I have not always been a digital marketing native. I started in marketing and advertising in the early 2000s and eventually became in charge of creating print advertisements, printable brochures and flyers as well as printed newsletters. But I did have one big advantage over my print-friendly colleagues – for the purpose of maintaining her privacy, I will call her Elyse.
Elyse was our company’s webmaster, and my good friend. We shared a passion for content creation and marketing and would sometimes sit for hours, not only brainstorming effective print content, but also web content. It is from Elyse that I first heard about Google Analytics and metadata as well as the importance of SEO.
Through those talks, and later through its implementation, I quickly came to realize that digital media had a distinct advantage over print. If there was a need for a change to the content, you didn’t have to make a frantic run to the print shop, it was easy enough to make the change on the fly and simply re-upload it. Digital media had another excellent advantage – big data. Using big data allowed...
Lot's to discuss - Good talent is difficult to attract, titles mean things, MpS is still alive, myself, West, and Ken will talk to these and much more - in less than 32.5 minutes.
This is a GREAT illustration of the stark dichotomy of our industry - OEM v Dealer.
You know this, and live this - for decades, the OEMs drove the industry(which is natural) and in doing so, ignored until the very last every issue that diminished the sale of hardware.
Influence has been shifting for a decade as customers find better ways to move data within and outside of their organization without a big copier in the hallway.
The Fear of Covid kicked the transformation into hyper-drive, leaving the OEMs in the rearview mirror.
This week, there is more content around employment, and the insistence of returning to the office by management, ownership, and the C-Suite. The transition back to the cube is experiencing resistance as the negatives of supporting two offices begin to take hold.
#Apple employees petition for more flexibility, as businesses get back to 'business', occupancy rates across the country continue a slow regression.
#Austin, Texas is reported to be on the office space recovery. This is a mirage. The increase is tied to the return of government workers.
It has always been my opinion that ECom is NOT a panacea nor is it a threat.
ECom is a stepping stone; one of many Influences within the New MpS Partnership Ecosystem.
"When considering the inventory challenges that dealers and MPS providers are currently facing, it’s important to understand that they’re not unique to the channel and these customers would be challenged to find available printer inventory to purchase online or in-store as well..."
"It is a term that describes – relatively accurately – a state in which partnered businesses interact with each other on an equal footing. Although this describes partnerships in the past, the identification and quantification of this situation are significant. It represents a shift in how partnerships are seen by analysts." - AllTopStartups
Jay McBain has been evangelizing this structure for years. If you don't know about Jay, Googlitize his name and check it out.
###
The DOTC Partnership Ecosystem consists of 12 primary categories, plus one for Clients settling on 13 total Influences.
Within each Influence, there is at least one Influencer. An array of Influences work with a customer-facing entity, typically, the Dealer. All Influencers have sway on the customer experience. When the system is aligned, powerful solutions are successfully brought to market, solving real-world business problems.
This model represents a closely connected network of resources and providers similar to the structure of Market Places.
OK let's quickly explore the Influences within a DOTC Managed Print Services partnership ecosystem:
This week the "Suck ups" at work still suck but #WFH is softening the blow.
Social Media and freedom of speech are big subjects. Musk isn't the only one purchasing stock - Carl dips into the Xerox pool, twice in April.
Twitter is in the process of being purchased as one side of the aisle gains ten's of thousands of followers overnight while the other side loses thousands. Meanwhile, Twitter, for the second time, admits to overestimating the number of subscribers - Twitter utilizes a proprietary algorithm to calculate "active users".
The 'Twitter Experience' is shedding light on the entire social media construct. From Twitter to Google, to FaceBook, the sheen is off the rose as Musk may crack open the entire SEO/algorithm/fact-checking/shadow banning/account suspension schemes from ALL the platforms.
In more media news, the Biden administration rolled out its, “Disinformation Governance Board” under the Department of Homeland Security a move that has been in the works.
The timing is kismet.
On the WorkFromAnywhere front, studies continue to support increased productivity and profits generated during the great Covid lockdowns as the argument for employees returning to the cubicle grows louder. Critics and observers are citing negative psychological, economic, and diversification impacts of the #WFH movement.
Your MPSA published 10 points of the "2022 Print Industry Trends" by Louella Fernandes, great over the horizon points.
The managed print services (MPS) renaissance of 2022 rolls on, and it got me thinking: What’s the difference between then and now?
Let’s compare, shall we?
2007 – That Was Then
OEMs – Believe it or not, few OEMs had viable MPS practices, departments, or divisions. If an idea did not perpetuate or drag copier devices with the sale, it was not considered.
Supplies – This sector asserted to have been in managed print services for 20 years, which of course was impossible. This claim was an indicator of how the industry was going to equate MPS with selling supplies.
Dealers – Resellers were dubious and at times hostile to the concept of managed print services. The first rule of MPS was “reduce the cost of print,” which quickly translated into lower revenue. More importantly, MPS negatively impacted the golden goose – service revenue. A sales mantra was, “We can reduce the costs associated with your print by 30%.” Who in their right mind would knowingly reduce revenue by 30%?
The #RTO return to office movement chugs along, policies are being drawn up - some stacked against the employee. Big Blue is using Slack to wedge into the hybrid model - irony as IBM is a foundational member of the Work in the Office model.
If there is one word that describes the copier industry it is "resiliency", three groups of work from anywhere employees are developing and of all things, managed print services is still your leverage point into the future.
With all that's going on in the world, deja vu is all over the place:
The Russians/Soviets are the enemy, again.
The word "Stagflation" is being used, again.
Gasoline prices are through the roof, again.
Interest rates getting to double digits, again.
Huge political turmoil, again.
Abortion rights in the news, again.
The President of the United States is international befuddlement, again.
The US is in a proxy war, halfway across the world, again.
Back to the 70s -
Then-President Jimmy Carter got on national television, all three channels, and told citizens of the greatest nation in history to "turn down" thermostats to conserve energy. Gas prices crept up to 86 cents after a decade of below 40 cents per gallon.
The national speed limit went from 75 to 55MPH for the dual purpose to conserve fuel and saving lives. Studies reveal the latter did not occur.
Euthanasia, Karen Quinlan, Save the Whales, abortion, and No Nukes were the social issues of the day.
Japan was taking business away from the Big Three automakers, and Detroit was in an economic tailspin. "Stagflation" ruled and everyone was afraid of the Soviet Union.
Hostages in Iran, Marines died in the desert in a failed rescue attempt.
Are we in a Billy Joel video? No. No, we are not.
But we, a Nation, have been here before and we will be here again and again. It was bad back then in the 70s. It was bad in the 60s. Some say it's bad right now.
It is nothing new and we'll get through this, like your parents and your parents, parents did.
The beer on tap in the break room, blue jean Fridays, Taco Tuesdays, donuts after 5 PM, foosball, espresso machines, company BBQ, and EXTRAVAGANT, high-budget Christmas parties are all velvet handcuffs.
Don't get me wrong - I HAPPILY ENJOYED every cup of fresh brewed, every single company-sponsored, 12 Martini lunch, each trip, shot, and a slab of meat provided.
I did and I would again.
But I understood the assignment - and the game - and appreciated it in the manner it is offered.
The Cinco De Mayo lunch is a payoff.
The breakfast just before a technology show is a payoff.
The client appreciation dinner is a payoff.
Tickets to the Bucks game? Not just a playoff. You guessed it, payoff.
Managed Print Services has been around for decades and as a concept offers the opportunity to expand beyond the printed document. It always has been.
Things change, they always do, and this is true for managed print services. I was involved with developing an MpS model back in 2007 and again later, twice, with the MPSA.
There is no wrong model - there's just a more 'right' model. Mine. Which is now yours.
The typical, status quo MPS model stands on three basic phases, "Control", "Optimize" and "Enhance" and is progressed sequentially, with a Beginning and a Terminus.
I never liked it as a step-by-step process. Managed print Services is an ongoing system - what today we call a "flywheel".
So when looking at the above illustration, you'll notice there are no arrows. Sure, the hexagons sport numerals, and yes, you must start with Hex"00" and bounce through the remaining areas, but the process can move from 02 to 01 to 03; non-sequential.
Here is your new and improved MpS Renaissance Model, Z22:
On a hot August, Florida evening in 1977, my family and I stood in line.
My father never liked standing in line, but if you've been to Florida on a family vacation, standing in line is ubiquitous - in line at Disney, in line for dinner, in a line of traffic - the trip down I-75 was a continuous line into a world of lines.
This night was different, we were standing in line to see something we could have seen back in Westland but the buzz rivaled Space Mountain.
For the first and last time, my family and I would stand in a line to see a movie. In the land of the Mouse, the family Walters was waiting to see a movie called "Star Wars".
The critics were not happy, calling out shallow characters, and a predictable, "Arthurian" plotline.
The critics didn't know squat.
When it was all said and done, some movie-goers will have sat and watched this movie 50, 60 times. In a theater.
Lunch boxes, Christmas specials and you know the rest.
Over the next few years, I would see the same movie five times, read the book dozens of times, and listen to the entire soundtrack before each and every Highschool football game. (I'm told I sounded like a Tie Fighter coming through the line. This I do not remember)
Back then, in 9th grade, I was lucky enough to have a film class. In film class, we made a movie.
I had no idea how to make a movie(8MM, black and white, no sound) All I knew was that film is an easy "A".
A buddy and I sat on the floor of the school and scooted around on our butts while the brains of the operation filmed us. Up one square, click. Another square, 'click'. This went on for 9 weeks. It was stop-action and we raced around the halls zooming every which way...
At the end of the semester, our film was the best in class. Although the writer, director, cameraman, and editor did all the work(one guy) each of us received an A.
Fast forward about 20 years, I am watching the making of Phantom Menace when I recognize a face on the screen - there was the guy who made the movie back in 9th grade. Doug Chiang. I fell out of my chair.
Doug has gone on to win multiple Oscars working with GL and the ILM.
My one claim to fame in Hollywood is staring in Doug's first feature film. His people have not returned my people's many calls. :-)
Happy May the Fourth!
Doug Chiang, whose first movie I starred in, and some other dude.
While researching/roaming the inter-webs I find interesting, #Evernote worthy, pieces. Here are a few transformational tidbits, webcasts, and content vetted by me, for you.
#WorkRemote, get paid less? The battle dividing offices will define the future of work
| US work & careers | The Guardian
"In addition, up to half of America’s jobs are projected to be freelance by 2030 and two-thirds of employers now regard some form of remote work or hybrid work as “the new norm”. Many companies are declaring themselves “fully remote”, giving them a competitive edge over those requiring presenteeism."
Back in 2007, MpS was new, on the edge, and a bit contrarian. The year was 2007, copiers were flying off
the shelf, and everybody signed a 60-month lease with an accompanying service agreement. A4 was a dirty word.
MpS didn’t flourish it sputtered and more often failed. Stories
of fallen MPS practices outnumbered the successful.
I, myself, declared
MpS dead in 2011 because the discipline became adulterated into the lowest
price possible. The race to the bottom was inevitable.
Today, I look upon the contemporary MpS ecosystem and see customers
calling dealers looking to sign MpS contracts, more MpS press coverage,
INCREASED membership in your MPSA,
ridicule, and criticism from industry "pundits" and “shills” it’s
beginning to feel like the ‘good old days.
Sorta. My optimism is cautionary.
Thirty-eight percent told us that companies supplied VoIP phone equipment or reimbursed an employee for obtaining that equipment. Interestingly, more than half of the survey takers said their company did not require this equipment.
Almost half of survey takers said their company supplied printers or MFPs along with the ink or toner to work from home. However, more than a third told us their company did not require this kind of equipment or supplies as they worked from home.
Castor. Six-star system. Castor is a multiple star system made up of six individual stars; there are three visual components, all of which are spectroscopic binaries.
From Cubicles to Constellations: The Future of Work in Six Shining Points
The future of workingfrom home (WFH) is outlined through six key insights, signaling a shift in the modern working paradigm. The article portrays a landscape where traditional models are fading, and a new virtual frontier is emerging.
The Hybrid Work Trap: Oscillating between home and office is highlighted as a stressful and inefficient process, questioning the logic behind maintaining two working environments.
The Unleashed Worker: This concept illustrates the newfound freedom to work for multiple companies, enabling a diversified and dynamic professional life.
Remote Workers as Urban Saviors: By embracing WFH, cities can transform into hubs that support remote work, with amenities like fast internet and affordable living spaces, thus sparking urban revitalization.
Together, these points sketch a future where work is not confined to a physical place but is an adaptable, flexible, and innovative way of living and contributing.
_________
1. The #HybridWork model is a trap.
It is more stressful and less productive to switch back and forth from working at home to working in a cube. Why commute only to sit in on another Zoom meeting? Why support TWO sets of technology and if you're still paper-bound, why lug files and 3-rings back and forth between offices?
I’ve been saying this from the beginning, management, upper management and C Level people must be shaking in their boots as decades of redundancy and inefficiency come to light under remote working.
Productivity went UP and employees are happier.
What will be improved by RTO?
If you say productivity, you’re ignoring facts. When you say ‘culture’ you are manipulative and transparent.
People may come back to the plantation but they won’t be happy about it.
All the Blue Jean Fridays, 2% raises, & ping pong tables, won’t make up for the cold dinners, missed recitals, chaotic schedules for doctor and vet appointments, and boorish coworkers.
Of course, there are people who WANT to get back to an office - there always are.
The argument is self-centered concentrating on a"community" based on employer location, not the employees'.
Google has 9.5 billion reasons to keep knowledge workers on the plantation - not a sense of community.
From the article:
"Pichai says Google is spending $9.5 billion on offices and data centers this year...
Pichai points out another overlooked reason for returning to the office. The physical space your business occupies provides a "vital anchor" to your local community. It creates a connection that doesn't exist with a distributed team working in different places.
How about this guy...the absolute literal definition of "F*ck ewe $":
“I invested in Twitter as I believe in its potential to be the platform for free speech around the globe, and I believe free speech is a societal imperative for a functioning democracy. As a result, I am offering to buy 100% of Twitter for $54.20 per share in cash, a 54% premium over the day before I began investing in Twitter, and a 38% premium over the day before my investment was publicly announced,”.
“My offer is my best and final offer and if it is not accepted, I would need to reconsider my position as a shareholder.”
...and heads blow up all over the world...next on the block?
FaceBook. After that? Universities/higher education.
Twitter is no different than FB or Google(Meta or Alphabet).
Consider Musk as a player in the MetaVerse. Giving everyone on the planet a shared experience through telepresence, of a walk on Mars.
I was reading how Amazon employees voted to unionize at one DC and it got me thinking about robots. Robots don't vote. Or strike. Or catch Covid...or even spread Covid.
Then I read about it will be another ten years before "fully automated shipping warehouses" are a thing.
"The Luddite fallacy is the simple observation that new technology does not lead to higher overall unemployment in the economy. New technology doesn’t destroy jobs – it only changes the composition of jobs in the economy.
Historical background
The Luddites were a group of English textile workers who violently destroyed machines. They broke up power looms because they feared that these new machines were taking their jobs and livelihoods.
Against the backdrop of the economic hardship following the Napoleonic wars, new automated looms meant clothing could be made with fewer lower-skilled workers. The new machines were more productive, but some workers lost their relatively highly paid jobs as a result. It was this unemployment of former skilled workers which led to the industrial unrest and direct action."
Unions at Amazon. Musk, the once Hero of Technology, bought Twitter (the employees go nuts), and teachers acted badly - 1200 bodies of civilians in Ukraine.
Unions are on their last breath -Robots will not participate in a Great Resignation. Nothing is going to stop Alexa, Cortana, or Siri.
Or catch Covid or spread Covid, for that matter. Robots don't mind the commute, need few employee benefits, work three shifts, and couldn't care less about "Blue Jean Friday" or "Taco Tuesday".
Robots hate corporate picnics
Of course, robots may break down or need routine service - but that's what Service Drones are for.
Hailing from Detroit, I know a bit about unions - maybe no more than you, but most of my friends' fathers were either in or despised unions.
All I need say is "Jimmy Hoffa" and watch for the response. Either you know or you don't.
Today, 2022, unions are making one last grab at members as the times are skewed towards the employees. The Great Resignation is upon us, 24 months of Covid scare has illuminated for most the futility of empty work and little recognition.
Folks "on the line" are motivated into hating ownership, C-level executives, management, and stockholders. If not hate then at least envy.
.gif)
.gif)
.jpg)
