Issue 22 Autumn 2013
KCS Customer Care Survey
KCS Warehouse Move
Contract & Advice News
KCS “Through The Years”
2 In This Edition
Welcome to a very special edition of the KCS Informer. It is very special in two ways. Firstly, it celebrates our history over the past 83 years in advance of our move to a new warehouse in December this year and secondly, it is the last paper edition of the KCS Informer, which from October will move to a monthly news letter emailed directly to your PC. We hope that we have gathered together some interesting articles and photographs from the KCS archive and we hope that you agree that they illustrate the pace of change throughout the years. Our move to Papyrus Way, New Hythe in December this year is important for us, as it allows us room to grow and introduce new ways of working that will benefit you in the future. We hope to be able to share these benefits with you in the New Year. As we move ever nearer to our move date, we will continue to remind you via email as our move will necessitate an early closure of our existing warehouse at Christmas to enable us to move stock and re-open on Thursday 2nd January at Papyrus Way. We have detailed the series of key dates on the page opposite. One thing that will not change with the move of the KCS Informer to electronic media is the quality of the content. We will continue to try to offer you the right balance between special promotions, informative articles and opportunities for you to feature stories about your own school in our very popular “School Shout” section. Can I please ask that you take five minutes to complete our upcoming annual KCS Schools Customer Care Survey. This year for the first time we will use a combination of a paper form which can be emailed/posted/ faxed back to us and Survey Monkey. The survey is very important to us as it gives us a chance to hear your views on how we operate. As always if you have any questions in respect of KCS, please do not hesitiate to contact me. Best regards,
We are very proud to report that Rob Cox, our Senior Sales Executive who covers Bexley, Bromley, Croydon and Sutton was recently recognised for his “Customer Care Excellence”.
Steven Munday Divisional Director, Educational Supplies T: 01622 236873 E: steven.munday@kcs4education.co.uk
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12
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This edition contains articles on:
18
KCS: Our Team Through The Years
12-13
December Office Opening
3
KCS: Our Different Delivery Vehicles 14-15
KCS School Customer Care Survey
3
KCS: The Changes In Informer
16-17 18-19
KCS: A Brief History
4-5
KCS: Our Future
KCS: Offices Over The Years
6-7
Software Refresh
20
KCS: Our Changing Catalogue
8-9
KCS: Further Customer Benefits
22
Customer Care Pledge
24
KCS: The Opening Of Gibson Drive
10-11
Your DPN or Account Number
? ? ? ? ? ? Please quote this on every order to ensure that it is processed speedily every time!
KCS Schools Customer Care Survey 3
Autumn 2013
1st - 12th: Normal office and warehouse operation.
Free Delivery
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Creative to win a Supercut your For your chance school, please return the 30th by Trimmer for your to Steven Munday completed survey
name:
November 2012.
.gov.uk Email: ksales@kent 243 732 Free Fax: 0800 KCS, PO Box 196 Post: Steven Munday,ME19 6PX West Malling, Kent, to:
Sales Rep:
please go version of this survey or contact For an electronic the link p.co.uk and follow www.kcswebsho 8811. Team on 0845 270 our Customer Care
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16 DECEMBER
17
Tuesday 17th: KCS offices are open to receive orders and answer product/order queries, but the warehouse is closed.
DECEMBER
20
Friday 20th: KCS offices close for Christmas.
DECEMBER
2 JANUARY
Thursday 2nd January: KCS offices and warehouse re-open at our new site in Papyrus Way, New Hythe. Our main contact details are unchanged: Sales Office: 0845 270 8811 Free Fax: 0800 243 732 sales@kcs4education.co.uk
Swordfish Document Laminator 469 014 390 RRP £21.30
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Free Fax: 0800 243 732 Post: Steven West Malling,Munday, KCS, Kent, ME19 PO Box
For an 196 6PX electro nic versio www.k csweb our Custom shop.co.uk n of this survey and please er Care go to: Team follow the link on 0845 270 8811. or contact
Monday 16th: Last KCS stock deliveries before Christmas for orders received prior to 12:00 midday on Friday 13th. All orders received after 12:00 midday on Friday 13th will be delivered on Friday 3rd January 2014.
As an added incentive, return your completed survey to us by Friday 20th December for your chance to WIN 1 of 10 Swordfish A4 Laminators for your school.
KCS would like to thank Snopake for their support
This is the ninth year of the KCS Schools Customer Care Survey, your chance to give us your thoughts and suggestions. The 2013 edition follows a similar pattern to previous years with a mixture of tick box selections and response questions to cover your views on; • Our 2013/14 Catalogue • Our Sales Office • Our Customer Care Pledge
• Our Deliveries • Our Own Brand Range
This is our chance to fully understand what you require from KCS and how we are performing against your expectations. Please make every effort to put aside 5 minutes to complete either a paper copy or an electronic copy. A paper copy should be contained within this edition of the KCS Informer and we will email out the survey during September, October and November. Results will be published in January 2014. To obtain your copy of the survey, please do not hesitate to contact your Sales Executive or our Customer Care Team.
Tel: 0845 270 8811 Fax: 0800 243 732 Email: customercare@kcs4education.co.uk
4 KCS: A Brief History
Armistice With Germany
1900
1910
Our research has traced the roots of KCS back to a formation date of 1930, starting life as the supplies division of Kent County Council Education Comittee.
1920
DNA Structure Discovered
Loch Ness Monster Spotted
1930
With local authorities in control of all state schools, the newly formed “Supplies Division” mirrored similar arrangements in most counties throughout England, supplying everything that a school needed to deliver the rather more narrow curriculum of the day, that was based on “Chalk and Talk” principles.
1940
1950
The old “Supplies Division” had its main offices/ warehouse at the Springfield site in Maidstone, but also had a number of satellite offices throughout the local area. The opening of the purpose built Kent County Supplies Centre in 1978 by the Rt. Hon. Margaret
KCS: A Brief History 5
Comprehensive Schools Set Up In England & Wales
1960
Margaret Thatcher Becomes Prime Minister
1970
1980
Thatcher MP, who had served as Education Secretary between 1970-74, enabled the whole operation to be based at one site. The formation of Commercial Services in 1991, with Kent County Supplies (KCS) as one of its divisions, signalled the start of the growth years.
The Euro Is introduced
1990
2000
The past 8 years has seen KCS adopt free next day delivery, extending supply to schools throughout southern England and now we are on the cusp of moving again, this time to a purpose built 100,000 sqft warehouse in Papyrus Way, New Hythe.
2010
6 KCS: Offices Over The Years
Based on the Springfield House campus from 1930.
1900
1910
KCS has been an organisation that has not moved until it really needed to! We started out on the Springfield House campus. The main house was built for Richard James Balston in 1891, as part of the paper mill complex started by his father William Balston. He commissioned renowned architect Alfred Waterhouse whose gothic designs were much admired and led to many famous commissions including Manchester Town Hall, Balliol College,
Officially opened in 1978, Gibson Drive brou
1920
1930
Oxford, Pembroke College, Cambridge and The Natural History Museum. He was President of The Royal Institute of British Architects from 1888 – 1891 and became a member of The Royal Academy in 1885. Richard Balston preferred life as a country gentleman to papermaking and became a J.P and was made High Sheriff of Kent in 1894.
1940
1950
On 1st July 1907, Balston entertained workers at the Springfield Mill to celebrate 100 years of papermaking, but later the papermaking business was to decline and the house was purchased by Kent County Council in 1921 for offices. KCC went on to develop its headquarters on the site in the 1960’s and operated there until 1999 when the site was sold for redevelopment.
KCS: Offices Over The Years 7
ug ht KCS together on one site.
1960
1970
Our new warehouse and offices at Papyrus Way, New Hythe. Still a construction site, but we’re due to move during the 2 weeks prior to Christmas!
1980
The move to a purpose built warehouse/office building at Gibson Drive in 1978 was prompted by the future growth potential of the business. The Gibson Drive building was built on the old aerodrome at West Malling. Originally used as a landing area during the first World War, the site opened as a private landing ground and in 1930, then known as Kingshill, became home to the
1990
2000
Maidstone School of Flying, before being renamed West Malling Airfield and in 1932, Maidstone Airport. During the 1930s many airshows and displays were held by aviators such as Amy Johnson and Alan Cobham, flying from a grass runway. As war approached, the airfield was taken over by the military, to become RAF West Malling in 1940, serving in the front line. The station saw further
2010
service after the war, first with some of the RAF’s first jet squadrons, and later as a US Naval Air Station. Our new home at New Hythe is also steeped in history as it is on the edge of the old Reed Paper Mills site, at one time the largest paper making site in the world.
8 KCS: Our Changing Catalogue
1900
1910
1920
1930
1940
1950
1935
1966
1991
2005
KCS: Our Changing Catalogue 9
KCS produces an annual catalogue and has done so since 1930, although the look and feel has changed markedly in the intervening years! Today’s catalogue, linked to our trading site www.kcswebshop.co.uk, has grown considerably in size to accommodate the range offered to our customers and is produced in full colour, allowing you to see the actual product at time of order.
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
2010
1975
1984
2010
2013
10 KCS: The Opening Of Gibson Drive
1900
1910
1920
1930
1940
1950
KCS: The Opening Of Gibson Drive 11
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
2010
12 KCS: Our Team Through The Years
1900
1910
1920
1930
1940
1950
KCS: Our Team Through The Years 13
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
2010
14 KCS: Our Different Delivery Vehicles
Pre 1950 - Bedford M Type
1900
1910
1960’s - Bedford TK Type
1920
1930
1940
197
1950
Since KCS started we have delivered product directly to schools using our own fleet of vehicles. As you can see the vehicle types have changed somewhat, with our most modern vehicles being far more suitable for today’s busy roads.
2000 - Ford Transit and Iveco Ford Cargo
2008 - V
KCS: Our Different Delivery Vehicles 15
70’s - Ford Cargo
1960
1970’s - Ford Cargo
1970
Vauxhall Vivaro and Iveco Daily
1980
1990
2000
Current - Vauxhall Vivaro and Iveco Daily
2010
16 KCS: The Changes In Informer
The Informer has been in existence in one form or another since the Sixties. It started out with a very different purpose, however, as it was used to notify schools of amendments or additions to the annual catalogue and it was called the School Gazette. Today’s KCS Informer contains promotions, stories about what is happening in schools and useful articles linked to best value purchasing for schools. This particular edition will be the last of the printed type, as we move Informer online. KCS will now be issuing monthly newsletters via electronic media designed to offer you the benefits of Informer and much more!
1900
1910
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1950
KCS: The Changes In Informer 17
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
2010
18 KCS: Our Future
With a new purpose built 100,000sqft warehouse being completed at Papyrus Way in New Hythe, KCS and its customers have much to look forward to.
May 6th - Breaking Ground
May 20th
June 3rd
June 10th
June 27th
July 4th
July 8th
July 15th
July 22nd
July 25th
The increase in size will mean an additional 20% in actual warehouse space, allowing KCS to stock more of the product you buy and also expand ranges like . The new offices meet the needs of 21st century office life and will allow the KCS team to continue to offer our market leading KCS Customer Care Pledge.
1900
1910
1920
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KCS: Our Future 19
May 23th
May 27th
May 30th
June 13th
June 17th
June 24th
July 11th
August 5th
1960
August 19th - The exterior is nearly complete and we will be moved in by Christmas, ahead of schedule!
1970
1980
1990
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20 Software Refresh
Windows XP and Office 2003 are over 10 years old, and as a result of this, Microsoft is withdrawing support for these products on 8th April 2014. There will be no security updates, no new bug fixes nor security patches to your operating systems/suites, leaving your network critically vulnerable. Your establishment should have migration plans in place now to minimise risk and take advantage of the performance gains associated with the newer Windows platforms. SIMS: The SIMS Autumn 2013 release will not be supported by Capita on computers / database servers running Windows XP or Server 2003. If you are still running SIMS on either of these operating systems and do not already have plans in place to upgrade (software) or replace the computer, you need to investigate your options and action these as a matter of URGENCY. Upgrading: If you are considering upgrading any existing computers to Windows 7/8, you can check compatibility using the Microsoft Upgrade Advisor which can be found via the following web links: Windows 7: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-GB/windows/downloads/upgrade-advisor
indows 8: W http://windows.microsoft.com/en-IE/windows-8/upgrade-to-windows-8
These website links will check your computer and advise if Windows 7/8 will run on it. Your options are:
• Upgrade the software (where possible)
• Replace the ICT hardware (computer, workstation, server etc.)
Can’t afford to purchase hardware? Did you know you can lease? KCS has an arrangement with Investec, whereby if we source quotations on your behalf, we can request Investec to offer an Operating Lease to your establishment, based on a ‘best value’ quotation. How can KCS help? KCS has EU compliant frameworks in place on behalf of CBC & Pro5. This means we have contracted suppliers who can provide hardware & software quotations, including whole school networks without the need for you to go through an OJEU compliant tendering process. If you’re an EiS Kent affiliated customer, in the first instance, please call 01622 672 779 If you’re a KCS customer, for further details please contact David Perfett on 01622 236901 or e-mail: david.perfett@kcs4education.co.uk
Specially negotiated software pricing for Local Authorities & Schools – in partnership with Pro5 & KCS
Time is running out ... Did you know that Windows XP SP3 and Office 2003 support ends 8 April 2014?
In 2002, Microsoft introduced its Support Lifecycle policy based on customer feedback to have more transparency and predictability of support for Microsoft products. As per this policy, Windows and Office receive a minimum of 10 years of support at the supported service pack level. As a result, Windows XP SP3 and Office 2003 will go out of support on 8 April 2014. To remain on supported versions you should begin your planning and application testing to ensure you can deploy before support for these products ends. To find out more go to www.phoenixs.co.uk/why
Working for you ...
Every organisation has its own unique IT requirements - that’s why at Phoenix we have a team dedicated to providing Public Sector organisations with accurate information and advice, when they need it. To see for yourself how we can be of benefit to your organisation, contact one of our experienced Account Managers on:
t: 0845 265 1265 e: info@phoenixs.co.uk w: www.phoenixs.co.uk
22 KCS: Further Customer Benefits
At KCS our product and service portfolio is vast, so it will come as no surprise to anyone that, at times, people do not realise we can help solve procurement issues for your schools. Everyone knows us for paper, pencils, exercise books and curriculum products, but can we highlight some other products/services we offer: OJEU compliant best value contracts for IT Hardware and Software. Contact david.perfett@kcs4education.co.uk OJEU compliant best value contracts for AV Solutions. Contact david.perfett@kcs4education.co.uk OJEU compliant best value contracts for the rental or purchase of MFD’s. No financial leases, only rentals. With over 10,000 MFD’s in schools across the country we have a real market leading contract designed to save your school money. Contact christine.hill@kcs4mfd.co.uk FREE impartial advice on how to approach renewing your photocopier. Talk to our team who can guide you through the pitfalls to ensure that your school does not fall victim to smallprint in the contract that you might have been pressurised into signing. Contact julie.cripps@kcs4mfd.co.uk or christine.hill@kcs4mfd.co.uk FREE impartial advice and layout for your next furniture project. Our team of experts can help you create your own brief by establishing what the space will be used for and how it will be used. They can then suggest options to match that brief to suit your budget. Please remember that we only supply furniture product, including notice boards, that has the appropriate fire test certification. Please take care that the item of furniture that you thought was a bargain is not a fire hazard. Contact paul.rogers@kcs4furniture.co.uk or danni.marsh@kcs4furniture.co.uk If you want any further information please contact our Customer Care team on: customercare@kcs4education.co.uk
envirobin
BaCk TO SChOOL
OFFE RS UNT IL 31 ST OCT 2013
NEW NOVELTY RECYCLING BINS Did yo know u 87% ? of sc h
PUTTING a SMILE ON RECYCLING
recyc ools lin scho g schem have a e ols in clude and 81% part of recyc of th ling a eir le s sson (Sou plan r . Rese ce: Leafi e
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aL LITTER BINS CONSORT ExTERN each
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arch 2013ld )
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• Brightly coloured lids identify material for collection Red, plastic bottles 061001156, Blue, paper 061001155 • Available in the following waste stream colours: Grey, cans 061001157, Lime green, mixed recycling 061001158 Blue, paper 061 001 165, Grey, cans 061 001 167, White, general waste 061001159 Red, plastic bottles 061 001 166, Lime, mixed recycling • Also available in 41 and 62 litres. Offer only valid for 52 litres. 061 001 168, Black, general waste 061 001 169
Full range of litter and recycling bins can be found on pages 1242 -1249 of the kCS catalogue.
Your chance to WIN our NEW PenguinBuddy for your school today! All you have to do is send us photos of your recycling and litter bins in your playground. Send to: hello@leafield-environmental.com quoting INFORMER13, your name, school and telephone number. Closing date: 31.10.13. Winner will be picked at random.
WIN
10 litre0 s • Available in the following waste str eam colours: Blue, paper 06101100 1,Grey, cans 06101 1002, Red, plastic bottles 061011003,White, ge neral waste 061011008, Lime gre en, mixed recycling 061001170
Contact Us To place your order or for further information please call us on 08452708811 or email sales@kcs4education.co.uk quoting INFORMER13 www.facebook.com/ Leafield.Environment
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KCS Customer Care Pledge 24
We Pledge... • Telephones are answered within 3 rings. • Telephones are answered not by a machine, but by our friendly, well trained sales staff. • No telephone or fax queues.
Great Prices
• No quibble stock returns up to 30 days after purchase. • Your own KCS Account Manager to advise you on all purchase decisions in the comfort of your school. • Enquiries are resolved speedily:
Best Value
– Telephone: either during the call or within 24 hours. – Fax/E-mail: within 24 hours. – Post: within 5 working days. • We will provide ongoing training for all our staff to ensure that they are polite, respectful, knowledgeable and able to help. • We have informed all of our suppliers of our pledge and have received their support to ensure success.
Huge Range Free Delivery
• We will deliver, on the following day, all stock orders over £30 ex VAT placed with us by 12:00 noon (an industry leading 97% success rate in 2012/13). • We will involve customers in new product selection through focus and testing groups. to ensure that we can guarantee you ‘a quality product at • We will expand our Own Brand range, a competitive price from a supplier that you can trust!’
...putting you first! KCS Education Supplies – A division of Commercial Services Printed by County Print & Design 01622 605 368 ISO 14001 EMS 574 900