One More Time...

Dear Reader - Thank You,

On December 31, 2011, I submitted the last post for The Death of The Copier. DOTC was to stand unchanging as a historical marker signifying the beginning of the End of the imaging industry, as we know it.

And honestly, there is nothing more to say about MpS or copiers. It can be summed up this way:

1. Print is decreasing; Print is Dead
2. MpS assists this movement, but user behavior is driving the shift
3. The OEMs have LOST control over the populace
4. The Independent dealers are in a great position to survive and thrive
5. The strong will survive
6. The “Next Thing” is content, Big Data, Business Process, business intelligence and mobility
7. Ultimately, like no other time in history, the real power falls to the individual

From that very first post, in 2008, my views were never and are never meant to be vindictive – I do not celebrate the demise of businesses, displacement of good people or the end of an era.

I do, however, bristle when observing blatant disregard for the obvious, can't stand bullies or their enablers and loath those who use fear to fill classes or manipulate.

But that isn't why I'm addressing you now.

Somehow, the DOTC following is growing - .  In my voluntary absence, DOTC peaked over 300,000 lifetime views – without any NEW content.

I’ve attended three shows this year and at every show, you’ve come up to say hello. Hello to me, and Jennifer. She and I have had our names screamed across a crowded bar and been challenged on our views around paperless.

This is overwhelming and humbling.

Our New Enterprise, Walters & Shutwell, is a platform for growth beyond MpS/Imaging – there is a bigger world out there. I encourage anyone with interests that transcend MpS to visit.

This is what I have decided to do here on DOTC:

It is my intent to share edgy views with those who are willing to see. Whether that be two people or 200,000 - it doesn't matter to me.  Entertainment value, perspective and stuff I would read myself - that's pretty much all I was after.

I plan on contributing back to DOTC, but not on the same schedule as the previous four years.

I will tell it as I see it.  You are more than welcome to visit, read or express your opinions.

Either way, strap in.

Time to Put the Cost Per Copy Model Down.

Oh yeah, we're going there.

It started long ago.  In the beginning, making copies of business documents - memo's, invoices, reports - was slow and tedious.

So we built devices to perform these duties.

Thousands of moving parts, heat, static electricity and heavy handed employees contributed to a dynamic and precarious environment - they required a good amount of attention.

To put it bluntly, our machines broke down so often we needed a way to pay for technicians.

To support the machines in field the 'industry' hatched a plan:

"Why don't we sell service with the machines?  We'll make it impossible for anyone else to supply our devices, so we'll combine service and supplies into a billable line item, determined by how many pages come out of our devices...and will call these 'clicks' after the noise a meter makes with every copy and call the billing model Cost Per Copy..."

Genius, really.

Oh sure, there were other schemes - blending ...

Read the rest, here.

The paperless office will come to being over a copier rep's dead body...so to speak.

Yes, I believe the long standing transactional business model of the copier industry will have to die before the paperless office ever stands a chance.  Indeed, the majority of the die-hards in the industry are motivated, trained and developed to increase paper in the office, not decrease it.

You see on the vendor supply side, there are different types of providers.  For the purpose of this blog, let's focus on the die-hards, the traditional copier companies that dig in their heels, resist change and insist that the old school way is the best way.  Or at times...the only way.

It is no secret that thousands of owners, managers and copier/mfp reps thrive on six and seven figure incomes all derived from selling office machines to produce as much toner/ink on paper as possible.  The die-hard copier teams have goals to sell copiers/printers/mfp's to businesses "without regard".  That is without regard except for the numbers.  The higher the number the better the number whether its in units, price or pages.  Hear that cow bell ring...seriously.

Read the rest, here...really good stuff!