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CONTENTS Volume 26 • No. 10
FEATURE ARTICLES 10
Dealers Helping Dealers Sharing insight into handling the COVID-19 crisis
P R I N C I PA L I S S U E S ‘Ink Boldly’ Epson hosts inaugural dealer conference
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Compiled by Brent Hoskins Office Technology Magazine
On the date this issue of Office Technology is being sent to the printer, it has been 22 days since President Donald Trump declared a national emergency for the United States in response to the growing impact of COVID-19. During the week of March 23-27, more than 100 dealer members responded to an online survey of questions submitted to the association by fellow dealers seeking insight and guidance into handling the crisis. This article includes many of the responses.
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by Brent Hoskins Office Technology Magazine
Representatives of approximately 100 of Epson America Inc.’s 200plus authorized dealerships gathered March 3-4 at Loews Santa Monica Beach Resort in Santa Monica, California, for the company’s inaugural dealer conference, themed “Ink Boldly.” Epson began building its dealer channel in 2018.
Buying En Masse IBPI hosts annual meeting in Orlando, Florida
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Spring Break BTA Southeast hosts event in Orlando
by Brent Hoskins Office Technology Magazine
Eager to learn more about the products and services of various vendors — and to collect their rebate checks — members of International Business Products Inc. (IBPI) met March 10-12 at Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club Resort in Orlando, Florida. IBPI is a buying group offering members best pricing from vendor partners.
by Elizabeth Marvel Office Technology Magazine
BTA Southeast hosted its Spring Break event March 13-14 at Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club Resort in Orlando, Florida. The event featured a keynote address, “Lead Your Evolution,” presented by Judson Laipply, a motivational speaker and dancer who created “The Evolution of Dance” viral video that has more than one billion views on YouTube. The schedule also included six additional educational sessions, networking time, a welcoming reception, and an afternoon and evening at a Disney theme park.
An Indelible Impression Pulse sees breakthrough in ink technology
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by Chip Miceli Pulse Technology
The print management industry has made some enormous strides in recent years, with advancements in technology virtually redefining what the office technology market has to offer. Just when I think we have seen all of the new product arrivals possible, along comes something new — in this case, a new ink technology.
COURTS & CAPITOLS 20
‘Boss, I’ve Been Arrested’ Dealing with an employee charged with a crime by Bob Goldberg BTA General Counsel
You learn from one of your employees, a third party or the local authorities that an employee has been arrested during off hours. He (or she) is currently incarcerated and unable to report to work. Deciding the proper steps to take after learning this information is complex. Dealing with an employee who has been charged with criminality is a matter of utmost sensitivity. It is critical for employers to do their due diligence in taking all of the necessary measures to assess the situation and arrive at a reasonable decision.
D E PA R T M E N T S Business Technology Association
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• BTA Highlights
6
Executive Director’s Page
8
BTA President’s Message
30
Advertiser Index
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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S PAGE
History Assures Us This Too Shall Pass
I
t is incomprehensible. As I write this, we are all reeling from the shock of the rise of COVID-19 and the effect it is having on our world. The impact on the dealer channel is abundantly clear. A poll taken during a COVID-19 webinar presented by BTA General Counsel Bob Goldberg on March 20 revealed that 20% of the 213 respondents had already laid off employees. By the time Bob presented his second webinar on April 1, 43% of 221 respondents to the same question indicated they had laid off employees. It all seems like the stuff from history books, doesn’t it? I find myself thinking about what I know of the Great Depression, World War II and, somewhat akin to the present situation, the rise of another silent enemy — polio. Of course, there is one common outcome from each of these points in history that must have been viewed by many at the time as insurmountable. They all came to an end. Life went on. Great days followed. COVID-19 will be no different. It’s just a matter of time. While we are confronted with having to live through another dark chapter in history, we all know that great days are ahead. Our economy — and our industry — will come roaring back. Hope will prevail. Livelihoods will be restored. Rest assured, through it all, the Business Technology Association (BTA) will remain vigilant in helping its members in any way possible. If you have not already done so, please visit the BTA COVID-19 Member Resources page on our website at www.bta. org/COVID-19. We are adding to this page daily. We are here for you. On the resources page, there is a feature listed as “Dealers Helping Dealers Q&A.” It includes encouragement and counsel from
your fellow dealers. Below, I share some of what they submitted. Embrace their words. n “We will get through this!” — Tim Renegar, president, Kelly Office Solutions, Winston Salem, North Carolina n “Keep Calm and Copy On!” — Erik Crane, president/CEO, CPI Technologies, Spring field, Missouri n “Stay positive and keep looking up. This too shall pass; hopefully sooner than predicted.” — Cynthia Farmer, president, Texas Office Systems Inc., Hewitt, Texas n “We need to remain calm in the face of adversity. It is going to be a tough road. We have to keep faith and keep the confidence of our employees through this. When we come out on the other side, they will be grateful for our doing so.” — Troy Paterson, co-owner, Copy Systems Inc., Des Moines, Iowa n “We will survive this. Hang in there!” — Keith Black, president, OfficeLinx, Monroe, Louisiana n “If we all pull together, we will get through this. We just need to stay positive and do our part.” — Mike McCurdy, president, Integrated Technologies Inc., Twin Falls, Idaho n “Do the right thing, hunker down and get through this. This will end and we will be back to work soon — remember that!” — Andy Rutledge, operations, Advanced Office Equipment, Sterling, Virginia n “Stay strong, we will get through this!” — Ryan Jones, owner/COO, Advanced Business Systems, Watertown, New York n “I expect we will pull through this and come back strong. I do believe this will change the way we do business in the future.” — Anthony Nami, owner, Prior & Nami Business Systems, Hamilton, New Jersey n “Today’s activities are tomorrow’s memories. So, make today a good day to reflect upon.” — Greg Quirk, CEO, JQ Office Equipment, Omaha, Nebraska n — Brent Hoskins
www.bta.org/COVID-19 As long as necessary, as a means to offer assistance, the Business Technology Association is providing its members with information and counsel to help in handling the COVID-19 pandemic crisis.
Executive Director/BTA Editor/Office Technology Brent Hoskins brent@bta.org (816) 303-4040 Associate Editor Elizabeth Marvel elizabeth@bta.org (816) 303-4060 Contributing Writers Bob Goldberg, General Counsel Business Technology Association Chip Miceli, Pulse Technology www.pulsetechnology.com
Business Technology Association 12411 Wornall Road Kansas City, MO 64145 (816) 941-3100 www.bta.org Member Services: (800) 505-2821 BTA Legal Hotline: (800) 869-6688 Valerie Briseno Marketing Director valerie@bta.org Brian Smith Membership Sales Representative brian@bta.org Photo Credits: Bigstockphoto. Cover created by Bruce Quade, Brand X Studio. ©2020 by the Business Technology Association. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced by any means without the written permission of the publisher. Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of published material. However, the publisher assumes no liability for errors in articles nor are opinions expressed necessarily those of the publisher.
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BTA PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Standing Together, BTA is Here for Us
F
rom the vantage point of the presidency of the Business Technology Association (BTA), I cannot help but think of you — our many members across the country — as we endure the sadness of the loss of life as the result of the COVID-19 pandemic and face the unprecedented challenges to our businesses. These are unchartered waters for all of us. We do not know how long our daily lives will remain upended. We do not know what the ultimate impact will be on our dealerships. What we do know is that there is a beginning, middle and end to everything. This too will end. We have many great days ahead. We are all searching for answers in these difficult times. In your search, do not forget that BTA is here for you. If you have not already done so, I encourage you to visit www. bta.org/COVID-19. There you will find a growing list of member resources. For example, there are links to recordings of three recent BTA webinars focused on helping you address the current challenges. There are also dealer questions and answers from BTA General Counsel Bob Goldberg. In addition, more than 100 dealers have responded to questions asked by their fellow dealers; the questions and answers are accessible via this resource page. As this column is being written, I am becoming increasingly aware of the experiences of others on a daily basis, hearing the stories of fellow dealers. Everyone is impacted, in particular those living under government-mandated stay-at-home orders. While the technology we provide is essential to business, as more and more businesses send their employees home to hunker down and wait this out, the demand for our products
and services, of course, has been hugely impacted. To cite one example, at my dealership, Function4, based in Sugar Land, Texas, we just had a new $120,000 customer shut down; the company is not taking any deliveries. We are not going to get funded on that deal any time soon. To share a little more of my story, it was only a few days back that stay-at-home orders were implemented in the Houston, Texas, area, so we are just starting to see a greater impact at Function4. At this point, only 20% of our employees are working from home. However, the hours worked will likely be adjusted in the coming weeks, particularly with the declining metrics we are seeing. Our supply shipments are down about 70%. Our service calls are currently down about 75%. As this workday comes to a close, among our 22 technicians, we have had only 12 service calls total in 30 counties. It can only go to zero, but each day it is probably 15% or 20% less than it was the day before. I know that many dealers have laid off or furloughed employees. We are hoping to avoid that at Function4. We are obviously not hiring anybody. We have frozen any increases. We are looking at deferring bonuses. Plus, my two partners and I have stopped our salaries for at least the next 60 days. We are trying to do whatever we can do not to lose people. Instead, we know we will be in a better position to resume the momentum of Function4 with most of our staff intact once this all passes. As we endure this together, I wish each of you the very best. Do not forget that BTA is here for you. The association has been providing answers to dealers since 1926, including during other difficult times in our nation’s history. Your association stands ready to help. n — Bob Evans
2019-2020 Board of Directors President Bob Evans Function4 Sugar Land, Texas bobevans@function-4.com President-Elect Tim Renegar Kelly Office Solutions Winston-Salem, North Carolina trenegar@kellyofficesolutions.com Vice President David Polimeni RITE Technology Sarasota, Florida dpolimeni@ritefl.com Immediate Past President John Eckstrom Carolina Business Equipment Inc. Columbia, South Carolina johne@cbesc.com BTA East Don Risser DCS Technologies Corp. Franklin, Ohio don.risser@dcs-tech.com Aaron Rubin Docutrend Imaging Solutions New York City, New York arubin@docutrend.com BTA Mid-America DJ Hastings Hogland Office Equipment Lubbock, Texas dj@hoglandofficeworks.com Mike Nerland Elite Business Systems Sioux Falls, South Dakota miken@elitebusinesssystems.com BTA Southeast Michael Hicks Electronic Business Machines Inc. Lexington, Kentucky mhicks@ebmky.com Adam Gregory Advanced Business Solutions LLC St. Augustine, Florida adam@goabsinc.com BTA West Dan Bombard Yuma Office Equipment Yuma, Arizona daniel@yumaofficeequipment.com Mike McCurdy Integrated Technologies Inc. Twin Falls, Idaho mikem@itechinc.com Ex-Officio/General Counsel Robert C. Goldberg Schoenberg Finkel Newman & Rosenberg LLC Chicago, Illinois robert.goldberg@sfnr.com
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Dealers Helping Dealers Sharing insight into handling the COVID-19 crisis Compiled by: Brent Hoskins, Office Technology Magazine
O
n the date this issue of Office Technology is being sent to the printer, it has been 22 days since President Donald Trump declared a national emergency for the United States in response to the growing impact of COVID-19. Many cities and states have issued stay-at-home orders for all but essential businesses. The situation is changing daily. Currently, many members of the Business Technology Association (BTA) are in geographies where stay-at-home orders are in effect. Many others may find their cities and/or states under the same orders in the coming days or weeks. Regardless, all member dealers are being impacted, many profoundly. Since it was founded in 1926, BTA has been focused on its core objective of dealers helping dealers. In keeping with that objective, during the week of March 23 to March 27, more than 100 dealer members responded to an online BTA survey — questions submitted to the association by their fellow dealers seeking insight and guidance into handling the COVID-19 crisis. Below are many of the responses received. All responses can be found on the BTA COVID-19 Member Resources page on the BTA website, www.bta.org/ COVID-19. Click on the Dealers Helping Dealers Q&A resource on that page. How are you evaluating/tracking your employees’ performance while they are working from home? “We are relying on our managers to continue their normal assessment of KPIs we have set with each individual employee. The managers work closely with supervisors on each team to accomplish this and we are having to provide some additional guidance/exceptions on some of the KPIs that are inherently more difficult to attain in a remote work environment.” Adam Young, director of finance DOCUmation, San Antonio, Texas
“For technicians, we typically look at ‘productive time’ — time spent traveling to or working on customer equipment. During this time, we are looking at ‘accounted time,’ which includes training.” Bart Cornwall, vice president of service Valley Office Systems, Pocatello, Idaho “It is very difficult. We are able to track techs taking computer-based training courses and the calls they do go on. We are able to track sales reps by the activity reports within Compass Sherpa, but who knows how accurate or factual that is. It is almost impossible to track admins and we are doing so by a gut feel for the email activity we see and how frequently or infrequently they call into the office.” Kevin Rothwell, president Rothwell Document Solutions, West Chester, Pennsylvania “Through our CRM system and daily Zoom meetings at the end of the day to recap activity.” Van Seretis, managing partner Premium Digital Office Solutions, Parsippany, New Jersey “Training certificates and calls closed via e-automate.” Josh Ravan, vice president of service Standley Systems, Chickasha, Oklahoma “We discuss pipelines daily and work on creative ways to continue to contact customers and close business. We are also catching up on trainings and other areas that have been passed over when really busy.” Brian Bence, director of sales Shenandoah Valley Office Equipment (SVOE), Verona, Virginia Have you shortened the workweek? If so, how are you handling pay? (Note: 56 dealers replied to this question with simply: “no,” “not yet,” “not at this time,” “N/A,” etc.)
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“We have reduced hours slightly, starting one half-hour later, and closing one half-hour earlier.” Ray Belanger, president Bay Copy, Rockland, Massachusetts “We have not shortened the workweek. If we get a mandatory ‘shelter-inplace’ order, we will furlough all employees, since offices will be closed.” Richard Preston, president Preston Office Solutions, Saint George, Utah
“We placed a large supply order the week before the pandemic was declared, so we are well stocked for supplies. As for equipment, we ... order as needed.”
“We have gone to a three-day and two-day workweek for technicians. They alternate weeks.” Erik Crane, president/CEO CPI Technologies, Springfield, Missouri “We are working coverage schedules where different techs work short schedules so we are covered during business hours.” Daniel Bombard, CEO Yuma Office Equipment, Yuma, Arizona “We are moving all hourly employees to 32 hours per week and are reducing salaried employees’ base salaries by 20%.” Hunter McCarty, executive vice president RJ Young Co., Nashville, Tennessee How are you managing your cash flow? “We are looking to stop our 401(k) match. Possibly cutting hours to 32 hours. Ninety-day pay on payables. Looking at sales folks who are not producing.” Stephen Valenta, president & owner OFFIX, Gainesville, Virginia “We curtailed large buys from manufacturers; working for better terms with them as well.” Tim Renegar, president Kelly Office Solutions, Winston Salem, North Carolina “We are making sure not to pay vendors in advance. Furloughs will be implemented. We are increasing the credit limit on our line of credit. And we are looking into SBA loans.” Lisa Bilski, CFO Cobb Technologies, Glen Allen, Virginia “We are offering a discount for delinquent accounts and have been very successful.” Brad Record, corporate analyst CTWP, Waco, Texas
“We are tightening up on expenses. We also eliminated some monthly subscriptions and non-essential consulting fees, etc.” Troy Paterson, co-owner Copy Systems Inc., Des Moines, Iowa
“We removed all autodrafts from our credit card and banking. We are reviewing what is a priority and what we are not using for services that we can pause.” Roger Hendrix, CEO Hendrix Business Systems, Matthews, North Carolina
How are you handling inventory levels? “We are loading up on supplies and parts that are made in China/Japan/Korea.” Tom Tegeder, president James Imaging Systems, Brookfield, Wisconsin “We are only ordering what we need. However, we did order extra supplies in the beginning.” Sharon Price, office manager Tri-City Business Machines, Kingsport, Tennessee “With the slowdown and non-essential businesses closed, our inventory is good.” DJ Hastings, president Hogland Office Equipment, Lubbock, Texas “We are stocked up on supplies, but concerned about shortages. Equipment is in good shape; if we need more we will order. No big year-end purchases for our manufacturers.” Michael Boyle, president Base Technologies, Bethel, Connecticut “We placed a large supply order the week before the pandemic was declared, so we are well stocked for supplies. As for equipment, we are continuing to order as needed.” Lynn Pickford, controller Precision Copy Products, Clairton, Pennsylvania “We preordered 90 days worth of high-usage parts and all toner supplies. Equipment inventory with Kyocera has not become an issue yet. We are good on toilet paper, too.” Michael Kidd, president & CEO U.S. Business Systems Inc., Elkhart, Indiana Have you been able to file a claim on business interruption insurance and, if so, how did you word that claim?
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“I tried with no success.” Joe Sands, president Sands Office Equipment Warsaw, Indiana “Denied. What a scam.” Paul Johnson, president Complete Mailing Solutions Englewood, Colorado
“Each client is treated individually. We notified every customer that we are here to help and our communication line is open if anyone needs extended terms.”
“Our insurance guy said there is no type of coverage to cover this type of loss. Our attorney said to file a claim stating ‘coronavirus losses’ and let the insurance company deny. This way, if legislation is passed to force insurance companies to cover losses, we will have a claim in the system.” Michael DelBorrello, owner Cyan Sky Copier Technologies, Schnecksville, Pennsylvania “I have been told that COVID-19 is not a valid claim in Ohio.” Bernie Reagan, president DSC Office Systems, Cincinnati, Ohio “Not eligible, not an act of God. Ugh.” Ronald A. Weaver, president Weaver Associates Inc., Lititz, Pennsylvania How are you handling monthly service base payments for customers that do not have employees working in their offices? “We will bill conservative estimates based on historic averages for any customers we don’t hear back from.” Rick LaTorre, partner ABM, Guilford, Connecticut “Unfortunately, many of our customers have usage-based contracts. We expect those volumes to go way down. With customers that have a service base, we will respond to each request for relief customer by customer.” Paul Archer, owner Automated Business Products, Centennial, Colorado “This is still under review, but we will most likely forgive any base if the customer is invoiced separately for the base versus included in a lease payment.” Michael David, president XCL Business Technologies, Islandia, New York “We are suspending contracts if they notify us and request it. Otherwise, we are still billing them.” Matt Halsrud, director of service/operations Koch Office Group, Des Moines, Iowa
“Each client is treated individually. We notified every customer that we are here to help and our communication line is open if anyone needs extended terms.” Len Altier, president Scot Mailing & Shipping Systems Inc. Louisville, Kentucky
What assistance have you received from manufacturers or leasing companies? “Konica Minolta is our vendor. They have been great. We had machines on order shortly before the stoppage. They could not fulfill our order and made very generous product substitutions. Leasing companies have been sending information. However, unfortunately, we have no new business.” George Peckham, president Office Systems of Texas, Houston, Texas “Training support for at-home employees from Kyocera. Our leasing company is allowing for 90-day deferred payments to customers that are in need.” Brantly Fowler, executive vice president Zeno Office Solutions Inc., Midland, Texas “Our leasing company is offering 60-day deferred payment terms, no interest, no penalty.” Mark Steadman, president Stan’s LPS Midwest, Woodstock, Illinois “Manufacturers: Not much. Leasing companies: 90-day deferred leases at the normal rate and a willingness to work with customers on payment terms.” Jason Jones, COO CopyPro Inc., Greenville, North Carolina “Ninety-day deferred lease payments from DLL. Konica Minolta has done a lot of online training.” Russell Fisher, CEO BOSS Business Systems Inc., Stockton, California How are you handling lease deferrals when service and supplies are included in the lease? “Just as I am required to pay my leases, so should the customers. Service is like an insurance policy. If you do not get paid every month or quarter, you will lose money when the customers ramp back up. It will have to be paid at some point.” Cynthia Farmer, president Texas Office Systems Inc., Hewitt, Texas “We are working with leasing companies now, but are not
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sure how it will be handled. We are not sure if the leasing companies will force our service portions to be deferred.” Sean Infante, co-owner Central Business Systems Melville, New York
“If it’s possible, we will gladly move it; we are charging for the move. We have special pricing on small MFP units that connect wirelessly.”
“When possible, we are billing the service and supply portion. However, we will work with customers on a case-bycase basis.” Debra Dennis, vice president of support services CopyPro Inc., Greenville, North Carolina
“We think that we will just have to wait for the next quarterly meter read after the payments start again to capture any clicks run during the deferral period.” Ray Derstine, president Altek Business Systems Inc., Telford, Pennsylvania “We are adding months to the end of lease. We will catch up on the clicks when we start billing again.” Steve Collura, vice president of sales Allfax Specialties Inc., New Orleans, Louisiana How are you handling calls from customers to relocate equipment to their homes? “As far as I know, we have not had any request to relocate existing equipment. We have had requests to purchase equipment for homes.” Bob Evans, partner Function4, Sugar Land, Texas “If it’s possible, we will gladly move it; we are charging for the move. We have special pricing on small MFP units that connect wirelessly.” Gordon Stapleton, vice president/CFO Quality Digital Office Solutions, Mt. Joy, Pennsylvania “We will look at rental options for them.” Greg Quirk, CEO JQ Office Equipment, Omaha, Nebraska “We have decided not to work within private homes and have been lucky to have had only one request to relocate a phone to a private home, and it could be done remotely. No copier or other equipment moves have been requested.” Susan Hilyard, president Hilyard’s Business Solutions, Wilmington, Delaware “We have not really gotten any of those. We have put
together an ‘in-home’ package for them to purchase.” Ron Hulett, owner/IT manager U.S. Business Systems Inc. Elkhart, Indiana “We are accommodating as much as possible, but are charging for the service.” Juan Maldonado, vice president of service UBEO Business Services San Antonio, Texas
How do you “pitch” document management without coming across as taking advantage of the hardship of the customer? “We’re just letting customers know we are here for them and what we have to offer. No sales pitch.” Sam Stone, president Stone’s Office Equipment, Richmond, Virginia “We’re currently transitioning our mostly manual and Windows-based document archiving system to DocuWare. It’s a great story to share with potential customers as we’re going through the same issues they are experiencing if they disperse their staff members to work remotely.” Thomas Fimian, CEO Docugraphics, Charleston, South Carolina “By being a great salesperson. People have no choice and Sharp has great options to help businesses work remotely; it almost sells itself.” Andy Rutledge, operations Advanced Office Equipment, Sterling, Virginia “At this time, we are only working sales that were in progress if the customers are available and willing, or they reach out to us. Sales is contacting our customers to let them know we are still working and available. I also sent out that message in an email yesterday.” Teri Brymer, president California Business Machines Inc., Fresno, California Reminder: Many additional responses to these questions can be found on the BTA COVID-19 Member Resources page at www.bta.org/COVID-19 under the “Dealers Helping Dealers Q&A” heading. n Brent Hoskins, executive director of the Business Technology Association, is editor of Office Technology magazine. He can be reached at brent@bta.org or (816) 303-4040. www.offi cetechnol ogymag. c om | Ap ri l 2020 | 15
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NuWorld ad Apr 20.indd 2
NBS / BTA | April 2020
3/23/20 11:48 AM
Spring Break BTA Southeast hosts event in Orlando by: Elizabeth Marvel, Office Technology Magazine
B
TA Southeast hosted its Spring Break event March 13-14 at Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club Resort in Orlando, Florida. The event featured a keynote address, “Lead Your Evolution,” presented by Judson Laipply, a motivational speaker and dancer who created “The Evolution of Dance” viral video that has more than one billion views on YouTube. The schedule also included six additional educational sessions, time to network with peers and exhibitors, a welcoming reception, and an afternoon and evening at a Disney theme park. The additional sessions: “Selling From the Heart — How Your Authentic Self Sells You,” Larry Levine, Selling From the Heart; “Business Social Media in 2020: What’s Changing How You Can Use It to Grow Your Dealership,” Darrell Amy, Convergo; “Purposeful Prospecting & Your Sales Legacy,” Dale Dupree, The Sales Rebellion; “Preparing for the Future,” Ken Edmonds, Kedmonds.biz; “Things to Consider When Creating a Flat-Rate Billing Program,” Kim Louden, GreatAmerica Financial Services Corp.; and “Recruitment & Selection,” Larry Coco, Coco Training & Coaching LLC. The exhibiting sponsors: ACDI, AgentDealer, ARLINGTON, Brother (lunch sponsor), Clover Imaging Group, Compass Sales Solutions, ConnectWise, CRANEL, Crexendo, Digitech Systems, Epson, ESP AMETEK, FORZA, FP, GreatAmerica, Green Project, Hytec, Laserfiche, Lexmark (keynote sponsor), Mars International, Miramar Copies, Muratec, NA Trading and Technology, OKI, OPEX, Polek & Polek, RingByName (breaks sponsor), Sentry File, Static Control, Supplies Network, Technology Assurance Group (breakfast sponsor), TonerCycle/InkCycle, Toshiba, Troy, Upland, WatchGuard, Wells Fargo and Zultys. BTA’s next event, Capture the Magic, will be held Aug. 26-27, 2020, in Coronado, California. Visit www.bta.org/BTACoronado for more information or to register. n Elizabeth Marvel is associate editor of Office Technology magazine. She can be reached at elizabeth@bta.org or (816) 303-4060.
Clockwise from top: The Spring Break event featured a keynote address, six additional educational sessions, time to network with peers and exhibitors, a reception, and a trip to a Disney theme park; 2019-20 BTA Southeast President Adam Gregory serves as the event’s emcee; (left to right) Ken Edmonds of Kedmonds.biz visits with DJ Hastings of Hogland Office Equipment, Lubbock, Texas, and Juan Maldonado of UBEO Business Services, San Antonio, Texas, during the event; (left to right) Warner Yang and Shawn Brown of Green Project Inc. visit with Adam Gregory II, Advanced Business Solutions LLC, St. Augustine, Florida, during a break; and Laipply performs his “Evolution of Dance” during the keynote.
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BTA SE Apr 20.indd 1
4/3/20 1:20 PM
Sales Recruitment D
The additional educational session presenters were (clockwise from top left): Levine; Amy; Dupree; Edmonds; Louden; and Coco.
Above photo (left to right): Michele and Vince McHenry of Laser Lab Inc., Ephrata, Pennsylvania, visit with Jason Troupe and Brad Roderick of TonerCycle/InkCycle during a break between sessions. Left top photo (left to right): Brennan Downs and Kevin Wingfield of Advanced Document Solutions, Louisville, Kentucky, visit with Kelly Munro and Kathy Powers of ARLINGTON during a break. Left bottom photo (left to right): Corey Clark and Jim Clark of MOS/McCrimon’s Office Systems, Gainesville, Florida, visit with Christopher Clark of ConnectWise during a break between sessions.
uring his Spring Break educational session, “Recruitment & Selection,” Larry Coco, president of Coco Training & Coaching LLC, discussed one of the most important parts of the “three-legged stool” of management: recruiting. “The truth is, as a good dealer, you may have amazing training programs in place,” Coco said. “You may be a rock star coach and be there for your people every day, but if you don’t recruit the right people, that stool is going to fall down.” He urged dealers to have a recruitment plan in place that all company employees should take an active role in, and to ensure the plan has the right processes and a repeatable structure. He also encouraged dealers to find a passion for recruiting. “You have a passion for what you do,” Coco said. “Your people have a passion to convert a prospect into a client. Do you have that same passion to take a ... candidate and make them an employee of yours?” This passion should extend to your interviews with potential new hires. “You have a responsibility to inspire people to want your job — to attract quality people,” he said, giving an example of a sales rep who has come in for an interview. “You interview a candidate. You like that person. You want them to come back. When they leave your office after that interview for the hour or whatever it might be, what’s your wow factor? What makes you special and different? Do they go home and tell their family and friends about an amazing company and the people they met in your organization, or do they jump right back to the computer and LinkedIn or Indeed and look for more jobs?” Coco also stressed the importance of having a full staff, suggesting that a business may lose its competitive edge without one. “When you don’t have a full team — I’ve noticed this over the years — reps tend to come in late, leave early, try and skip out of your sales meetings, and don’t have reports ready on time,” he said. “Why? They know they probably won’t get fired or written up because you don’t have as many people as you need. You’re not at manpower level. So, our new mantra today is ‘I must have a full staff.’ Anything less is unacceptable.” During his session, Coco stressed the importance of three specific tools and resources for dealers looking to hire: (1) Written job descriptions that are used to recruit and attract quality talent. (2) Conduct standards that show interviewees how your employees should interact with their fellow employees. (3) A daily activities/50-point system that shows an interviewee what a good day looks like at your company. The number of points earned are based on the value of each activity completed. Coco also discussed his five key values of successful people: a willingness to follow direction; being highly self-disciplined with good organizational and time-management skills, and having a desire to provide a high level of customer service; the ability to multitask and work under pressure; a strong emotional commitment to succeed for oneself, the team and the company; and strong comprehension abilities (i.e., the skill of reading people). “You need to ask behavioral questions [during your interviews] with these values in mind,” he said. “For example: ‘What do you know about our company? ... Give me an example of a goal you set for yourself. How did you reach it? ... Why do you think you would make a good salesperson?’ ... If they’re good, if they’re comfortable, they will give you a solid response.” n — Elizabeth Marvel www.offi cetechnol ogymag. c om | Ap ri l 2020 | 19
BTA SE Apr 20.indd 2
4/3/20 11:33 AM
COURTS & CAPITOLS
‘Boss, I’ve Been Arrested’ Dealing with an employee charged with a crime by: Robert C. Goldberg, general counsel for the Business Technology Association
Y
ou learn from one of your employees, a third party or the local authorities that an employee has been arrested during off hours. He (or she) is currently incarcerated and unable to report to work. Deciding the proper steps to take after learning this information is complex. Can you terminate an employee based on an arrest? Generally speaking, the answer is “no.” Being held in custody prior to being convicted or having to leave work in order to attend one’s trial will not generally be regarded as sufficient grounds for a person to lose his job, assuming he has been forthright about his situation with you. There are, however, exceptions to this rule if an employee’s alleged off-duty conduct negatively impacts the workplace. Prior to terminating the employee, you should conduct an investigation and effectively demonstrate that the employee’s continued employment represents a serious and immediate hardship to business interests. Guilt or innocence is irrelevant. Assume that the employee did not do what he is alleged to have done and focus instead on the risks associated with the allegations. Will the employee’s presence in the workplace while awaiting trial create a reasonably serious and immediate risk to your legitimate business concerns? How will other employees react to the individual being in the workplace? Will customers object? An employer must demonstrate that it investigated the matter to assess the risk of allowing the employee to remain in the workplace. Make sure to record all steps of the investigation. It is possible an employee will decline to cooperate on the advice of criminal counsel not to discuss the matter until the charges are resolved. If this is the case, make sure you record in detail that the employee declined to provide any information on the allegations. Court records are public documents and should be reviewed for information. While there is no exhaustive list of what constitutes a reasonably serious and immediate risk justifying the removal of an employee, case law reflects three broad areas that constitute risk: (1) potential harm to a company’s reputation; (2) potential harm to other employees or a company’s customers; and (3) criminal charges or bail conditions that render the employee incapable of performing his duties (e.g., incarceration, suspension of driver’s license, curfew, loss of security clearance or a no-contact order with a certain person or demographic). If you are concerned about the employee dealing directly with the public but you have the ability to move him to a non-
customer-facing role, you are obligated to do so. Similarly, if the employee is restricted from being within a certain distance of a coworker and you are able to relocate him, you must do so. You do not have to create work for the employee and you do not have to take work away from other employees to meet this obligation. However, if there is a way to accommodate the work while reducing concerns, it is your obligation to implement such an arrangement. Even once you have made a decision, you have an ongoing obligation to consider new facts or circumstances as they come to your attention, which may require you to change your original decision. In order to help you meet this obligation, it is advisable to make a written request to the employee that he notify you about any further developments that may arise in the criminal matter. Dealing with an employee who has been charged with criminality is a matter of utmost sensitivity. It is critical for employers to ensure they do their due diligence in taking all of the necessary measures to assess the situation and arrive at a reasonable decision. If you have questions, the BTA Legal Hotline is always available to help. n Robert C. Goldberg is general counsel for the Business Technology Association. He can be reached at robert.goldberg@sfnr.com.
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Goldberg Apr 20.indd 1
4/3/20 5:26 PM
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BTA HIGHLIGHTS BTA would like to welcome the following new members to the association:
Dealer Members Southeastern Business Machines, Baxley, GA Total Document Solutions Inc., Fayetteville, AR Vendor Member ELATEC Inc., Palm City, FL
For full contact information of these new members, visit www.bta.org.
IT University Online IT University Online (ITU) is a leader in online IT training courses. ITU has the training required to grow your dealership through managed network services, increasing revenue and profits. As customers demand more IT expertise from their vendors, ITU understands the balance between boot camps and books. Reasons to buy a Lifetime Library: • Cost-effective IT training • Lifetime access – Courses never expire • Always be up-to-date in the IT field • Full access to new courses without paying ever again • Train on your time – No deadlines • Expand your IT knowledge — Always be open to learning new technologies • Quite simply, learning is fun BTA members receive the Lifetime Library for just $244.65, a 65% discount (regular price: $699). Visit www.bta.org/ITUniversity for more information. For information on BTA member benefits, visit www.bta.org/MemberBenefits.
For the benefit of its dealer members, each month BTA features two of its vendor members in this space. ELATEC is a global provider of solutions related to short-range wireless readers/writers. As a reliable partner, it offers the best products, processes and services for businesses. ELATEC’s combination of experience, technology leadership and comprehensive service is one-of-a-kind. Its TWN4 series of RFID card and smartphone readers is the most advanced available today for secure printing. Their flexible architecture and open API enables customization for application needs, security requirements and updating as market conditions evolve. Do not settle for less — provide “future-proof” user authentication and access control for your customers. www.elatec-rfid.com Founded in 2000, Ninestar has been focusing on inkjet cartridge, toner cartridge and ribbon development, manufacture and sales for more than 19 years. Headquartered in Zhuhai, China, Ninestar has established branches, warehouses and logistics platforms in the Netherlands, United States, Italy, Malaysia and Japan to offer a quick local response. Quality products and services are distributed to more than 170 countries and reach more than 200 million end users. So far, Ninestar holds a total of 4,163 patents worldwide — far more than any other company marketing third-party supplies. www.ninestartechonline.com C 100 M 68 Y 0 K 2
A full list of BTA vendor members can be found online at www.bta.org.
For more information, visit www.bta.org. 22 | w w w. o f f ic et ec hno lo g y m a g.c om | Ap r il 2 0 2 0
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DocuWare - Crexendo ads Apr 20.indd 1
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PRINCIPAL ISSUES
‘Ink Boldly’ Epson hosts inaugural dealer conference by: Brent Hoskins, Office Technology Magazine
R
epresentatives of approximately 100 of Epson America Inc.’s 200-plus authorized dealerships gathered March 3-4 at Loews Santa Monica Beach Resort in Santa Monica, California, for the company’s inaugural dealer conference, themed “Ink Boldly.” Epson began building its dealer channel in 2018 to sell its growing line of micro-piezo inkjet printers for the workplace, as well as other products, such as dedicated scanners and projectors. As he welcomed attendees during the opening general session, Mark Mathews, vice president of North American commercial sales and marketing, explained his move to Epson in 2017 after 25 years in the industry. “One of the main reasons I joined was I believe strongly in the Epson vision,” he said. “I think inkjet is the first thing I’ve seen that could actually disrupt the stodgy laser technology that has been around for 30 to 40 years.” Later in the meeting, Mathews mentioned the “historical precedence for inkjet winning in the marketplace,” noting that, according to IDC, 95% of consumer printers and 98% of wide-format printers are inkjet. “In the year 2020, more than half of production print volume is forecast to come out of inkjet products,” he said. “Where inkjet goes, inkjet wins.” Mathews emphasized the “better reliability and performance” of Epson’s inkjet technology over laser technology, such as fewer parts, less need for service and a solution for environmentally conscious buyers. “In a world that is focused on having a sustainable environment to pass on to the next generation, inkjet is a far superior solution versus laser,” he said, citing, in particular, Epson’s PrecisionCore Micro TFP print chip. “Our heat-free technology reduces electrical consumption and reduces wait. It gives you high-quality business printing, sharp image quality, consistent, cost-effective color and productivity, and fast first-copy-out time.” In his opening general session comments, Keith Kratzberg, president and CEO, noted that while Epson has been producing piezo technology for more than 25 years, the launch of PrecisionCore dates back 10 years. “The reason that PrecisionCore is so important to what we’re doing is the precision that we are able to output, the flexibility of this technology and the way that we’re able to scale it,” he said. “The reason this is so scalable is the way we produce these piezo inkjet heads; it’s basically a semiconductor process.” Economically, the process allows Epson to “mass produce this and have a scale, quality and economic value unlike any other printer company in the world,” Kratzberg said, noting
Above: Conference attendees had the opportunity to see Epson’s full product lineup in the Solutions Expo. Right: Mark Mathews. Far right: Keith Kratzberg. that the PrecisionCore technology is used in all Epson printers (more than 15 million Epson inkjet printers are sold globally each year), ranging from those sold at Best Buy to $1-million textile printers. He suggested that such scalability has allowed Epson to easily enter the office printing market — a market the company could not ignore. “Why in the world would a technology company enter the copier market in 2018, seemingly one of the most mature markets in business today?” he asked. “Well, what I want you to do is look at the size of that market. It is the biggest dollar prize in the printing industry, and we believe we have something that is very, very disruptive where we can go win a big piece of that market.” Kratzberg reminded attendees that for business inkjet, Epson is only sold through the dealer channel. “Around the world, in every business, every country we’re in, we work through our partners,” he said. “It is absolutely fundamental to how we do business, so you are absolutely essential. You are a key part of the Epson team.” n Brent Hoskins, executive director of the Business Technology Association, is editor of Office Technology magazine. He can be reached at brent@bta.org or (816) 303-4040.
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PRINCIPAL ISSUES
Buying En Masse IBPI hosts annual meeting in Orlando, Florida by: Brent Hoskins, Office Technology Magazine
E
ager to learn more about the products and services of various vendors — and to collect their rebate checks — members of International Business Products Inc. (IBPI) met March 10-12 at Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club Resort in Orlando, Florida. The annual meeting was held on the eve of Spring Break, the March 13-14 educational and networking event hosted by BTA Southeast in the same venue. IBPI (www.ibpi.net) is a buying group offering office technology dealer members best pricing from vendor partners. Each year, members gather for a day and half of meetings, rotating from table to table as vendor partners discuss their latest offerings. In addition, based on the overall volume of purchases by dealer members during the prior year, member dealerships receive rebate checks. “IBPI was established 33 years ago by 51 dealers who got together and started our first vendor program,” said Mark Grice, IBPI executive director, as he welcomed attendees during the opening reception. “Today, we have more than 470 members with total revenue of more than $6 billion. Since last year’s meeting, we have added 31 new members to our group. The dealers here tonight and for the next couple of days have total revenues of $1 billion.” Grice highlighted two key milestones achieved by IBPI during 2019. “The first one is that IBPI members purchased $85 million worth of products and services from our IBPI partners in 2019,” he said, noting that members had purchased $1.2 billion in products and services from IBPI vendor partners since 2002. “Secondly, tonight we are distributing the third highest rebate amount to our members in IBPI’s history — more than $660,000 back to our membership.” The next day, as dealers met with vendor partners, Grice spoke to Office Technology about the organization. “A member dealer pays $500 to join; that buys one share of stock in IBPI,” he said. “The $500 is held in escrow — apart from IBPI’s operating account. While a member, that dealer will enjoy industry best pricing, as well as a rebate on purchases. Plus, each member is invited to our annual event and IBPI pays for a two-night hotel stay.” When IBPI is negotiating a contract with a vendor, “we say ‘we want our members to have your very best pricing in our industry,’” Grice said, noting that some dealers may have already negotiated the best price with a vendor before joining IBPI. “We just say, ‘give us your best price.’ We don’t want anybody else getting a better price than IBPI members.”
Above: Attendees of the recent IBPI meeting in Orlando, Florida, met with a number of vendor partners over a day and half, rotating from table to table. Right: IBPI Executive Director Mark Grice. What companies are vendor partners of IBPI, offering members best pricing? Currently, there are 27 of them: ACM Technologies Inc.; ARLINGTON; Capital Networks; CET Group; Clover Imaging Group; Continuum; EDA; Electronic Systems Projection; Evo B2B Group; HALO; JVP Logistics; Katun Corp.; Laser Pros International; Mars; Merchants Fleet; NA Trading and Technology; Nerdio; Polek & Polek; Pulsar360; Ross International; Sherweb; Solar Winds N-able; Static Control; Taylor Business Group; TIAA Bank; TonerCycle/InkCycle; and TSAworld. IBPI is under the direction of the organization’s board of directors. The officers and other board members are as follows: President Chip Miceli, Pulse Technology, Schaumburg, Illinois; Vice President John Eckstrom, Carolina Business Equipment, Columbia, South Carolina; Secretary/Treasurer Debra Dennis, CopyPro Inc., Greenville, North Carolina; Kyle Elliott, Spectrum Technologies, El Paso, Texas; Mike Blake, Corporate Business Systems, Madison, Wisconsin; Jim George, Donnellon McCarthy Enterprises, Cincinnati, Ohio; Roger Hendrix, Hendrix Business Systems, Matthews, North Carolina; José López, Barlop Business Systems, Miami, Florida; and Greg Quirk, JQ Office Equipment, Omaha, Nebraska. n Brent Hoskins, executive director of the Business Technology Association, is editor of Office Technology magazine. He can be reached at brent@bta.org or (816) 303-4040.
26 | 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 | A p r i l 2 0 2 0
IBPI Apr 20.indd 1
4/3/20 5:25 PM
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Balboa Capital ad Apr 20.indd 1
3/27/20 12:55 PM
PRINCIPAL ISSUES
An Indelible Impression Pulse sees breakthrough in ink technology by: Chip Miceli, Pulse Technology
T
he print management industry has made some enormous strides in recent years, with advancements in technology virtually redefining what the office technology market has to offer. I have learned over the years that, just when I think we have seen all of the new product arrivals possible, along comes something new — in this case, a new ink technology that has every indication of being an industry game changer. Call it “cutting edge,” the “wave of the future” or any other well-worn phrase that comes to mind, but the fact of the matter is, I think Epson’s PrecisionCore technology is poised to change the way documents are generated. There have been many advances in the managed print services arena — and it appears that ink is the next “big thing.” My team and I were so impressed with this proprietary ink technology that in late October 2019, I traveled to the Sieko Epson Corp. factory in Hirooka, The Business Inkjet VIP Tour attendees pose for a group photo upon arrival Japan, as part of the Business Inkjet VIP Tour, which at the Seiko Epson Corp. factory in Hirooka, Japan. consisted of a small contingent of American office technology dealers and representatives of the industry media and power are delivered simultaneously. Up to 50,000 dropwho met with Epson officials to see firsthand how this new and lets, some as small as 1/100th the thickness of a human hair, improved approach to ink technology works. To say I was im- are ejected per second from independently controlled nozzles. The ink is deposited with extraordinary accuracy in only the pressed is an understatement. The following is why. PrecisionCore is a departure from traditional ink technolo- volume needed, resulting in no waste. Resolution and precigy. The heart of the technology is a next-generation print chip sion are the ultimate calling cards of printing, but as those of based on microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technolo- us in the print management industry are aware, there is more gy, which uses a 1-micron piezo actuator that acts like a pump to final output quality. In desktop printers, ink can contain as many as 20 ingredito deposit ink with blazing speed and precision. This technology is in contrast with laser printing and thermal inkjet print- ents, with each contributing to the final print. PrecisionCore, ers, which rely on heat to push ink through their nozzles. In with its micromechanical firing element, bypasses the limitatruth, laser printing is a complicated process, requiring pre- tions that heat-based systems face, allowing ink chemists to heating, charging, exposure, development, transfer and fus- work with a wider range of materials and use them in highing steps. The PrecisionCore technology, however, is a simple er concentration. Printheads can be used for a wide range of commercial and industrial applications. This highly scalable non-contact process. PrecisionCore uses piezoelectric crystal actuators instead technology is suited for products ranging from desktop printof heat to mechanically eject ink. The process, therefore, does ers to industrial systems like large-scale label presses. Moreover, the system is ecologically friendly as there is less not require heat, resulting in printheads that are highly duraozone emitted into the atmosphere and energy is saved beble and see very little deterioration over time. Other benefits of this new technology are many, including cause the printer is in action for less time than its standard delivery of superior image quality at dramatic speeds. Pre- laser counterpart. This technology also saves power since the cisionCore printhead technology has two to three times the fuser required for toner-based printing is eliminated. Nothing resolution of conventional piezo printheads; as such, speed against laser printers, but let’s face it — they generally leave 28 | w w w. o f f ic et ec hno lo g y m a g.c om | Ap r il 2 0 2 0
Miceli Apr 20.indd 1
4/3/20 4:05 PM
Scholarship 2020 FP.indd 1
3/24/20 3:06 PM
As an industry, we have moved solidly larger environmental footprints since they forward in the direction of reducing the necessitate regular replacement of drums, ... Those in the print costs of generating documents through a transfer belts and fusers. management industry series of initiatives. With the introduction Over the past couple of months, we at must not only deliver of this new technology, I genuinely believe Pulse Technology have started to introhigh-quality ink and our industry is prepared to take initiatives duce PrecisionCore to our current and propricing, but they also many steps further. For its speed, amazing spective clients because we believe it is incolor quality, sharp text, durability and fast deed the proverbial “latest and greatest” in need to focus on valuedrying capabilities, this proprietary prodprint management and a system that will added elements ... uct is certain to make an indelible mark continue to gain traction. within the print management industry. “Revolutionary” may be an overused It makes me wonder what our industry’s word when describing new products and technology, but in the case of PrecisionCore, I would be hard- “next big thing” will be after this. Stay tuned. n Chip Miceli is president of BTA member Pulse pressed to find a more appropriate description. The demands Technology, headquartered in Schaumburg, of modern printing are many and competition for customers is great. To attract and retain a healthy client roster, those in the Illinois, with additional locations in Chicago and Rockford, Illinois, and Chesterton, Indiana. He print management industry must not only deliver high-qualican be reached at chip@pulsetechnology.com. ty ink and pricing, but they also need to focus on value-added Visit www.pulsetechnology.com. elements including convenience, flexibility and speed.
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23 • Crexendo
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(800) 236-8499 / www.ecoprintq.com
www.opex.com
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5 • ELATEC
11 • Supplies Network
(800) 843-5059 / www.bta.org/Scholarships
www.elatec.com
(800) 729-9300 / www.suppliesnetwork.com
9 • Clover Imaging Group
31 • ENX Magazine
www.cloverimaging.com/CIA
(818) 505-0022 / www.enxmag.com
30 | w w w. o f f ic et ec hno lo g y m a g.c om | Ap r il 2 0 2 0
Miceli Apr 20.indd 2
4/3/20 4:09 PM
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3/25/20 12:24 PM
PRSRT STD U.S. Postage Paid Fulton, MO 65251 Permit #38
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Goodbye Laser.
Hello Future. Hello fast, cool, smart... Hello Epson Business Inkjet. Epson’s PrecisionCore heat-free inkjet technology delivers high-speed, high-quality business color printing with high-yield ink systems.
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Epson ad Apr 20.indd 1 - OfficeTech.indd 1 EPSON-0219-20 BIJ Hello
3/24/20 3/24/20 9:02 9:05 AM AM
