4 minute read
COMPATIBLE OPTIONS
Many businesses are looking to save money as they continue their recovery from the effects of the pandemic, and compatibles are an option to achieve this – so what are the benefits that dealers should emphasise to customers?
or many offices, F printer consumables are a major cost – and one that is rising again as many people have returned to the office in recent months. With some companies still trying to recover from the effects of COVID-19 lockdowns, all costs are being scrutinised, which means they may consider compatible options rather than OEM products – and dealers have a crucial role in advising on the best course of action to take.
“As a specialist distributor in aftermarket printer consumables we are often asked for the best product option by our trade customers,” says Nick Brooks, commercial manager of CTS Toner Supplies. “Over the years, compatibles have become increasingly more reliable and IP safe, and their previous bad reputation for poor quality and unreliability has, thankfully, ebbed, leaving a truer picture of a more fit-forpurpose, reliable yet cost-effective, option in a more professional supply chain environment.
“Obviously, we still come across reluctance to trust an unbranded product, which is why we also supply branded options, albeit at a higher price point to our core product, but they still do offer savings against the OEM.”
CTS sells five product types, which include genuine supplies, aftermarket branded supplies, CTS’ own remanufactured products and compatible plain box products. “Our most economical option is our plain box compatible version,” explains Nick.
ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFIT
There can also be an environmental benefit to using compatibles, says Nick. “New build compatibles (NBCs) are increasingly using environmentally-friendly components, do not suffer from supply of empties concerns and are increasingly being produced on automated production lines, which regulates quality. Furthermore, they do not suffer from permissible repair and original geographical placement on markets doctrines that can be contested by OEMs in IP infringement cases. CTS’ NBCs have their own design around registered patents, keeping retailers and distributors safe.”
Nick adds that CTS’ core business remains its own plain box remanufactured or compatible options. “Generally, the differences
between these products is less to do with quality, and more to do with the perception of a greener product, plus the school of thought that a higher price on a remanufactured must equate to a better product.
“However, there are shades of grey here to consider. What are the reasons why remanufactured are more expensive, and are they the only way to ensure sustainability? In terms of cost, the market is guided by the availability of empty cores – hence newer models start high and tend to come down in price over time – and, of course, there is the collection and return cycle to factories. Consider the carbon footprint of getting these cores back to factories that are often located outside of the UK.”
However, with NBCs, CTS recycles all its compatibles, as it does with OEM and remanufactured. “The difference being that compatibles are not reused as full casings - rather the plastics, metals and residual toner powders are all professionally extracted and repurposed in a host of different products from plastic bins to tar.”
“CTS produce zero landfill on all cartridges returned – be they OEM, remanufactured or compatible – with, on average, 98% going into reused or repurposed products and two percent being incinerated and recovered into energy.” Many other manufacturers are engaged in similar work as the drive to become more environmentally sustainable gathers ever more momentum.
RIGHT PRODUCT, RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME
Peter Cowan, procurement director at Data Direct, points out that compatibles is all about offering choice to customers and providing them with the right product, in the right place, at the right price. “This choice is based on providing the leading products in the category with the confidence that the end user and dealer resellers can trust them,” he says, adding that this confidence in the performance of the products is backed up by a no quibble warranty.
Choice is also important because the buying and decision-making processes of end users and dealers can be very different. “A ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach of offering highly priced OEM products can be at odds with this,” he says. “Economic factors should be considered, and most categories should offer choice across pricing tiers such as entry level, mid-range and premium priced products, or just two of those three tiers.
“Having already made a significant outlay on the printer, to then expect continued expensive consumables just to fuel the printer should not be a given. As some OEMs don’t offer the breadth of green/eco products, or cannot enforce threats of warranty withdrawal if end users use compatibles, choice should always win. If choice is in anyway misunderstood here, look no further than Amazon on how to deliver the best possible solutions to a customer base.”
Peter notes that compatibles are not always ‘generic alternatives’ as, in many cases, OEMs source the product from the same resource. “When the markets are in a state of change, with different office trends, global logistics issues, etc, the greater the choice offered by dealers - backed by a trusted distributor - ensures greater versatility in delivery and service options.
“This positivity is what the end user deserves, and what the dealer can deliver,” he says.
