
Any consolidation effort requires a leap of faith on the part of the customer that they will see ROI within a given time frame, usually 18 to 24 months. And customers don’t always require a lease either: Financing equipment costs money. Have you recently had a customer ask you for your financing rates? Financing can be a great option but it doesn’t save anybody any money.
Many consolidation efforts don’t involve any management after the sale. Sometimes consolidation efforts, even if done for the right reasons fall flat because the customer actually keeps their old gear and continue to use it even after we’ve told them to get rid of excess equipment! Print volumes remain the same, the new equipment is highly under-utilized, and user satisfaction is strained because they have a host of new devices to get used to.
In the modern world of MPS, consolidation can play a valuable part in helping to satisfy customer needs and win more business but it isn’t the whole story. Read on to discover other elements that could raise your game and help you win more MPS contracts than ever before.
Stay tuned next week for sign #2 that your MPS business is stuck in 2006: Aversion to Rules-based Print Savings.
Impatient? Click here to download the free e-Book that contains all 5 signs your MPS business is stuck in 2006!
About the author: West McDonald is the VP of Business Development for Print Audit (www.printaudit.com) and the owner of FocusMPS (www.focusmps.com). You can see other posts by West at The Print Management Insider’s Blog by Print Audit.