enx magazine

We have all read of companies reinventing themselves. Frequently, the company had a poor strategic plan or simply did not execute well. It is unfortunate, but you do not have to look any further than the large American auto manufactures for a recent example. Some companies have the foresight to change while they are still on top. Think of Bill Gates’ 1995 manifesto to the employees of Microsoft to redirect their efforts to the internet after a relatively small company, Netscape, jumped to an early lead in what was considered the future of personal computing.

Page After Page is a company that has continually reinvented itself. As a successful and profitable printer cartridge re-charger serving businesses in the greater Boston market, Page After Page has differentiated themselves by providing their large customer base with desktop delivery. This transition to a higher level of service positioned Page After Page favorably when big box retailers started to fill their shelves with compatible cartridges.

It was expensive to make the transition from traditional supply company to a service company with desktop delivery. It required an investment in employees and technology. Page After Page’s high value customer service is supported by a team of sixteen service technicians that are dispatched via internet technology and monitored for efficiency using GPS technology in their company supplied vehicles. Yet Frank Topinka, Page After Page’s President, came to realize that desktop delivery was not going to protect his customer base from the growing acceptance of print management. Frank decided he needed to reinvent his company again to stay a step ahead of competitors.

Page After Page services thousands of laser printers every month, and half of these printer assets are five-years or older. So, phase two of the transition strategy incorporated a printer refresh program. Page After Page had previously ignored the printer sales environment, so they started a training program which covers printer specifications and pricing, as well as securing partnerships with leasing companies to be positioned to offer managed print service. Page After Page also took advantage of training opportunities offered through a business partnership with Hewlett Packard. This relationship with HP gave Page After Page insight into multi-functional printing (MFP) products and how to sell them. HP also directed Page After Page to some of their third party partners and recommended managed print service consultants and leasing companies that would enable Page After Page to better serve their customers.

As Page After Page’s strategic direction became clear, they invested in a top-flight consultant, Tom Callinan of Strategy Development. With Tom’s guidance, Page After Page has developed a value proposition that includes a thorough print assessment, printer strategy techniques, and a cost per page calculator that extends a minimum monthly page count to a single invoice for all of their services. Tom also instructed the sales team on the complex sales environment involved in print management.

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