october 2008 office technology

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he BTA ProFinance course will teach you how to set thestrategy, track critical performance measures and manage

your assets according to a proven business model designedto improve the profitability of your company.

Instructors John Hanson and John Hey of Strategic BusinessAssociates take a holistic approach to the redirection ofyour business — from sales rep compensation andprojecting service revenues to inventory management andan action plan for implementation — with the short-termgoal of achieving a minimum of 14% operating income. Youcan achieve these results by monitoring 24 key benchmarksand making strategic shifts as discussed in the program.

Start planning for improved profitability today! Send all ofyour strategic decision makers to ProFinance — it’s aninvestment in your company that will help you relieve theend-of-the-month crunch.

To register for ProFinance or get moreinformation on pricing and quantity discounts,visit www.bta.org or call BTA at (800) 843-5059.

BTA members may apply their $250 coupon receivedwith their membership toward this class. Redeem yourcoupon upon registration.

Upcoming ProFinance courses:

Nov. 19-20, 2008 Las Vegas, Nevada

T

ProFinance is designed for owners and executive-level staff who make thecritical business decisions that impact your company’s success. Some OEMsreimburse for ProFinance tuition through advertising co-op or professionaldevelopment funds. Check with your OEM.

November BTA Education Courses

Do you crunch the numbers, or do the numbers crunch you?

1-2ProFin1-2PM:Layout 1 10/3/08 9:09 AM Page 1

Interviewing 101

Debunking the myth

of the great interviewerby David C. RamosStrategy DevelopmentA standard, consistent hiringprocess starts with a job profileand ends with a reference check prior to on-boardingthe new hire. Interviewing is a big part of the hiringprocess, but it is not the entire process. Too often Ihear hiring managers talk about “sizing people up”and how their “gut feeling” can project whether theperson they are interviewing is the right person forthe position.

4 | w w w . o f f i c e t e c h n o l o g y m a g . c o m | O c t o b e r 2 0 0 8

CONTENTS

2008 Software Buyer’s Guide

Have you found the right

vendor partners?Compiled by Brent HoskinsOffice Technology MagazineAre you overwhelmed by the num-ber of independent software ven-dors (ISVs) in the office technology industry? You arenot alone. To help you better understand the capabili-ties of the various software products now available,Office Technology invited a number of ISVs to provide abrief overview of their products. While most offer soft-ware for end-users’ use, some provide software for usewithin the dealership. Perhaps it is time to either con-sider adding to your product offerings or improvingyour internal processes.

Volume 15 � No. 4

19

10

21

F E A T U R E A R T I C L E S

‘Winning Together’

Kyocera Mita America

hosts FY09 dealer meetingBy Brent HoskinsOffice Technology MagazineRanging from the announcementof the company’s first dealer coun-cil to the launch of a new B2C MFP line, officials atKyocera Mita America Inc. (KMA) had plenty to sharewith attendees of the company’s FY09 National DealerMeeting. Held Sept. 15-17 in Dallas, the meeting drewmore than 1,200 Kyocera Mita dealers, Copystar deal-ers and guests from the United States, Europe, Canada,Mexico, Latin America and Japan.

27 Managed Print Services

Integrating the strategic

model in your dealershipby Kevin FloodKyocera Mita AmericaSome 10 years ago, a man namedSpencer Johnson wrote a fascinating and useful bookabout change. Its underlying message — change hap-pens whether you want it to or not — is true and appli-cable to just about anybody in just about any field.

P R I N C I P A L I S S U E S

Office Equipment Leasing

My perspective —

first in a two-part seriesby Robert C. GoldbergBTA General CounselFor decades, leasing for end-users has been the mostpopular method of acquiring office technology.Dealers have found that increased customer controland low cost of entry are the greatest benefits ofleading with a leasing recommendation.

25

D E P A R T M E N T S

6

8

30

Executive Director’s Page

BTA President’s Message

Advertiser Index

S E L L I N G S O L U T I O N S

29 Competitive Selling Strategies

The campaign for the

mind of the customerby Tom KramerCATALYST Performance LearningOur basic premise is that the goal ofsales is to defeat the competitor by gaining uncon-tested ownership of the mind of the customer.Competitive selling is about finding a place or aniche to win the attention of the customer.

Business Technology Association� November/December Education Calendar

� BTA Highlights23

C O U R T S & C A P I T O L S

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Executive Director/BTAEditor/Office Technology

Brent [email protected]

(816) 303-4040

Associate EditorElizabeth Marvel

[email protected](816) 303-4060

Contributing WritersKevin Flood, Kyocera Mita America

www.kyoceramita.com

Robert C. Goldberg, General Counsel Business Technology Association

Tom Kramer, CATALYST Performance Learningwww.catalyst2performance.com

David C. Ramos, Strategy Developmentwww.strategydevelopment.org

Business Technology Association12411 Wornall Road

Kansas City, MO 64145(816) 941-3100

www.bta.org

Member Services: (800) 505-2821BTA Legal Hotline: (800) 869-6688

Valerie BrisenoMembership & Marketing Manager

[email protected]

Mary HopkinsDatabase Administrator

[email protected]

Teresa LeerarBookkeeper

[email protected]

Brian SmithMembership Sales Representative

[email protected]

©2008 by the Business Technology Association. All RightsReserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced by anymeans without the written permission of the publisher. Everyeffort is made to ensure the accuracy of published material.However, the publisher assumes no liability for errors in articlesnor are opinions expressed necessarily those of the publisher.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S PAGE

Anew resource

to members on

th e Busin e ss

Technology Associa-

t ion (BTA) Web sit e

(www.bta.org) — the

BTA Idea Exchange —

allows dealers to share

their insight and ideas with fellow dealers.

The comments shared are in response to e-

mail surveys. Collectively, these comments

serve to further fulfill a core goal of BTA —

to facilitate dealers helping dealers.

When BTA President Ronelle Ingram

submitted her column for this issue of Office

Technology, a recent BTA Idea Exchange

survey question came to mind. The ques-

tion was: “What steps have you taken to

prepare your dealership for a disaster (i.e.,

fire, flood, hurricane, tornado) in terms of

your employees, data, suppliers, customers,

etc., to minimize its impact on your busi-

ness?” Below is a sampling of the responses.

Perhaps they will provide you some insight

that will help you better prepare for the

unexpected.

� “We do data backups twice daily and

full backups over the weekend. Those are

taken off site each day. We also have a gen-

erator to produce enough power to run the

phones and a couple of workstations to

allow us to continue with our work at some

level and support our clients. Also, we have

established procedures for employees to

follow in the event of a catastrophe. We

have not had to face one as of yet so I can

only hope that we have things covered.” —

Ron Hulett, managing director, U.S. Business

Systems Inc., Elkhart, Ind.

� “We upgraded our computer systems

and are making sure backups are done

nightly and put in a fire safe. We have also

established a plan for off-site backup. Our

second office would act as the main office

should it become damaged (it is 30 miles

away) and we are also starting the process

of installing a backup system for our servers

at this location.” — Allen Grenz, president,

OASYS Inc., Burlington, Wash.

� “We have a comprehensive plan that

includes: tape backup for our software, elec-

tronic storage and retrieval, phone tree for

employee communication, a bad weather

number for the local television stations,

communication backup phones and a good

relationship with our insurance provider.”

— Steven L. Cobb, president, Dean’s Office

Machines Inc., Greensboro, N.C.

� “We have an emergency list of all em-

ployees with cell phone numbers and home

telephone numbers. All employees have a

list of these numbers. Our employees are

instructed to call into our office number in

case of snow, etc., to see what time we will

open or not be open. We program the an-

swering machine with a message no later

than 6:30 a.m. on that day. We have backup

tapes of all our programs and company data

in a fireproof safe. We do a backup tape

every night to another drive. Once a week a

backup tape is taken off site and rotated

every four weeks.” — Charmel Newton, presi-

dent, Miller Services, Charlotte, N.C.

Additional responses to the survey ques-

tion can be found by clicking on “BTA Idea

Exchange” on the home page of the BTA

Web site. You will need your member login

and passw ord to access thi s m emb er

resource. Do you have a question you would

like to ask of your fellow dealers? If so, e-

mail it to me at [email protected]. �

— Brent Hoskins

Dealers Share PlansFor Facing Disasters


®

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BTA PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

“Safety first” is an

age-old saying.

As an owner,

manager or worker, what

are your responsibilities

to provide a safe working

environment?

Having lived in earth-

quake-prone California my entire life, safety

from earthquakes is a bit daunting. There is no

warning when an earthquake strikes and fate

often seems to have more to do with survival

than planning. So, how can you create a busi-

ness plan for the safety of your employees?

The key word is “plan.” Every company should

have a disaster recovery plan.

A simple Google search for “disaster busi-

ness plans” offered more than a million hits.

Run by the Department of Homeland Secu-

rity, www.ready.gov offers an easy-to-use

seven-page sample emergency plan that will

get you thinking in the right direction.

The key is to actually have a workable plan

that you hope you never have to use. The

more employees, vendors and customers you

can get involved in the preparation process,

the greater their buy-in will be. You may even

sell some new equipment when you make

new disaster preparedness contacts.

Your emergency preparedness program

can use the equipment, software and net-

working backup that your company sells.

This win-win situation can take care of the

disaster needs of your business while gener-

ating additional sales for your company.

When your employees, clients and com-

munity get involved, your business is viewed

as a forward-thinking member of the com-

munity. This will instill trust and respect in

those individuals who work for you and with

you. When your business takes the time and

energy to figure out the answer before the

test is given, everyone gets a higher score.

Recently, Southern California had a mag-

nitude 3.7 earthquake. Most telephone serv-

ices (land lines and cell phones) were out of

order for several hours, even though no

equipment had been structurally disabled.

The outages were caused by too many South-

ern California residents calling friends or rel-

atives at the same time.

Many companies lost all contact with their

in-field workforce. Those with no plan in such

a situation lost irreplaceable billable labor

hours. As it turned out, little damage took

place. Roads were undamaged. There were no

large-scale utilities issues. Traffic lights, gas

pumps and cash registers continued to work,

though many credit cards and ATM machines

were unable to process transactions.

Those who wanted an excuse for not con-

tinuing with their daily work could easily

find reasons to stop working. It was not their

fault the management of their company had

never told them what to do if they were

unable to contact the office. If management

had not planned effectively, why should they

worry about trying to be an efficient worker?

Having your staff prepared to focus on

safety first and then be able to continue

working efficiently starts at the top. If owners

and managers do not think there is a need to

plan for the unexpected, their workers will

happily follow this lackadaisical attitude.

Now is the time to start preparing for the

unforeseen. Have a plan. Share it with all

your employees. Make sure every member

of your staff understands what should be

done during an unforeseen situation. Plan-

ning can turn a potential emergency into a

manageable inconvenience. �

— Ronelle Ingram

Always Be PreparedFor The Unexpected

®

2008-2009 Board of Directors

PresidentRonelle Ingram

Steven Enterprises Inc.17952 Sky Park Circle

Ste. EIrvine, CA 92614

[email protected]

President-ElectBill James

WJS Enterprises Inc.3315 Ridgelake DriveMetairie, LA 70002

[email protected]

Vice PresidentRock Janecek

Burtronics Business Systems Inc.216 S. Arrowhead Ave.

P.O. Box 1170San Bernardino, CA [email protected]

BTA EastTom Ouellette

Budget Document Technology251 Goddard Road

P.O. Box 2322Lewiston, ME 04240

[email protected]

BTA Mid-AmericaMike Blake

Corporate Business Systems LLC6300 Monona DriveMadison, WI 53716

[email protected]

BTA SoutheastBob Smith

Copiers Plus Inc.408 Chicago Drive

Fayetteville, NC [email protected]

BTA WestGreg Valen

Hawaii Business Equipment Inc.Toshiba Business Solutions - Hawaii

590-A Paiea St.Honolulu, HI 96819

[email protected]

Ex-Officio/General CounselRobert C. Goldberg

Schoenberg Finkel Newman & Rosenberg LLC222 S. Riverside Plaza

Ste. 2100Chicago, IL 60606

[email protected]


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Compiled by: Brent Hoskins, Office Technology Magazine

2008 Software Buyer’s GuideHave you found the right vendor partners?

Are you over w helmed by the

number of independent software

vendors (ISVs) in the office tech-

nology industry? You are not alone. To

help you better understand the capabili-

ties of the various software products

now available, Office Technology invited a

number of ISVs to provide a brief over-

view of their products. While most offer

software for end-users’ use, some provide

software for use within the dealership.

Perhaps it is time to either consider

adding to your product offerings or

improving your internal processes.

American PrintWare Inc. www.apwi.com

APWI has been servicing the network and high-volume

print market for more than a decade, offering a broad range

of software products and custom engineered solutions that

manage a broad array of printing needs. APWI products

effectively manage print networks, lowering end-user cost,

increasing employee productivity and increasing dealer rev-

enues. It provides free technical support to its authorized

dealer partners.

Apago Inc. www.apagoinc.com

Apago Inc. is an innovative software technology company

changing how people use and profit from electronic docu-

ments. Consumers and businesses of all sizes use Apago’s

workflow tools to transform, optimize and automate elec-

tronic documents for print-on-demand, publishing, rich

media and archiving. The company provides retail products,

custom development, OEM solutions and consulting serv-

ices to industry leaders, including Hallmark Cards, Crane &

Co., Hewlett-Packard, Bondi Digital, MOD-PAC Corp.,

OneVision and Pindar.

Bull Valley Softwarewww.bullvalleysoftware.com

Scalable for organizations of any size,

DocumentLOK from Bull Valley Soft-

ware combines secure content manage-

ment, compliance management and

workflow management in one applica-

tion, and integrates with virtually any

Windows or Web-based application to

provide immediate, single-click access

to documents and electronic content

from within an organization’s primary

business application(s).

Captaris Inc. www.captaris.com

Captaris provides software products that automate busi-

ness processes, manage documents electronically and

provide efficient information delivery. Its products (Captaris

RightFax, Captaris Workflow, Captaris Alchemy and Castelle

FaxPress) are distributed via a global network of technology

partners and are installed in all Fortune 100 companies and

many Global 2000 companies.

ClearStory Systems www.clearstorysystems.com

ClearStory Systems provides high-performance content

management solutions for digital media communications.

Its software manages the enterprise digital media supply

chain — from creation and collaboration to lifecycle man-

agement and delivery — to give companies a competitive

advantage, marketing agility, cost avoidance and maximum

efficiency.

ColumbiaSoft www.documentlocator.com

ColumbiaSoft is a leading provider of enterprise docu-

ment management solutions deeply integrated with

Microsoft Windows and Office applications. Users can

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capture, manage and share electronic and paper docu-

ments, e-mail and faxes to improve efficiency and collabora-

tion, and reduce risk by meeting higher standards of

compliance and business continuity.

Compass Sales Solutions www.compasscontact.net

Compass Sales Solutions offers advanced sales-force

automation, solution selling and fleet management software

systems, along with in-depth consultative services provided

by industry-recognized experts. Designed from a sales per-

spective, Compass merges the abilities to manage your

prospective database, complete detailed TCO analysis, price

service contracts, generate thorough, professional proposals

and sales paperwork, all at the touch of a button. Compass

offers complete integration with your ERP and Outlook.

Daybreak ICS www.daybreakics.com

eCapture Suite from Daybreak ICS is a distributed docu-

ment capture solution that enables scanner and MFP users

to scan and deliver documents to multiple ECM repositories

from a single interface. You can scan to SharePoint, Docu-

mentum and ApplicationXtender in a single step.

Digital Gateway www.digitalgateway.com

Digital Gateway provides total business management

software solutions for imaging and business equipment

dealers. Its f lagship product, e-automate, helps dealers

better manage common business processes like accounting,

sales, service, inventory and more. While robust and sophis-

ticated, the system has an eye toward being intuitively easy

to learn, understand and use.

DocuLex www.doculex.com

DocuLex provides instant document access. With the

software creator’s PC-based Archive Studio, dealers can

provide clientele both paper and electronic document

capture capability with image processing, content indexing

and custom foldering functions fully automated for ease of

use via Goby Capture (suitable for use with any document

scanning device). DocuLex’s WebSearch provides access to

server-stored documents from any Internet-accessible loca-

tion with the operational simplicity of a search engine.

DocuWare www.docuware.com

DocuWare offers integrated document management

solutions that improve efficiencies by automating daily

business processes through electronically managing and

sharing documents, regardless of their format or source.

Whether personnel are at headquarters, across town or

across the globe, instant access to information is easy and

secure via the Web. DocuWare solutions are available in 15

languages and are known for their easy installation, integra-

tion, administration and operation, as well as an exception-

ally low total cost of ownership.

ECi www.eci2.com

ECi provides management software and related tech-

nology to help equipment dealers manage customer equip-

ment and printing, on-site service and internal operations.

With a portfolio of products that includes La Crosse, OMD

and DDMS, ECi offers fully-seamless, end-to-end solutions

for dealers of every size and business model — which is why

more dealers rely on ECi software to improve efficiency and

profitability than all other industry-specific software

providers combined.

eCopy www.ecopy.com

eCopy is a provider of document imaging solutions that

rapidly integrate paper-bound information into existing

business processes and applications. eCopy ShareScan and

eCopy Desktop provide a standard document imaging plat-

form that easily and securely transforms paper documents

into business value through the use of multifunction periph-

erals and scanners.

EFI www.efi.com

EFI, a world leader in customer-focused digital printing

innovation, offers integrated solutions that deliver increased

performance, cost savings and productivity — including

Fiery servers; MicroPress and Fiery Central for production

workflow; Colorproof XF and Fiery XF proofing solutions;

Digital StoreFront Web-to-print; DocSend/SendMe and

embedded Fierys for corporate environments; and Print-

Smith MIS.

emFAST Inc. www.emfast.com

emFAST Inc., publisher of the FACSys® Fax Messaging

Gateway, is an industry pioneer in network fax messaging.

emFAST has been constantly advancing network fax tech-

nology since 1989. Continuous customer-focused enhance-

ments ensure that FACSys provides a reliable, efficient and

scalable fax messaging solution, with a significant return on

IT messaging investments.


Cover Story Oct 08:Cover Story Oct 08 10/3/08 11:00 AM Page 11

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Equitrac www.equitrac.com

Equitrac Office 4 is a solution for print and copy manage-

ment that enables effective networked control of an office’s

entire printer and copier fleet. Providing real-time device

monitoring, black-and-white and color print quota manage-

ment and automated reporting for accurate and detailed

analysis of device usage, Equitrac Office is compatible with

every major office equipment manufacturer.

FabSoft www.fabsoft.com

Reform Enterprise by FabSoft streamlines business work-

flow by automating document management, enhancement

and distribution. It can capture forms from any operating

system, application or device, enhance them and automati-

cally route them to printers, fax, e-mail and archive systems

all around the user’s office and/or the world.

Falcon Technology Solutions www.efalcontech.com

Falcon Technology offers the Soaring suite of SQL

server-based sales and business management software

designed specifically for the office equipment industry.

With more than 7,000 users, Soaring Sales is a leading sales

force automation program in the copier industry. Soaring

Busin ess Mana gem ent i s a c ompl et e ERP s oftware

program encompassing accounting, dispatch and field

service, inventory management, contract management and

online tools.

FMAudit www.fmaudit.com

FMAudit has a proven track record of innovation and

leadership. Since 1998, FMAudit and its partners have pio-

neered cost recovery solutions that helped define the

managed print services industry. Today, the company has

assembled a portfolio of remote meter reading and managed

print services tools. Some of their innovations include Web-

based data collection, “local printer” data collection, sup-

plies-triggered marketing and automated supply fulfillment,

as well as total cost of ownership reporting.

Hyland Software Inc. www.onbase.com

Hyland Software Inc. is the developer of the OnBase

enterprise content management (ECM) software suite.

OnBase helps organizations create greater value from the

content driving their business processes. With OnBase,

organizations can streamline operations and improve busi-

ness outcomes while lowering costs and minimizing risk.

ImageTech Systems Inc. www.imagetechsys.com

ImageTech is a full-service enterprise content manage-

ment solution provider. ImageTech can provide both J2EE

and .Net-based solutions to provide a turnkey solution for

all of its clients. Its specialties include automating docu-

ment and data capture, document imaging, workflow and

business process redesign, report archival and electronic

forms solutions.

InfoDynamics www.infodynamics.com

Intact SMART by InfoDynamics has made things simple

without compromising any of its robust features. It is a pow-

erful solution that turns MFPs and scanners into the center of

productivity for any business. It is a feature-rich and all-inclu-

sive solution. Think of all the applications needed for effective

document management — scanning software, barcode

printing, auditing software, database management, copier

integration, file cabinets, etc. With version control, inter-appli-

cation connectivity, instant searching and its other features,

Intact SMART makes you look intelligent just by using it.

Laserfiche www.laserfiche.com

Laserfiche creates simple and elegant digital document

management solutions that help organizations run smarter.

Since 1987, Laserfiche has helped more than 25,000 organi-

zations — including state and local governments, financial

services firms and healthcare organizations — streamline

processes for managing documents, records and workflow.

In addition, Laserfiche Rio, an enterprise content manage-

ment solution, transcends product boundaries to unite doc-

ument management, business process management and

transparent records management in a single enterprise

solution that can handle extremely high volumes of infor-

mation from disparate sources throughout the enterprise.

Meadows Publishing Solutions www.meadowsps.com

The DesignMerge Professional Bundle is a suite software

module for Adobe InDesign and QuarkXPress that provides

sophisticated variable data printing and data publishing

features. The software works within the application for ease

of use and is compatible with most popular VDP output

formats. Used by professionals worldwide, it simplifies mar-

keting personalization for both the novice and expert.

Miracle Service www.miracleservice.com

Optimize your service operation and meter contracts

with this full-featured dealer software. Features include:



ECi ad Oct 08:Layout 1 10/3/08 8:10 AM Page 1


service calls and technician scheduling; service contracts;

inventory; meter billing; preventative maintenance; man-

agement reporting; QuickBooks and other accounting inte-

gration; route optimization and mapping; and Web and

wireless access.

MWA Intelligence Inc. www.mwaintel.com

MWA Intelligence Inc. delivers enterprise-class and

leading-edge M2M (machine-to-machine) and M2P

(machine-to-people) solutions and services that center

around managing companies’ employees, systems and phys-

ical assets. MWA Intelligence offers dealers and end-users

greater operational efficiencies, reduced expenses, addi-

tional revenue capture and improved customer satisfaction.

Solutions include: Intelligent Service Management, Intelli-

gent Workforce, Intelligent Managed Print Services, Intelli-

Dashboard and Intelligent Device Management.

Notable Solutions Inc. www.nsius.com

Notable Solutions Inc. (NSi) is a leading provider of dis-

tributed content capture workflow and business automa-

tion solutions. NSi’s flagship product, AutoStore, enables

users to automate their business processes by capturing

paper and electronic documents from a variety of sources,

processing them into usable information and storing that

information into business applications and databases for

fast, easy retrieval and distribution.

nQueue www.nqueue.com

nQueue provides software-based solutions to help profes-

sional services firms manage and account for their digital

transactions. nQueue offers a complete line of expense

recovery and production workflow systems designed to

track, manage, report and charge back costs associated with

office equipment and other administrative services.

Objectif Lune www.objectiflune.com

Objectif Lune develops and commercializes solutions for

transactional and promotional variable-content document

printing with the added benefit of advanced automated

workflow for output to local and remote printers, e-mail, fax

and archives. The company’s solutions portfolio includes

PlanetPress Suite, PrintShop Mail and PrintShop Web.

Open Text www.opentext.com

Open Text is an independent provider of enterprise

content management (ECM) software. The company’s solu-

tions manage information for all types of business, compli-

ance and industry requirements in the world’s largest com-

panies, government agencies and professional service firms.

Open Text supports approximately 46,000 customers in 114

countries and 12 languages.

Pharos Systems www.pharos.com

Pharos Blueprint Enterprise is a solution for managing

print and copy that helps companies immediately save

money, create secure document output environments and

reduce printing waste to support sustainability goals. It

incorporates industry-leading tracking technology that pro-

vides a complete picture of printing across the enterprise.

Pharos Blueprint is integrated with more than 85 MFP

models from major equipment manufacturers.

Print Audit www.printaudit.com

Print Audit develops print management solutions that

enable office equipment dealers to sell more hardware and

increase their post-sales revenue. Since its inception, Print

Audit has helped office equipment dealers sell more than

$450 million in additional hardware by allowing them to

uncover additional sales opportunities and add value to deals.

PrintFleet Inc. www.printfleet.com

PrintFleet Inc. is the leading developer of print manage-

ment software solutions, training and support programs for

dealers in the BTA and imaging channels. Managing 2.2 billion

pages monthly, across 300,000 imaging devices, PrintFleet

offers vendor-neutral data collection, data integrity and back-

end support within its family of print management software.

PrintMIB LLC www.printmib.com

PrintMIB LLC is a provider for managed print services that

provides precise data collection from printers, digital copiers

and MFPs. PrintMIB collects and reports its data to a USB key

or server-based software database. Data can be merged into

backend software or a total cost of ownership calculator.

Prism Software www.prismsoftware.com

Prism Software is a one-stop shop for electronic docu-

ment software solutions. Prism’s products are richly fea-

tured, highly competitive and low cost. Prism’s four

advanced software products are: DocSystem for printing

and document workflow; DocRecord for document manage-

ment; DocForm for variable data communications; and Doc-

Transform for print and data stream transformation.


American PrintWare ad Oct 08:Layout 1 9/29/08 2:59 PM Page 1

Ribstone Systems Inc. www.ribstoneusa.com

Ribstone Systems Inc. is a copier-based scanning and

printing software provider with solutions tailored for the

legal profession. Sold with Canon and Xerox copiers, Rib-

stone has advanced document workflow for this market

with intuitive solutions at a reasonable price. The marriage

of Ribstone software to high-performance MFPs provides a

solution of unparalleled power and functionality.

Rochester Software Associates www.rocsoft.com

Since 1986, Rochester Software Associates has enhanced

the print workflow of thousands of enterprises. RSA delivers

on the promise of convergence and an automated print

center through electronic and hardcopy job submission

(WebCRD, QDirect.SCAN), legacy datastream transform

(M.I.S. Print, IPDSPrint, RDOPrint), enterprise output man-

agement (QDirect), plus legal solutions (BatesPrint,

CDPrint).

SalesChain www.saleschain.com

SalesChain is a leading provider of sales management

software. Used by successful office equipment dealers

across the United States and Canada, its integrated suite

of products includes telemarketing, CRM, customer intel-

ligence, lease portfolio management, product configura-

tion, deal pricing, proposal and order documentation,

commission management and its industry-exclusive

Delivery Desk Automation solution. SalesDispatch tech-

nology ensures your sales reps are calling the right

accounts at the right time.

Solimar Systems Inc. www.solimarsystems.com

Solimar Systems Inc. is a leading developer of enterprise

output management solutions for digital document cre-

ation, production and distribution environments. Installed

in thousands of worldwide sites, including nearly 40 percent

of the Fortune 100, Solimar solutions offer integrated con-

nectivity, datastream transforms, print optimizations, docu-

ment re-engineering/repurposing and sophisticated print

queue management with secure Web-based document pre-

sentment, distribution and tracking.

Square 9 Softworks www.square-9.com

Square 9 Softworks is a leading developer of software

solutions for the office equipment industry, including

SmartSearch Content Management Suite. Square 9 Soft-

works designs solutions built on the .NET platform using

open architecture and cutting-edge technologies. With solu-

tions that are affordable, powerful and easy to use and

support, Square 9 helps dealers to increase value for their

customers as they differentiate themselves from their com-

petition.

StructuredWeb www.structuredweb.com

StructuredWeb offers a comprehensive suite of Web-

based, managed marketing automation, sales enablement

and e-commerce solutions delivered from a fully integrated

platform and single database with full tracking capabilities.

This unique approach to integrated solutions allows small

and mid-size businesses to benefit from professionally

managed marketing programs that realize measurable,

rapid results.

Technesis www.technesis.com

Technesis Print Control System is a single solution deliv-

ering three value propositions: automated print assess-

ments, rules-based messaging promoting efficient printing

and cost accounting for MFPs and plotters. Technesis has

API/embedded solutions for Xerox, Ricoh, HP, Canon, KIP

and Océ output devices.

Westbrook Technologies Inc. www.westbrooktech.com

Serving more than 136,000 customers worldwide, West-

brook Technologies’ Fortis document management software

provides lifecycle management for paper and electronic

documents from capture, indexing and archiving to Web-

based retrieval and automated purging. With Fortis, your

organization gets fully searchable documents and images,

automated workflow and effortless integration with other

business applications.

ZyLAB www.zylab.com

ZyLAB helps users secure their data, enhance efficiency

and operate according to compliance initiatives. ZyLAB’s

ZyIMAGE Information Access Platform offers a comprehen-

sive document archiving, searching, retrieving, organizing

and sharing solution for professionals in the legal, security,

corporate governance, local, state and federal government,

and financial fields. �Brent Hoskins, executive director

of the Business Technology

Association, is editor of Office

Technology magazine.

He can be reached at [email protected].



by: David C. Ramos, Strategy Development

Interviewing 101Debunking the myth of the great interviewer

Astandard, consistent hiring

process starts with a job profile

and ends with a reference check

prior to on-boarding the new hire. Inter-

viewing is a big part of the hiring pro-

cess, but it is not the entire process.

Too often I hear hiring managers talk

about “sizing people up” and how their

“gut feeling” can project whether the

person they are interviewing is the right

person for the position. Selecting and

assessing talent is not about “gut feeling.” By conducting the

interview portion of the process properly, and after reasonable

exposure to the candidate with additional exercises, one should

be able to articulate the strengths and limitations of candidates

and accurately project which candidates are the most talented

and likely to be successful. The goal is to obtain enough infor-

mation to evaluate the competency of the candidate and deter-

mine if the candidate’s experience will provide him (or her) the

opportunity to be successful in the role for which he is vying.

Preparation for an interview will equip you with ques-

tions that will help you get to know and evaluate candidates.

There is also plenty more to do both during and after the

interview. Let us review a process you can follow to make a

quality hire and avoid the “gut feeling” approach to finding

the right people for your organization.

Beginning the Interview� Build Rapport — Interviewing can be stressful, so do

your best to help the candidate relax. Start with low-key ques-

tions that are prepared and allow for a free exchange of infor-

mation. For example, select an interesting topic like a hobby he

has listed on his résumé (nothing too personal, i.e. religious or

political in nature) and ask him to tell you about that hobby.

� Bias: Judging on the First Impression — We have all

met them or at least heard the stories — people who do not

make a great first impression but end

up being great employees. Withhold

judgment until you have had the

chance to thoroughly evaluate a candi-

date’s capabilities and potential.

The Interview� Explain the Purpose and Pro-

cess of the Interview — Set the tone

and agenda by following a standard

interview template. If you do not have

one, I know a great consulting firm that can help you with that.

� Explain the Job — While you do want to control the

interview, you do not want to dominate the interview time

(another common pitfall). You should start with a brief

summary of the position, including the prime responsibili-

ties, reporting structure, key challenges and performance

criteria. This will help the candidate provide relevant exam-

ples and responses.

� Dig, Dig and Dig — Having a planned set of questions

is good. Even so, do not feel you must ask only those ques-

tions you have chosen in advance. Be responsive to what the

candidate tells you and build new questions off his answers.

Digging with second- and third-level questions can uncover

great skill sets the candidate possesses that might not be

listed on a résumé. The reverse is also true; it can uncover

red flags that allow you to avoid a bad hiring decision.

� Get Beyond the Canned Answer — Behavioral inter-

viewing requires candidates to respond with specific examples

of past experiences rather than generalized or hypothetical

responses. At the root of this interview style is the belief that

past performance is the most accurate predictor of future per-

formance. Typical behavior-based questions begin with “Tell

me about a time when ...” or “Give me an example of ...” and

require candidates to provide a complete, three-part response

in a format known as SAR: situation, action and result.

w w w . o f f i c e t e c h n o l o g y m a g . c o m | O c t o b e r 2 0 0 8 | 19

Ramos Oct 08:Ramos Oct 08 10/3/08 11:52 AM Page 10


� Get Candidates to Ask Questions

— This is a valuable part of the interview.

Why does he want to be here? Is it the

challenge of the job, advances in the

industry or something specific about

your company? Alternatively, is the candi-

date fixated on salary, benefits and time

off ? In the new movie “Step Brothers”

starring Will Ferrell , we can find an

example of such a scenario. Ferrell asks

his interviewer, “How much vacation time am I allowed?” The

interviewer responds, “Two weeks,” to which Ferrell’s rebuttal

is, “Can I take all that up front?” This would be an example of a

red flag. If the candidate has no questions at all, this is also a

red flag. Make notes of what the candidate asks and be sure to

follow up if you cannot provide the answer immediately.

� Listen, Listen and Listen — If you are doing most of

the talking during an interview, you will not be able to

obtain enough information to distinguish between candi-

dates or to determine a candidate’s true competencies. A

general “time of possession” rule is to spend 90 percent of

your time listening and only 10 percent talking.

� Taking Notes — While you will not be able to tran-

scribe everything the candidate says, do write down the

important points, key accomplishments, good examples and

other information that will help you remember and fairly

evaluate each candidate. An interview guide, prepared in

advance, will make note-taking easier and give you a struc-

ture for capturing key information.

� Follow Legal Interviewing Guidelines — I am not a

human resources lawyer. However, I do know that it is criti-

cally important that every interviewer at your company,

from human resources to senior staff, understand and follow

legal hiring guidelines. The easiest way to keep your inter-

views fully compliant is to ask only questions that relate to

the job, eliminating the potential for bias by not introducing

questions or scenarios that will elicit irrelevant information.

Post Interview� Next Steps — A point of contention for many candi-

dates is that they are not given realistic expectations for the

position. They are promised a situation that never comes. If

the candidate is a good fit, be clear about what the next

steps will be in the interview process as well as what the

expectations are and what real challenges he will face in the

role for which he is a candidate. Furthermore, if the candi-

date is not a good fit, be honest and let him know. Do not

tell him you will get back to him when

clearly that will never happen.

� Consensus Rules — The post-

inter view evaluation is the time to

compare notes and advance the hiring

decision. Each interviewer should be

prepared to back up remarks and rec-

ommendations with specific examples

and notes from the interview.

� Show-Me Exercise — Final inter-

views with candidates are valuable opportunities to learn

more about them. Consider adding “show-me exercises,”

such as a presentation involving a real business situation.

Do not, however, select a scenario that involves specifics

about your industry. You will be too critical because you are

the expert and it will make the candidate unduly nervous.

Create a Positive Image For Your OrganizationSelling your company is the last step in the interview

process. However, this selling takes place only after asking

two indispensable questions:

� Does this person have a burning desire to fill the role

you are interviewing him for?

�Are you afraid to lose this candidate?

If the answer is “no” to either of these questions, you

simply set him free.

Your process reflects the value your company places on

each candidate and, by extension, the importance of the role

you are filling. A standard, consistent process will allow you

to base hiring decisions on an honest evaluation of each

candidate’s capabilities and not your “gut feeling.” This will

allow you to make better hiring decisions and minimize risk

while selecting and assessing talent. �David C. Ramos is a consultant with management consulting

firm Strategy Development. Ramos has more than 12 years of

experience in the imaging industry as a top-producing

business development and management professional, holding

positions in the United States and Mexico. Ramos’ career

experience spans from working for Xerox Corp. as a major

accounts manager to IKON Office Solutions, where he held

various positions. He worked at IKON University as a senior

trainer and co-developed IKON’s sales training

program. He is also co-presenter of the BTA

Sales Management Workshop and BTA Print

Management Workshop. Ramos can be reached

at [email protected].

Visit www.strategydevelopment.org.

A standard, consistentprocess will allow you to base hiring decisionson an honest evaluationof each candidate’s capabilities and notyour “gut feeling.”

Ramos Oct 08:Ramos Oct 08 10/4/08 11:43 AM Page 11

by: Brent Hoskins, Office Technology Magazine

‘Winning Together’Kyocera Mita America hosts FY09 dealer meeting

Ranging from the announcement of the company’s

first dealer council to the launch of a new B2C MFP

line, officials at Kyocera Mita America Inc. (KMA)

had plenty to share with attendees of the company’s FY09

National Dealer Meeting. Held Sept. 15-17 in Dallas, the

meeting drew more than 1,200 Kyocera Mita dealers, Copy-

star dealers and guests from the United States, Europe,

Canada, Mexico, Latin America and Japan.

“This year’s meeting theme, ‘Winning Together,’ is one of

great importance to me, as it stands for more than just a

headline for our event,” said Michael Pietrunti, KMA presi-

dent and CEO, as he welcomed dealers during the opening

General Session. “We rely upon you to be our ally within the

industry, our trusted partner to the end-users. This year, we

will move forward together, like never before, and this event

will prove the why and the how.”

Pietrunti announced one of the recent strides to facilitate

KMA and dealers moving forward together — the creation of

the first formal Kyocera Mita Dealer Council. “The council

will exist with the sole mission to encourage and maintain a

mutual understanding between KMA and our dealer part-

ners, by making a sincere effort to candidly acknowledge

one another’s perspective and to quickly address all issues

with complete integrity,” he said. “Over time, I am confident

we will accomplish our mission and the three priorities I

have established.”

The priorities established by Pietrunti: (1) To create an

efficient communication process between Kyocera dealers

and KMA; (2) To foster a spirit of cooperation between its

channel partners and KMA by better understanding the

product and business needs of both entities; and (3) to solve

any problems through the honest exchange of individual

perspectives and an examination of all possible solutions.

Jim Oricchio (Coordinated Business Systems, Burnsville,

Minn.) will serve as the council’s first president. He will be

joined by council members: Representing the Northeast,

Larry Sudbay (Symquest Group, South Burlington, Vt.),

Tom Lizzio (Heritage Business Systems, Moorestown, N.J.)

and Randy Gould (One Stop Business Centers, Burlington,


Clockwise from top: Attendees learn

more about the new TASKalfa line;

Michael Pietrunti, president and CEO,

Kyocera Mita America (KMA); Ed

Bialecki, KMA senior vice president of

sales; the TASKalfa brand name and

logo is unveiled in the Product Fair.

Kyocera Oct 08:Kyocera Oct 08 10/3/08 12:04 PM Page 10


Mass.); representing the Southeast,

Freddy Cobb (Cobb Technologies, Rich-

mond, Va.) and Mike Strum, (COMDOC,

S avannah , Ga .) ; re presentin g th e

Midwest, Troy Turner (Commonwealth

Technology, Lexington, Ky.), Frank

Cucco (Impact Networking, Waukegan,

Ill .) and Oricchio; representing the

Southwest, Reed Melnick (Nevill Busi-

ness Machines, McAllen, Texas), Chris

Black (RK Black, Oklahoma City, Okla.) and Kevin Horner

(PTS Office Systems, Las Cruces, N.M.); and representing

the West, Gary Harouff (Advanced Imaging Solutions, Las

Vegas, Nev.), Tom Rizk (Coastal Copy, Goleta, Calif.) and

Todd Moody (KBA Docusys, Union City, Calif.).

While the establishment of KMA’s first dealer council was

particularly noteworthy, the primary announcement at the

meeting was the launch of KMA’s new TASKalfa B2C Series

of MFPs. “The new TASKalfa line of MFPs will propel all of

us past the competition in 2009,” said Ed

Bialecki, KMA senior vice president of

sales , during th e Gen eral Session .

“TASKfalfa begins yet another exciting

new era for all of us.”

Among the TASKalfa models an-

nounced at the meeting, the: 500ci (50

pages per minute [ppm] black; 40 ppm

color); 400ci (40 ppm black, 40 ppm

color); 300ci, (30 ppm black, 30 ppm

color); and 250ci (25 ppm black, 25 ppm color). “These

exciting, new 8-bit clean-sheet design B2C devices incorpo-

rate many advanced features that meet the demands of

today’s business user,” said Bialecki. “[These include] fea-

tures like a color touch screen, dual scanning, a choice of

document feeders, including a 100-sheet dual scan docu-

ment processor, and advanced finishing and paper-han-

dling capabilities.

“Our launch plan for the TASKalfa color MFP series is

both elaborate and comprehensive,” he said. “We will begin

service training in October. Then, beginning in mid-

December, our salespeople will begin taking orders and

start the process of earning back your B2C business, dealer

by dealer, region by region.”

Bialecki noted that additional TASKalfa MFPs will be

launched in the next twelve months. He also announced

that each new TASKalfa MFP of 25 ppm or higher will have

an extended dealer warranty to 36 months or the life of the

maintenance kit. “That’s right,” he said, “while many of our

competitors are driving CPC levels to new depths, Kyocera

Mita is the only one providing a basis for you to improve

your aftermarket profitability.”

Among the other announcements at the dealer meeting:

� KMA unveiled HyPAS (Hybrid Platform for Advanced

Solutions), a comprehensive software development platform

and associated business strategy designed to deliver cus-

tomized applications for KMA MFPs. HyPAS will be released

in three phases with the first phase enabling Kyocera to

seamlessly integrate select MFPs with software, such as

Equitrac, through both Java and Web Services applications.

� Frank Cannata, president of Marketing Research Con-

sultants, announced that Michael Pietrunti had earned the

“2008 Executive of the Year” award, based on the results of

The Cannata Report’s annual independent dealer survey. �Brent Hoskins, executive director of the Business

Technology Association, is editor of Office Technology

magazine. He can be reached at [email protected].

“These exciting, new 8-bit clean-sheet design B2C devicesincorporate manyadvanced features thatmeet the demands oftoday’s business user.”

Kyocera Oct 08:Kyocera Oct 08 10/3/08 12:04 PM Page 11

EDUCATION CALENDAR

w w w . o f f i c e t e c h n o l o g y m a g . c o m | O c t o b e r 2 0 0 8 | 2 3

November 11 “A Business Model for Professional Services”

Free to BTA members, the November “Building My Business” webinar, “A Business Model forProfessional Services,” will be presented by Mitch Morgan of CEO Focus. The professionalservices business focusing on software and services is the next transition for many BTA dealers.The ability to drive incremental revenue, differentiate the business and satisfy customer needsin this growth market is very attractive. This webinar will address the many questions dealersare asking and the eight critical factors for professional services success.

19-20 BTA ProFinance Las Vegas, NVBTA ProFinance instructors John Hanson and John Hey of Strategic Business Associates willhelp you understand the strategies required to become more client and employee focused —key strategies toward successfully growing your company, improving profitability and winningagainst the competition. ProFinance is designed for dealership owners and executive-levelstaff members who make the critical business decisions that impact their companies’ success.

24-25 BTA Print Management Workshop Kansas City, MOTaught by Tom Callinan and Ed Carroll of Strategy Development, this two-day educational work-shop is designed to provide dealerships with the tools they need to establish a print managementstrategy that will allow them to significantly increase the quantity of captured prints, lock in cus-tomers, distinguish themselves from competitors and, ultimately, sell more hardware. As a providerof print management services, the dealer can become the end-user’s “single source” for managingprinted pages and the hardware used to produce them. By utilizing the services of a dealership thatoffers a print management program, the end-user company can eliminate the need to deal withmultiple vendors and invoices and leverage the benefits of a holistic view of its printer fleet.

December 12-13 FIX: Cost Management for Service Workshop Las Vegas, NV

Successful BTA dealers use their service departments to maintain profit margins as new salesmargins decline. FIX, BTA’s most popular service workshop, shows you how to compute yourservice cost basis and overhead rates. Workshop instructor and BTA President Ronelle Ingram,vice president of technical service for Steven Enterprises Inc., Irvine, Calif., covers provenmanagement and customer service programs to use in your company. This is a highly interac-tive, energetic classroom experience. Come prepared to learn in a fun, relaxed atmosphere.

For additional information or to register for courses or events, visit www.bta.org or call (800) 843-5059.

Calendar Page 2008:23OT1008 10/3/08 12:49 PM Page 25

BTA HIGHLIGHTS

The following new members joined BTA during themonth of August:

Dealer MembersCycleNet Inc., Winchester, VA

Future Digital Imaging, Scottsdale, AZ

OfficeOne Solutions LLC, Ft. Wayne, IN

pcAge Inc., Malvern, PA

Prime Office Technology LLC, Shelby Township, MI

Service Associate MembersApplied Concepts Inc., Lake Mary, FL

Vendor Associate MembersImage Star, Middletown, CT

For full contact information of these new members,visit www.bta.org and click on “BTA HotlineOnline” on the home page before Dec. 1.

Greater Bay Capital’sBTA Leasing Program

The BTA alliance partnerleasing program through

Greater Bay Capital looks out for your long-term interests. Greater Bay Capital does thisthrough its:

• Month-to-month renewal with a 60-day notification on residual leases

• E-mailable documents• Customer retention plan• Incentives• Pass-through maintenance• No early payoff penalties• Stated FMV residuals• Omaha steak buck promotion

For additional information on the BTA leasingprogram through Greater Bay Capital, visit

www.bta.org and click on “Member Benefits” in the left-hand column of the home page.

For the benefit of its dealer members, eachmonth, BTA profiles two of its Vendor or ServiceAssociate members in this space.

BTA Vendor Associate mem-ber Supplies Network is thelargest privately owned whole-

saler of IT consumables in the United States. Thecompany focuses on independent dealers andtheir competitiveness against giant contract sta-tioners and retailers. Recently, the companylaunched Carbon SiX, an innovative turn-keyprint management solution. Components in-clude: software, hardware, service, OEM andcompatible supplies, training and marketing sup-port. Supplies Network also specializes in IT con-sumables, printers, multifunction equipment andaccessories from 70 brands. Call us at (800)729-9300 for more information.

www.suppliesnetwork.com/bta

BTA Service Associate memberIndustry Analysts Inc. is a mar-keting and management consult-ing firm with offices in Rochester,N.Y., and Fairfield, N.J. The com-

pany specializes in research and training programdevelopment for the office automation industry.Because of its strong ties with office equipmentdealers and its level of expertise within theindustry, Industry Analysts can help dealersthrough every phase of their industry-basedresearch projects. Industry Analysts’ TechnicalServices Division also provides comprehensive,confidential testing and technical-support servicesto manufacturers in the office-imaging industry.

www.industryanalysts.com

A full list of BTA Vendor and Service Associate members can be found online at www.bta.org.


Member Page 2008:Member Page 2008 10/4/08 12:39 PM Page 25

For decades, leasing for end-users has

been the most popular method of

acquiring office technology. Dealers

have found that increased customer control

and low cost of entry are the greatest bene-

fits of leading with a leasing recommenda-

tion. With a 75 percent acceptance average,

it is apparent that the end-users see the

value and tax benefits as well.

Today, leasing is as popular as ever, but

the relationship between the leasing company and dealer lacks

any sign of long-term health. The office equipment leasing

industry has experienced very little revenue growth and is

under constant margin pressure. The competitive battle

between our “would-be” leasing partners has further impaired

their profitability and left the end-user as the greatest casualty.

“Why has this happened?” and, more importantly, “What

can the industry do about it?” are exactly the right questions

to answer to thwart this downward spiral.

First, why has this happened? Over the past ten years, there

have been some significant trends that have both shaped and

shaken the office equipment leasing industry. Understanding

these trends may help us find potential solutions.

Analog to Digital Far and away, the most significant trend has been the

effects of moving from analog to digital. In the 1990s, OEMs

aggressively introduced new digital products to replace their

analog predecessors. This had a profound impact on dealers

and created incredible opportunities for growth and pros-

perity. Until that time, leasing companies were typically

booking conservative residual values, around 10 to 15 percent,

and competed primarily on their product/service differentia-

tion. In a blink of an eye, the value of the analog assets col-

lapsed and leasing companies began to scramble for answers.

The most widely held belief was that the new digital prod-

ucts would work better, last longer and, therefore, be worth

more in the long run. Despite clear evidence to the contrary,

leasing companies began to book higher residuals on digital

assets, bringing their rate factors down significantly and the

“36-month, interest-free” leasing program was born.

The “book losses” on analog assets were

typically covered by the surge in digital

originations and a handful of leasing pow-

erhouses emerged. Leasing companies

knew that there was no way to pay the bills

on interest-free contracts so they used

additional fees and automatic renewal

traps to generate huge income as an offset.

Since this typically was not welcomed by

the originating dealer or end-user, relation-

ships with leasing companies further deteriorated.

If the leasing company would not waive the countless

renewal payments or reduce their excessive residual value, the

dealers would quickly turn to paying the balance of remaining

payments and return the equipment. In the years to follow,

equipment return rates more than doubled and leasing compa-

nies found themselves in a financial mess. Many resorted to an

unfriendly policy that prevents a dealer from returning the

equipment prior to the expiration of the original term. This not

only made it difficult for the dealer to upgrade a customer’s

technology, but it soon filled countless warehouses with leased

gear. If that was not enough of a deterrent, many leasing compa-

nies added termination charges, restocking fees and payment

penalties — in some cases, up to a four-payment penalty.

These tactics may have temporarily plugged a hole in the

leasing company’s financial model, but they transferred the vast

majority of the burden to the dealers that brought them the cus-

tomer in the first place. Granted, the dealer is also culpable

here, having chosen the low rate in lieu of many more stable

programs that were (and still are) available. In either case, their

interests diverged and the gap between the partners widened.

Captive to Third Party In the 1990s, Xerox, IKON, Danka and countless independent

dealers reinvested their hard-earned cash back into their compa-

nies and funded their own leasing portfolios. Not only was there

a healthy profit to be earned, but the control of their customers

was clearly the highest motive. Most of these situations worked

very well throughout the 1990s and into the new millennium.

However, dealers and OEMs are not banks and such programs

have huge capital demands that soon became unmanageable in a

by: Robert C. Goldberg, General Counsel for the Business Technology Association

COURTS & CAPITOLS

Office Equipment LeasingMy perspective — first in a two-part series

Today, leasing is aspopular as ever, but the relationshipbetween the leasingcompany and dealerlacks any sign of long-term health.


Goldberg Oct 08:Goldberg Oct 08 10/3/08 1:19 PM Page 26

new economy. Add undisciplined buying

habits (cancelable contracts, credit risks)

to this and the choice soon became clear

for most to shed their leasing businesses

and re-focus on their core purpose: selling

and servicing office equipment. This shift

added hundreds of millions of lease origi-

nations into a strained model and kept

many leasing companies’ heads above the

proverbial water line — at least tem-

porarily. Today, it is the exception to find any significant on-

balance sheet financing at the dealer or OEM level.

Fee Income Impairment As the financial model of most leasing companies evolved

into a heavy reliance on unpopular fee income, the trend

toward impairing that income began. With capitalism on full

display, the leasing companies with low fees and few hassles

began to grow, prosper and activate hundreds of new dealers.

With some coaching from the dealers, end-users got into

the fight and many class-action lawsuits were cast upon the

powerful financial institutions. Not only did this cost a small

fortune to defend and settle, it left leasing companies with no

choice but to either limit or eliminate most fees from their

programs. The final piece was the introduction of the ELFA

Code of Ethics which governs (regulates, to some extent) what

is fair and reasonable for a leasing company to charge. In an

industry that is characterized as anything but “fair and rea-

sonable,” these changes cut very deep.

Deterioration of Credit Quality With residual values at an all-time low and fee income nearly

impossible to come by, leasing companies clung dearly to their

one last hope: originations growth during a healthy credit market.

Well, like all cycles of business, this too came to pass. Recent slow-

down in economic growth, a housing bust, a mortgage crisis and

an unprecedented interruption to the capital markets have put

added pressure into the equation and have caused many leasing

companies to reassess their commitment to the marketplace.

As interest rates rose, the strained relationships prevented

many leasing companies from passing a meaningful portion of

the cost increases along to the marketplace. Then, the final piece

of the “perfect storm” blew into port — credit losses and delin-

quencies spiked sharply. Today, leasing companies find them-

selves in the heart of the storm while dealers and OEMs are being

negatively impacted by the level of service and support provided

to their end-users.

How Does This Impact You? Complicit or not, OEMs and dealers have

been dealt a body blow — straight into

their bottom lines. Critical factors include:

� Cu stom er Ret ention R at e s —

Aggressive collection tactics, automatic

renewal traps and endless fees have never

been known to create a delighted end-

user. Rather, they become irate and shed

blame on the dealer first — especially

with private-label dealers. Since the cost of acquiring a cus-

tomer is many times greater than the cost of keeping them, a

dealer can ill-afford to lose a single customer or click due to

poor service from a leasing company.

� Increased G & A — Whether it is a hidden cost or an

invoice you refuse to pay, the many costs passed through to

the dealer are a constant drain on earnings. Here is a list of a

few areas to look for:

1. Shipping costs of off-lease equipment

2. Broken equipment — missing accessories, manuals

3. Warehouse space — storing those same machines

4. Sales/administration time spent unwinding complicated

billing issues.

5. Time spent needlessly negotiating a “fair” termination cost.

� Whose Customer Is It? — The many challenges leasing

companies have faced have tempted them to look at the end-

user as a means to recover lost profits. Residual value losses

and reduced fee penetration have tempted them to negotiate

a better “settlement” with the end-user rather than the selling

dealer. This can have a profound impact on your future rela-

tionship and profitability with your customer base.

� Elongated Replacement Cycles — Dealers, and espe-

cially OEMs, live (and die) by the ability to place new tech-

nologies into service with new and existing customers. Analog

to digital was one wave, followed currently by monochrome to

color. When most of those customers are currently involved in

a lease agreement, return fees, penalties, restrictive return

policies and excessive residual values make it very challenging

to place new technology. More problematic is the amount of

“air,” or refinanced balances, that make early upgrades nearly

impossible to overcome.

In the November issue, I will further discuss

leasing’s impact on your dealership and give

you tips for dealing with leasing companies. �Robert C. Goldberg is general counsel for the

Business Technology Association. He can be

reached at [email protected].


As the financial model ofmost leasing companiesevolved into a heavyreliance on unpopularfee income, the trendtoward impairing thatincome began.

Goldberg Oct 08:Goldberg Oct 08 10/3/08 1:19 PM Page 27

Some 10 years ago, a man named

Spencer Johnson wrote a fasci-

nating and useful book about

change called “Who Moved My Cheese?

An Amazing Way to Deal with Change in

Your Work and in Your Life.” In early

summer of this year, a decade after pub-

lication, “Who Moved My Cheese?” was

the best-selling book in Amazon.com’s

stress, stress-management and developmental-psychology cate-

gories and the 165th best-selling book overall. Why? Because its

underlying message — change happens whether you want it to or

not — is true and applicable to just about anybody in just about

any field.

For dealers, however, Johnson’s corollary message — it is how

you handle that change that determines your success — may be

more important. Because that is exactly where the dealership

market finds itself today. Change is descending upon dealers in

the form of a relatively new, demand-driven business model called

managed print services.

It is a good change for dealers (ask those who have already tried

it) — one that promises increased revenue streams and goodwill

from customers — but only if dealers adroitly handle the transi-

tion from the industry’s classic business model, where it is all

about products, to the new-world emphasis on capturing clicks.

Rather than just selling a product and moving on to the next

sales candidate, managed print services calls for dealerships to

also specialize in the so-called aftermarket of maintenance and

services. The front sale, moving the box, is almost gravy. That is

how dramatically better the long-term benefits are for dealerships

when they establish themselves in the aftermarket.

Let us look at how it works. For starters, it is clear that cus-

tomers are demanding managed print services and that tells

you a lot about its inevitability. At most companies, nobody

tracks the aftermarket costs of a printer, for example. But

increasingly, modern corporate offices, trying to wring profit or

minimize losses out of every corner of their operations, are

closely monitoring the cost of supplies and other similar

spending and they would not mind reducing the number of

contracts involved, too. IT professionals are increasingly

finding themselves burdened with troubleshooting responsibil-

ities, including the mundane — fixing

paper jams, for example, when they

really need to focus on what is most

important: making sure the network

runs, period.

The result? More and more compa-

nies are looking for someone to devel-

op, implement and support their

print-services networks (i.e., assess

their print behavior across all devices, then manage their

peripherals, even to the point of designing comprehensive

usage schemes that maximize productivity and cut costs,

while taking the heat off of company IT departments and help

desks). In managed print services, a dealership can count

clicks and discover that Department A does not really need

that fourth printer, but Department B does need it. In fact,

Department B needs an extra one — maybe even a brand-new

one. That said, the dealership now has the opportunity to

maintain and service both peripherals under contract.

Think of how valuable a dealer could be. In a true managed

print services environment, a customer receives a call from

their dealer, who, thanks to a number of state-of-the-art

remote management software programs available today, will

tell them that a printer is down when the customer may not

even know that is the case. It could be a printer by the

accounting department that is used once or twice a month,

but when it is needed, it is needed badly. With this advanced

software, dealers will know when toner levels are low and can

automatically send replenishments based on activity. The cus-

tomer is not loaded up with a whole closet of toner containers

they do not need; the dealer is now handling all of that.

Managed print services can track how well each peripheral

device is operating on the network and can proactively take

care of issues before a customer knows something is wrong,

making the dealer look great.

Put more holistically, a dealership that can offer an inte-

grated fleet-management approach — a package of hardware,

software, services, simplified billing and support — is a dealer-

ship with a considerable competitive advantage, not to men-

tion one with a consistent annuity stream, capturing all of the

customer’s consumables and service revenues.

Managed Print ServicesIntegrating the strategic model in your dealership

by: Kevin Flood, Kyocera Mita America Inc.

PRINCIPAL ISSUES


Flood Oct 08:Flood Oct 08 10/3/08 1:25 PM Page 26

How much revenue are we talking about,

anyway? The general rule of thumb is that

for every MFP in the field, there are six

printers “freelancing” their days away, gen-

erally unmanaged and unaccounted for. For

every page a dealership captures, another

six are out there waiting to be captured. So if

you have a mid-sized dealership with a

5,000-unit multifunctional-product installed

base, this means you have an opportunity

the size of 30,000 potential printer unit upgrades resident in your

account base. If each printer generates only 3,000 prints per

month, the potential click base in this example’s dealership-cap-

tured MFP base is approximately 1.1 billion annual clicks. If you

are this dealer, multiply 1.1 billion clicks by your MFP service-

and-supply rate. How many new account customers would you

have to sell MFPs to to equal that opportunity?

What makes managed print services so special is that your

revenue grows while your customers save money. It is win-win.

The more your customers save, the more they are pleased with

their increased fleet productivity and the more likely your

dealership revenue will grow. (And note that, while managed

print services dealerships may not have sold the products they

are maintaining and servicing, they will eventually have the

opportunity to generate high-quality replacement sales as cus-

tomers’ lease agreements for existing infrastructure end. This

should expand dealership profit margins as service costs are

minimized and soft costs are consolidated.)

Naturally, a business model that works so well is bound to

draw many practitioners. The movement to managed print

services has already begun in earnest. Traditional copier and

MFP dealers are squaring off against IT resellers, big direct

players like Dell and Xerox and full-product-line manufac-

turers like Lexmark and HP. Even the more progressive “re-

man” toner companies are making their presence felt. They

see what is at stake and they are actively pursuing the market

share that could be yours. While much of the demand for

managed print services is client-driven, solutions providers

are savvy enough to go after clients with proactive contracts

for software services such as meter-reading, consumables

tracking and replacement, direct invoicing and even service

monitoring. This automation leads to lower overhead costs —

and to dealership competitors offering customers highly com-

petitive CPP contracts.

Do not despair though, even if you are currently behind the

trend. Dealers who are just looking to enter the managed

print services market and are unclear on where to start can

catch up by following these tips:

� First, evaluate your customer base

and determine which customers can best

take advantage of deploying managed

print services within their organizations.

Help them understand the value proposi-

tions associated with this strategy and

how you, as their trusted dealer and

partner, will help them through this ulti-

mate cost-savings transition.

� Second, determine how your business can accommodate

this shift in business-model strategy and approach. Should

you set up a separate sales group? You could hire a whole sep-

arate team of anywhere from one to multiple people to focus

only on managed print services. You could take your best reps

from inside and ask them to shift a certain percentage of their

time to this approach. Or you could just create an in-house

team. There is no one clear-cut strategy, but know that

managed print services is radically different from anything

you have experienced before.

Instead of focusing on trying to push new product out the

door every day, you will find yourself telling your reps not to

worry so much about selling a box and not to worry about

trying to meet their quotas. And for salespeople, compensation

has to shift from selling the box to include some percentage of

the aftermarket revenue, which arguably is the province of your

dealership’s service side. That is a real disconnect with the

existing business model and it can upset staff fairly easily. So

look for a comfortable fit with your vision of your company —

and who you partner with — before you migrate.

� Third, before moving to managed print services, educate

yourself if at all possible. There are Web sites that offer online

information, as well as training options through the Business

Technology Association and other types of organizations. You

can also look to manufacturers that understand and are sup-

porting the education of their dealers.

� Finally, perhaps the most important piece of advice is to

remember that you are no longer just selling a box, but pro-

viding a solution. In effect, your salespeople will become

service consultants. This is a major shift in sales strategy —

one where you as a dealer make more money, but only over

time, not on the day you go in the door. That

is a change, but a change you can handle. �Kevin Flood is vice president of sales for

Kyocera Mita America Inc. He can be reached at

[email protected].

Visit www.kyoceramita.com.

The more your customerssave, the more they are pleased with their increased fleet productivity and the morelikely your dealership revenue will grow.


Flood Oct 08:Flood Oct 08 10/3/08 1:25 PM Page 27

Our basic premise is that the goal

of sales is to defeat the com-

petitor by gaining uncontested

ownership of the mind of the customer.

To illustrate this point, let us use a mili-

tary analogy:

� The Date: A distant time in history

�The Place: A battlefield far away

�The Setting: A general views the bat-

tlefield to decide his plan of attack. If he

chooses well and deploys his forces effec-

tively, he stands a good chance of carrying

the day — but only if he is correct.

� The Situation: His scouts tell him

that the enemy is strong in the center and

on the left flank, but weak on the right.

� The Question: Should he attack

the right or should he strengthen his

defenses against the center and left?

� The Answer: Attacking the right is

the best strategy. Breaching the enemy’s

lines and gaining a “beachhead” not only gives him competi-

tive advantage, it becomes a strength or “stronghold” from

which he can launch further campaigns or attacks. Alterna-

tively, setting up defensive positions buys him little or nothing.

To win, the general must be proactive, not reactive.

Now let us look at a real-life sales scenario:

� The Date: Today

� The Place: A competitive sales opportunity at a prospect

in your territory

� The Setting: The sales representative plans the selling

strategy against his (or her) strongest and most entrenched

competitor to win and secure this opportunity.

� The Situation: The customer tells the rep that the com-

petitor is strong on price and product performance, but very

weak on support. The rep is at parity on price and product, but

offers excellent support.

� The Question: Should the rep “attack” on support or

defend on price and product? Why?

Later that same day…

� The Place: The customer’s office

� The Situation: Earlier, the cus-

tomer told the rep that the competitor

is strong on price and product perform-

ance, but weak on support

� What the Rep Did: He defended his

parity on price and product performance

to show the customer he was as good or

better than his competitor. He also men-

tioned he offered good service.

D id th e rep gain a comp etit ive

advantage? The answer is “no.”

So what should he have done? He

had a clear advantage in ser vice

support, which he managed to neu-

tralize. He should have stressed his

service advantage and built up the

importance of the economic and opera-

tional impact that a responsive and reli-

able service organization can have on

the customer’s business.

Again, competitive selling is about

being proactive, not reactive. Competitive selling is about

finding a place or a niche to win the attention of the customer.

This niche must be strong enough to win the deal over parity

in other areas or over a disadvantage. That niche may be a

core advantage or strength we offer that cannot be equaled by

the competitor or an undefended competitor weakness (such

as a weak flank). The sales strategy is to proactively make our

niche advantage important to the customer so they see the

economic advantage and benefit of our proposition.

The Core AdvantageEvery company and every sales rep has a core advantage —

that is, a niche where they are most valued by their customers.

The only successful sales strategy that results in share, profit

and market gains is a proactive sales campaign and it leverages

a company’s core advantage. The task of the sales rep and mar-

keter is to find prospects and customers to whom the core

advantage will matter and focus their sales efforts accordingly,

i.e., where to aim the cannons to gain maximum benefit.

Here is a short but critical list of key questions to ask yourself:

Competitive Selling StrategiesThe campaign for the mind of the customer

by: Tom Kramer, CATALYST Performance Learning


SELLING SOLUTIONS

Kramer Oct 08:Kramer Oct 08 10/3/08 1:29 PM Page 26

� What is your core advantage?

� To whom does it matter?

� What is your proactive plan?

Finding Your CoreWhen engaged in the process of finding

your core, you need to analyze your com-

petitor and realize that:

� They are in business because they

have customers.

� Their customers do business with them because they

believe they offer the best value.

� Their customers understand their value proposition and

believe that it is better than yours.

� Your competitor is a lot like you — probably not much

better and not much worse.

� Lowest price is not the “universal reason” your competi-

tion wins business (despite what you might think).

Competitive Analysis: The QuestionWhat are your competitors’ perceived value propositions?

The best and most direct way to discover these value proposi-

tions is to ask the customer directly. For example, you might

ask, “I know that you buy from (competitor’s name). Would

you tell me what it is that they did to earn and keep your busi-

ness? This is the only way that I can figure out if I really have

something to offer you that will make sense.”

Frankly, this is the only way you can compete on something

other than assumptions.

The Competitive OffsetWhat are the value propositions that you offer that clearly

offset those of your competitors? When you are conducting

this analysis, you should look for core

advantages or niches that you can proac-

tively leverage. Consider things such as

how you compare to your competitor in

the following areas: strengths and estab-

lished value, transactional parity and

weaknesses.

SummaryWe began by stating that the goal of

sales is to defeat the competition by gaining uncontested

ownership of the mind of the customer. Here is a brief

summary of the ideas expressed and the things you can do to

achieve your goal:

� Competitive selling is about being proactive, not reactive.

� Competitive selling is about finding a place or niche to

win the attention of the customer. That is, a niche that is

strong enough to win the deal over parity in other areas or

(even) over a disadvantage.

� Your niche may be a core advantage or strength that you

offer that cannot be equaled by the competitor. Or, it can be a

competitor’s weakness that is undefended.

Your sales strategy is to proactively make your niche advan-

tage important to the customer. �Tom Kramer is an affiliate partner of CATALYST Performance

Learning ( formerly Strategy Mapping Selling).

He has more than 30 years of sales, sales

management and marketing experience

with IBM, Eastman Kodak Co.

and Canon U.S.A. Inc.

He can be reached at

[email protected].

Visit www.catalyst2performance.com.


Competitive selling isabout finding a placeor niche to win the attention of the customer.That is, a niche that isstrong enough to winthe deal over parity ...

ADVERTISER INDEX

17 • American PrintWare

(949) 488-2222 / www.apwi.com

22 • Ames Supply Company

(800) 323-3856 / (630) 964-2440 / www.amessupply.com

3 • BTA ProFinance / BTA Print Management

(800) 843-5059 / www.bta.org

2 • BTA Southeast

(800) 234-8996 / www.btasoutheast.org

31 • Business Products Council Association

(800) 897-0250 / www.businessproductscouncil.org

11 • Digital Gateway

(866) 342-8392 / www.digitalgateway.com

5 • DocuWare

(888) 565-5907 / www.docuware.com

15 • ECi

(866) 374-3221 / www.eci2.com

32 • GreatAmerica Leasing Corp.

(800) 234-8787 / www.greatamerica.com

9 • InkCycle

(800) 736-8877 / www.inkcycle.com / www.grenk.us.com

13 • Miracle Service

(866) 639-3681 / www.miracleservice.com

7 • Muratec America Inc.

(469) 429-3481 / www.muratec.com

Kramer Oct 08:Kramer Oct 08 10/3/08 1:29 PM Page 27

The BPCA was founded in 1963 with the vision of

forming a best practices organization that unites

leaders of independently-owned office equipment

dealers. The concept is quite simple - bring the

leaders of these companies together so that they

can share ideas, learn from each other, and take

their businesses to the next level.

Our members will attest that it’s well worth the

investment by making each of them better leaders

and bringing more value to their dealerships.

Feel like there’s something missing from your

organization? Let BPCA bring together all the

pieces of the puzzle.

Piecing Ideas Together.

If you’d like more information about our

organization and how to join, please send

us an email or give us a call.

Phone: 800.897.0250

Email: [email protected]

Website:

www.businessproductscouncil.org

Membership Director BPCA

c/o BTA

12411 Wornall Road

Kansas City, MO 64145

“Better Dealers Through

Learning and Idea

Exchange.”

31OT0107 12/18/06 2:51 PM Page 1

PRSRT STDU.S. Postage PaidEaston, PA 18042

Permit #31 Office Technology MagazineBusiness Technology Association 12411 Wornall RoadKansas City, MO 64145(816) 941-3100www.officetechnologymag.comwww.bta.org

800.234.8787 | www.greatamerica.com

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