Managed Print Services and World Domination

It has been a long time since I have had any desire or perhaps any reason to write about MPS. I have felt that talking about the subject is beyond the dead horse.

I have always believed there are those who do it right and those who do it wrong.

That it is essentially simple.

For months now I have not chimed in about this industry or the players within it and for the most part, I had no intentions of doing so.

In light of reflecting on the past year, this has changed.

I can not ignore the fact that chaos is breaking out across political, military and social dynamics in many of the worlds super powers and smaller countries alike. Terrorist attacks and the horrors of gun related tragedy are commonly found in the headlines of both mainstream and alternative news networks daily content.

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The world is burning...

So what does this all have to do with managed print services?

Control and dominance.

As MPS evolves, the enterprise level players push BPO, print volume caps, excessive monitoring and auditing and various other dynamics on end users so that the share holders and CEOs of massive corporations can squeeze every last cent out of a previously ignored element of these companies expenditures.

While this is not always the case, nor is it always done with an iron fist, I can not help but to notice how some of these tactics have a very "police state" feel to them.

Treating end-users like commodities that can be regulated like products tends to create a tense work environment...

I for one have quoted a few software's that allow end users weekly printing volumes to be capped or limited to monochrome only. When I quote such a product I ask the decision maker how comfortable they will be as the point of contact to the angered and frustrated end users who's jobs have been complicated by their actions.

This always tends to prevent a purchase of said software because all the clients who asked for the quote quickly back pedal after this question is asked.

Buy Recycled Toner Cartridges 

As an MPS provider who's foundation are built upon high quality re-manufactured toner cartridges, my company's CPC rates are enough to save large accounts thousands of dollars.

The aformentioned surveillance state like elements that create a dictator out of a CEO or VP of IT tend to strike the heart of my clients and so far, none have gone so far as to place these restrictions on their end users but I wonder about the enterprise accounts of some of the OEMs...

It is clear that large corporations are largely in control of various elements of the united states government and that money above all else (including people) is the driving force for these problems.

It is the same force that leads the hand of men and women in powerful positions of corporations who would become the gestapo of the printing environment in their company.

Now don't get me wrong, I understand that end users occasional printing of full color photos of their kids birthday to post in their cubicle, coupons, emails, etc. is something that should be brought under some control...

That being said, I personally think a company wide proclamation from the president via email (or other form of communication) to the employee base as a whole (the content of which puts emphasis on environmental sustainability and financial effect) would be more effective and less likely to cause strife.

Some may think these ideas are extreme and that it is nonsense to assume this is happening on any level of concern what so ever. This is not what I have found...

What I have learned from watching humanity from my perspective as a human being is that once a tendency for a dynamic is enacted in one part of a system, you can expect the same dynamic to appear else-ware. Now, should the motivation of that dynamic be the all mighty dollar, you will most certainly find that dynamic spreading across the system as a whole should the decision maker in charge of said system be primarily concerned with profit over all else.

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The managed print industry has been a catalyst for many things. I am under the opinion that it can be used as a lens to view the world...

From where I sit I will say this, If the elite of both the world and the MPS industry take control of the majority of either...

Endgame...

This is why I would implore customers more than ever to do business with small providers as much as possible. Choose the local companies who care more about people than pennies. Support small business even if it must be multiple small businesses to cover your fleet across states or countries. Even if it means some logistical challenges.

At the end of the day if all you are doing is saving is money, your not really saving anything. In this respect, I would suggest a revolution in dividing the MPS market across smaller providers rather than consolidating them through larger corporations.

There is enough opportunity for everyone and there needs to be change in the system otherwise it will collapse.

In closing I will repeat my sentiment...

MPS can be used as a lens, what do you see when you look through it?

Expert Laser Man: THE MOVIE?

Acquiring MPS, Page After Page...

Well I am just going to cut to the chase with this one.

We here at Expert Laser Services are super happy to announce that we have acquired our competitor Page after Page, essentially doubling the size of our company.

The acquisition was set in stone last Thursday and we are now integrating their employee base with our own. We are excited to bring Expert Laser Services and Page after Page into a new age of managed print perfection.

Exciting times are ahead as we move into the future with this endeavor.

Destroy Your Printer (A Web Comic) Issue #2

The Unspeakable Question

Prospects! I have a tool in this video that will guarantee you get the best price on the copiers, printers, and other forms of imaging equipment that you purchase!

Watch this video and then use it! I promise you, you will always get a better price after asking your vendors salesmen/saleswomen this question.

Happy purchasing!

Avoiding Salesmen's Sorcery

Hello friends! I have returned to take up the reigns of AIOI once again, in full force!
While you can expect more entry's from here on out, you can bet that almost all of them will be VLOG posts rather than written blog posts.

Today I shed a little light on one of the more shady tactics being used against prospects by many salesmen in the office imaging world and give some advice on how to avoid being had by said conniving individuals.

Meditations On Losing A Relationship

I was originally going to title this post "Meditations On Losing A Sale".

I decided against this because to me, describing what happens when a customer purchases a machine or service plan from me as a "sale" is a bastardization of what it is really happening.

I know that with every sale made, a relationship begins.

I am not perfect but try very hard to go above and beyond for my customers. Because they are not just customers, they are human beings who have entrusted me to take care of them in regards to their office imaging needs...

I personally hate the term "salesman" because it dredges up all kinds of negative imagery and that happens for a reason.

Many salesmen are notoriously greedy, self servicing dark wizards bent on one thing...

Cold hard cash. Getting the next big "score".

I fully, with every ounce of my being hate the fact that there are so many sales professionals who who choose to embody this negative stereotype.

It is my personal mission to be the antithesis of this persona.

I put my customers first and keep my focus on their needs. I do all I can to provide a fair price for the best possible products and services, with my commission always being an afterthought and never front and center of my motivations.

So when I loose a sale to some one like this. It is painful. And while some of that pain is my own, it is not nearly as painful to my ego as it will be to the customers wallet.

Recently I proposed a copier to a customer who has been doing business with us for over 6 years.

While I fully expected them to get at least a second proposal for comparison to our own, I never imagined they would buy the same machine with both minimum and overage charges in addition to a higher regular rate.

What supposedly set off the decision maker in this company is the fact that we included a charge for scans at .0002 per scan...

And while the other vendor did not charge for scanning, their regular rates were both higher than ours. Further more, we did not charge overages or give them a minimum monthly output as this other vendor has.

Consequently, they are now spending more on their service plan with this other vendor than they would have with our plan even if we still charged them for scanning (which we offered to remove as sign of good faith in that we cherished them as a customer and would work with them to keep their business).

The real travesty here is the fact that even with our scanning charges our option would have been cheaper.

Now this is one copier sale...

For me, the commission from this sale would equate to perhaps, gas money for a few weeks. Financially, its not a major loss to me.

Emotionally it is frustrating because they have been hoodwinked by this other vendor...

I am not upset that I lost "another score" as some in the sales craft would put it.

I am upset about this because I lost a relationship with a customer to an individual who probably thinks of these people as another feather in their cap...

Another score... Another piece of meat.

I am upset about it because this other salesman, slicked his hair back, shot an elevator pitch and used the same age old techniques of coercive persuasion that is so prevalent in the craft of "pocket lining" it is virtually an accepted practice in the art of sales.

What I am trying to get at here is that whether you buy from me or from anyone else.

Don't be had. Do your homework and really look at the MATH.

It is so easy to be deceived by the language of a talented and experienced sales professional, especially if their intentions are focused on their commission versus your happiness and satisfaction.

Don't assume they are saving you anything by eliminating one cost when such "generosities" are accompanied by minimums and overage charges in the details.

I can honestly say that while I am always interested in new business, I will not sacrifice the value of a relationship with another human being for a larger financial return.

At the risk of being repetitive, I implore you...

Be awake. Be aware. Do your homework.

Destroy Your Printer Contest 3, Winner!

Voting has ended, the public has spoken...

This years destroy your printer video contest winner is Eric Morse of Sturbridge, Massachusetts.

Eric took things to a new level of printer destruction with this bold and humorous car jump. While needing a second attempt as seen in the video, the later launch drove the defunct copier into an airborne trajectory resulting in one of the most over the top entries this contest series has ever seen.

Eric has chosen to donate his winnings (both the $100 and the two toner cartridges) to a local non-profit close to the heart of many folks in our area.

The Center of Hope, a charitable foundation which helps people with various disabilities will receive this years winnings.

Are Copiers Cloning People?

Copiers Take Dominion Over Humans!?

TCO And The Human Footprint

It is an age old question...

Which is better, centralized copiers versus local printers?

We here at Expert Laser Services support both kinds of devices, we do not go into this discussion with a strong bias.

The honest answer is “IT DEPENDS”. The fact is that copiers and printers can have exactly the same “cost per print” if the right device is selected for the application. Typically, copiers cost more and are leased while printers cost less and are purchased or leased at a lower cost. Total-Cost-of-Ownership (TCO) is the real figure that you want to know. TCO takes into account the monthly lease payment, the cost per print and any and all supplies, parts, and service charges that are added.

There is one additional major issue.... The Human Footprint...

IF employees who do a lot of printing are required to walk distances to retrieve their prints, the cost of that time far exceeds any savings that may or may not exist on Cost-of-Ownership. When employee labor is included, there are few scenarios where centralized printing is cost-effective. But, there certainly are times when it is.

How a copier works...