The Imaging Channel : Green MPS, Not Just a Tagline!

[Anonymous]

Green MPS: Not Just a Tagline!

One of the popular talk tracks used while selling managed print services (MPS) outlines the environmental/green benefits to the end user that are driven by the dealer’s MPS solution. Unfortunately, in working with dealers to implement and sell MPS for more than 10 years, I have come to realize that far too often the green benefits of MPS are little more than a marketing tagline. As MPS solutions become more commoditized, these important benefits of an MPS program can be the differentiator your sales team needs to retain and secure new customers. The catch, though, is that the benefits must be real and easily seen by the customer.

For end users with defined sustainability goals, a dealer sales representative should align the goals of the MPS solution with the client’s green initiatives within a program proposal. Successful MPS sales reps will also call on the employee’s inner “tree hugger” to justify device consolidation or standardization if realignment of the print fleet is a key part of the MPS solution. 

Dealers should not focus strictly on the equipment when addressing sustainability, however. While replacing high-TCO devices is important, I want to remind dealers how to best introduce supplies and recycling programs as key points in a truly green MPS solution . It is very important to explain the benefits of these solutions for the customer and to help them understand that not all supplies or recycling programs are created equal.

Understand your supplies

A key component in many MPS deals is remanufactured supplies. The immediate benefit of including these supplies in MPS programs is the reduction in cost, especially when converting from OEM supplies. A key point that is often missed, however, is the environmental benefit of using the right supplies. It is important to understand and communicate the following key points when presenting MPS programs that include remanufactured imaging supplies: 

• Remanufactured imaging supplies reduce landfill waste. It is estimated that 100 million laser printer cartridges and 400 million inkjet printer cartridges are produced each year. Remanufacturing these 500 million cartridges will save an estimated 4 million cubic feet of landfill space.
• Remanufactured ink and toner cartridges conserve nonrenewable resources. Remanufactured cartridges dramatically reduce the consumption of fossil fuels. The plastic in each new laser toner cartridge takes 3.5 quarts of oil to produce, while each new inkjet cartridge requires 2.5 ounces of oil, according to Recharger Magazine’s sources.
• Remanufacturing is the most environmentally responsible choice to make with respect to print cartridges. When a cartridge is remanufactured, it is reused. Reuse is the highest form of environmental responsibility. It is superior to recycling in that it doesn’t use nonrenewable resources to break down plastic and metal.

Don’t forget recycling

Another important value proposition dealers should consider including in their MPS programs is a comprehensive recycling program. This goes one step beyond offering the most environmentally friendly cartridges by providing on-site collection of all empty toner and ink cartridges as well. Implementing an empties collection program can be very simple if dealers choose the right partner. Dealers should seek out a reverse-logistics partner that can provide flexible solutions for collection at customer sites, complementary shipping labels and supplies for dealers or end-user returns as well as Web-based solutions that can provide shipping labels that credit the dealer for returns.

To demonstrate the effectiveness of this type of program to their end-user customers, dealers should be able to explain, based on information provided by their partner, what happens to cartridges after they have been collected. For instance, if a cartridge cannot be reused, many end users will want to know that they are working with a company that can guarantee that all materials are either reused or recycled, thereby diverted from a landfill. Dealers should do their homework and ask recycling partners what their approach and documentation is. 

Another point that is often overlooked is that dealers can also be paid for certain cartridges and parts returned. I talk to dealers weekly who are paying a recycler to remove cartridges from their docks or end-user sites. Why not turn an expense into potential revenue by seeking out a recycling partner that will pay for shipping and returns? Many used cartridges are worth money to companies who can reuse them or their components. 

Offer greener products

The tipping point for qualifying a dealer’s MPS program as a complete green solution can be an offering of cartridges containing toner made with renewable bio-resources. These products contain bio content and are a great differentiator to clients looking for a higher level of green solutions. Look for cartridges that offer a significant concentration of bio-based resin in the toner itself in place of the more commonly used petroleum-based resin. The resins used to create bio-based toner are made with natural oils from American crops like soy, corn and cottonseed, which are all renewable resources that are not only readily available, but sustainable long-term.

Be truly green

Learning and embracing how to better position and add green benefits to an MPS program is a proven success strategy for dealers to secure additional clients. Remember, green solutions are best positioned within an MPS proposal as dealers are interpreting and responding to customer pain points, sustainability goals and culture. Supplies can be a key differentiator when dealers choose high-quality remanufactured and bio-based solutions. And all dealers should be implementing comprehensive recycling programs, because the green results will grow dealers’ profit margins immediately.

Ray Loisel

Ray Loisel, senior vice president of managed print services for West Point Products, is responsible for the global leadership of MPS programs across the organization. Since joining the company in 2010, Loisel has created the industry-leading TCO MPS pricing tool, expanded operations to Europe and the Asia-Pacific region, and launched a U.S.-based national service center. Under Loisel’s leadership, the Axess program has grown through additional services and by providing key MPS infrastructure for imaging providers to successfully build MPS programs.

Loisel is viewed as an MPS pioneer through his visionary leadership in creating leading TCO tools and working to provide more profitable programs with competitive supplies for dealers. His diverse background in direct end-user sales of MPS, sales leadership within a dealership and creating world-class programs for suppliers makes him a sought-after industry expert. Loisel has been a featured speaker and panelist at many industry events.

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August 21, 2012 at 7:15 AM