July 2023 Office Technology

CONTENTS

FEATURE ARTICLES

10

Meet Don Risser

BTA’s 2023-24 national president assumes office

by Brent Hoskins

Office Technology Magazine

On July 1, Don Risser became the 88th national president of the Business Technology Association (BTA). He first stepped forward as a volunteer in 2013, serving as a board member for BTA East. Today, Risser serves as solutions specialist at DCS Technologies Corp.

16

Capture the Magic BTA West hosts event

June 9-10 in Denver

by Elizabeth Marvel

Office Technology Magazine

The 2023 Capture the Magic event, hosted by BTA West, was held June 9-10 in Denver, Colorado. The event featured a preevent reception, a keynote address, a featured speaker session, two additional educational sessions, two dealer panels, six breakout sessions and networking time.

20

PRINCIPAL ISSUES

27

‘Lexmark By Design’ Manufacturer hosts partner summit June 6-7

by Elizabeth Marvel

Office Technology Magazine

On June 6-7, Lexmark hosted its top 50 business solutions dealers (BSDs) at its headquarters in Lexington, Kentucky. The 2023 Business Solutions Dealer Summit featured general session presentations focused on the company’s strategy by design.

28

‘Forward Together’

Xerox hosts Partner

Summit 2023 June 21-23 by Brent Hoskins

Office Technology Magazine

Xerox channel partners from around the world gathered June 21-23 in Miami, Florida, to attend the company’s Partner Summit 2023. Themed “Forward Together,” the summit was the company’s first in-person channel partner event postpandemic; the last such event took place in 2019.

Q&A:

Ed McLaughlin Industry maven comments on DCA, advises dealers

Compiled by Brent Hoskins

Office Technology Magazine

Recently, Office Technology magazine interviewed Ed McLaughlin, cofounder of Predictive InSight, a data mining and predictive analytics company serving the print industry. McLaughlin co-founded the company as the exclusive North American distributor of the EKM Insight DCA.

COURTS & CAPITOLS

25

An NLRB Memorandum

Another strike against non-compete agreements

by Robert C. Goldberg BTA General Counsel

On May 30, 2023, NLRB General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo sent a memorandum to the various regional directors and other NLRB officials explaining her theory that most employee noncompete agreements violate the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA).

DEALERS HELPING DEALERS

29

Production Print

How effective are dealers’ programs?

Compiled by Brent Hoskins

Office Technology Magazine

This article includes two related questions submitted by a dealer member as part of BTA’s Dealers Helping Dealers resource and many of the answers received. These answers and many others can be found in the members-only section of the BTA website.

BTA Names 2023-24 Scholarship Winners

On Feb. 23, 1968, the Dorothy R. Ames Scholarship Fund was announced in honor of Ames at her retirement dinner for her many contributions to the industry. Ultimately, the fund became the BTA (Business Technology Association) Scholarship Foundation. Today, through the foundation, BTA awards a number of scholarships to the eligible full-time employees and children of full-time employees of current BTA member dealerships. Since the 1984-85 school year, BTA has awarded 1,561 scholarships to deserving students, totaling $1.7785 million.

BTA scholarships are awarded based on a review of completed applications, transcripts and essays by an independent, impartial evaluator. For the 2023-24 school year, BTA awarded a total of $30,000 in scholarships to 24 students. The association would like to congratulate this year’s recipients and their sponsoring BTA member dealerships:

n Emily Bourgois, Fireside Office Solutions, Bismarck, North Dakota

n Calli Bremness, EO Johnson Business Technologies, Wausau, Wisconsin

n Anthony Brown, Current Office Solutions, Bryan, Ohio

n Brooke Conner, R.K. Black Inc., Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

n Allison Couch, Standley Systems, Chickasha, Oklahoma

n Reagan Fries, Eakes Office Solutions, Grand Island, Nebraska

n Gabriella Hamvas, Coordinated Business Systems, Burnsville, Minnesota

n Jessica Hougland, Gordon Flesch Co., Madison, Wisconsin

n Lydia Imbrogno, Gordon Flesch Co., Madison, Wisconsin

n Amanda LeBlanc, LDI Connect, Jericho, New York

n Victoria Liguori, Electronic Business Products Inc., Latham, New York

n Ava Lucas, Purvis Business Machines, Meridian, Mississippi

n Nick Marigo, Kyocera Document Solutions Northern California, Santa Rosa, California

n Mackenzie McKim, RJ Young Co., Nashville, Tennessee

n Madeline Moran, Gordon Flesch Co., Madison, Wisconsin

n Ashley Nierman, Eakes Office Solutions, Grand Island, Nebraska

n Bailey Nutter, Eakes Office Solutions, Grand Island, Nebraska

n Caitlin Robel, Forward TS, West Allis, Wisconsin

n Avery Smartt, UBEO Business Services, San Antonio, Texas

n Kyla Soard, Duplicator Sales & Service, Louisville, Kentucky

n McKenzie Turner, Duplicator Sales & Service, Louisville, Kentucky

n Alexa Webb, Pacific Office Automation, Beaverton, Oregon

n Connor Williams, Loy’s Office Supplies, LaGrange, Georgia

n Grace Zea, Gordon Flesch Co., Madison, Wisconsin

The BTA Scholarship Foundation is supported by contributions from individuals, dealerships, manufacturers and distributors. You can see a list of this year’s contributors or make a contribution online at www.bta.org/Scholarships.

The scholarship application for the 202425 school year will be available in December. For more information as it becomes available, visit www.bta.org/Scholarships or contact Elizabeth Marvel at elizabeth@ bta.org or (816) 303-4060. n

— Brent Hoskins

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 Writer Bob Goldberg, General Counsel Business Technology Association

Business Technology Association

12411 Wornall Road Kansas City, MO 64145 (816) 941-3100 www.bta.org

Member Services: (800) 505-2821

BTA Legal Hotline: (312) 648-2300

Valerie Briseno Marketing Director valerie@bta.org

Brian Smith Membership Sales Representative brian@bta.org

Photo Credits: Adobe Stock. Cover created by Bruce Quade, Brand X Studio. ©2023 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.

FLASHBACK

The association’s magazine cover 51 years ago this month — the NOMDA Spokesman, July 1972.

BTA PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Meet BTA’s 2023-24 Volunteer Leaders

Iam honored to begin my service as the 2023-24 president of the Business Technology Association (BTA). I look forward to leading our association as its 88th national president and helping our members continue to achieve success. Together, BTA’s staff members and members of the BTA board comprise one of the best teams I have been a part of; I am confident we can be a bridge to new and exciting things for the BTA dealer channel. With that said, I would like to recognize and thank the following national and district volunteers who have stepped forward to help guide the association alongside me during the upcoming year:

n National President-Elect and Board Member Adam Gregory, Advanced Business Solutions LLC, St. Augustine, Florida

n National Vice President and Board Member Debra Dennis, CopyPro Inc., Greenville, North Carolina

n National Immediate Past President and Board Member David Polimeni, RITE Technology, Sarasota, Florida

n BTA East President and National Board Member Joe Dellaposta, Doing Better Business Inc., Hagerstown, Maryland

n BTA East President-Elect Chip Denlinger, DCS Technologies Corp., Franklin, Ohio

n BTA East Vice President Tim Seeley Jr., Seeley Office Systems Inc., Glens Falls, New York

n BTA East Immediate Past President and National Board Member Mike Boyle, BASE Technologies Inc., Bethel, Connecticut

n BTA Mid-America President Brett Blake, Corporate Business Systems LLC, Madison, Wisconsin

n BTA Mid-America President-Elect

Grant Goldsmith, Gateway Business Systems Inc., Munster, Indiana

n BTA Mid-America Vice President D.J. Hastings, Hogland Office Equipment, Lubbock, Texas

n BTA Mid-America Immediate Past President and National Board Member Greg Quirk, JQ Office Equipment, Omaha, Nebraska

n National Board Member, representing BTA Mid-America, Brantly Fowler, Zeno Office Solutions Inc., Midland, Texas

n BTA Southeast President and National Board Member Mike Hicks, Electronic Business Machines Inc., Lexington, Kentucky

n BTA Southeast President-Elect Blake Renegar, Kelly Office Solutions, WinstonSalem, North Carolina

n BTA Southeast Vice President Richie Creech, CopyPro Inc., Greenville, North Carolina

n BTA Southeast Secretary/Treasurer Bill James, Jefferson, Louisiana

n BTA Southeast Immediate Past President and National Board Member Jim Buck, Carolina Business Equipment Inc., Columbia, South Carolina

n BTA West President and National Board Member Kevin Marshall, Copy Link Inc., Chula Vista, California

n BTA West President-Elect Scott Reynolds, Imagine Technology Group LLC, Chandler, Arizona

n BTA West Vice President Richard Van Dyke, Advanced Office, Irvine, California

n National Board Member, representing BTA West, Mike McGuirk, ProCopy Office Solutions Inc., Mesa, Arizona

BTA is always looking for volunteers for its national and district boards. If you, too, are interested in giving back to your association, contact BTA Executive Director Brent Hoskins via email at brent@bta.org or call (816) 303-4040. n

— Don Risser

2023-2024 Board of Directors

President

Don Risser DCS Technologies Corp. Franklin, Ohio don.risser@dcs-tech.com

President-Elect

Adam Gregory Advanced Business Solutions LLC St. Augustine, Florida adam@goabsinc.com

Vice President

Debra Dennis CopyPro Inc. Greenville, North Carolina ddennis@copypro.net

Immediate Past President David Polimeni RITE Technology Sarasota, Florida dpolimeni@ritefl.com

BTA East Mike Boyle BASE Technologies Inc. Bethel, Connecticut mboyle@baseinc.com

Joe Dellaposta Doing Better Business Hagerstown, Maryland jvd@doingbetterbusiness.com

BTA Mid-America

Brantly Fowler Zeno Office Solutions Inc. Midland, Texas bfowler@zenotx.com

Greg Quirk JQ Office Equipment Omaha, Nebraska gquirk@jqoffice.com

BTA Southeast Jim Buck Carolina Business Equipment Inc. Columbia, South Carolina jimb@cbesc.com

Mike Hicks Electronic Business Machines Inc. Lexington, Kentucky mhicks@ebmky.com

BTA West Mike McGuirk ProCopy Office Solutions Inc. Mesa, Arizona mmcguirk@procopyoffice.com

Kevin Marshall Copy Link Inc. Chula Vista, California kevin@copylink.net

Ex-Officio/General Counsel

Robert C. Goldberg Schoenberg Finkel Beederman Bell & Glazer LLC Chicago, Illinois robert.goldberg@sfbbg.com

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Meet Don Risser

BTA’s 2023-24 national president assumes office

by: Brent Hoskins, Office Technology Magazine

On July 1, Don Risser became the 88th national president of the Business Technology Association (BTA). He first stepped forward as a volunteer in 2013, serving as a board member for BTA East.

Today, Risser serves as solutions specialist at DCS Technologies Corp., located in Franklin, Ohio. He was previously co-owner of Advanced Laser Printer Service & Supplies Inc. (ALPS) in Emigsville, Pennsylvania. He has many years of experience in the office technology industry — including five years as a service manager and 19 years as vice president and co-owner at ALPS.

Recently, Office Technology magazine had the opportunity to interview Risser, asking about his career in the industry, the value of BTA membership and his role as a volunteer for the association. Following are his replies.

OT: You proudly served in the U.S. Navy and now serve as a board member for VETech, a BTA service that provides veterans with job opportunities in the office technology industry. Please provide some details regarding your military service and how it helped you enter the industry.

Risser: I spent five years in the Navy, the last year as a systems supervisor over the Aegis mainframe tactical computer system. I was deployed twice; once on the USS Kitty Hawk aircraft carrier. We were in the Persian Gulf, as well as coastal and air support for the U.S. military stationed in Somalia at the time. The second deployment was aboard the USS John S. McCain. My training and education included computer, radar and guided missile systems, as well as all peripheral devices attached to our systems, given that we worked in a secret clearance environment and outside contractors were limited. That means I got an early start in the

print/copy world. Oddly enough, it was my least favorite equipment to work on in our work center.

OT: Least favorite? Why was that the case? How has your view of printers and copier/MFPs changed through the years?

Risser: My training in the Navy was electrical engineering and computers; I enjoyed the computer and programming side. I was like most IT guys. If you talk to them, they hate peripheral devices. At that time, I was the same way. “I have to work on one of these devices?” Electromechanics was probably my worst course in my schooling. Sometimes in school things just don’t click.

After I left the Navy, I got into the print/copy world and I had to retrain myself through all the OEM schools, books, etc. At that time, all of a sudden, it just clicked with me. I had accepted a job as a service manager where the previous manager was leaving. I had one week to learn everything about the industry — the business, managing, parts and machines. So, I had a crash course. I said to myself, “The printers and copiers really aren’t that bad. I don’t mind them. In fact, they’re kind of fun. They have quirky things that go wrong.” I ended up liking them more than I had expected. I honestly went into it with a bad attitude, not thinking I’d like this industry, taking it as a short-term job until I found a “real” computer job. But I ended up liking the electromechanical part of it a lot more. The troubleshooting was just more fascinating to me because it did involve software, but it also involved hardware.

OT: Tell us more about your roles/experience in the industry, starting with the early years.

Risser: I started with a small print/copy/toner remanufacturer in Pennsylvania. I was hired as the service manager

in 1995 when my service in the Navy ended. I built the company’s first service and inventory database, moving us away from a paper-based system and providing dashboard metrics for inventory and service. I worked there for five-and-a-half years before moving on to partner with a startup company, ALPS. I helped build the company to 12 employees within the first eight years.

At ALPS, I wore many hats, worked relentless hours and never stopped looking to see what was ahead of the curve for technology. We started MPS in 2004, document management in 2008 and workflow automation in 2012. As noted, I was a partner in the company for 19 years before moving on to DCS Technologies in 2019. At DCS, I am responsible for new product development, preand post-sales support, project management and software support. I enjoy identifying growth opportunities in new lines of business for the company. I have always been an adventurous person and enjoy taking on new challenges. Phil Denlinger, president of DCS, has been a longtime friend and business colleague of mine who I met through the industry, and he has always had an open mind to exploring new opportunities. DCS has been a highlight of my career thus far.

OT: You note that you are an adventurous person. Not everyone would be quick to describe themselves that way. Tell us more.

Risser: When somebody says, “That’s going to be difficult, tough to do or even impossible,” I take that as a challenge. When I signed up for electrical engineering in the Navy, I remember people telling me, “That’s too hard; the attrition rate on that is almost 60%.” I was like, “Cool, I’m all for it.” I like challenges.

In this industry, when I go to manufacturer events or BTA events, if I see or hear about something new, I’m like, “I think I could sell that.” I go back, do the research and try to figure out how to implement it. How can we make it work? How can we sell it? How can we price it? And how can we make a repeatable service out of it? I did that when I had my business, but when the opportunity came along for me to move on and make a change, at DCS they put me in this role and it is a good fit for me because it’s right where I love to be; going out and exploring new things, looking at automation, and seeing how far we can take it. The industry is changing. You constantly have to look at what is a good fit to grow in this industry. You don’t want to just be a one-trick pony.

BTA 2023-24 President-Elect Adam Gregory

Adam Gregory, BTA’s 2023-24 presidentelect, is president of Advanced Business Solutions (ABS), which has operations in St. Augustine and Lake Mary, Florida. Gregory’s career in the industry began in 1999, and in 2004, he started ABS. The company offers Xerox, HP, Epson, Lexmark and Kyocera products, as well as partners with ConnectWise, Lenovo, WatchGuard, Zultys, Crexendo, Alibi Security and others within its IT, VoIP and security divisions. ABS has been awarded the ENX Magazine Elite Dealer Award multiple times. In addition, it was awarded Small Business of the Year by the St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce and was recognized as among the 50 fastest-growing private companies in the northeast Florida region by the Jacksonville Business Journal.

“BTA has been a huge asset to us here at Advanced Business Solutions through the relationships and suppliers we have met,” Gregory says of the impact BTA membership has had on his business, which has been a member since 2014. “The best practices I’ve discussed [with other dealers] and the networking I have been able to do within the industry have been a huge asset. I would recommend to any dealership to join, get involved and make a difference. Like anything else, you have to be involved to get the most out of it.”

Gregory has a future vision for BTA that he hopes to see play out in the coming years. “In the next five to 10 years, I see an association that will do what it does best in connecting dealers and providing

benefits, but with a greater focus on solutions and events of the future,” he says. “BTA has to evolve. There is no way around that. It must move more into an association that is focused on dealers’ needs in the future.

“BTA has to stay at the forefront, capture dealer concerns, and relay solutions and ideas to its members,” Gregory continues, noting that in the coming year he wants to continue to take BTA’s events to the next level. “Panels or breakouts on [the changes we’re seeing in the economy and our industry] during BTA events would serve the members well.”

Gregory also notes some of the association’s biggest successes in the last year. “Speakers at events have been much better and the association’s BTA 101 webinars have improved communication to dealers about their member benefits,” he says. “We can continue to improve by building a bridge to dealers and making it known that BTA’s purpose is to be the first contact for dealer needs and questions about our industry. Dealers make the association and we want to provide for their needs and spend time on things that are most relevant going forward.”

Gregory’s vision for the future of BTA also includes adding new offerings and education for its dealer members. “I’d like to continue to add programs that make dealers want to use BTA, such as our certification discounts, etc.,” he says. “BTA should also reach out to large players in the IT and security industry and see how they can offer things for dealers through the association that would make them see and appreciate the need for BTA membership.”

Elizabeth Marvel

—

The industry is changing. You constantly have to look at what is a good fit to grow in this industry. You don’t want to just be a one-trick pony.

OT: What led you to first step forward as a BTA volunteer? How has serving as a volunteer benefited you?

Risser: I joined BTA around 2010. In 2013, I was approached by [then BTA volunteer] Rob Richardson about serving on the board for BTA East. I accepted the offer and have enjoyed being a volunteer ever since. BTA events have always been beneficial for me. I have made many good friends through the association, mostly as a volunteer. The insights gained from conversations with other members of the BTA Board of Directors, vendors, as well as with [BTA Executive Director] Brent Hoskins, his team and [BTA General Counsel] Bob Goldberg have been invaluable. I would not have gained the knowledge I have today about so much in our industry had it not been for serving as a BTA volunteer.

The number-one thing that prevents people from growing is the lack of a willingness to step out humbly in order to learn. When people stop learning, they stop growing. For me, it has been a tremendous experience learning from and growing with my peers on the BTA board. I have always been a fan of peer groups in our industry. Serving on the board is being part of a very special peer group.

OT: What is your message to those dealers who, for whatever reason, are not currently members of BTA? What do you say to those dealers when you encounter them?

Risser: I suppose my first question to others in the industry I have met through the years has always been: “Why?” There is no real good reason not to be a member of BTA. If I could tell anyone one good reason to join BTA it would be “to get ready.” If you were not part of BTA in the early 2000s, for example, you would have been very late to new technology and services, such as managed print services.

Today, the industry is not making subtle add-on service changes to what we are all already familiar with as dealers. It’s not simply evolving. It’s transforming. When BTA started, it was all about typewriters. Over the years, typewriters evolved and the industry changed. The dealers who didn’t network with others fell by the wayside. Our industry has evolved as far as it can. Now is the time of transformation. Now is the time to be part of a group that is transforming together; staying on top of the technology our customers need.

BTA 2023-24 Vice President Debra Dennis

BTA’s 2023-24 vice president, Debra Dennis, is vice president of support services at CopyPro Inc., located in Greenville, North Carolina. A BTA member since 1973, CopyPro is a Savin and Konica Minolta dealership. Dennis started her career in the industry in 1986 at CopyPro and, today, has extensive experience in all aspects of the office technology industry. She has served on the BTA Southeast board since 2008 and currently serves on the national BTA Board of Directors. Dennis has also served on the national board for IBPI.

She decided to get involved in BTA after a BTA Southeast-hosted event in Waynesville, North Carolina. “About 16 years ago, I was sent an invitation to attend a BTA event at the Waynesville Country Club Inn,” she says. “The BTA Southeast board members at that time made me feel so welcome and shared their passion for the industry. It was at that point I knew I wanted to be a part of the BTA team as a volunteer and give back as much as possible.”

Dennis says BTA has had a positive impact on her business and professional life over the years. “Through BTA, I have attended seminars that provided me with information to take back to our dealership to increase revenues, cut costs and enhance each customer’s experience,” she says. “I have been blessed through my time on the board to be surrounded by great leaders in our industry. These wonderful leaders have shared their pathways to success with me,

as well as opened up the lines of communication so I can reach out to them should I need assistance. This was so important during the supply and equipment shortage of 2021-22; we all worked together to share ideas to keep our customers running. These friendships have not only been invaluable to me personally, but also to CopyPro.”

In her role as vice president, Dennis hopes to help improve the association’s events. “I want to work with Don Risser and Adam Gregory to continue the vision that [2022-23 BTA President] David Polimeni and [2020-22 BTA President] Tim Renegar worked so hard to put together,” she says. “We are working to enhance BTA’s events through breakout sessions and additional technology offerings. I am very excited to see this taking shape.”

Dennis sees additional offerings pertaining to products and solutions outside of printers and MFPs as the future of BTA. “I see a focus on growth in our industry through added offerings like VoIP, mailing, managed IT services and document management, “she says. “BTA is positioning itself to help dealers understand how to grow through these offerings versus staying at status quo. I like to say, ‘It is not your parents’ BTA.’”

“Always try to be one step ahead,” Dennis says, sharing some advice for her fellow dealers. “This can be done through BTA and the relationships you make by attending the association’s events. Also, if you haven’t signed up for one of the BTA Dealers Helping Dealers Discussion Groups, reach out to [BTA Executive Director] Brent Hoskins and sign up. The calls with these groups are so good.”

— Elizabeth Marvel

If I could tell anyone one good reason to join BTA it would be “to get ready” ... Our industry has evolved as far as it can. Now is the time of transformation.

OT: Looking to the year ahead, what will be your primary areas of focus as BTA’s national president?

Risser: The “reinventing” of BTA. To be part of something I am already very passionate about is exciting to me. We have a new generation of business executives who are looking way ahead with the use of new technology. They are hungry for something new. BTA needs to be the catalyst that can help them grow into those new areas of business. Together, the BTA staff members and members of the BTA board comprise one of the best teams I have been a part of; I am confident we can be that bridge to new and exciting things for the dealer channel. I am very honored and privileged to be part of such a great team. And, personally, I am very excited about the future of BTA and its events. The 2000s were exciting with new add-on technology. This, in my opinion, is even greater.

OT: What are your thoughts on how today’s office technology dealerships can best thrive and grow?

Risser: Always be in a state of learning. Today, technology is moving far more quickly than people can keep up with as compared to past technologies. We all need to approach our businesses as youthful adolescents who are hungry for new information, excited about change and ready to take on the world. Growth today is all about change. Big change. As we reinvent BTA, all business owners in our industry need to be thinking about their businesses as well, reinventing themselves to be ready to lead their customers in keeping up with explosive change in our industry.

OT: How do you think BTA can best play a role in helping dealers tackle the various challenges they face in the industry today, as well as the new opportunities?

Risser: Dealers must stay three steps ahead of the changes coming. That is possible by attending BTA events, where they can benefit from the educational sessions, vendor access and networking that provides them with the tools they need to connect vision with implementation.

You have to grow from what you learn from others. That only happens through networking. BTA is one of the greatest resources for networking. Dealers like to network at manufacturer meetings, but they are only focused on a single source of product. BTA is where you can really diversify and branch out. In fact, BTA is now working to regularly offer breakout educational sessions at its events

focused on specific product and services opportunities that could be new additions for many dealers. For example, at our June [Capture the Magic] event in Denver, Colorado, we had breakouts on mailing equipment. At our upcoming event in Boston, Massachusetts [the 2023 BTA National Conference, Aug. 30-31], we will have breakouts focused on unified communications.

OT: Many in the industry are focused on product and services diversification. What are your thoughts in terms of the importance of a dealership’s diversification?

Risser: It is of the utmost importance. Printers and copiers aren’t dying, but they have matured. If dealers aren’t finding new ways to talk to clients, they are fighting a losing battle. Diversification isn’t an option, it’s a necessity. We are in a service industry that is mature, experienced and on top of its game. However, unless the products and services we provide for our customers reach a greater level in terms of their need to keep up with technology, our sales reps are not going to be very successful at getting a listening ear.

At DCS, we have embraced diversification. For example, we’ve expanded into offering VoIP. Plus, we’ve started selling kiosks that work to automate reception and front-desk tasks. We have also worked to keep up with technology internally, using automation to facilitate electronic contracts. Our internal sales process is 100% digital; there is no paperwork.

OT: Looking out five to 10 years from now, what is your vision of how BTA will be best described at that point?

Risser: I see BTA as continuing to be described as the industry resource for helping dealers succeed with leading technology. BTA has been here before, many times. I am privileged to be part of this moment in its history. From typewriters to calculators to copiers, MPS to MNS, BTA has always been able to adapt for its dealers. And it will continue to be the leading resource for dealers for decades to come. What will be interesting to see is what those future dealerships will look like in terms of products and services, and how dealers will contribute to BTA. n

Brent Hoskins, executive director of the Business Technology Association, is editor of Office Technology magazine. He can be reached at (816) 303-4040 or brent@bta.org.

If dealers aren’t finding new ways to talk to clients, they are fighting a losing battle. Diversification isn’t an option, it’s a necessity.

Capture the Magic

BTA West hosts event June 9-10 in Denver

by: Elizabeth Marvel, Office Technology Magazine

The 2023 Capture the Magic event, hosted by BTA West, was held June 9-10 at the Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center in Denver, Colorado. The event featured a pre-event reception at BTA member All Copy Products, a keynote address, a featured speaker session, two additional educational sessions, two dealer panels, six breakout sessions, time to network with peers and exhibiting sponsors and a night at Coors Field.

The keynote, “Building Unstoppable Teams,” was presented by former Navy SEAL Curt Cronin. Anthony Sci of Keypoint Intelligence presented the featured speaker session, “Preparing for the Future: Key Strategies for Success.” The additional educational sessions were “Demystifying AI: Practical Insights & Tools for Business Growth,” by West McDonald, West McDonald Co. and Tigerpaw Software; and “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” by BTA General Counsel Bob Goldberg.

The dealer panels: “Positioning Your Dealership for Greatness,” moderated by Dan Bombard, Yuma Office Equipment, a Fruth Group Company; and “Meeting the Challenges Faced by Today’s Service Departments,” moderated by Kevin Marshall, Copy Link Inc. The breakout sessions: a sales dealer panel with different panelists each day, “Optimizing Your Dealership’s Sales Team,” moderated by Mark Spears of Amplified Solutions; a mailing dealer panel, “Why Mailing is a Good Fit for BTA Dealers,” moderated by Jim D’Emidio, independent consultant; a service session held both days, “Key Metrics for Service Managers,” by Gary Lavin and Mike Kirkpatrick, CEO Juice; and a mailing session, “Mailing Equipment Decertification & Its Opportunities,” by Phil Landriault, mailing meters decertification expert, and Carrie Witham, GreatAmerica.

The 2023 BTA National Conference will be held Aug. 30-31 in Boston, Massachusetts.

To learn more, see the ad on pages two and three or visit www.bta.org/BTABoston. 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 Capture the Magic event featured a keynote address, a featured speaker session, two additional educational sessions, two dealer panels, six breakout sessions and plenty of networking time; Sci; McDonald; Goldberg; Bombard (left) moderates a dealer panel with panelists (left to right) Chelsey Bode, Pearson-Kelly Technology, Springfield, Missouri, Stephanie Keating Phillips, Advanced Imaging Solutions, Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Brad Knepper, All Copy Products, Denver, Colorado; and Cronin presents the keynote.

Exploring AI & ChatGPT

Artificial intelligence (AI), including ChatGPT (an AI-powered language model developed by OpenAI that can answer user questions and much more), has captured the attention of everyone — including office technology dealers who may be trying to find use cases for their businesses. During his session at Capture the Magic, “Demystifying AI: Practical Insights & Tools for Business Growth,” West McDonald explained how AI can be used to enhance efficiency, productivity and customer experiences.

He started the session by explaining a bit about AI itself. “People talk about artificial intelligence; it’s not artificial,” McDonald said. “They should change the name to ‘augmented intelligence,’ because this intelligence [from ChatGPT] has been created based on the information we have shared with it through the internet up to September 2021.”

He referenced Richard Bowman and David Boyle’s book, “Prompt: A practical guide to brand growth using ChatGPT,” which talks about the value AI can brings to its users — without taking their jobs. “ChatGPT and similar technologies are like the electric bike for the mind,” McDonald said, paraphrasing a quote from the book. “It can help you conquer bigger hills. It can help you go a farther distance than you otherwise would have. But you still have to pedal, right? That’s why I say it’s augmented intelligence ... The idea [behind ChatGPT] was: ‘How do we make people better? How do we actually help people do things faster? How do we help people do things more efficiently?’ To me, that sounds like augmentation.”

McDonald gave some examples of how he uses ChatGPT in his business: to summarize a lot of information into short bullet points for PowerPoint presentations; when writing for search engine optimization (SEO; this could be used by a dealership’s marketing team); when writing titles for blogs; to do research; when writing interview questions for industries he might not know much about; and to rewrite emails geared to specific industries (sales reps could use ChatGPT for this purpose).

“We ask our salespeople to be great salespeople, but they’re not always great writers,” he said regarding sales reps using ChatGPT to rewrite their emails. “So what if we could actually get them help to do a better job of writing emails that are more focused on getting customers to open them? ... [ChatGPT] does a few things. It clarifies the language and it brings an excitement to the tone without being too excited — because I directed it that way with the prompt. It cleans it up so that it’s presentable to a professional audience.”

Regarding prompts (what you ask ChatGPT to do), McDonald emphasized the importance of refining them and not settling for the AI’s initial output. “Most people do not realize how important it is to write the correct kind of prompt for the information you’re looking for,” he explained, giving examples of how he’s changed his prompts to produce better results. “ ... The first [prompt] is never the right one. Anyone who writes for a living ... knows that the first draft is never published ... It has to be edited; it needs that second look ... Don’t ever be happy with the first thing it gives you.”

McDonald told dealers he could guarantee that at least one person in each of their dealerships is using ChatGPT and, as such, they should at least have an understanding of the technology and develop policies for the use of AI. “I would encourage you not to say, ‘Don’t use it,’” he said. “There’s no going back ... Work with [employees] ... to make sure that your data, your people’s personal private information, your NDA information, etc., is safe.” n

— Elizabeth Marvel

Clockwise from above left: Sean Foley (left) of Kodak Alaris visits with Mike McKenna of Atlas Reproduction, Casper, Wyoming, during a break; Mark Watthuber (left) of ECI Software Solutions visits with Earl Philpot of Precision Duplicating Solutions Inc., London, Kentucky, during a break; Attendees enjoy the San Diego Padres versus Colorado Rockies game at Coors Field.

Clockwise from top: Marshall (far left) moderates a dealer panel with panelists (left to right) Juan Maldonado, UBEO Business Services, San Antonio, Texas, Wendy Hagerstrand, Imagine Technology Group, Chandler, Arizona, and Dale Scheuerman, All Copy Products, Denver, Colorado; Witham (seated at left) and Landriault (right) present the breakout mailing session; D’Emidio (far right) moderates the breakout mailing panel with panelists (left to right) Will Champlin, All Copy Products, Patrick Cunningham, Cunningham Business Systems, Alexandria, Louisiana, and Scott Brenton, Pacific Office Automation, Beaverton, Oregon; Lavin (left) and Kirkpatrick present their breakout session.

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Q&A: Ed McLaughlin Industry maven comments on DCA, advises dealers

Compiled by: Brent Hoskins, Office Technology Magazine

Recently, Office Technology magazine interviewed Ed McLaughlin, co-founder of Predictive InSight, a data mining and predictive analytics company serving the print industry. McLaughlin, along with Shawn Cashmark, co-founded the company as the exclusive North American distributor of the EKM Insight DCA.

McLaughlin has more than 50 years of executive and management experience in the office technology industry. After service in the U.S. Air Force, he began his career with Sperry Rand Corp. He later held many sales, management and executive positions with such companies as 3M, Canon and Ricoh. He concluded his corporate experience as president of Sharp Electronics Corp.

Below are four of the questions asked of McLaughlin and his responses.

OT: Tell us about the history of Predictive InSight in terms of when and why it was established, and what led to your partnership with Shawn Cashmark.

McLaughlin: At the time I became familiar with EKM Insight, I was an advisor to NEXERA; we were looking for different technologies that would be complimentary to improve and offer more value for the company. I was looking at Insight and contacted [EKM Global Co-Founder] Colin Bosher in the United Kingdom. I had heard EKM had an interesting DCA. In that conversation, it became obvious that this DCA was built differently than any others. It was built on a different framework with a different purpose in mind.

Back in 2000, Colin and [EKM Global Managing Director] Ian McRae were consultants to some of the more enterprise-level organizations in the U.K., such as the BBC, Deloitte & Touche and United Rail, just to name a few. At the time, they were managing IT assets and they wanted

to manage print in the same way. They wanted to monitor consumables and things of that nature and started putting a framework in place to manage their accounts. They started writing code and, in order to do the analytics, they started taking the meter readings and reading the MIBs. They used the meter readings to help them do the analytics. This is the complete opposite of how other DCAs were created, and they built it on an enterprise framework. They built it on Java because they didn’t want to run into the problems of Microsoft upgrades. They just felt it was a more stable enterprise platform to build on.

As it turns out, that was a good decision. They did not build the DCA to do meter readings. They built the DCA to manage and get more out of the account; to be able to manage the account with fewer people. They wanted to automate the process as much as possible. Then they realized that they had developed a better DCA. At the time, back in 2000, DCAs started coming out to do meter readings. People were focused on the meter reading aspect because it was such a nightmare in the industry. They solved a big problem, but they didn’t manage the account. They weren’t built that way. That isn’t what people were looking for at the time.

After I left Sharp, I was becoming quite fixated on things like predictive maintenance and ways to automate the processes in the industry. I felt that if we didn’t get our arms around becoming more automated, we were going to run into a brick wall because we were a little bit too stodgy in the way that we approached things. Quite frankly, in my research, the thing that impressed me the most was EKM Insight.

My first quest was to try to acquire EKM, but the ownership was a mix of individuals and companies, and it was too complicated to buy or even to buy into. In various conversations with Colin, I started exploring the idea

of distributing it in the United States, and he said: “I do have a distributor, but he doesn’t have an exclusive.” After about three weeks of dialog with Colin, I asked him about the U.S. distributor: “Who is this guy?”

As it turns out, it was Shawn Cashmark. Meanwhile, Shawn had heard that Colin was talking to somebody else about distributing in the United States. He asked Colin if he would identify the person. He replied: “It’s this guy named Ed McLaughlin.” Shawn replied: “Ed McLaughlin. I know Ed. In fact, I’ve worked for Ed. I’m fine with that.” Colin called me and suggested setting up a call with Shawn. I said, “No, let’s get him on the phone right now.” It was like a Zoom meeting. That was on a Friday afternoon. By Monday morning we had established Predictive InSight.

We started on June 15, 2020. Today, we have more than 1 million printers in the queue to be assimilated into the system. We don’t have all of them up and running right now, but they are committed to come on board. As you can imagine, when someone changes their DCA, they don’t necessarily change the whole fleet in one fell swoop. Some will take a short period of time, and some will take as long as a year to assimilate everything into the system.

OT: One key aspect of the DCA is that it is “selfhealing.” Tell us about that and its significance.

McLaughlin: A primary complaint I hear from dealers is that DCAs just fall off and have to be reinstalled. We actually talked to a dealer about eight months ago who had four technicians he launched every Monday to go reinstall DCAs. I thought: “Oh my gosh; the cost of doing that.” The dealer had four full-time employees hired to go out and fix something that was supposed to help support the dealership.

The self-healing feature came about as the result of one EKM developer who likes to go off on his own and solve problems. We do a product planning review two times a month. We review where everything is, what we’ve seen and what problems we’ve incurred. We then plan how to solve those problems. [Regarding the issue of a DCA needing to be reinstalled] the developer said: “I wonder if I could get this thing to fix itself.” Lo and behold, we now have the self-healing DCA. What it does is analyze itself. First of all, there’s a lot of intelligence built into this DCA, a lot of analytics going on and a lot of algorithms. It analyzes its own activity. If it senses that there is any corruption at all, it backs itself up to the last known legitimate database and restarts itself.

It’s off and running and is indistinguishable to anybody. The data goes back to EKM and they can look at it and say, “This is because of this or that.” They can then send a patch to the server and wait for the DCA to reconnect and then make any patches to it that need to be done; it’s all seamless. Previously, we rarely lost the DCA, but since we launched the self-healing DCA, we haven’t lost any. People can turn the server off or they can make changes to the server and you’re out of communication, but this solves the problem of reinstalling the DCAs. Again, thus far, we haven’t had to reinstall any DCAs since we came up with the selfhealing aspect.

OT: We understand that Predictive InSight helps with consumables supply chain management. How does it do so?

McLaughlin: The algorithms are constantly read from the MIB; all the activity that’s going on inside the printer or the MFP. DCAs don’t automatically have a product database. Ours does. We know the machine. We know what the MIB reading means, and we know what the manufacturer’s projected yields are because that’s a reference. It’s in the database. We have all the other information, and we can tell essentially the number of days or the percentage of consumption remaining. We measure both. It’s either/or, so it’s either at 15% or 10% or whatever you set it to be. You can set it down to the individual machines, and you can set it for high consumption machines or low consumption machines. Or you could set it based on your supply chain and how fast you can replenish. Do you have inventory in your place? Do you have to use the supply chain to do it all? All of that can be put into the process so that you know exactly what it is and track the supply right to the end user and know that it has been delivered.

OT: You are known for your insightful observations of the office technology industry — where it is headed, the trends to closely follow and the opportunities you believe dealers should embrace. With these thoughts in mind, what is your advice to today’s dealers in terms of what they should be doing to optimize their dealerships’ levels of success and growth now and in the years ahead?

McLaughlin: I think we have to start embracing change much more quickly than in the past, making it a part of our DNA. Of course, the industry has adjusted over the decades.

Lo and behold, we now have the self-healing DCA. What it does is analyze itself ... If it senses that there is any corruption at all, it backs itself up ... and restarts ...

When I first started in this industry, our quest was to eliminate carbon paper; we were successful. That was the quest. People would say: “Why do I need a copier? I have carbon paper.” That was a true objection in the early days.

Today, we have to look at things differently. Many people ask: “What’s the future of print?” That’s a different question than: “What’s the future of office technology?” Office technology is where we reside, but print is broader than office technology, and the future of print is going to be forever. It’s not going to go away. It’s going to evolve and we have to evolve with it. If print is at our core and we want to be part of print, we have to constantly be educating ourselves as to what is around us. What’s changing about print? How is print being used? What’s print being used for? What’s the difference between production, industrial and office print? How has office print changed?

Since the very beginning, our industry has been the vehicle for unstructured data. The real knowledge of an industry is the unstructured data that’s there, and we were the vehicle to move that unstructured data and unstructured knowledge through the work process, because it was paper that made it happen.

Eventually, that really began to change. People think it changed with digitalization and maybe to a small degree it did in the 1990s. The real change came about when the iPhone was introduced back in 2008. Interestingly enough, if you track when office print began to decline, it was right around 2008 or 2009, because we could then move that unstructured data and knowledge through a mobile process. It became much easier to move unstructured data.

I remember in 1990 holding up a disc and saying: “This is the future of print because of the PDF.” When the PDF was created, it changed everything, but not to the point that it was easily distributed. Even though it was portable, not everything could convey it and move it and, certainly, from a mobile standpoint, that wasn’t the case until the laptop was introduced, and that wasn’t all that mobile; you couldn’t go everywhere with it. However, when the iPhone was introduced, we began moving PDFs all over the place. It changed everything. It started changing the process.

At the same time the iPhone was introduced, there was also an economic downturn. It caused people to start looking at resizing their organizations and how to do things more efficiently. Out of that came: “Hey, we don’t have to put as much into a paper process.” That changed the importance of print, but it didn’t make it go away because people still use print. However, it’s used at the destination

instead of being placed in a file cabinet or becoming a permanent archive. Instead, prints find their way into the trash can or the shredder. That printed page is not mission critical in the sense that it’s part of the workflow. But it is still mission critical in the sense that it’s part of the convenience of developing the knowledge.

So, that’s where our information has gone; that’s generally the process. Will print stop being used at some point in time? As I stated, I don’t think it’s ever going to be completely gone, but how it’s used and the importance of it in terms of the workflow has changed. And it will continue to change as more technologies develop. Who knows what technologies are coming out next? Nobody does.

With these thoughts in mind, what is my advice to dealers? Do not stop learning. Be observant. Be involved in what you are doing in terms of understanding and learning everything, and do not drift. We have this tendency to get shiny new objects. People talk about: “Well, you’ve got to go into this IT business.” Maybe. If you really understand IT and you’re good at IT, and you have knowledge about IT, then build something around it. But if you think that the margins that are available in those services are the same as in print, you’re wrong. Print still has more profit opportunity than any of the other businesses we’re involved in. We just don’t extract it all. We don’t do everything that we really need to do to manage it to its fullest extent. I mean, there are probably at least another 10 points of profit available in service that we’re leaving on the table because we’re not involved.

Owners tend to be more focused on their sales operations, adding to their growth and account management, things of that nature. That is where their primary interest lies, and they know that most of the business — most of the profit — comes from service, but they tend not to be as involved in that. Why? Because there are too many moving parts and, quite frankly, someone else is managing service and it fits the industry model. If we make the model, we are good. However, those who best understand the model will be the first ones to tell you that the model reflects the minimum benchmarks, not the targets. Instead, you should be finding ways to improve in order to get better at beating the model, not just achieving the minimum benchmarks. 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.

Do not stop learning. Be observant. Be involved in what you are doing in terms of understanding and learning everything, and do not drift.

An NLRB Memorandum Another strike against non-compete agreements

by: Robert C. Goldberg, BTA General Counsel

In the February issue of Office Technology, I shared the details of a trade regulation rule proposed by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) banning non-compete agreements. That rule remains in the comment stage, with the Business Technology Association (BTA) voicing strong objections to a complete ban where businesses have heavily invested in establishing loyal customer bases. BTA is not alone in its position, as many other organizations have stated similar concerns. It is commonly believed that if the rule is ultimately enacted, it will be considerably reduced in scope and impact.

Almost two years ago, President Joe Biden issued Executive Order 14036, which broadly addresses promoting competition in the U.S. economy. Among the measures considered in that executive order was greater scrutiny of employee noncompete agreements. Now, in addition to the president and the FTC, the general counsel of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has inserted her agency’s authority in hopes of further restricting employee non-compete agreements. On May 30, 2023, NLRB General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo sent a memorandum to the various regional directors and other NLRB officials explaining her theory that most employee non-compete agreements violate the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). In the memorandum, Abruzzo directs the various NLRB regions to be on the lookout for cases to bring against employers that enter into, or even propose, employee non-compete agreements.

The NLRA, enacted by Congress in 1935, has never been interpreted to prohibit, or even to limit, employee non-compete agreements. Abruzzo, however, explains in her memorandum that, in her opinion, most such agreements are unlawful throughout the United States because they “interfere with, restrain or coerce employees in the exercise” of their right “to selforganization, to form, join or assist labor organizations, to bargain collectively through representatives of their own choosing, and to engage in other concerted activities for the purpose of collective bargaining or other mutual aid or protection.”

Essentially, Abruzzo argues that non-compete provisions interfere with workers’ rights because they limit an employee’s option to threaten to or actually quit or change jobs in support of demands to an employer for different or better pay and working conditions, either individually or in a group. She argues that while there might be some “special circumstances” that would make an employee non-compete agreement lawful, as a general rule “the proffer, maintenance and enforcement

of a non-compete provision that reasonably tends to chill employees from engaging in ... activity as described above violates” the NLRA.

The good news for dealers that proffer, maintain and enforce employee non-compete agreements is that the NLRB general counsel does not have the power to make rules like this. Instead, she acts as a prosecutor, choosing certain cases as vehicles to try to convince the full NLRB to adopt her (unconventional) view of the scope of the NLRA. And even if she found an appropriate case and convinced the NLRB to adopt her view, that decision itself would be subject to review by a federal court. We are many years away from any sort of definitive ruling that the NLRA restricts employee non-compete agreements.

While the NLRB is unlikely to hold that the NLRA prohibits employee non-compete agreements — and it is particularly unlikely to do so soon — dealers who use employee non-compete agreements should take this as yet another warning that such agreements are subject to increasing scrutiny. Dealers are well advised to limit non-compete agreements to employees with significant customer contact and/or access to confidential business information.

Consider confidentiality provisions for both your employee handbook and agreements. n

Robert C. Goldberg is general counsel for the Business Technology Association. He can be reached at robert.goldberg@sfbbg.com.

BTA would like to welcome the following new members to the association:

Dealer Members

Aztec Inc., Middleton, CT

DOCEO Office Solutions, York, PA Rapid Refill, Raleigh, NC

Vendor Member

Amplified Solutions, Lantana, TX

For full contact information of these new members, visit www.bta.org.

IT University Online

IT University Online’s (ITU’s) Lifetime Library consists of IT certification-based course curriculums. Some reasons to buy a Lifetime Library:

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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.

Founded in 1979, Item Inc., headquartered in Woodbridge, Virginia, specializes in the distribution of parts, consumables, hardware and technical support services for printers, copier/ MFPs and scanners. It represents manufacturers such as Canon, HP, Konica Minolta, Kyocera, Lexmark, OKI, Ricoh, Xerox and more. Item Inc. offers a “one-stop shop” with first-class customer service distributing from a 70,000-square-foot facility, shipping as late as 7 p.m. Eastern. It is dedicated to offering flexible solutions to its clients such as free technical support, blind and third-party shipping, EDI and much more.

www.iteminc.com

ECI specializes in ERP software for diverse groups of entrepreneurs in various vertical markets, including office technology. From contracts and accounting to service dispatch, inventory and purchasing, the e-automate cloud-based ERP helps simplify and centralize complex business processes. Privately held with more than 16,000 customers, ECI is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, with offices and companies throughout the United States, Australia, New Zealand, England and the Netherlands.

www.ecisolutions.com

A full list of BTA vendor members can be found online at www.bta.org.

For more information, visit www.bta.org.

‘Lexmark By Design’

Manufacturer hosts partner summit June 6-7

by: Elizabeth Marvel, Office Technology Magazine

On June 6-7, Lexmark hosted its top 50 business solutions dealers (BSDs) at its headquarters in Lexington, Kentucky. The 2023 Business Solutions Dealer Summit, themed “Lexmark By Design,” featured general session presentations focused on the company’s strategy by design, its intentionally engineered product portfolio and its emerging technologies. There was also an executive panel discussion featuring questions from dealers, a technology fair, three breakout sessions, a welcoming reception at the Old Fayette County Courthouse, and a tour and tasting at the historic Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky.

During the general session, Lexmark President and CEO Allen Waugerman explained the company’s vision. “We help our customers make a lasting impression on their worlds,” he said. “We demonstrate this and you guys do this every day in your businesses. Think about how many kids you all educate; how many patients you help get treatment for ... So that’s what we do. That’s who we are. It is very important.”

Waugerman discussed the decline in printed pages and how Lexmark is overcoming that challenge through its focus on vertical markets. “We are unique versus some of our competitors,” he said. “We have been focused on industry expertise. In 1995, our strategy changed to go from the general office to being focused on industries, making sure we had insights in health care, retail and so on. So, we developed that expertise and our devices are very tuned to those very unique needs. And we focus on outcomes. Not just print.”

Waugerman also discussed Lexmark’s strategy for success, noting that there are three pillars necessary for the company’s approach: (1) Continue to lead the printing and imaging industry; (2) Enhance its print services to better serve its customers and partners; and (3) Expand beyond print to bring new value to the marketplace.

These three pillars were emphasized throughout the summit. Following Waugerman’s session, Matt Dollus, vice president of global marketing, and Chris White, director of global product portfolio, explained the company’s intentionally engineered product portfolio, which is made up of not only hardware, but cloud and managed print services, applied technology and Internet of Things (IoT) solutions. These products and services were featured in the technology fair, where attendees rotated through stations focused on current and upcoming products and solutions, the company’s strides in sustainability, toner products for non-Lexmark devices, and Optra Edge,

Clockwise from top: Attendees take a look at some of Lexmark’s color products during the technology fair; Bryan Willett presents the security session; and Allen Waugerman presents during the general session.

a platform that combines edge computing hardware with a cloud-based management portal and prebuilt artificial intelligence (AI)/machine learning (ML) applications that, according to Lexmark, “turn real-time data into real-time action.”

As an example, Lexmark representatives showed how Optra Edge could be used in a grocery store, changing digital signage based on the demographics of the person viewing it.

The breakouts focused on Lexmark’s advantages in the industry, its security offerings, and its cloud services and analytics. The security session was especially interesting for dealers who had questions about the Chinese investors who purchased the company in 2016. Bryan Willett, chief information security officer, assuaged any concerns by explaining the details of a national security agreement that came out of a risk assessment done by the Committee for Foreign Investment in the United States. The agreement focuses on protecting sensitive information, limiting access to customer data, source code and hardware designs. “We’ve been under this agreement for seven years,” Willett said. “And in every one of those we have been noted by Deloitte as being substantially in compliance with the agreement.” n

Elizabeth Marvel is associate editor of Office Technology magazine. She can be reached at elizabeth@bta.org or (816) 303-4060.

‘Forward Together’

Xerox hosts Partner Summit 2023 June 21-23

by: Brent Hoskins, Office Technology Magazine

Xerox channel partners from around the world gathered June 21-23 in Miami, Florida, to attend the company’s Partner Summit 2023. Themed “Forward Together,” the summit was the company’s first in-person channel partner event post-pandemic; the last such event took place in 2019. Approximately 370 channel partners from the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Africa attended the summit, in addition to sponsors and Xerox employees supporting the event.

The summit featured product demos in the Exhibition Showcase, networking opportunities and a “Voice of the Partner” panel session with partners from around the globe. It also featured a keynote presentation, “The Race to Relevance in the Era of AI,” by Louella Fernandes, director and owner of Quocirca. In addition, there were a number of breakout educational sessions, ranging from “Enable a Secure Hybrid Workplace” to “Grow with RPA & GPT in the Digital Age” to “The Future of Service Delivery.”

The summit’s opening General Session began with presentations by the company’s top two executives — CEO Steven Bandrowczak and President and COO John Bruno. Both executives focused, in part, on the importance of the relationship between Xerox and its channel partners, and the opportunities presented by the new, distributed workforce.

“We’re going to go build and we’re going to go forward together,” Bandrowczak said. “When we talk about partnership, it’s not about product, it’s not about the A3 versus A4 debate. It’s not about speeds and feeds. It’s about how we work together in this ever-changing landscape of technology. I say it all the time: Today is the slowest that change will ever happen in our lives. You can’t slow it down.

“You can’t slow down the AI engine — ChatGPT,” Bandrowczak continued. “You can’t slow down digital transformation. You can’t slow down inflation. You can’t slow down what’s happening in labor markets today, capital markets. You can’t control that. What we can control is how we bring clients success, how we think about bringing value to our clients in the

future. That’s what the next couple of days are about. It’s about going forward together.”

Noting how Xerox and its channel partners will “continue to drive how the new workplace looks going forward,” Bandrowczak emphasized the growing importance of knowing customers intimately. “What are their processes?” he said. “[Channel partners should know] what it’s like working inside a hospital, what it’s like working inside a university, what it’s like working inside a manufacturing plant and knowing what their downtimes are, knowing what the critical periods are ... and how they drive their businesses.”

Bandrowczak shared his vision of the level of confidence that Xerox will instill in channel partners, imagining the dialog between a partner and customer, reflecting the continued emphasis on working remotely. “‘You want to work from Starbucks? You want to work in a plane? You want to work on a train? We don’t care, we can help you,’” he said. “‘And the technologies that are about ready to hit you, no problem. We’re going to help navigate those waters for you, because we’ve partnered with Xerox and we’re going to be able to get it done for you.’ We’ve been around for 100 years. We’ll be around for the next 100 years and we’re going to grow together, team. We’re going to grow together.”

In his General Session presentation, Bruno continued, in part, with the focus on the changing workplace, noting that around 71% of companies indicate they are “not going back to the way they did business” prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. “Not only are companies saying they’re not going back to the way they did things, but they’re also acknowledging that the workforce is more stressed than it has ever been,” he said. “[Workers] feel less connected. The work they do isn’t as seamless as it was ... because, let’s face it, for the last 100 years, the place you went to be productive — the productivity platform for business — was the office.”

Bruno emphasized the importance of and opportunity in implementing technology to improve productivity for the new, distributed workforce. “We want to be the leading company in the technologies, tools and capabilities around this hybrid workplace,” he said. “Why? Because a distributed workforce that is more productive and more engaged will be less stressed by leveraging more technology ... This is absolutely a tailwind opportunity for us.” n

Brent Hoskins, executive director of the Business Technology Association, is editor of Office Technology magazine. He can be reached at (816) 303-4040 or brent@bta.org.

Steven Bandrowczak

John Bruno

Production Print

How effective are dealers’ programs?

Compiled by: Brent Hoskins, Office Technology Magazine

Following are two related questions submitted by a dealer member as part of BTA’s Dealers Helping Dealers resource and many of the answers received. These answers and many others can be found in the members-only section of the BTA website. Visit www.bta.org/Dealers HelpingDealers. You will need your username and password to access this member resource.

How effective is your current production print program? What can you share about your successes?

“We are selling around $8 million in production print. We need to be at $10 million. We are working on a new commission program.”

John Lowery, president & CEO

Applied Innovation, Grand Rapids, Michigan

“We don’t have a lot of production print in our territory. Thus the investment and time is not worth it to us.”

Evan Said, director of sales

Coastal Business Systems Inc., Eureka, California

“We are not actively promoting production; we are staying focused on the core business while diversifying with print management software, e-fax and IT services.”

Mitchell Mawby, vice president of sales

Professional Business Systems Inc., Rogers, Arkansas

“We have been very successful with our production print program when we have had a dedicated specialist. Without one, we suffer — and ours just retired.”

Tim Renegar, president Kelly Office Solutions, Winston-Salem, North Carolina

“Production imaging is a strategic pillar of DocuGraphics. The majority of our sales force is ‘production fluid’ and can have a professional discussion about production workflows, products and solutions. In a typical sales cycle, the sales rep prospects for opportunities and tees up the client, and then collaborates with our production specialist for a tailored solution. On the service side, we foster our technical team to become service certified on our production devices. On

the implementation side, we enabled all our network analysts/trainers to become EFI certified.”

Thomas Fimian, CEO

Docugraphics LLC

Charleston, South Carolina

“This is an area we can certainly improve on. Our light production sales have been consistent year over year, but true production units are always a challenge. The manufacturer support is inconsistent at best, true production clients are much harder to find in rural areas, and hiring and keeping production talent is always a challenge.”

Brian Bence, executive director of sales

Shenandoah Valley Office Equipment (SVOE), Verona, Virginia

“We have been selling production for at least 15 years. Our success is dependent on people. We struggle with keeping high-volume production reps but, overall, it’s been relatively successful and continues in that same vein.”

Rick Salcedo, president & CEO

KDI Office Technology, Aston, Pennsylvania

“We just started about a year ago with true production, so we are pretty new. We have installed seven or eight of them.”

Chad Schwartz, president/founder

Imagine Technology Group, Chandler, Arizona

“We are placing more and more presses, but they are smaller presses and less expensive than prior ones.”

Nick Lioce, president

The Lioce Group, Huntsville, Alabama

“We are a work in progress. We just hired a production specialist. We have approximately 15 to 20 production units in the field.”

Stephen

Valenta, president/owner

Offix, Gainesville, Virginia

“We have been able to place a few production print machines. This business is completely different than MFPs. We find the supply usage good, and the service requirements frequent and urgent.”

Todd Deluca, owner Boston Business Technology, Plymouth, Massachusetts

“Not effective. We’ve sold a few digital presses, but I would not categorize it as a success.”

Jeffrey Foley, COO Apollo Office Systems, Alvin, Texas

“We have declined to do production print. When we tried years ago, our experience was it was too hard to make money in this segment for us.”

Tom Minuti, president Copy Products, Upper Darby, Pennsylvania

“We have a best-in-class production print program

... Our production support specialists are side by side with our clients every step of the way to ensure a seamless experience.”

“We have a best-in-class production print program. Our sales process for these specific types of accounts contribute to our success. Our process covers: the specific needs of our clients, the evaluation of the physical space and technical requirements needed, the idiosyncrasies of the physical install, all the way to the expectations of the invoicing specific to each customer. Our

production support specialists are side by side with our clients every step of the way to ensure a seamless experience.”

Ken Staubitz, COO Modern Office Methods, Cincinnati, Ohio

“We got out of production print about three years ago. We were losing money.”

Chap Breard, president MOEbiz, Monroe, Louisiana

Do you have a question for your fellow dealers? If so, email it to brent@bta.org with the subject line: “Dealers Helping Dealers.” BTA will then share your question with the full dealer membership with a request for guidance from your fellow dealers. 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

ADVERTISER INDEX

23 • ProFinance 3.0

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

11 • Ricoh Document Scanners

(888) 425-8228 / www.pfu-us.ricoh.com

Resources

(866) 341-6316 / www.c2cresources.com

13 • CET Group

(888) 826-2576 / www.cetgroupusa.com

17 • Clover Imaging

www.cloverimaging.com

7 • ecoprintQ

(800) 236-8499 / www.ecoprintQ.com

13 • ENX Magazine

(818) 505-0022 / www.enxmag.com

5 • Epson

https://epson.com/business-inkjet-printers

19 • Polek & Polek

(833) 744-2500 / www.crexendo.com

(800) 526-1360 / www.polek.com

21 • RISO https://us.riso.com

31 • UPS

(800) 636-2377 / https://1800members.com/bta