CASE STUDY

O’Brien required a large print fleet to service their national network of 69 locations. The arrangement with their previous supplier included multiple devices on several separate agreements and no uniformity, with up to 20 different device models across the fleet. Tony Rurkpuritat, Indirect Procurement Manager at O’Brien, said that it was onerous for him and the team at O’Brien to manage.

“The large range of types of devices and various contracts made it very difficult to manage, from both an accounts and service perspective. It was difficult to keep track of which branch of our business had what across our large organisation, and we had to actively manage the fleet from our end,” said Tony.

The previous supplier would also change contract terms with every variation to the contract. Tony said that when all contracts finally expired, they were keen to find a supplier who could provide a more transparent contract with a fixed term, regardless of variations.

“We reviewed our situation and decided it was time to see what other suppliers in the market could provide for our business. We wanted a more straight-forward and transparent agreement, which would be less taxing on our resources to manage” said Tony.

Toshiba Managed Services (TMS) provide tailored solutions, with a clear and fixed term contract, for clients looking for an integrated approach to their print and document management needs.

Toshiba offered O’Brien a solution that incorporated hardware, management software, consumables, service and support at a fixed monthly cost. The agreement allows for continual evaluation and the ability to make changes or additions as required, something that really resonated with the team at O’Brien.

“What stood out for us was the flexibility of the agreement. They could provide us with the hardware and software we required at fixed price, with flexibility to add or change devices without affecting the term of our agreement,” said Tony.

Toshiba provided a trial of hardware which went very well and gave O’Brien the confidence they needed in Toshiba’s product.

“Ultimately it came down to a very good proposal in terms of pricing and service level, the technology that they had available, and their commitment to work with us to provide the best solution for our needs on an ongoing basis,” said Tony.

The first phase of the solution was implemented at O’Brien in May 2013 and the second phase during June and July 2013.

“Toshiba worked closely with us throughout the transition to our new fleet and ironed out all of the wrinkles until we had our print solution running smoothly and seamlessly. Within a month of the completion of the second phase, our fleet was and has since been operating issue free,” said Tony.

Staff also coped well with the change-over.

“The staff found the transition very easy. Toshiba provided full training on the use of devices and software which we rolled out to all staff,” said Tony.

O’Brien have realised their vision of a more streamlined print fleet, which is much easier for their IT team to manage, and a reduction in their ongoing fleet costs.

“Since the implementation of the Toshiba Managed Service we have seen a significant reduction in our ongoing costs. The hardware is easier for us to manage if issues arise, due to the more uniform fleet and single point of contact for service and support,” said Tony.

The Toshiba print manager software that is included in the solution is helping O’Brien to understand and control their print environment much better and provides automated ordering of consumables.

“Toshiba print manager software allows us to fully understand our print fleet, and monitor and control usage of all devices,” said Tony.

O’Brien are also pleased with the fact that they no longer have to reactively manage their agreement and servicing.

“We are receiving a much better level of service and have had significantly fewer issues with our hardware. Our account management is very proactive in supporting us to achieve our ideal print and document management environment. It is now a much easier part of our business infrastructure to manage,” said Tony.

All Toshiba Managed Service arrangements include the ongoing review of solutions, to allow for ongoing optimisation of a client’s print environment. O’Brien will have their first official review in the coming weeks but have already been able to make adjustments to their agreement through an informal review.

“We had a quick review with the team at Toshiba last quarter which resulted in some modifications to adjust our ongoing spend. Toshiba were very proactive in helping us to achieve further savings,” said Tony.

Tony and the team at O’Brien are pleased with the results of their new relationship with Toshiba and are looking forward to continuing to work with them.

“Toshiba provide us with everything we need on a single agreement with one end date, this is much easier for us to manage. We would definitely recommend Toshiba Managed Services to businesses who want to streamline their print environment. We are very satisfied and are looking to continue our relationship with Toshiba well into the future,” concluded Tony.

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