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Print.IT Reseller
scanning
14
01732 759725
We are not seeing the
reduction in print volumes
that are often recorded in
the press ...
Matt Goodall, Service Director
Office Evolution
...resellers must look for
ways to produce revenues
from other means, as printing
volumes continue to show
signs of decline
Mark Smyth, Operations Director , Vision
feeder and scanner sections,” he said.
“As a company we have chosen not to
charge for scanning at present. We are not
seeing the reduction in print volumes that
are often recorded in the press and as such
we feel that any increase in cost to our
customers could lead to them reviewing
their charges from us. This of course could
involve them asking alternative suppliers
to quote, a situation that all copier dealers
try to avoid.
“If scanning is used in greater volumes
than copying and printing then, of course,
we need to look at our charging structure.
Many machines record scan counts but not
the split between which of these end up as
hard copy and which are kept for archiving
purposes, which can make charging for
scans difficult to quantify.”
He added: “Scanning and archiving
software from Develop can be purchased
with a pre-determined volume of scans
included, so cost recovery can be achieved
at this point, thus avoiding the need for
a scan-by-scan charge. With modern
business MFPs scanning at speeds of 170
ipm the desirability to use the office copier
over a bespoke scanner will only increase.
The question remains ‘should I charge for it
individually, include it in my cost per copy
or just weather the cost within my current
charging structure?’.”
Too late in the day?
Manchester-based COS NW is another
dealer who has yet to bill customers for
scanning. Managing Director John Gripton
said: “We don’t charge. We have looked at
it but have up until now refrained. It’s a bit
like closing the stable door after the horse
has bolted.
“However, if we know right at the
start of a new relationship that digitising
documents is a key part of workflow and
that scanned pages are likely to be high,
then we will speak to customers about
including additional cover on document
feeders. There’s no getting away from the
fact that high volume scanning does cause
additional wear and tear on the scan head
and document feeder and, of course, that
has an effect on the number of service
call-outs we make.
“When faced with a situation where
a customer is doing thousands of scans
but very few print-outs, we have to ensure
that the contract we provide is viable. Do
we have the facility to charge? Yes we do.
But so far we’ve taken the view not to.
That may change depending on individual
clients’ needs. If we’re in a position where
the scanning function is overused, then
we’ll sit down and negotiate a solution,”
he said.
Jury is still out
Mark Smyth, Operations Director, Vision
says that the jury is still out on charging
per scan. “In the meantime, resellers must
look for ways to produce revenues from
other means, as printing volumes continue
to show signs of decline. One way to do
this is with added software and solutions
that become enablers for the MFP and
which can command additional revenue
streams – although some resellers are all
too quick to simply provide these free of
charge,” he said.
“Some manufactures provide added
value software free of charge but costs
must not be under-estimated, as software
products often still require professional
set-up and ongoing support. I have always
believed clients fail to see any value when
it’s free and there is a cost to the reseller
with the provision of implementation and
support.
“Some may argue some software and
solutions where scanning is concerned
actually generate increased printing output
and therefore revenues, but this can be
difficult to determine and track. Simply
charging for scans may appear an obvious
move, but it really needs to be adopted
by more resellers, not the minority, and at
consistent rates,” he said.
www.ricoh.co.uk
www.balreed.com
www.united-carlton.co.uk
www.officeevolution.co.uk
www.cos-nw.com
www.visionplc.co.uk
...continued
...where a
customer
is doing
thousands of
scans but very
few print-
outs, we have
to ensure that
the contract
we provide is
viable.
John Gripton,
Managing Director
COS NW