Service Point’s UK division gaining traction with PrintNet, SP’s “Web2Print” application. Service Point recently announced two major “scores” in the education and public sectors. For SP UK’s recent “scores”, see “Press Releases” in latter part of this post.
Although many consider Service Point to be a “reprographics” enterprise (a good portion of its revenues do come from Sales to business in the A/E/C Industry), Service Point is a diversified print, imaging and reprographics company, and Service Point, in an effort to grow in spite of the recession that severely impacted it’s A/E/C industry revenues, has been pushing forward its initiatives in Web-2-Print applications to gain traction in public, education and finance sectors.
Reprographers who are looking for ways to grow their businesses, beyond A/E/C industry revenues, should, I think, take the time to read-up on what Service Point is doing to generate non-AEC business.
Here’s some of what SP UK says on its web-site about Web-2-Print
Web-2-Print made simple...
Like to access your print online and be able to manage it as well?
Web-2-Print is exactly that - a new and incredibly convenient way to order, manage and budget for all of your business print requirements, both online and on your desktop. Service Point is delighted to launch the PrintNet range of tools (the evolution of our ReproNet print ordering system). Combined they create a ground-breaking approach to Web-2-Print: a selection of options that gives your organisation true choices in the development of your very own internal online print strategy.
Low impact
PrintNet Web-2-Print is available in three levels of service - each level is developed to help you evolve your online print activity at your own pace. Buying online is also a great way to lower the impact on our environment and your budget as well.
· PrintNetLite – online print ordering
· PrintNetPro – online print management
· PrintNetPlus – online print & document management
In both of the Press Releases you’ll see below, Service Point uses the term “tender process”. The “tender process” in Europe is what we in the U.S. refer to as the “bid process.”
When U.S. government sector and education sector “customers” hold procurements for printing, imaging and reprographics services, they generally issue “RFP’’s” (Request for Proposals) or “ITB’s” (Invitations to Bid) to prospective proposer/bidders, and “price” is generally (but not always) a major factor in determining which proposer/bidder wins a procurement. I don’t profess to know how important “price” is to public sector “customers” in the UK. If Service Point UK won these procurements (the ones they mention in the press releases below) because SP UK was the “low bidder”, then that would mean that SP UK is being very aggressive with its pricing, which could negatively impact gross margins on a forward basis. But, if SP UK’s recent tender wins were won because of superior technology and service (whether real or perceived) and SP UK’s prices were not all that low, then all should consider these recent wins to be major scores.
Of the many rules out there about being successful in business, three are very important standouts to me:
(1) make it easy for customers to do business with you!
(2) develop (or acquire) and implement technology applications that support rule #1.
(3) if you are successful with one public-sector customer because the way you serve customers is perceived (by customers) to be superior (including, but not limited to technology applications), then don’t keep it a secret; aggressively push it out to other similar customers
Service Point UK is mindful of those rules. Congrats to SP UK’s team on their recent public sector scores.
In a recent post on the PEiR Group Point of View blog, Shaun Meany, President of ARC’s PEiR Group, began the year by posting food for thought about what reprographers should be thinking about to grow their businesses. Keep that in mind as you read these Service Point Press Releases.
One company in the U.S. has, in my opinion, a standout business model – Mimeo.com. (I’m not saying that other companies don’t have standout business models, I’m “just saying” that Mimeo.com’s is outstanding. Mimeo.com makes it “ever-so-simple” for customers to do business with them, and the technology applications they’ve developed and implemented are totally awesome.
__________________
Extracted from recent Press Releases issued by Service Point Solutions (www.servicepoint.net)
__________________
Service Point signs framework agreement with Aston University valued at 900,000 pounds
• The collaboration will run for 3 years plus 1 roll- on year contract
January 26th, 2011 – Service Point Solutions UK signs an agreement with Aston University in valued in 900,000 pounds. The contract will run for 3 years plus roll- on year. This agreement strengthens the position of the company in the educational sector, one of the key targets of the company.
Based in Birmingham - the UK’s 2nd largest city by population - Aston University is one of UK's prominent Universities. Proud of their International reputation for their Business, Language and Engineering studies they support 9000 full time students of which 1500 are over-seas students mainly from China, Asia and the Middle East. Ranked 13th in the UK University listings they are ambitious to enter the top 10 as a preferred destination for UK & Overseas Under and Post Graduates
Service Point UK will supply the full range of Printed Services for: Stationery, Operational and Marketing & Communications collateral in both Lithographic and Digital quality. SPUK has won the sole supply of Printed Business Stationery to be implemented online via SPUK’s PrintNet Web-2-Print system. Cira 250 users form the initial client base growing as the system is rolled out to tutors and key organisational development departments. Simplicity and scalability of solution was essential in the selection of a print partner who could deliver flexible services in response to the client’s changing needs. The combination of SP’s local presence to the University and highly personal print management service delivered conveniently online met the requirement of the tender.
__________________
Service Point UK signs agreement with Bridgend County Borough Council
• SPS UK will provide Web-2-Print services • The contract will run up for 3 years plus 1 year roll-on • The agreement strengthens the position of SPS in the Public Sector
31 January 2011 – The UK subsidiary of Service Point Solutions, S.A. (ticker: SPS.MC) recently signed a framework agreement with Bridgend County Borough Council to provide Web-2-Print services. The contract will run up for 3 years plus 1 roll-on year.
With over 7,500 staff Bridgend is one of the largest employers in the county borough. The Chief Executive has stated that the Council is striving to be a modern organization with a reputation for providing the best services in Wales, achieved through better service delivery and improved performance management and the “Transforming Bridgend” strategic change initiative is in the process of delivering this. To this end aligning with leading strategic business partners for the delivery of exceptional value and quality is critical.
SPUK’s successful bid sees provision of the full range of Printed Services across the organization to include: Business / Operational Stationery and Marketing & Communications collateral on-demand - supplied in both Lithographic and Digital print. As the sole supplier of Printed Business Stationery over 40 users will be able to access their requirements online via the Service Point Web-2-Print solution - PrintNet. Additional services include: Copying, Report and Bid work as well as opportunities with Planning Departments and IT as the relationship evolves. SPUK was judged best supplier in Lithographic and high quality Digital print within the tender process.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment