Vol 100 issue 05 2016

MAY 2016 R50.

inc vat

THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE STATIONERY, HOME AND OFFICE PRODUCTS ASSOCIATION

My Office Magazine www.facebook.com/shopsa.ZA

CUTTING TOOLS:

THE BEST OF THE BLADES LABELLING MACHINES AIR PURIFIERS

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Contents My Office magazine is the official magazine of the Southern African Association for Stationery, home and Office Products (shop-sa). It was first published in 1916. The stationery and office supply industry is a fast-changing environment. We aim to write and select articles that will both inform and benefit readers, keeping them abreast of current and future market trends.

The magazine is read by over 25 000 buyers and sellers of stationery and office products each month.

FIRST PUBLISHED IN 1916

Vol 100 | May 2016 www.myofficemagazine.co.za | www.facebook.com/shopsa.za

NEWS

31 | ECO NEWS A green news update 34 | INDUSTRY NEWS Industry-related news and announcements

SALES SAVVY

14 | CUT LOOSE! A comprehensive guide to cutting instruments 18 | LABELS AND LABELLING MACHINES Improve your bottom line with our guide to selling labels and labelling machines

PUBLISHER Rob Matthews - robm@icon.co.za

SPECIAL FEATURES

EDITOR Leigh Richter - leigh@shop-sa.co.za

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ASSOCIATE EDITOR AND MARKETING Wendy Dancer - wendy@shop-sa.co.za EXECUTIVE SALES MANAGER Kim Kotze - kim@shop-sa.co.za NATIONAL OFFICE Design and Layout: Vanessa Bentley New Membership: Wendy Dancer Johannesburg Office PO Box 3226, Parklands, 2121 6 Edward Street, Kensington B, Randburg, 2194 Tel: + 27 11 781 0088 / 89 Fax: + 27 11 781 2828 Email: info@shop-sa.co.za Website: www.myofficemagazine.co.za CONTRIBUTIONS Letters and editorial contributions are welcomed and should be addressed to the editor at editor@ shop-sa.co.za. Publication cannot be guaranteed and is subject to space and the editor’s discretion.

THE LEGAL BIT Whilst every effort is made to ensure accuracy the publisher and editor cannot accept responsibility for supplied material. The opinions of contributors are not necessarily those of shop-sa. Copyright is strictly reserved and no part of this magazine may be reproduced in whole or in part without the written permission of the publisher.

Stationery sponsored by

Member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation

PRINTED BY Colorpress (pty) ltd.

Office paper sponsored by

Published by

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RETAIL SAVVY

24 | ARTS AND CRAFTS A simple guide to painting with scissors 26 | TAKING FLIGHT Boeing’s new 737 economy seats are inspired by office furniture 28 | BREATHE EASY Air purifiers and office well-being

06 |DO YOUR HOMEWORK Part one of our mini back-to-school feature focuses on prepping your retail store 08 |INDUSTRY INSIGHTS Does print have a future in the modern world?

10| IT FOCUS A simple guide to leveraging the power of analytics 12| CUSTOMER JOURNEY The customer journey is of paramount importance for your business 33 | PASSWORD PROTECTION How often should you change your password?

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BUSINESS SAVVY

03 | KEEPING YOUR CUSTOMERS HAPPY Aki Kalliatakis explores what it takes to keep customers happy 04 | LABOUR LAW Assault does not always constitute dismissal, says Ivan Israelstam 05 | THE COST OF DOING BUSINESS IN AFRICA Not all countries are made equal, explains Gavin Moffat

IN EVERY ISSUE 02 25 27 30 32 38 40 47 48

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EDITOR’S LETTER WEB BUTTONS WIN THIS! EVENTS CRIME ALERT PRODUCT SHOWCASE BUYERS’ GUIDE REAL STUFF PUNCHLINE

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editor’s letter

Money doesn’t always matter

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his month the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) blocked the merger of two of America’s office supply giants: Staples and Office Depot. The two companies have suspended their acquisition agreement after a US district court judge granted a preliminary injunction to the FTC.

This is the second time the companies have attempted a merger and the second time they have been thwarted; on this occasion, to the value of $6-billion. Office Depot share prices plummeted by 60% as the court battle continued.

Now it is back to square one for both companies, who will need to re-energise and re-focus their brands, and figure out ways to recover their losses.

The Staples/Office Depot saga brings one thing to light: it doesn’t matter how much money or power a company has, things can always go wrong. Having a well-rounded strategy for every facet of your business will serve you well in tough times.

In this month’s issue of My Office magazine we take a closer look at the power of analytics. Knowing how to

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use your numbers to your advantage can give you a leg up on your competitors and help your business boom.

See page 10 for more information.

Another good strategy for your business is ensuring that the customer takes precedence. The way that they are allowed (or indeed, forced) to interact with your company is of paramount importance in the modern world, as consumers now have multiple platforms to voice both their pleasure and displeasure. Make sure your customer journey is the best it can be by following our tips on page 12.

This month we also begin our mini back-to-school feature (page 6), which will focus on how best to prepare your store for the upcoming BTS season.

And on the topic of stationery items, this month we feature a range of cutting instruments, from scissors to guillotines (page 14), and look at how scissors in particular can be used to create art (page 24).

As we move deeper into winter, it is the opportune time to get your business in order, before the back-to school-season begins.

Lei g h

Until next time,

Vol 100 - May 2016

business savvy

Keep your customers happy

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ustomers can become fatigued by companies who constantly seek information. Sometimes the information centres on what the business can do to better the total experience of their customers, but more often than not, there are ulterior motives. First, companies want to glean as much information about their customers as they can in order to cross-sell.

They don’t actually care about customer experience, but they are focused on making their sales targets and improving their profitability.

Second, company executives want to find out how they are doing versus their competitors.

For customers that have got too much going on in their lives, you can see how these last two communication goals are doomed to failure. They tend to do is make customers even more angry and stressed, causing them to reject the company’s offer.

It’s even worse when companies decide to go the route of efficiency and costcutting, and demand you complete an online survey.

Bearing in mind how precious most customers’ time is to them, if you genuinely want to get feedback on your customers’ feelings, then there is no shortcut. Asking the customer if they are likely to recommend the business to family or friends is not a bad question, but it doesn’t give you any quality information.

So what’s the answer? While there are many ways to obtain good information www.myofficemagazine.co.za

about what customers want and how they feel, it’s a good idea to ask what information you need.

There are at least five things that you need to know: • What they do like and don’t like about your products; • What they do like and don’t like about your service and delivery; • What they do like and don’t like about your brand and image as a company; • What do they like and don’t like about the skills and attitude of your people; and • What makes it easier or more difficult for them to do business with your company?

It’s not only about asking them these things in a formal survey.

There are other ways in which you can garner good information and, more importantly, innovative ideas for improvement.

• Observe your customers. How do they respond to your business? What do they struggle with? What confuses them? What causes them to abandon a purchase? What happens after they buy from you? There are probably dozens of questions that can be answered without inconveniencing your customers.

• Look at things internally. What causes customer misery and delight? For example, when do you experience bottlenecks and delays that frustrate customers? What surprising and positive responses did you get when you tried something different? You can also look at some of your numbers, like new versus existing customers, debtor days, repeat business rates, and so on.

• Talk to your employees. People who

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work for you (and their families and friends) also buy from companies.

Your staff deals with customers every day, sometimes hundreds of times a day, and if you just asked them they would be able to share valuable information and insights.

Use mystery shoppers. You don’t have to hire a business to do this.

Train your associates and friends to conduct these properly – or even better, go and buy stuff from your business to see what it’s like.

Analyse all comments and complaints closely. Read between the lines. Before you get back to customers, make sure you have done your homework and understood exactly what, why and how this all came about. Look for patterns.

Record all events. And make sure that every single one of them is followed up internally with a view to improve.

If you want your customers to talk to you, reward them. Thank them profusely for giving up their time, and consider some kind of reward or recognition that they will value. Tell them what will happen with their thoughts, perceptions and ideas, and don’t forget to give them feedback afterwards. Whatever method(s) you use – including live or telephonic surveys, questionnaires, informal discussions over a cup of coffee, or more formal and structured customer focus groups – make sure that you record their thoughts and ideas properly. n ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AKI KALLIATAKIS

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labour law

Assault does not always constitute dismissal

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mployers often bungle disciplinary action against alleged assault culprits because of the anger attached to incidents of assault.

This can be disastrous for the employer because the Labour Relations Act (LRA) makes it clear that the employer cannot fire an employee without good cause.

Schedule 8 of the Labour Relations Act (LRA) states that: • Advice and correction are the best ways of dealing with minor offences; • Repeated misconduct will merit warnings; • More serious infringements or repeated misconduct may call for final warnings or other action short of dismissal; • Dismissal should be reserved for cases of serious misconduct or repeated offences; • Dismissal for a first offence is not appropriate unless it is so serious that it makes a continued employment relationship intolerable; and • Included amongst offences that might merit dismissal for a first offence are wilful endangering of the safety of others and physical assault.

Assault at the workplace is normally seen as serious misconduct because of: • The harm or potential harm to the victim of the assault;

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The potential disruption of workplace harmony; The potential for the employer to be sued for vicarious liability by the assault victim; The loss in working time due the need for an assaulted employee to take sick leave; and The loss of business if the victim of the assault is a client.

Should the employee dispute a dismissal, the employer will have the legal duty to prove that the dismissed employee was guilty of the assault and that, dismissal was the most appropriate corrective measure. If the employer fails to convince the arbitrator of this it could be the employer’s bank balance that is assaulted. The arbitrator could award reinstatement with back pay or could order the employer to pay up to 12 months’ remuneration in compensation.

Assault does not always merit dismissal.

For example, in the case of Metrorail versus SATAWU (2000 10 BALR1208) an employee assaulted a manager. The arbitrator agreed that the employee had been guilty of assault but accepted that

the reason for the assault was not, as alleged, his reluctance to work under a fellow employee. The arbitrator found that the victim of the assault had made racist remarks which had provoked the assault.

This mitigating circumstance rendered the penalty of dismissal too harsh and the employee was re-instated.

In the case of Herman versus Defy Appliances, Herman, a maintenance electrician, was dismissed for assaulting an assistant. He claimed that he had merely grabbed the assistant but the CCMA found that he had hit the assistant with his fists. The CCMA found that such action merited discipline even if workplace rules did not specifically prohibit it and even if other employees had not been dismissed for assault. The CCMA found that dismissal was not an appropriate punishment and re-instated the employee.

The above cases show that, even in serious cases of assault, the CCMA will not always approve of dismissal as a sanction.

Therefore employers should understand that: • The individual circumstances of each case are crucial in deciding whether dismissal for assault is acceptable; • The ability to anticipate the thinking of CCMA and other arbitrators is vital; and • Substantial labour law experience and expertise should be obtained before discipline is implemented. n ACKNOWLEDGEMENT DR IVAN ISRAELSTAM THIS ARTICLE FIRST APPEARED IN THE STAR

Vol 100 - May 2016

business savvy

Local is

lekker The cost of doing business in Africa

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was fortunate to do marketing and PR work in sub-Saharan Africa with Ericsson for eight years during the 2000s. The term “sub-Saharan Africa” referred to 42 countries south of the Sahara.

At the beginning of our relationship with them, I had little understanding of why the continent of Africa had been divided that way.

Sure, I got that logistically it makes more sense to run operations for certain countries from certain hubs. Budget and other considerations mean that this makes sense.

Considering how long we worked with Ericsson, it is surprising to me that only on a visit to Casablanca and Rabat in Morocco during April and May this year did I get an actual handle on why reporting lines where set up this way.

Despite countries in the north of Africa being just that – in Africa – they are in so many ways not African in nature.

North Africa includes 11 countries which have one common trait: the Sahara Desert. It is rather large and has had a significant impact on the development of Africa and the near separation of the sub-Saharan countries from the northern African ones.

The desert’s impact is not to be underestimated as these countries and their peoples have developed in ways that are vastly different from the tropical and sub-tropical regions of Africa. It literally created a barrier that separated people www.myofficemagazine.co.za

and lead to the development of cultures in interesting and defining manners.

The Sahara was created by an abrupt desertification around 3 500 BC due to gradual changes in the Earth’s orbit.

The upside of this – and many other factors over millennia – is that many of the North African countries have cultures that are distinct from their southern neighbours. In Morocco the official language of education is Arabic (Modern Standard Arabic because there are many forms) and French is widely accepted as the second official language. For this reason alone, dealing with Moroccans can be tough for South Africa, and other African countries.

Language aside, there are many cultural differences that come into play such as the “I don’t trust you until I know you” approach that you find in business and government circles. Before you say quietly to yourself “that exists everywhere”, in my experience it doesn’t.

This year my experience with the people of Tanzania, Ghana, Kenya, UAE, Nigeria, Burkina Faso and some other African countries show a different, more open approach along the lines of “let’s hear what you have to say and I’ll then decide whether I trust you or not”.

In Morocco this is overcome, as it is in many places, by an introduction from an “insider”. Prior to our travels we had attempted to set up meetings with a large number of associations, institutions and businesses and had found that there was either no response at all (potentially a language barrier) or a simple decline.

After we had held the first couple of

meetings the doors began to open and meeting requests flooded in.

So language is a barrier to entry. Being female? Yes, that’s a barrier too, as African society is still largely patriarchal.

How do you hand out business cards?

Well they’re not that important to people that are not important, and they are important to people who are.

Your expectations of service levels should be lower in Morocco. Not to say that service is bad, because it isn’t, but there appeared to be a grudging acknowledgement that you are here to contribute to the economy.

A slight is a serious thing and people can take offense relatively easily. Not acknowledging someone’s seniority in a particular context is a serious offence.

I feel that we as Africans have a better handle on the fact that we are not homogenous. We are 54 countries comprising of literally thousands of ethnic groups, and yet there is a commonality across sub-Saharan Africa that differentiates us from the more Arabic and French peoples of North Africa.

Despite all those years of “knowing” that Africa is a diverse hodgepodge of humans, travelling to Morocco is what made it sink in. Feet-on-the-ground is what it takes to get a handle on the subtleties that allow us to have conversations and engagement, and ultimately for us to be able to do business and make a difference. n ACKNOWLEDGEMENT GAVIN MOFFAT @GAVINMOFFAT

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mini back-to-school

Do your homework The back-to-school season will be here sooner than you think

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lthough the back-to-school rush is about six months away, retailers of all sizes need to begin preparations for what is arguably the most profitable period of the year.

eye-catching space.

Stay on top of the way merchandise is displayed by making sure that it is accessible. Shelving shouldn’t be too high or too low for customers, and the right kind of items should be placed in logical groupings. Your customers should never have to hunt for items in strange places.

At this stage, consider the types of display units or shelving you need, and have them made up or purchase them if you don’t have them already.

According to leading customer journey firm Tensator, retailers come unstuck during this time because they often don’t order enough of the right kind of supplies; they fail to price them correctly; and they don’t keep the items stocked and displayed attractively and logically.

Although spend is increasing year-onyear – mostly due to increased cost of living and the decline of the rand in the world market – it is becoming apparent that the back-to-school shop is no longer a frenzied, day-long spending spree.

Instead, consumers are using all the modern tools at their disposal to search for the best deals – and the best service.

This means that retailers need to make sure their in-store experience is one that consumers will rave about to their friends and families, resulting in repeat business.

Below are a few ideas to make sure your store is top of the class:

Signage Digital signage is an ideal solution if you plan to demo new technology or branded solutions, or if you are promoting items associated with a celebrity or sport team.

When it comes to signage, digital or otherwise, it is vital to ensure it is bold and exciting, and helps shoppers find what they need. Good signage also generates excitement as customers visualise using your products.

The space If you’re planning to go big this backto-school season, it is best to designate a space in your store in advance.

Decide where you want to display the merchandise and how you will make it an

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Don’t neglect security An oft-forgotten aspect of back-to-school preparation is in-store security. It is no good waiting until the season is upon you to putting the correct measures in place.

In the run-up to the back-to-school period, it is a good idea to install in-store CCTV cameras, particularly over areas like the tills, the safe and the entrance of the store. It is also a good idea to place dome mirrors on the ceiling or at strategic vantage points around the shop. These mirrors enable staff to see around corners, and it prevents blind spots where shoplifting can occur.

It is a good idea to check your existing back-to-school signage long before the season starts. Is it looking old or outdated, or are there differences in pricing and products that no longer exist?

Order new signage well in advance to ensure that it will arrive on time.

Point of sale The check-out line is also of vital importance in your back-to-school planning. Ensure the area is clearly defined by using adequate barriers and shelving. This will help guide your customers from the shop to the pay points quickly and efficiently.

Make use of well-stocked in-queue merchandising and impulse towers for sale must-haves.

Planning a visually appealing and well-stocked store for the ultimate in-store experience will help increase your profits and ensure your customers return over and over again. Ensuring you do so well in advance spreads the costs of the back-toschool season over a longer period of time.

Stock buying How do you determine what stock you will need for the upcoming season? A good idea is to keep meticulous records of the sales of previous years, in order to identify buying patterns. Keep an eye on the international trade and see if the trends translate to local consumers.

For a more in-depth look at stock buying, look out for our July issue. n Next month: It’s not all about the store

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT WWW.TENSATORGROUP.COM

Vol 100 - May 2016

industry insights

Will printing businesses survive?

Global printing trends show positive signs

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he printing industry is always changing – new and exciting software offers both opportunities and challenges – which means printing businesses must constantly adapt to keep up.

Recently, at The GAPP (Graphic Advertising Print Packaging) Conference, in association with Nashua, a panel of experts shared insights into local and global printing trends for 2016 and beyond. Laurel Brunner, founder of UKbased print consultancy, Digital Dots, identified a number of key trends.

Uncertainty is here to stay If there’s one trend that can be identified from the last few years of changes in print, it’s that nothing is permanent. The good news is the more uncertainty and chaos, the better the printing industry likes it. As advertising and publishing becomes a multi-channel exercise, print remains at the centre, providing the most visceral of all augmented realities.

The constant disruption experienced by the printing industry – and publishing as a whole – creates a whole world of opportunities. New technology allows us to communicate ideas, but it’s up to the print industry to embrace it.

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Your business is your world It seems there’s no economy in the world safe from the rampant recession. Even the most skilled economists can’t predict what’s to happen to the global economy, let alone our own local economy – which creates further unrest for SMEs, particularly in a volatile industry like printing.

But the most important skill to learn in this climate is to focus on your own business and how it can function best.

Ignore the hype and sensationalism and focus on your own standards, the potential of your own business and the (sometimes small) successes you can create. Be confident in your own business, or no one else will be.

People still pay premiums When there’s a small print shop on every corner, you might feel as if your printing business can’t afford to charge customers a premium for your high-quality service, because they’ll simply trudge on down the road to your competitor. This isn’t necessarily true.

If you can build up enough of a solid client base and a reputation of reliability, customers are still willing to pay a premium for quality and consistency.

Trust is their insurance policy and they can rest easy in the knowledge that the final product you deliver will be exactly to their standards.

Customers want consultants Your most valued customers might

appear as if they’re experts in their respective fields, but the truth is most businesses – particularly in advertising – are changing so quickly and frequently that business owners themselves are just trying to navigate the unknown landscape. This gives you the opportunity to change the perception in the mind of the client of your role in helping their business.

Become a consultant – if they ask you to print one set of collateral, ask as much as you can about the whole campaign.

Find out who’s producing the rest of the campaign content and whether you can step in and help. Even if they might not appear that way at first, clients want a consultant, not a cashier.

Don’t rubbish digital Digital is here to stay. And those who are desperately clinging onto a onedimensional business model are going to hear their competitors go whooshing past them as they stagnate. But what’s most important to remember is that digital is not the enemy – it’s simply another supporting channel to be incorporated into your business.

When you work in print, creativity is the only currency that matters, and digital is just another way to showcase creativity. If you can be bold and brave enough to seek out the opportunities digital has to offer your print business, you’ll survive in an otherwise unforgiving climate. n Vol 100 - May 2016

IT focus

Big data for small business There is no business too small to mine data

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ig data can be defined as extremely large data sets that are analysed by a computer to reveal patterns and trends relating to human behaviour and interactions.

And while it is unlikely that most small businesses will have access to such large volumes of data, analytics can be an important weapon in a company’s arsenal.

Looking for patterns in data can provide powerful insights into consumer behaviour, which is a useful tool for growing sales and improving customer service.

Many small businesses and start-ups tend to shrink away when big data is mentioned, simply because of what the term implies. In fact, 35% of start-ups don’t even consider using big data, or take into account how much data they generate in a year. The term itself brings about ideas of petabytes of data just waiting to be converted into valuable information.

That could be true if you’re looking at a large corporation. However, the volume of data isn’t the sole focus of big data.

So how can your small business leverage the power of big data?

Where to look for data Large companies have the ability to invest in large data warehouses and robust data mining tools. Small businesses aren’t as flexible with their budgets. But this doesn’t mean that small businesses miss out on data gems.

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As businesses evolve from processdriven to data-driven, a growing variety of low-cost and no-cost third-party tools have become available to use.

Using social analytics is a cost-effective way of getting valuable insights for a 360° view of your customers.

Social media platforms have grown to show you everything from initial audience acknowledgement to how the community is interacting with your posts.

The following is a list of how a few common social media platforms give a deeper look into your audience: Facebook Insights Facebook Insights tracks how your target community is interacting with the posts your business creates. Its insights range from post reach to engagement rate.

Post reach shows how many people have viewed your post. This is a great indicator to see how well your business’ name is getting out there and into people’s newsfeeds. However, community members seeing your post and actually taking action based on your post are two different things.

Engagement rate goes beyond simple views. This tracks all clicks associated with the post, including comments, likes and shares. This is where you can see who your loyal customers are, what type of content generates the most shares and what topic your community cares most about. As your audience engages with your posts more, your content will reach more of the people you’re targeting.

Other metrics show information like what external links are sending traffic to your Facebook page, where your page likes come from and how many “hides” or “reports of spam” your content gets.

Twitter Stats By looking into your Twitter account, you can view a number of statistics for both individual tweets and your overall account.

Twitter Stats allows you to understand your followers on a deeper level than just demographics. You can tap into their interests and locations to find the topics that matter most to the community.

You are also able to measure the engagement on various levels to learn what will make your content the most successful. This is a step up from counting favourites by showing you how many mentions, follows and unfollows your account has, even down to the individual tweets.

LinkedIn Analytics LinkedIn Analytics shows metrics and trends of your company’s page. The metrics are separated into three sections: updates, followers and visitors.

Updates gives you an overview of updates made to the company page and the data associated with it. This section is broken down into three areas: • Updates – this shows an overview of how an update affects the traffic on your company page. It has everything from a preview of what the update involved, such as if the post was sponsored, to how many followers the company gained from the update.

• Reach – this is a graph that shows all the times your updates were seen both through organic search and paid campaigns.

• Engagement – this shows how many times members clicked, liked, shared or commented on your content in both organic and paid campaigns.

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IT focus

Followers offers an overview of the LinkedIn members following your company page. Here you can see how many followers you acquired organically or through sponsored campaigns, as well as demographic information based on industry, job, company size and more.

It also allows you to look into the trends that make you gain or lose followers, as well as compare your amount of followers to similar companies.

Visitors allows you to track page views, clicks on your company page and visitor demographics. You can also view unique visitors, which is a graph similar to page views, but removes all duplicated visits to a single page.

Other programs Social analytics isn’t the only costeffective tool you can use to acquire and analyse data. You can gain insights about the traffic and engagement of your own Web site though programs like Google Analytics, Open Web Analytics or HotJar. With programs like these, you can pull real-time data from a variety of sources including social media, sales and marketing. This in-depth knowledge allows you to make more effective business decisions.

Although your business may be small, using big data can make it mighty and stand up against the large companies www.myofficemagazine.co.za

in the market. It is advisable to team up with similar small businesses to create combined analytics and uncover market trends that were only available to large corporations before. This relationship can span over neighbouring cities, or even provinces, to provide a wider range on insights, allowing you to make better decisions regarding how to approach customers.

Benefits of using big data Remember how big data is about bringing together information that wasn’t correlated before? This is where that idea is put into action. You don’t need huge amounts of information to gain some value, but bringing together insights from different sources can give you the upper hand against your competition.

Here are some of the common benefits to using big data: 360° view of customers Through big data, you’re able to get a deeper understanding of your customers without questionnaires and focus groups.

By monitoring your company’s Web site traffic and community engagement, along with internal data sources, you’re able to see which products and services are popular, what topics your audience is passionate about and why customers may leave. This helps you better understand

which community to target and how to approach customers effectively.

Predict customer behaviour In addition to the 360° view of your customer, big data opens your eyes to how your customers behave at certain times of the week, month or year, as well as how they respond to different types of offers. That way, you can better predict trends and plan your strategy.

Recognise opportunities Big data can reveal market trends that’ll help you stay a step ahead of your competition. This also allows you to recognise new opportunities to grow your business and boost profits.

Make better decisions It’s almost obvious, but having more data available allows management to make business decisions that align with the financial capabilities of the company.

Your company might already be analysing its data. Why not take it to the next level? Big data isn’t just for big businesses anymore. When used correctly, small businesses can have all the advantages as a large company, no matter the volume of data. n ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ELIZABETH MAZENKO FOR WWW.BETTERBUYS.COM my office magazine

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customer service

The customer journey Place your customer at the centre of your company

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ales and marketing has always been about customers, but as technology takes a greater hold on all our lives, marketers now have access to the data and technical tools to engage with customers in sophisticated one-on-one journeys. This places the customer at the centre of everything a company does.

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Companies need to commit to harnessing the power of these tools. Below are four ways to improve your customers’ experience of your business.

Connect Modern businesses rely heavily on mobile and social interaction with their customers, in addition to more traditional marketing tactics such as e-mail campaigns or print advertisements.

Take steps to integrate mobile into every marketing campaign, and leverage

new capabilities like location-based content and mobile loyalty programmes.

Test out new social channels to see what works best for your target audience, and re-engage with prospects and customers in new ways using e-mail.

Consider, also, opportunities for oneon-one interaction with in-app messages.

Connected devices and products are the latest frontier in customer engagement.

Integrate Today’s technology allows the marketing Vol 100 - May 2016

customer service

department to craft highly personalised customer journeys that create a cohesive experience across multiple touchpoints.

Every e-mail, Web site visit or mobile app tap is an opportunity to deliver value in context and to tailor interactions to individual customers. It’s about creating moments of delight and moving your customers forward in their journey.

Imagine a customer enters a retail store. An app on their mobile device alerts them to the fact that the cashmere sweater in their online wish list is currently 50% off — and the store has their size in stock.

Delivering the right message at the right time adds value to the consumer’s experience, deepens their relationship with the brand, and helps push them closer to a sale.

Unify Brands have an imperative to create a unified, effortless experience across all customer interactions, from marketing to sales and customer service.

A cohesive brand experience calls for organisational alignment and technologies that enable a single, 360-degree view of each customer.

Customers don’t care if they’re talking to a service agent or a sales rep. They expect your company to be as informed about them as they are about you.

Ideally, companies should aim to deliver marketing so good that it is customer service, and customer service so good that it’s marketing. The payoff is huge. Just think about the positive wordof-mouth marketing that comes from a stellar service experience – and it all stems from pivoting the entire company around your customers.

Know With everyone and everything becoming connected, businesses have unprecedented opportunities to collect data about consumer behaviour. The trick is turning that data into actionable insights that can provide a better www.myofficemagazine.co.za

customer experience and drive business success. Improvements in data science technology are helping to find the most efficient and compelling pathways to successful customer journeys.* With social media listening tools, we can see in real time how customers are responding to an event or a product launch.

Marketing automation allows us to run A/B tests that provide insight into the content our prospects find most engaging.

The latest marketing analytics let us gauge the business impact of every campaign we undertake – right from our phones. And predictive intelligence can help us optimise engagement across the customer journey.

Map A customer journey map tells the story of the customer’s experience: from initial contact, through the process of engagement and into a long-term relationship.

It may focus on a particular part of the story or give an overview of the entire experience. What it always does is identify key interactions that the customer has with the organisation.

It talks about the user’s feelings, motivations and questions for each of these touchpoints.

It often provides a sense of the customer’s greater motivation. What do they wish to achieve, and what are their expectations of the organisation?

A customer journey map takes many forms, but typically appears as some type of infographic. Whatever its form, the goal is the same: to teach organisations more about their customers.

A customer journey map is a powerful tool.

If you are a designer, it will help you to understand the context of users. You will gain a clear picture of where the user has come from and what they are trying to achieve. * See our article on analytics on page 10

If you write copy, it will help you to understand what questions users have and how they are feeling.

It gives managers an overview of the customer’s experience. They will see how customers move through the sales funnel. This will help them to identify opportunities to enhance customer experience. The map will show how enhanced customer service can differentiate the organisation’s digital experience.

For the user experience designer, a customer journey map helps to identify gaps or points in the customer experience that are disjointed or painful.

These might be: • Gaps between devices, when a user moves from one device to another; • Gaps between departments, where the user might get frustrated; and • Gaps between channels (for example, where the experience of going from a social media platform to the Web site could be better).

Most of all, a customer journey map puts the user front and centre in the organisation’s thinking. It shows how mobile, social media and the Web have changed customer behaviour. It demonstrates the need for the entire organisation to adapt.

It encourages people across the organisation to consider the user’s feelings, questions and needs. This is especially important with digital products and services.

Customer service and marketing is increasingly about delighting every customer – and building true brand loyalty. For the first time, we have the tools and insights to create value for every customer, across every touchpoint, throughout the entire business. In doing so, we can deliver the cohesive, highly personalised experiences that today’s customers expect. n ACKNOWLEDGEMENT WWW.CMODIGITALFORUM.COM; WWW. SALESFORCE.COM

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cutting instruments

Cut loose Find out more about these essential stationery items

Scissors General-use scissors At their core, scissors are instruments that consist of two blades placed one on top of the other and fastened in the middle, so as to allow them to be articulated by a thumb and finger inserted through rings on the end of their handles. They can be made of metal or plastic and are used for cutting cloth, paper, card, flowers and other substances.

Most scissors found in the office environment have coloured plastic handles (which are sometimes rubberised for extra grip) and steel blades.

Safety scissors Especially designed for children, these scissors have blades with rounded or blunted tips, which is considered safer as it prevents the injuries associated with sharper points. Accidental stabbing and cutting is minimised in this way. These scissors are generally smaller in size and have smaller handles. This is because longer, pointier scissors are difficult for small children to use – particularly when

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they are just learning to cut.

Children’s safety scissors are widely available in retail stores, stationery shops and craft stores in a range of bright colours and patterns.

Fabric scissors Fabric scissors generally have sharper, longer blades and a more pointed nose for accurately and cleanly cutting fabric.

High-quality fabric scissors have tempered steel or stainless steel blades that create an even cut along the entire length of the blade, all the way to the tips.

Such scissors have a flattened loop with one blunt-pointed blade and one sharp-pointed blade. The flattened loop facilitates cutting large pieces of fabric on a flat surface, while the differing blades are designed to make it easy to cut fabric without snagging, with the dull blade running under the fabric while the sharp blade snips down from above.

Sometimes the blades are very slightly bevelled to create sharper cutting edges.

Some models have micro-serrated blades for the same reason. In good quality fabric scissors, the blades are joined by a

tiny screw, not a rivet, so that they can be adjusted or repaired.

One well-known type of fabric scissors is pinking shears.

These are specialised scissors which have blades with a distinctive sawtoothed edge. This creates a zigzag pattern when fabric is cut, minimising fraying. When fabric is pinked, the scalloped edge is less likely to unravel, and whatever does unravel will have fibres shorter in length. Pinking shears can be used to cut fabric which will be sewn together, ensuring that the fabric does not start to unravel at the seams.

While these scissors were specifically developed for the dressmaking trade, they are also sometimes utilised in art and craft projects where the scalloped edge look is desired.

In the case of garments with cut edges which will show, the shears can add an extra dimension of visual interest. Pinking shears are also useful for cutting fabrics used in applique and other fabric crafts, and for making decorative trim in a hurry.

Like other scissors designed for use with fabric, pinking shears should only be Vol 100 - May 2016

cutting instruments used on fabric, to prevent the dulling of the blades. Periodically oil and sharpen your pinking shears, as dull edges damage fabric fibres.

Craft scissors Although a pair of pinking shears may be used to create scalloped, wavy edges on paper and fabric, manufacturers do make speciality craft scissors. These are often brightly coloured and made of plastic, and are suitable for use by children.

Many models come with interchangeable sets of blades which have different patterns on the edges, such as scalloped, zigzag and wavy.

Other types of scissors There are a number of other types of scissors which are manufactured for specialised use.

Bandage scissors are small, stainless steel scissors with serrated blades and an angled tip that is blunt at the edges. They cut easily through cloth and gauze. The angled blades they help keep the scissors away from the skin, so that injury doesn’t occur. The blunt tips also help as there is less likelihood of piercing the skin.

Nail scissors are short scissors, usually made of stainless steel. They are used to trim nails, hangnails or cuticles. Many nail scissors have slightly curved blades that help to minimise chance of cutting the skin, while others have flat blades.

Hair scissors, also known as barber shears, are specially designed to trim and style hair. They are usually composed of heavy-duty metal, such as tempered steel with added silver. The blades remain sharp even with regular, daily use.

Kitchen scissors are specifically designed for use in a kitchen. With hardened stainless steel blades and a sharp, pointed tip for precision and control, they are ideal for all food-related tasks. Kitchen scissors usually come with non-slip handles, for a comfortable, secure grip. This prevents accidents when the scissors are used with wet hands.

Another kind of kitchen scissors is herb scissors. These are multi-bladed scissors, with up to five blades on the top and the bottom. They quickly and easily cut herbs without bruising them. They haves stainless steel blades and easy-grip handles for better control.

Poultry shears are used for butterflying or spatchcocking chicken, turkey or duck.

They have extremely sharp, heavy-duty blades which slice easily through flesh and bone. www.myofficemagazine.co.za

Scissors for lefties Most scissors are made for righthanded users. They have the larger loop on the bottom when in use, enabling force to be exerted downwards, against the bottom blade.

When used by the left hand, the top blade separates slightly, leaving a tiny gap between the blades. This makes a clean cut nearly impossible.

Left-handed scissors have the blades reversed, ensuring that cuts are neat and even.

Paper cutters Guillotines Guillotines, also known as arm or lever cutters, are great multi-purpose-cutting machines made of heavy, durable materials. They consist of a cutting blade and a long blade arm that can be pulled down to cut the substrate. These cutters are designed to shear large stacks of paper at the same time. They are generally very accurate and can be used to cut paper, card stock or cardboard, guaranteeing a straight edge. Guillotines come with a number of features to help prevent crooked cutting.

This includes paper clamps, grids and ruler measurements, and safety features.

They are most often used in printer’s shops, schools and offices when cutting

paper in large quantities or custom-sized papers.

To choose a guillotine, you need to determine what kind of workload you will need it to handle. Desktop guillotines are compact and offer a variety of choice regarding sheet capacity, accurate measurements and advanced safety features.

Rotary paper cutters Rotary paper cutters use a round blade (or a simple razor blade) situated in a type of cutting head. The cutting head sits on a rail and slides back and forth, cutting the paper. They include a blade encasement, which ensures that hands are not exposed to the sharp edge.

Rotary paper cutters are known for their extreme precision and are very popular for cutting photos. These hand-held tools are also used by those who work with fabric to cut large pieces of material down to size.

DID YOU KNOW? Self-sharpening blades Rotary guillotines have self-sharpening blades. Every time the blade moves through the paper it makes contact with a metal strip on the base of the cutter. This helps to sharpen the blade with every use.

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cutting instruments Stack paper cutters These types of paper cutters are designed to cut hundreds of sheets of paper at a time. They are also popular for cutting larger sheets of paper into custom sizes. There are a variety of industrial and commercial applications for stack cutters, and they are commonly used at print shops for cutting prints and other material. They are available in manual, semi-auto and fully-automatic varieties.

Hydraulic paper cutters These are the toughest and most robust paper cutters available. They are used for high-volume cutting throughout the day. Hydraulic paper cutters are found in factories, print shops, paper plants and in other businesses that handle thousands upon thousands of sheets of paper per day.

Corner cutters Corner cutters, or corner rounders, are used for cutting the sharp edges from paper and other materials, such as cardboard and thin plastic. These useful machines can often round the corners of a stack of paper in excess of 100 sheets at a time. A variety of radius sizes are available, enabling you to cut more or less off the corner, as desired.

Form cutters Form cutters, also known as paper slitters, are designed to automatically feed paper into the machine and then cut (slit) it down to size. Many form cutters can perforate and score paper, in addition to slitting it. These types of machines are great for producing marketing material and can often make several separate cuts simultaneously.

Blades Boxcutters Otherwise known as utility knives, Stanley knives or razor knives, boxcutters are devices with retractable blades. Because they are relatively small, they are used by people in a variety of industries while at work in the field. Electricians, plumbers, carpenters and crafters all use boxcutters. They are found in factories and warehouses, and on construction sites.

They are lightweight and durable, and easy to carry and use. Boxcutters feature blades with perforations, which can be snapped off when the leading edge becomes dull.

The blades are generally encased in

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a plastic body which offers a secure grip. Most boxcutters have a locking mechanism, to lock the blade in place when in use or retracted. This minimises the risk of injury.

These types of knives cut plastic or wood materials, tape, cord, strapping, cardboard and other packaging material.

Precision knives Commonly known as X-Acto knives or hobby knives, these items have blades mounted on a pen-shaped aluminium

body. A knurled collar (cut on a lathe and covered in a pattern of straight, angled or criss-crossed lines) is used to loosen and tighten an aluminium collet with one slot, which holds a replaceable blade.

They are most often used for crafting and other hobbies, such as modelmaking or decoupage. Prior to the advent of computer programs like Photoshop, camera-ready art for use in printing was literally cut and pasted. Precision knives were heavily depended upon for trimming and manipulating slips of paper. n Vol 100 - May 2016

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how to sell

Labels and labelling machines A simple guide to selling labels and labelling machines

Labels Different types of labels are created for specific purposes, and labels also differ in terms of materials, lifespan and adherence.

Encourage your customers to choose labels that are best suited to their needs.

Types of labels When selling labels to your customers, it is a good idea to ascertain what they will be using the labels for. This will help you to determine the best label for their needs.

Pressure-sensitive labels are applied by pressing down firmly on them so they stick to the surface. They typically have a release liner that protects the adhesive until it is pulled off. The release liner makes handling the label before application easier. There are three different types of adhesive labels.

Permanent adhesive labels cannot be removed without ripping once fixed to a surface, such as a box or disc, the label.

The glue on some permanent labels takes

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a while to set, allowing for the label to be adjusted if necessary. This type of label is ideal for mailing.

Peelable adhesive labels are removable labels which can be transferred from one surface to another.

They usually leave a sticky residue behind.

Ultra-peelable labels can be removed without any sticky residue remaining.

However, once removed it is hard to get these types of labels to stick to another surface.

Shipping labels typically come as blank labels in the form of sheets, for uses such as mailing, and rolls for thermal labels.

Return address labels can be bought pre-printed, as the return address is typically the office address being shipped from. Extras can always be printed onto blank label sheets.

Inkjet labels are used in inkjet printers.

They are typically blank labels on a label sheet and are often used for mailing labels or name tags. They generally print in black.

Laser labels are used in a laser printer.

They are superior to inkjet-printed labels due to the fact that they won’t run or smudge, and can be printed in colour.

CD/DVD labels are designed to be put onto a CD or DVD, and have a special cut-out for the central hole.

Label materials Office labels are made from many different materials. These include paper, plastic and thermal transfer, and the right type of label needs to be selected for the job at hand. Ask your customers what they will be using the labels for, before recommending one of the options below.

Litho labels are one of the most common types of labelling material. They will stick to almost any surface, and can be removed from hard surfaces using water.

Latex labels are generally more flexible than litho labels and can fit around curves easily. They are permanent labels, waterproof and smudge resistant.

Plastic labels are made of vinyl, acetate and other kinds of plastics.

Vol 100 - May 2016

how to sell They offer good strength and flexibility.

However, they require special printing equipment as conventional ink does not adhere to them well.

Foil labels are made of aluminium foil.

They come in bright or matte finishes.

Thermal labels - are labels that require heat to apply lettering. These labels are sensitive to light and temperature fluctuations, and fade or darken over time.

Thermal transfer labels – are similar to thermal labels, but they can be used in proximity to heat sources. They are also more durable and do not fade over time.

Packaging and storage Office labels come in a variety of different counts, including individual labels, rolls and sheets. When your customers purchase labels from you, be sure to ask them about the the printing device or the labelling machine they have. Ask your customers to check their user manuals if they are unsure of the size they require.

Individual labels come in packages to be used as needed for small jobs that do not require a high number of labels at a time.

Label rolls are fed into a machine that prints them out as needed. This is the most common type of thermal label available.

A label sheet can be ordered preprinted or printed as needed. They are most commonly used for mailing and return labels. They resemble stickers when peeled off the sheet.

Advise your customers to store their labels in a cool, dry place. If labels are exposed to direct sunlight or excessive heat or damp, they may curl at the edges, stick together in the printer or discolour.

The colour on printed labels may fade or darken to the point that it becomes illegible.

Suggest that a suitable storage container is found, and recommend keeping labels in a dry, dark cupboard.

Labelling machines When selling labelling machines to your customers, it is important to ascertain what they will be using the machine for.

Determine how often they will use the machine, as well as how many people will be using the device.

Personal label printers Otherwise known as label makers, these are small, handheld devices intended for www.myofficemagazine.co.za

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how to sell use in the home, small office and small business setting. These machines do not have a high price point, and so will be popular with customers who don’t want to print a high volume of labels.

However, these machines print on special, often thermal, tapes which are expensive.

In the past, mechanical labelling systems worked by embossing pieces of coloured plastic embossing tape.

A hammer in the shape of the letter caused an extrusion on the opposite side of the tape, and the raised plastic would discolour to white to provide visual contrast.

These types of machines have been largely displaced by electronic thermal transfer devices.

Such machines contain a built-in keyboard and display, and an integrated cartridge containing the label material (and print ribbon, if used).

Desktop label printers Desktop printers are compact, relatively simple to operate, reliable and cost effective. These types of label printers are ideal for a wide variety of midvolume industrial, commercial and healthcare applications. They are usually designed for light- to mediumduty use, and are quiet and affordable.

They are available in direct thermal and thermal transfer printer models, and are customisable. These types of machines are perfect for the customer who requires a moderate amount of labels printed.

Commercial label printers Commercial label printers are used in medium-volume label printing applications, in business environments such as printers or graphic design. These are more durable and handle larger volumes without a hassle. Suggest this type of machine for customers who print labels on a larger scale.

Industrial label printers These types of label printers are designed for heavy-duty, continuous use in places such as warehouses, distribution centres and factories. They are used to print vast quantities of labels, sometimes for oddly shaped components (such as the safety stickers on a child’s car seat).

Industrial portable label printers are used on location in rugged environments, such as construction sites and production floors. n

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Vol 100 - May 2016

how to sell

Choosing the best machine for the job Connectivity Labelling machines can be attached to a computer or network, either on a wired or wireless basis. If your customers will be using desktop software to design custom labels, then a machine that plugs into a computer will be ideal. It also removes any limitations on fonts, symbols and designs. If there is only one labelling machine in an office with multiple users, then advise your customers that they will need a networking feature to improve workflow.

Helping your customers to choose the best labelling machine for their environments will depend largely on the intended application. If customers want to print out address labels or improve filing and workflow, they will need smaller machines. Machines with advanced capabilities, such as barcoding, networking and custom printing, are more expensive than simple, handheld devices, and cost will be a consideration for your customers.

Features Basic label makers have limited features in terms of label type, size or font. The more advanced the labelling machine is, the more customisation it will offer. If your customers plan to print different types and sizes of labels using various fonts and graphics, or if they want bespoke designs, then they will need a machine with advanced capabilities.

Other features to look out for include a print history that will store recent or frequently-used designs, and the number of pages that can be printed per minute.

Some label makers can print barcodes, shipping tracking numbers and laminated labels.

Portability Label makers can be hand-held or large, static machines. In warehouse settings, portable models are useful for workers on the move. In an office environment, a labelling machine that sits on a desk will be ideal.

Labelling machines without a display screen or keyboard are not portable, and will therefore need to be plugged in to a computer to work.

Display screen and keyboard Some label makers come with a display screen and keyboard, while others need to plug directly into a computer to take data directly from the machine.

If your customers are considering a model with a screen or keyboard, make sure that they look at the overall size. The keyboard must be easy to use, and if they want to see the entire label before they print, make them aware of the fact that they will need a screen that does not have a limited character display.

Power source Label makers run on disposable batteries, rechargeable lithium-ion battery packs or a power cord. If your customer’s usage will be relatively low, disposable batteries are ideal.

However, if they plan to use their labelling machine frequently or want to run batch prints, then a rechargeable battery pack is more suitable. Some machines have a USB port, and can be charged via a computer.

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Print type Label makers commonly use thermal printing, either by direct or thermal transfer. Some devices can switch between these methods.

Thermal transfer works best if your customers want to print in colour, or if they want labels that won’t fade over time.

Thermal transfer printers require the use of a carbon ribbon.

This is transferred onto the substrate via heat. Ribbons can be different colours, and the printing is very crisp and durable.

Thermal transfer printers can print on paper, film and even foil.

Direct thermal printers require the use of heat-activated thermal papers and films, rather than a transfer ribbon. The print colour is limited to black, unless you buy treated labels that contain chromatic inks, and the printing is not as crisp or durable. Labels tend to darken with age and exposure to light.

Direct thermal printing is popular in the food industry, where items are stored for short periods of time out of direct sunlight.

This type of printer is ideal for customers who need bulk labels with a limited life-span, where quality is not paramount.

Cost The more features a labelling machine has, the more it will cost.

When advising your customers about buying a machine, tell them to consider not only their business’ current needs, but their future needs too. It may be more cost effective to buy an advanced machine from the outset than to purchase a basic one now and an advanced one later.

The type of printing the machine does will also affect overall cost. Direct thermal printers are low-cost to operate because ribbon is not required.

Budget Ask your customers the following questions to determine which machine will be best suited to them: • What applications will you use the machine for?

• Will you use blank or pre-printed labels?

• Will you need customisation features?

• How long will the label need to last?

• What type of surface will the labels be put onto?

• What is your budget?

• Does the brand you’ve chosen have a good reputation for quality?

• What do you expect in terms of customer service and technical support?

Vol 100 - May 2016

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arts and crafts

Painting with scissors The lost art of gouaches découpés

Technique First, Matisse’s studio assistants brushed gouache on sheets of white paper. Opaque watercolour or gouache is a paint consisting of pigment, water, a binding agent (usually dextrin or gum Arabic) and sometimes additional inert material.

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Once dry, Matisse generally cut the shapes out of the stockpile of coloured paper freehand, using a small pair of scissors and saving both the item cut out and remaining scraps of paper.

After having cut out the shapes, the second part of the creative process entailed pinning the cut pieces of paper to the walls of his studio. Matisse would change the position of the images, adding new ones, or modifying existing ones, until the desired configuration was reached.

When a balance of form and colour was achieved, the finished composition was glued to some type of support such as paper, canvas or board.

It took Matisse two years to complete 20 collages.

He used his cut-outs for decorative arts projects, including wall hangings, scarf patterns, tapestries and rugs. n

Images: www.henri-matisse.net

A brief history When French artist Henri Matisse was diagnosed with cancer and confined to a wheelchair in 1941, he was worried that he would lose his ability to be creative.

After a risky operation, he began to experiment with gouaches découpés (cut-out collages).

Vast in scale (although not always in size), and lush and rigorous in colour, Matisse’s cut-outs are much admired around the world.

With the aid of a number of assistants, he set about creating cut-paper collages. By manoeuvring scissors through prepared sheets of paper, Matisse created a novel way to express himself.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT WWW.HENRI-MATISSE.NET Vol 100 - May 2016

arts and crafts

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To try your hand at gouaches découpés, you will need: • White cardstock • Gouache paints • Scissors or a sharp blade • Craft glue • A large piece of stiff cardboard (or chipboard) Draw shapes on your white paper. Paint the shapes with gouache paint. When the paint is dry, cut out the shapes and lay out a pattern on the cardboard.

Remember to use the negative shapes (the scraps from cutting out shapes) as well. Use the glue to paste the shapes onto the board.

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furniture

Taking flight Office furniture inspired Boeing’s new 737 economy seats

I

n a move that could foresee big changes in aircraft seat manufacturing, Boeing is purchasing seats for the 737 direct from a new supplier.

LIFT by EnCore, the new seat manufacturer Boeing has picked to deliver better economy seats to the 737 Boeing Sky Interior, is on a mission to give a big comfort boost to passengers in the cheap seats.

“It’s the forgotten class, I think,” says Tom McFarland, EnCore’s owner and CEO. “The higher end – when you get to the front of the plane – gets a lot more attention. That was our driver: to focus on the economy seat.”

Which is what we all like to hear, but don’t be deceived: making sure that plane manufacturers, airlines and passengers are happy with a new seat proposal is a tall order. There will always be compromises.

LIFT seats attempt to make the compromises work. The slim-line seats are modelled in passengers’ favour with design crossovers from modern home furnishings, through collaboration with London-based Pearson Lloyd.

All the details are considered for functionality in tight quarters. For example, you don’t have to bend over to plug in your electronics, because the outlet is above the tray table.

The soft padded cushions on the LIFT seat were pressure tested – bum tested, to use industry jargon – to ensure your body will hurt less after sitting in place for a few hours. The seat backs are contoured to the spine and there is padding to rest your head.

It’s the plane equivalent of a modern

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office chair – it’s not your cosy love seat, but it gets the job done.

“Number one: it’s got to be a comfortable product,” says Elijah Dobrusin, VP of development and strategy. “We’re making a seat. We worked with Pearson Lloyd and Boeing to make it look like a seat, not some weird spaceship thing. It’s a seat.”

The question some in the airline industry are asking is who are these people? How did LIFT get on Boeing overnight, shifting the seat of power in the plane seat industry?

Because aviation doesn’t change overnight – except when it does. Many big changes and blue sky ideas have taken off because outside forces drove competition in an unexpected direction.

Business and first class passengers take lie-flat seats for granted today, but British Airways came up with what was a crazy idea 20 years ago, and people watched and wondered – until everyone else jumped on it.

Just as with the very innovative team at British Airways, there are experienced contrarians at the top seats of EnCore.

Before launching EnCore, the founders had over 30 years’ aircraft interiors and seat manufacturing experience under their belts.

LIFT by EnCore is not so much an upstart disrupter as returning troublemaker.

The execs hired bright young minds inside the industry, who themselves had plenty of expertise, and who hungered to break away from “the way we’ve always done it” mentality that can plague aviation.

Finding the right calibre of experienced people with a disruptive mind-set is not easy in an industry as conformist as aviation.

“We’ve all come from well established companies in the aerospace industries

so we have a number of experts that work together and that allows us to work very fast, very lightly,” says Tom Eaton, director of design at LIFT by EnCore.

All that experience the leadership of EnCore and team at LIFT built over decades of working with Boeing earned them credibility and trust, which made collaboration possible.

“Boeing is providing a lot of the technical knowledge: for instance, composites. Boeing has this incredible composite technology; with the 787 they’ve done some amazing things,” says Dobrusin. “We’ve had workshops and meetings with them, where we’re bringing Boeing technology into our product. It’s been a great combination.”

People-watching makes all the difference. The LIFT folks echoed what Airbus said about them during the reveal of their Airspace cabin in London.

“Many reporters writing about the airline cabin didn’t exist. People weren’t blogging about the industry. Social media is pushing the industry to become more aware,” says Dobrusin.

“People who flew hated it – but that’s just how it was. Now social media is pushing the industry to become more aware, and that’s where we started.”

While the first LIFT seat was designed for the 737 Boeing Sky interior, the companies are discussing future projects.

“This is just the start for us,” Dobrusin adds. “Our intent is to bring really great products and leave a really great footprint, improve the process and the cycle of our industry. I think there’s no reason why things can’t move a lot faster than they do.” n ACKNOWLEDGEMENT MARISA GARCIA FOR WWW.MASHABLE.COM Vol 100 - May 2016

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air purifiers

Breathe easy

A

n air purifier is a device which removes contaminants from the air in a room. These machines are considered beneficial to those suffering from allergies, asthma and other respiratory problems.

Commercially-graded air purifiers are manufactured as stand-alone units, as well as larger units that can be part of a building’s HVAC (heating, cooling and air conditioning) unit. They can be found in homes and offices, as well as in medical, commercial and manufacturing industries.

Air purifiers work in one of two ways: by collecting air and passing it through a filter; or by discharging substances to neutralise dirt in the air (such as ions).

How to choose an air purifier Choosing the right air purifier for your business can be daunting.

The size of the room is an important consideration. In order to properly clean the air in a room, the purifier will need to exchange the air several times per hour.

Two air exchanges per hour is considered a minimum, while five is optimal. If the room is large but the air purifier is small, it will have to operate on the highest setting, which means that it will be very noisy. Buying an air purifier rated for a larger room will allow you to run it effectively on lower speeds, resulting in

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quieter operation.

The filtration efficiency of the air purifier is also important. There is a great deal of variation in the market.

Numerical efficiency is calculated as the percentage of particulates trapped in a filter during a single air exchange. The higher this number is, the better. The best purifiers trap particulates in one pass at well over 90%.

The air flow relates to how much air is passing through the filter. Look for a combination of high filtration efficiency and high airflow, also called the “clean air delivery rate” (CADR). This is indicated in cubic feet per minute of 100% particlefree air created by the air purifier.

Filter change indicator lights are helpful when it comes to the optimal time to change a filter. Forgetting to change the filter will mean that the machine is not working properly, which is sub-optimal for health.

The ease with which filters can be changed is also important. Ideally, your air purifier should not require any tools to replace filters: a door should pop out, allowing the filter to be removed and replaced.

The filters of some air purifiers are tedious and difficult to change, which causes people to delay replacing them.

The weight and mobility of the device is also important. Many come on castors, so that the purifier can be pushed from room to room. Small, lightweight purifiers are ideal for moving between different offices and buildings.

When purchasing an air purifier, consider ozone emissions. Ozone is a toxic substance and is undesirable, especially for those in poor health. Ensure your air purifier is ozone-free.

The cost of maintenance is another

factor to consider. The expression “penny wise, pound foolish” is apt here as more expensive air purifiers are often the least expensive to maintain, saving you money in the long run. The warranty and reliability of the machine is key – most have a five-year warranty for the main fan and motor parts. A reliable air purifier should have no problems with the motor, fan, and electrical components and controls during that time. The rest of the air purifier consists of the filters, which will need periodical cleaning or replacement.

Common air purifier myths You don’t need to dust Air purifiers do not lift the dust off the surfaces of windows, walls or furniture; they merely filter particles already in the air. The area will still need to be cleaned as usual.

Air purifiers fix allergies This is not true: an air purifier is only part of allergy control. Allergens like pollen fall to the floor or settle on surfaces, and the air purifier can’t filter them once they are no longer airborne. The same holds true of dust mites.

Regular cleaning of the environment should still take place, and anti-allergy cleaning agents should be used in conjunction with other appliances like dehumidifiers and steam cleaners.

Air purifiers remove odours Many people think that having an air purifier is a substitute for cleaning as it removes odours. Air purifiers only eliminate odours if they filter the air through high-grade carbon. Good hygiene is a better solution to everyday odours from cigarettes, rubbish or dirt.

Vol 100 - May 2016

air purifiers

The only way is HEPA Many people think that air purifiers with an HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filter are automatically better than other varieties. Because HEPA filters vary in size and construction quality, this is not necessarily true. Do your research first.

You can keep your windows closed Air purifiers are not a substitute for fresh air. Open your windows for at least an hour every day for new air to enter and circulate. Let the air purifier take over after that.

Speed doesn’t matter Consumers often run their air purifier at low speeds in order not to hear fan noise.

Unfortunately, this reduces the square footage an air purifier will effectively cover. If your air purifier can’t run at high speed without making a noise, it is best to choose a time to run it at full speed and then turn it to low when necessary.

Air purifiers remove cigarette smoke Many people think that air purifiers actually remove the particles left behind when people have been smoking. Most air purifiers – except for a few which have been specifically designed to remove both the odour and toxic gases associated with smoke – are not capable of doing this.

Air purifiers remove viruses and germs Some air purifiers boast the addition of ultra violet to kill viruses. In most air purifiers, the amount of time that allergens have in front of ultra violet light is not sufficient to kill them. Only a few air purifiers have an enhanced HEPA filter sufficient to capture viruses, or a technology such as a steriliser which uses heat to kill pathogens. n www.myofficemagazine.co.za

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events

Diarise this A list of industry-specific events and exhibitions to mark on your calendar

20 – 21 May 3D PRINT AFRICA GALLAGHER CONVENTION CENTRE, JOHANNESBURG

This conference will cover topics such as getting direct access to your target market; creating positive PR; raising awareness for your organisation; generating new sales and creating new business partnerships; and creating internal commitment to the brand.

20 – 22 May GRAND DESIGNS LIVE – JOHANNESBURG TICKETPRO DOME, JOHANNESBURG

This is the perfect show for anyone who has an interest in interiors, building, kitchens, bathrooms, gardens, shopping or delicious food. The show will provide you with plenty of amazing ideas to turn your dream home into a reality. Whether you are self-building, renovating or simply re-decorating, you’ll find everything you need for your very own grand design.

25 -26 May MARKETING INDABA LORD CHARLES HOTEL, CAPE TOWN

This event is a showcase for marketing services, CRM providers, advertising/media sales, promotional gifts and printers companies who want access to the business service industry.

01 – 02 June FACILITIES MANAGEMENT EXPO GALLAGHER CONVENTION CENTRE, JOHANNESBURG

This two-day event showcases all aspects of facilities management, like office-based equipment, security-based services, health-and-safety based services, and maintenance services.

01 – 03 June INSPIRE WORKSPACE + DESIGN + TECH TRADE EXPO GALLAGHER CONVENTION CENTRE, JOHANNESBURG

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This event showcases products such as office furniture, lighting, up-and-coming designers, fit outs and hospitality products.

Vol 100 - May 2016

eco news

Four common office recycling mistakes

I

t is estimated that only 8% of businesses recycle their used paper and board. And even the most wellintentioned recyclers make mistakes.

The Paper Recycling Association of South Africa (PRASA) outlines some of the more common recycling blunders, and provides some helpful tips to make sure that paper and board get to where they need to be.

Putting non-recyclable paper products into the recycling bin Even though they are made of paper, a number of items are not suitable for recycling: dirty paper plates, cigarette butts, tissue and toilet paper, paper towel, sticky notes, carbon paper, foillined, wax-coated and laminated papers, cement and dog food bags. These items cannot be recycled owing to the contamination or non-recyclability of certain elements or “stickies”, like waxes, foils, laminates and glues.

To correct this, educate your employees about what is recyclable and what is not.

Use printable material and posters available on www.recyclepaper.co.za for communal office areas.

Food contamination Wet waste ends up in the paper recycling bin, including used food waste, cigarette butts and soiled take-away containers. This contaminates the paper and reduces its value. Paper also starts to degrade once wet.

Set-up a two-bin system – receptacles for paper recycling and bins for food, liquid and non-recyclable waste with clear and simple messaging and graphics. www.myofficemagazine.co.za

Making it difficult and time-consuming for employees to recycle We are all human. Nobody likes to walk too far to throw something away.

Ensure that each desk is equipped with a tray or office recycler solely for paper and board.

Install paper recycling receptacles in key locations: at each desk; at each printing/ copying station; in meeting and break rooms, and kitchen areas; and in reception.

For every paper recycling bin, there should be a general waste bin alongside it.

A study showed that paper recycling rose from 28% with one bin per office to 94% when paper trays were located on desks.

Not knowing what to do with your recyclables Your office has collected all this paper that it doesn’t know what to do with, and after a while, it all ends up in the general rubbish.

Involve cleaning teams in your recycling initiatives. If waste streams are mixed, the recyclable paper will be contaminated and become worthless, which renders the recycling programme fruitless.

Assign a sheltered area in which to keep recycled paper clean and dry.

Where possible, keep office paper (mainly white bond paper) separate from newspapers and magazines and cardboard boxes.

Partner with a recycling collection agent that meets your needs – this could be a service offered by a big company, a smaller business or an informal collector who can benefit from your paper collection.

Support a local school or charity’s recycling fundraising initiatives (e.g. the Ronnie Recycler programme) as your recyclable paper could boost the tonnages they collect and increase the funds raised. n

Other ways to boost your company’s recycling efforts •

Appoint a recycling champion who is able to drive and monitor the programme.

• Regular communication is key.

Place posters at all “points of disposal”, on e-mails/printed memos, in newsletters, and as agenda items in meetings.

• Showcase the successes and volumes of paper recycled to demonstrate the programme’s effectiveness.

• Ensure that cleaning teams are trained and incentivised to maintain the programme.

Include and thank them in the communications.

• Paper collectors will only service offices where there is sufficient volume to warrant their transportation costs. It makes sense in a larger office park to centralise the collection area so that larger quantities are accumulated faster. Engage the facility manager in this case.

• Make sure your visitors, customers, suppliers and clients are aware of your recycling efforts through regular communication and clear signage.

• Staff can also be encouraged to bring waste paper from home if the storage area is big enough.

With a paper recovery rate of 64%, South Africa has been trending upwards towards a goal of 70% by 2020 for the past few years.

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crime alert

SAPS issues fake fine warning Police issue warning to the public over fake traffic fine SMS scam

T

he South African Police Service (SAPS) has warned against a cell phone scam in which users receive a text message saying a case has been opened against them by the police. They are then asked to deposit money into an account for their case to be closed.

According to Hawks spokesperson, Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi, unsuspecting victims who received this text message fell victim to fraudsters once they replied to the message and, in some cases, had money extorted from them.

Mulaudzi says the first case was reported in January. Since then, however, there had been an increasing number of instances nationwide.

“The scam came to the SAPS’ attention after a case had been reported in Rosebank, Gauteng, in January. It was followed by other cases with the same modus operandi that was reported in the Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, the Free State, North West and Limpopo,” he says.

The victims received an SMS stating a SAPS case had been opened against them and that they had to contact a Constable Baloyi on 060 800 8148.

GOLD SPONSORS:

Other random names and different contact numbers were also given in other instances.

After they responded to the message, they would be informed that a warrant of arrest had been issued for a traffic fine and that they needed to pay a certain amount. An account number would be given claiming they had to deposit the money into an FNB account with the

number 62017066201 or an Absa account with the number, 4054021171.

“We just want to warn the public that this is not how we operate as police.

Such scams should be reported as soon as possible. And if you received that you should contact your nearest police station,” Mulaudzi says. n ACKNOWLEDGEMENT NEWS24, WWW.REKORDCENTURION.CO.ZA

First-hand account According to an article published by The Centurion Rekord in January, Pretoria resident Theuns Heydenrych’s wife was a target of this scam.

“On Friday (15 January) my wife received an SMS around 14:00. It read: ‘A case has been opened against you @SAPS, for more info contact constable Baloyi on 0608008148’,” says Heydenrych.

“My wife then immediately phoned the number, thinking it was a real SMS. When the man (the so-called Constable Baloyi) answered, he even read out my wife’s ID number to confirm that it is her.”

“Baloyi” then told Heydenrych’s wife that she only had 15 minutes to pay and asked if she would prefer to pay into an Absa or FNB account.

When she asked “Baloyi” how she could be sure that it was not a scam, he put the phone down.

She then immediately received an SMS with the banking details: Absa acc holder name: TRAFFIC DEPARTMENT ACC NR:4054021171 Branch code:632005 Reference:27747239666 amount:R1 698.00 Fax 0864027202 “I then immediately phoned as well and when I asked whether it was a scam the line went quiet, before he eventually put the phone down,” says Heydenrych.

“Just after 14:00, my wife received a third and final SMS that read: ‘A warrant of arrest has been issued against you, you failed to pay your outstanding fines’.”

SILVER SPONSORS:

Keeping shop-sa members abreast of criminal and fraudulent activity in the stationery and office products industry.

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REPORT CRIME TO wendy@shop-sa.co.za Renew your Crime Alert sponsorship today! Call Wendy Dancer on (011) 781 0088 to book your logo placement on the Crime Alert page as an industry leader in transparency, information sharing and anti-crime business ethics.

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Vol 100 - May 2016

security

Password protection

Should you change your passwords frequently, or not?

I

n a piece of advice that seemingly contradicts everything else we’ve ever heard, GCHQ has recommended you should change your password less often.

According to the spy agency’s cybersecurity arm, forcing people to change their passwords regularly is ineffectual, because they are likely to choose a new password that is very similar to the old one.

They are also more likely to write the new password down, for fear of forgetting it. This increases the risk of the password falling into the wrong hands.

“Attackers can exploit this weakness,” says the Communications-Electronics Security Group (CESG). “The new password may have been used elsewhere, and attackers can exploit this too.”

Instead of forcing a changed password at regular intervals, the group recommends organisations provide users with information on when their account was last activated.

GCHQ says sticking to the same password for a long time – unless it’s something like ABC123 – is a good idea.

This news comes on the back of a new study into online privacy, which reveals that one in three people in Britain secretly know their partner’s passwords.

The survey, conducted by moneysaving Web site VoucherCodesPro, has revealed attitudes to trusting loved ones www.myofficemagazine.co.za

with passwords.

It discovered that almost three quarters of people have looked through social media messages on someone else’s account without their permission.

The team responsible for the study polled 2 211 UK adults between 18 and 45 who have been in their current relationship for at least two years.

Initially respondents were asked if their partner let them access their social media channels when they wanted to; 51% of respondents stated they did. Respondents were then asked if their partner had let them know their password for social media channels, and 21% stated they had.

Following from this, all respondents were then asked if they knew their partner’s password without them being aware of this – with 34% stated they did.

Researchers asked these participants how it was they found their partners password out. Fifty-nine percent stated they “guessed” it; 37% said they “keyboard watched”; and the remaining 4% asked their partner’s friends.

The researchers provided a list of actions taken by people who discover their partner’s passwords: • 74% looked through social media messages; • 59% looked through the photo gallery; • 54% looked through e-mails; • 46% looked through browser history; and • 39% looked through bank statements.

Pick the best password When it comes to selecting a password, there are a number of factors to keep in mind.

Use a combination of several of these tips to create a strong password: • Use a mix of alphabetical and numeric characters. A good way to do this is to use numbers to replace the letters in a word. For example, replace an “e” with a “3” or an “s” with a “5”.

• Use a mixture of upper- and lowercase letters, as passwords are case sensitive.

• Use special characters, such as @, # or %.

• Pick something obscure, such as a made-up word, an uncommon nickname or a purposefully misspelled word.

• Choose something that means something to you and will be easy for you to remember.

• Keep in mind the standard sequences that hackers expect: words such as “admin” or “password”; sequential numbers strings such as “12345” or “54321”; or replacing the letter “o” with the number “0”.

• Never use the same password for different accounts. n

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT JEFF PARSONS FOR WWW.MIRROR.CO.UK my office magazine

33

industry news

Pyrotec turns 50

T

his year marks the 50th anniversary of Pyrotec, a privatelyowned and managed business that was established in 1966 and continues to offer products and services founded on a dedication to quality, operational reliability and service excellence.

“We have come a long way since trading in the ‘60s and ‘70s,” says Rowan Beattie, Pyrotec’s MD. “Our business has seen the rise and fall of the economy, the turn-around of our country’s political position, the introduction and explosion of technology, and massive shifts in consumer expectations. Through it all, we believe that we have remained steady in our approach to change, and have delivered

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on our promise of quality, trust and innovation,” he adds.

While Pyrotec is fully focused on the future and moving forward to remain at the forefront of service and product excellence, it’s worth a brief glimpse back in time to see where it all began.

How it all began In 1964 Beattie’s father, Joseph Beattie, purchased Label Processes, a supplier of self-adhesive roll-label material, hot-stamping foil and label printing machinery. Joseph, a land-surveyor by profession, continued in his occupation to ensure a steady income for his family while Evan, Beattie’s elder brother, was entrusted with the day-to-day management of Label Processes.

Straight from school, Evan joined the company and began selling self-adhesive roll material imported from 3M, and small hot-foil printing and die-cutting machines from Milford-Astor for making self-adhesive labels in roll form. In these early days, self-adhesive materials were

not made locally and this label technology was hardly known. Until then, labels were used for price marking and were written on by hand.

In 1966, with almost no demand for roll materials and label printing/diecutting machines, Evan (just 19 years old at the time) recognised that for the company to survive he needed to broaden its customer base and began looking around for possibilities to manufacture labels on the machines he was trying to sell.

Noting stationery labels made by a local company, Pirie Appleton, he decided to produce a competitive brand. In the evenings at the family’s dining room table, he designed the box to hold and dispense the labels. This was the birth of the Tower brand.

Beattie’s story begins in 1967 when, straight from school like Evan, he joined Label Processes. He recalls that during those humble beginnings he was involved in virtually all of the business’ production processes. Today he fondly Vol 100 - May 2016

industry news

remembers this initiation into the world of business in general and self-adhesive printing in particular. He is committed to lifelong learning and throughout his career he has always tried to learn from his contact with customers and suppliers.

During the 1970s, Label Processes and Tower Label were incorporated under the umbrella name of Synchron. However, in 1989 after Joseph’s death, the company was divided into two businesses – with Beattie retaining Pyrotec (formerly Label Processes) and the Tower brand, and Evan taking over Synchron.

Leading to success Concerning corporate values, Beattie believes that any organisation adopts the characteristics of its leader. He values above-board business dealings, innovative production focus and constantly questioning the status quo by pushing boundaries.

Successful customer relationships are critical for sustained business success.

Being close to customers enables Beattie and his team to explore their specific needs and often creates the opportunity to innovate to fill that void. Non-financial partnerships with suppliers – some spanning a number of decades – underline the value that he attaches to nurturing long-term relationships. It’s these relationships that have enabled Pyrotec to create various lucrative niche markets.

Of his five sons, two are involved in the business. Timothy is Pyrotec PackMedia’s GM, while Stephen heads up Tower as the division’s GM. A focus on innovation With Pyrotec’s growth and its focus www.myofficemagazine.co.za

on innovation, its brands have evolved to include Pyrotec PackMark, the company’s machinery division; Pyrotec PackMedia, which offers innovative onpack, informational and promotional solutions; and Tower, Africa’s leading supplier of self-adhesive products and accessories for the office, hardware and kids’ markets.

Additionally, and in keeping with Pyrotec’s focus on innovation, the latest news is the launch of two new divisions in March 2016 – Pyrotec Finance and Pyrotec PackVerifi.

Pyrotec Finance offers a number of options to assist customers to purchase or replace their coding equipment. This includes a rental service, a rent-to-own agreement, as well as straightforward trade-in agreements.

Pyrotec PackVerifi is an exciting partnership with Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) as southern Africa’s sole reseller to offer HPE’s Global Product Authentication Service (GPAS). GPAS is a cloud-based brand protection trackand-trace service that helps organisations fight the scourge of product counterfeiting while supporting traceability throughout the supply chain.

Reputation and trust Beattie is adamant that Pyrotec remains innovative. The company continues to sell much more than just self-adhesive labels by focusing on selling solutions.

Rowan Beattie, MD of Pyrotec “We continue to build on our reputation.

We want to be respected as the best – both locally and internationally – based on our competence,” he insists.

A big part of Pyrotec’s success is its ability to identify niche markets and concentrate its efforts there. Another element of the company’s success is quality, reflected in Pyrotec’s mission – Vision Beyond Excellence – and all operational aspects of the business.

“Quality, operational efficiency, innovation and communication are our watch words,” Beattie points out, adding that the company is in the process of achieving its ISO 14001:2015 accreditation.

“Also of great importance are the relationships we’ve developed over the last 50 years between staff, suppliers and customers,” he adds.

“With sound relationships, based on shared values, you can build a successful business and survive. We’re proud of our achievements, our experience and our history, as well as our ability to remain focused on innovation and provide service and product excellence well into the future.” n my office magazine

35

industry news

Freedom Stationery opens new warehouse in Durban Since Freedom Stationery’s inception in 1987, the company has reached milestone after milestone with various expansions and achievements, making their mark with high-quality school, home and office supplies.

The company has become the leading manufacturer of stationery supplies in the southern hemisphere. Five branches nationwide now boast a total of 100 000m² under roof, including the factories.

In 2015, Freedom Stationery was fortunate enough to move to bigger premises due to successful business expansion. The new warehouse is a great achievement as it means a larger capacity as a supplier, enabling improved service all round.

Today the company is very proud to announce yet another significant milestone in Freedom Stationery’s timeline. They have opened a brand new warehouse in Durban, standing at impressive 18 500m2 under roof, giving them ample space to store more stock and ensure competitive turnaround times. The warehouse also boasts a large fleet of vehicles that will ensure the timeous deliveries of products to various customers. The new Durban warehouse will assist in better serving Freedom Stationery’s loyal customers in the larger KZN region.

The opening of the warehouse will also ensure higher inventory and product availability to customers. Freedom Stationery is set on the continual investment in important

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infrastructure and logistics support, especially in a business like stationery supplies where goods need to reach customers at the stated times and dates.

Freedom Stationery, which houses Marlin and Marlin Kids under its umbrella, will have 1 000 stock keeping units (SKUs) – a testament to their large and varied product range.

The company is a Level 2 Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment contributor and is ISO 9001 certified too.

Freedom Stationery is also quite actively involved in corporate social investment (CSI) initiatives. The company strongly believes that they are strategically placed in the market to enhance children’s educational processes by providing comprehensive tools where necessary. The company is proud to have Mikey, Mandy and Spike, the Marlin Kids mascots who tirelessly travel up and down South Africa visiting schools, interacting with learners and giving away the top quality stationery for which the Marlin and Marlin Kids brand is known. Their latest travels included the much anticipated January back-toschool campaign, ensuring a conducive learning environment and making sure that enough children are equipped with the quality stationery supplies they need for success.

Freedom Stationery is also going beyond these roadshows with hampers and donations that reach underprivileged schools and learners around the country – those who wouldn’t otherwise be able to access quality learning materials.

The company is focused on continuous staff training that ensures good performance management, as they believe that top-notch customer service is the cornerstone of their business. Their overall objectives include customer satisfaction and continual improvement, ensuring continued success.

Freedom Stationery will always stay true to their founding guiding slogan “Education for the Nation” by constantly seeking new ways to solve old problems, and delivering diligently on their promises. They look forward to working even more closely with KwaZuluNatal customers by delivering the best in product and unmatched service. n Vol 100 - May 2016

Freedom Stationery is one of the country’s largest and most trusted stationery brands offering a comprehensive top quality range of office, household and school supplies that are durable and affordable.

Our office stationery makes the day-to-day functioning of any office smooth and efficient with handy supplies and reliable products.

We’re also first in excellent customer service and always ensure prompt deliveries, giving you peace of mind and complete satisfaction.

For any queries and assistance, call our Durban head office on (032) 459 2820 or email us on careline@freedomstationery.co.za.

Our other branches are located in Midrand, Cape Town, East London and Bloemfontein.

Visit our website for any other information.

www.freedomstationery.co.za

HEAD OFFICE TEL: 032 459 2820 FAX: 032 459 3255

DURBAN TEL: 087 350 7861 FAX: 031 502 3754

MIDRAND TEL: 011 314 0953 FAX: 011 314 0957

EAST LONDON TEL: 087 350 7862 FAX: 043 731 2421

BLOEMFONTEIN TEL: 087 353 7861 FAX: 051 430 9618

CAPE TOWN TEL: 087 350 7863 FAX: 021 557 9155

CARELINE@FREEDOMSTATIONERY.CO.ZA

SALES@FREEDOMSTATIONERY.CO.ZA

GPSALES@FREEDOMSTATIONERY.CO.ZA

ELSALES@FREEDOMSTATIONERY.CO.ZA

BFNSALES@FREEDOMSTATIONERY.CO.ZA

CTNSALES@FREEDOMSTATIONERY.CO.ZA

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LX DESK MOUNT LCD MONITOR ARM Durable polished aluminum construction! Tested to perform 10 times the expected life-cycle of other competitive brands at roughly half the price.

Sleek and streamlined, the LX frees up space and allows positioning of your display for greater productivity. Reposition your LCD with just a touch. Up. Down. Forward. Back. The LX provides unparalleled range of motion Sleek and streamlined, the LX frees up space and allows positioning of your display for greater productivity. Reposition your LCD with just a touch. Up. Down. Forward. Back.

Tel: 011 467 0227 E-mail: helpdesk@techexpress.co.za Web: www.techexpress.co.za

38

my office magazine

Vol 100 - May 2016

product showcase

RAINBOW TWISTERS ARE 4 TIMES THE FUN! NEW Bostik Rainbow Twisters are wax crayons but even better! Each Twister has a combination of four colours, making colouring in 4 times more fun. No need for sharpening, they are protected by a durable plastic barrel with a twist-up mechanism to prevent breakage and waste.

6 Rainbow Twisters in each pack!

www.facebook.com/BostikSouthAfrica

Tel: 021 555 7400 • Fax: 021 552 1870 E-mail: marketing@bostik.co.za Web: www.bostik.co.za

LEITZ ICON LABEL PRINTER Award winning label printer for all your labelling requirements. Easy to use and mobile. Optional battery pack that will give you 12 hours standby mode or print up to 1200 labels before you need to charge. Finally a label machine that fits your professional image and your modern lifestyle. Multiple kinds of label cartridges available to fit every requirement.

• Print from your PC, Mac, iPad or iPhone • Cuts automatically to size and Android • Prints up to 200 labels per minute • Connect via USB cable or Wi-Fi • Includes 88mm cartridge and power cable • Free App and supports Apple AirPrint • 2 Year Guarantee & 1 Year Warranty

Tel: 086 000 7468 ext 2 E-mail: info@dosptyltd.biz Web: www.dosptyltd.biz

DIRTY CONTACT DATABASE? NEED FRESH SALES LEADS? Business contact data is the lifeblood of the modern organisation.

D4B can unleash the full potential of this valuable business asset by cleaning and enhancing existing contact databases, and acquiring fresh contacts for your sales and marketing campaigns.

Contact Peter Hidden Tel: 083 680 9617

MY OFFICE PRODUCT SHOWCASE To showcase your products here, call Wendy Dancer on 011 781 0088 for pricing and availability.

w w w . m y o f f i c e m a g a z i n e . c o . z a

my office magazine

39

SOURCE PRODUCTS HERE A ADDING MACHINE, POINT OF SALE AND MACHINE ROLLS PaperGeni Rotunda (Pty) Ltd. ADHESIVES, GLUES AND SPRAYS BIC South Africa (Pty) Ltd. - Correction Fluid, Glue sticks & Super Glue Palm Stationery Manufacturers - New Wave Freedom Stationery - Marlin ART, CRAFT, GRAPHIC AND DRAWING MATERIALS CTP Stationery - A4 coloured poster boards Freedom Stationery - Marlin Max Frank - Uni, Artline Pentel S.A (Pty) Ltd. - Oil pastels and watercolour paint

40

B BAGS AND CASES D.O.S - iStay Flip File - Business cases.

Freedom Stationery - Space Case and Marlin Global Bag And Sportswear Manufactures Custom schoolbags ,tracksuits Kolok - Kenton, Port Topmark - School Bags, Laptop Bags, Pencil Cases, Sports Bags, Luggage BATTERIES Kolok - Duracell Nikki Distributors - Duracell Batteries Nikki Distributors - Energizer Batteries BIN RANGE Krost Office Products BINDING ACCESSORIES AZ Trading - Plastic Comb, Wire, Thermal & Covers CTP Donau - Donau files and slide binders, A4 poster board Kolok - Geha binding combs and covers Parrot Products - Parrot Comb Binding Machines

Press Products - wire, combs, coil, covers Rexel Office Products - Rexel and GBC BINDING MACHINES AZ Trading - DSB, Neorel D.O.S - Prima, DSB, Leitz Kolok - Geha binding machines Parrot Products - Parrot Comb Binding Machines Press Products - Bindquip Rexel Office Products - GBC and Rexel ranges

BOARDS BIC South Africa (Pty) Ltd - BIC Velleda School Whiteboards CTP Stationery - Flip Chart Pads Freedom Stationery - Marlin Hortors Stationery - Legal Notices i.e. Basic Conditions & OSH Act and Leave and Absence Chart Kolok - Geha interactive boards Max Frank - Artline Flipchart Markers, Artline, Maxi whiteboard markers Palm Stationery Manufacturers - New Wave Parrot Products - Full range of boards and accessories. Custom boards printed to your specification Rexel Office Products - NOBO whiteboards, pinboards, easels and accessories. Quartet magnetic white/cork boards BOOK COVERS CTP Stationery - Poly Prop Donau heavy duty covers Empire Toy & Stationery - Butterfly paper Freedom Stationery Gordon’s Productions - contact paper woodgrain, marble, pattern designs. Magic cover back to school clear and coloured self adhesive paper. (4M rolls, A4 and lever arch).

Plastic coated brownkraft rolls and pre-cut polythene covers.

Grafton Paper Products Palm Stationery Manufacturers - brown paper rolls, poly rolls, gift-wrap RBE - Papersmart

CTP Stationery - Impala and premier books and pads Freedom Stationery - Manufacturers Hortors Stationery - Legal registers Impala Vuwa Stationery Manufacturers Palm Stationery Manufacturers Power Stationery - Powerstar RBE - NCR Business Books Rexel Office Products - Colourhide notebooks BOXES AND CARTONS CTP Stationery - Archiving Systems Rexel Office Products Specialised Filing Systems - Archive and Off-Site Tidy Files - Acid free archiving products

C CALCULATORS Kolok - HP Nikki Distributors - Truly calculators Palm Stationery Manufacturers - New Wave Power Stationery - Powerstar Rexel Office Products - IBICO CALENDARS CTP Stationery - Diaries assorted sizes CALLIGRAPHY Max Frank - Artline CANTEEN Kolok - Tea, Coffee, milk etc, Sunbeam (appliances) CARBON PAPER AND FILMS RBE - NCR Business Books CD’S, DVD’S AND DISKETTES Kolok - Verbatim, Kenton CLIP BOARDS CTP Stationery - DONAU brand Parrot Products - Masonite and whiteboard

BOOKS AND PADS BSC Stationery - Treeline

Binding doesn’t get any simpler!

CombBind 100

CombBind 110

CombBind C200

CombBind C210

buyers’ guide CLIPS, FASTENERS AND PINS Freedom Stationery - Marlin Grip Binders - Essentials, Stephens, Penguin Tidy Files - Filing solution

COLOURING BOOKS Empire Toy & Stationery - Empire books Freedom Stationery - Marlin Palm Stationery Manufacturers - New Wave COMPUTER ACCESSORIES Kolok - Verbatim, Kenton, Port Krost Office Products Pyrotec - Tower Inkjet-laser labels, business cards and photo paper COMPUTER CLEANING Kolok - ComputerCare, Multipro Pyrotec - Tower computer cleaning range COMPUTER CONSUMABLES CTP Stationery - Full range of DONAU files KMP - for computer consumables Kolok - Penguin (Ribbons, Toners, Inkjets), Till and fax rolls Redfern Print Services - Redfern inkjet/laser/ copier labels and a full range of stationery labels COMPUTER HARDWARE Kolok - Blazer UPS systems, Geha (Interactive white boards) CORPORATE STATIONERY & GIFTING Star Stationers and Printers CRAYONS AND CHALKS Freedom Stationery - Marlin Palm Stationery Manufacturers - Chalks and Crayons Power Stationery - Powerstar

D DESK SETS AND ACCESSORIES BIC South Africa (Pty) Ltd - Desk Set Solo Delux Freedom Stationery - Marlin Krost Office Products Rexel Office Products - Rexel Eco Range

See page 46 for contact details DIARIES, PLANNERS AND ORGANISERS CTP Stationery - CTP Brand Hortors Stationery - Legal diaries Rexel Office Products - NOBO planners, refills and T-card kits, Quartet Monthly/ Weekly planner South African Diaries - For all your diary needs DICTATION - TRANSCRIPTION Olympus Audio S.A - Digital Voice Recorders, Transcription Kits and Accessories.

Powerhouse Dictation for Philips - Dictation, transcription, meeting recording, mini-tapes, foot pedals, accessories DRAUGHTING AND DRAWING OFFICE SUPPLIES CTP Stationery - A4 Poster Boards

E EMBOSSERS AND ENGRAVING Rubber Stamp & Engraving Co - Ideal & Trodat Embossers (pocket, desk and electronic), Trotec ENVELOPES AND MAILING BSC Stationery - Leo Envelopes CTP Stationery - Commercial envelopes Global Envelopes - CelloWrapped, peel+seal, Self-Seal, FullGum and Printed Grafton/Star KZN Envelopes - Manufactures of Printed and Plain Envelopes Merpak Envelopes - Complete range of quality envelopes Narayan Wholesaler - Wholesaler of Quality Envelopes, Peel and Seal PaperGeni RBE - Papersmart ERASERS & ERASING / CORRECTION FLUIDS BIC South Africa (Pty) Ltd - Tippex tape, bottle and Pen Freedom Stationery - Marlin Max Frank - Uni Palm Stationery Manufacturers - Tape/Erasers Pentel S.A (PTY) LTD - Hi-Polymer and Ain eraser, correction tape and pens Power Stationery - Powerstar

F FAX ROLL MANUFACTURERS Rotunda (Pty) Ltd. FILES AND FILING African Filing Systems - Top retrieval filing and arching products BSC Stationery - Treeline, Mobifile CTP Stationery - Full range of quality DONAU brand Flip File - Executive display files, expanding files, Document folders, dividers Freedom Stationery - Edo / Unifile Palm Stationery Manufacturers - Lever arch, Ringbinder files, Manilla flat folders Grafton/Star Kolok - Geha (Binding machines) Palm Stationery Manufacturers - leaver arch, ring binder files, manilla flat folders.

Pentel S.A (Pty) Ltd. - Display book Vivid, document file, clip file and presentation file Rexel Office Products - Prima and Rexel ranges Specialised Filing Systems - Top Retrieval, Archive and Off-Site Tidy Files - Filing solutions

41

FILES MECHANISMS Press Products - Lever arch, Ring binders FOLDERS CTP Stationery - DONAU Brand Freedom Stationery - Marlin Palm Stationery Manufacturers - View files, polypropylene & board folders Tidy Files - Specialised FORMS - LEGAL AND MISCELLANEOUS Hortors Stationery - complete range of custom, company, miscellaneous, magisterial, etc.

FURNITURE - OFFICE & SCHOLASTIC Krost Office Products - accessories New Era Office cc - Specialising in all office furniture desks, chairs, credenzas, boardroom tables, etc Reboni Furniture Group - Manufacturing and distribution of educational and office furniture Specialised Filing Systems - Cabinets, Shelving and Hi-Density

Working for you

CombBind C250 Pro

WireBind W20

MultiBind 230 Comb & Wire

ThermaBind T400

www.rexelsa.co.za

SOURCE PRODUCTS HERE

42

G

L

GUILLOTINES AND TRIMMERS AZ Trading - DSB, Kobra Beswick Office Products - Fellowes, Vivid Maynards Office Technology - IDEAL Shredders & Guillotines – SA Distributors Press Products - BindQuip Rexel Office Products - SmartCut and ClassicCut

LABELS Freedom Stationery - Marlin Nor Paper Pyrotec - Tower stationery, inkjet-laser labels Redfern Print Services - Redfern Inkjet/laser/ copier labels and a full range of stationery labels Rotunda (Pty) Ltd. Specialised Filing Systems - Filing Tidy Files - Filing solutions

I

LABELLING MACHINES Kemtek Imaging Systems - Distributor of Brother P-Touch Labelling System

INDEX TABBING AND DIVIDERS CTP Stationery - DONAU Brand board and P.P Flip File - Index Tabs, Flip tabs Freedom Stationery - Marlin Grip Binders Palm Stationery Manufacturers Rexel Office Products - Rexel, Mylar and Prima board

LAMINATING MACHINES AZ Trading - DSB, Speedlam, Lamiace D.O.S - Tofo, DSB, Leitz Kolok - GEHA and Galaxy Parrot Products - Parrot A4 and A3 Laminators Press Products - GMP Rexel Office Products - GBC and Rexel ranges

INKS KMP - for computer consumables.

Max Frank - Shachihata, Artline Rexel Office Products - Numbering machine ink Rubber Stamp & Engraving Co - Trodat, Noris fastdry, security, numbering, franking.

Laundry.

LAMINATING POUCHES AND MATERIALS AZ Trading - A0 to ID card size Kolok - GEHA, Penguin laminating pouches and rolls Parrot Products Press Products - GMP Rexel Office Products - GBC

J JANITORIAL Kolok - Goldenmarc (Cleaning products), Brooms, Mops and equipment.

MARKERS BIC South Africa (Pty) Ltd - Permanent Markers, Highlighters, whiteboard Freedom Stationery - Marlin Interstat Agencies - Edding Max Frank - Artline , Maxi, Uni Parrot Products - White board, permanent and OHP markers. Wide range of highlighters Penflex - White board, flipchart, permanent markers, highlighters Pentel (Pty) Ltd. - Maxiflo, white board marker and paint marker Power Stationery - Powerstar MATHEMATICAL GEOMETRY SETS & ACCESSORIES Freedom Stationery - Marlin Palm Stationery Manufacturers Power Stationery - Powerstar MINUTE AND GUARD BOOKS Hortors Stationery - Company registers, minute books and other legal registers

N NUMBERING MACHINES Rexel Office Products Rubber Stamp & Engraving Co - Reiner Dater/Numberer (manual/electronic), Trodat

LEGAL STATIONERY Hortors Stationery - All legal registers, forms, diaries etc

O

LETTER TRAYS Krost Office Products

OFFICE ERGONOMICS Rexel Office Products - Kensington copyholders, risers, footrests, Rexel range of electric staplers and punches which reduces chances of RSI (repetitive strain injury)

M MAILING TUBES CTP Stationery

OVERHEAD PROJECTION AND ACCESSORIES Kolok - Penguin Transparencies Max Frank - Artline Parrot Products - Data Projectors, OHPs, screens and rear projection film

Excellence Accelerated Get it right first time, in less time.

Fusion 1000L

Fusion 1100L

Fusion 3000L

buyers’ guide

See page 46 for contact details

PENCIL LEADS BIC South Africa (Pty) Ltd - Criterium 0.5mm leads Freedom Stationery - Marlin Max Frank - Uni Pentel S.A (Pty) Ltd - Ain lead, standard lead - various grades

Penflex - Penflex Overhead projector pens Rexel Office Products - NOBO

P PACKAGING Merpak Envelopes - Postsafe packaging range PAPER AND BOARD CTP Stationery - DONAU A4 poster boards Empire Toy & Stationery - Butterfly paper Freedom Stationery Grafton/Star Kolok - Geha (paper media), EPSON, HP, CANON, Nor Paper Palm Stationery Manufacturers - Cubes and board Paper World Handmade Paper, Embossed Paper, Specialty Papers, Scented Paper Board, Paper Products Peters Papers - Rotatrim, Typek and Smart Copy Power Stationery - Powerstar RBE - Papersmart Rexel Office Products - Prima Paper & Board TRIBE - TRIBE Inkjet Paper and Film PAPER FOLDING MACHINES Maynards Office Technology - IDEAL Shredders & Guillotines – SA Distributors PENCILS BIC South Africa (Pty) Ltd - BIC Evolution Graphite, BIC Matic Clutch ,Velocity Clutch, Atlantis Clutch, BU4 Clutch Freedom Stationery - Marlin / Edo Max Frank - Uni Palm Stationery Manufacturers Pentel S.A (Pty) Ltd - Hotshot, Mechanical Pencil, Techniclick Pencil.

Power Stationery - Powerstar Rexel Office Products - Rexel HB & Derwent Staedtler SA (Pty) Ltd - Tradition, Wopex, Technical, Clutch Pencils and lead

PENCIL SHARPENERS Freedom Stationery Palm Stationery Manufacturers Power Stationery - Powerstar PENS BIC South Africa (Pty) Ltd - Clic, Crystal, Orange and Prismo Freedom Stationery - Marlin and Edo Max Frank - Artline, Maxi, Uni Palm Stationery Manufacturers Penflex - Penflex ballpoints and rollerballs Pentel S.A (Pty) Ltd - Superb Ballpoint, Energel Pen Power Stationery - Powerstar Staedtler SA (Pty) Ltd - Ball point, Fineliner, Gel and Pigment liner pens PEN CARBON BOOKS Freedom Stationery - Marlin Power Stationery - Powerstar RBE - NCR Business Books PERSONAL STATIONERY CTP Stationery - Home office and personal filing system, diaries Grafton/Star PLANNING BOARDS AND ACCESSORIES Parrot Products - Range of year planners, term planners, maps and in/out boards. custom printed boards designed to specification.

Rexel Office Products - NOBO planners

Olivetti Imports - Distributors of Multifunctional Printers / Copiers Star Stationers and Printers Unicopy & Stationers CC - for all your printing & stationery requirements PRINTER CONSUMABLES Impression Management - Prinart, Logic, Q-Ink, Sanchi, Oliser and ATI KMP - For computer consumables.

Ink Spot Suppliers - Suppliers of all brands of inkjet and LaserJet cartridges Kolok - Epson (inkjet, large format etc), Lexmark, HP, Brother (Toners and Inks), Oki (Toners, inks and Ribbons), Tally Genicom (Ribbons), Seikosha (Ribbons), Panasonic (Toners and Ribbons), Kyocera (Toners), Printronix (Ribbons), IBM (Ribbons), Ricoh (Toners), Fujitsu (Ribbons), Pantum (Toners) Nor Paper PaperGeni Royce Imaging Industries - Remanufacturers and suppliers of inkjet and laser cartridges Technical Systems Engineering - Suppliers of quality compatible cartridges and bulk inks for Epson, Canon, Lexmark, HP and Samsung

43

PUNCHES AND PERFORATORS Freedom Stationery - Marlin Krost Office Products Parrot Products - Parrot range of punches Power Stationery - Powerstar Rexel Office Products - Rexel

R RUBBER STAMPS Max Frank - Schachihata X Stampers Rubber Stamp & Engraving Co. - Trodat

POINT OF SALE PRINTER ROLLS PaperGeni Rotunda (Pty) Ltd. PRINTING Kolok - Epson, Lexmark (Hardware), HP Printers, Oki (Hardware) Pantum, Samsung

RUBBER STAMP MANUFACTURING EQUIPMENT Rubber Stamp & Engraving Co - AZ Liquid polymer, TROTEC laser engraver, flash system

Working for you

Fusion 3100L

Fusion 5000L

Fusion 5100L

www.rexelsa.co.za

SOURCE PRODUCTS HERE RULERS Freedom Stationery - Marlin Palm Stationery Manufacturers Power Stationery - Powerstar Penflex - PENFLEX rulers

S

44

SCHOLASTIC SUPPLIES BSC Stationery Sales - Treeline CTP Stationery Empire Toy & Stationery - Butterfly Flip File - Flip File display books A5, A4, A2, A3 Freedom Stationery - Marlin and Edo Gordon’s Productions - contact paper woodgrain, marble, pattern designs. Magic cover back to school clear and coloured self adhesive paper. (4M rolls, A4 and lever arch). Plastic coated brownkraft rolls and pre-cut polythene covers.

Grafton Paper Products Impala Vuwa Stationery Manufacturers Max Frank - Artline, Maxi, Uni Palm Stationery Manufacturers Parrot Products - chalk boards/slates Power Stationery - Powerstar Pyrotec - Tower Adhesive Book Cover 45cm x 2m SCISSORS AND CUTTERS Freedom Stationery - Marlin Palm Stationery Manufacturers Power Stationery - Powerstar Rexel Office Products SCRAPBOOKING Rexel Office Products - Trimmers and guillotines Rubber Stamp & Engraving Co - Making memories, Clearsnap, Marvy, Ranger, Bazzill, Carl SHREDDERS AND ACCESSORIES AZ Trading - DSB, Kobra, Roto, Repairs to all makes D.O.S - Kobra Kolok - GEHA entry level and high-end shredders

Nikki Distributors - Nikki shredders Parrot Products - Parrot range of value shredders Rexel Office Products - Rexel range Maynards Office Technology - IDEAL Shredders & Guillotines – SA Distributors SLATES Freedom Stationery - Marlin Parrot Products - Whiteboard and chalk board

SPIKE FILES Grip Binders

Rexel Office Products - Storage boxes Specialised Filing Systems - Filing Tidy Files - Filing solutions

T TAPES Freedom Stationery Palm Stationery Manufacturers TELECOMMUNICATIONS Nikki Distributors - Siemens office phones

STAMPS, STAMP PADS AND INKS Kemtek Imaging Systems - Distributor of Brother Stampcreator PRO Rubber Stamp & Engraving Co - Trodat, pre-inked stamps, stamp and fingerprint pads

STAPLING MACHINES AND STAPLES Freedom Stationery - Marlin Interstat Agencies - Genmes Krost Office Products Parrot Products - Parrot range of staplers Rexel Office Products - Rexel range

STATIONERY SUNDRIES - SCHOLASTIC CTP Stationery - DONAU Scissors and cutting knives Freedom Stationery - Marlin, Edo and Unifile Palm Stationery Manufacturers - New Wave Power Stationery - Powerstar

STENCILS Freedom Stationery

TELEX ROLLS AND TELETEX PAPER Rotunda (Pty) Ltd. THERMAL ROLLS Rotunda (Pty) Ltd. TONERS AND CARTRIDGES KMP - Computer consumables Kolok - Penguin (Inkjets and Laser toners), Epson, Lexmark, HP, Canon, Pantum (toners), OKI, Samsung PaperGeni TOP RETRIEVAL FILING Optiplan a div of Waltons - Paper based top retrieval filing systems Specialised Filing Systems - Total Solution and more Tidy Files - Complete onsite and offsite filing solutions TOYS, HOBBIES AND GAMES Freedom Stationery Pyrotec - Toby Tower Stickers and Activities TRANSFER LETTERING AND SIGNS Parrot Products - Vinyl lettering

STORAGE SYSTEMS CTP Stationery - Archiving Systems Suspension Files Kolok - Verbatim (hard drives, USB sticks etc), HP, Sandisk

TRANSPARENCIES Kolok - Penguin transparencies for inkjet and laser OEM, Penguin and HP Transparencies Rexel Office Products - NOBO range

Spend 98% less time shredding*

UPGRADE TO

AUTOFEED *Max saving when using an Auto+ 500X compared to a traditional feed shredder in a similar price level.

Auto+ 60X

Auto+ 80X

Auto+ 100X | 100M

buyers’ guide

See page 46 for contact details

45

DID YOU KNOW? • The Buyers’ Guide is an affordable way to highlight your brands while simultaneously introducing up-and-coming stockists to the trade.

• The Buyers’ Guide is a valuable sourcing tool to market your business and the brands that you carry.

• To book space, contact Wendy on wendy@shop-sa.co.za or (011) 781 0088.

Working for you

Auto+ 200X

Auto+ 300X | 300M

Auto+ 500X | 500M

Auto+ 750X | 750M

www.rexelsa.co.za

CONTACT DETAILS HERE African Filing Systems 011 614 9445

www.africanfiling.co.za

(

015 298 8795

Box 862, Ladanna, 0704

(

021 552 9680

Box 403, Milnerton, 7435

7

086 540 6892

info@africanfiling.co.za

7

015 298 8315

infopol@koloksa.co.za

7

021 552 9681

sales@redfern.co.za

AZ Trading

Redfern Print Services - Durban

Kolok - Port Elizabeth

(

086 111 4407

www.aztradingcc.co.za

(

041 406 9900

Box 3163, North End, 6056

(

031 205 9598

dbnoffice@redfern.co.za

7

011 792 9732

sales@aztradingcc.co.za

7

041 406 9920

infope@koloksa.co.za

7

031 205 7092

www.redfern.co.za

BIC South Africa (Pty) Ltd

Redfern Print Services - Johannesburg

Kolok - Namibia

(

011 474 0181

PO BOX 43144, Industria, 2042

(

00264 (61)370500

Box 40797, Ausspannplatz, Namibia

(

011 837 4119

Box 1445, Crown Mines, 2025

7

011 474 6068

16 Maraisburg Road, Industria, 2042

7

00264 (61)370525

valne@kolok.com.na

7

011 837 8917

jhboffice@redfern.co.za

BSC Stationery Sales

Kolok - Nelspruit

Rexel Office Products

(

011 086 2900

Box 278, Brakpan, 1540

(

013 758 2233

Box 4338, White River, 1240

(

011 226 3300

www.rexelsa.co.za

7

011 420 3322

sales@treeline.co.za

7

013 758 2235

infonel@koloksa.co.za

7

011 837 2781

sales@rexelsa.co.za

CTP Stationery

Kolok - Bloemfontein

Rotunda (Pty) Ltd.

(

011 226 5600

Box 43501, Industria, 2042

(

051 433 1876

PvtBag X01, Brandhof, Bloemfontein

(

021 799 5770

15 Hillstar Avenue, Wetton, 7780

7

011 474 9242

sales@versafile.co.za

7

051 433 2451

infobfn@koloksa.co.za

7

021 761 5601

rotunda@iafrica.com

D.O.S (Denton Office Solutions)

Royce Imaging Industries

Kolok - Botswana

(

086 000 7468

info@dosptyltd.biz

(

00267 393 2669

PvtBag B0226, Bontleng, Gaborone

(

011 792 9530

www.royceimaging.co.za

7

086 237 4614

www.dosptyltd.biz

7

00267 317 0762

clemencem@vbn.co.bw

7

011 792 9480

sales@royceimaging.co.za

Empire Toy & Stationery

Rubber Stamp & Engraving Co - Head Office

Krost Office Products

(

011 614 2243

Box 261524, Excom, 2023

(

011 626 2067

Box 75401, Gardenview, 2047

(

011 262 1400

Box 931, Wendywood, 2144

7

011 614 3075

empire@netactive.co.za

7

011 626 2912

sales@krost.co.za

7

011 262 1414

trodat@rse.co.za

Flip File

Rubber Stamp & Engraving Co - Cape Town

KZN ENVELOPES

(

021 638 3105

Box 2190, Clareinch, 7740

(

031 465 3992

P O Box 41259, Rossburgh, 4072

(

021 448 7008

Box 931, Wendywood, 2144

7

021 633 6942

ashly@flipfile.co.za

7

031 465 1669

info@kznenvelopes.co.za

7

021 448 7014

cpt@trodat.co.za

Freedom Stationery - Johannesburg

Rubber Stamp & Engraving Co - Durban

Max Frank

(

011 314 0953/4

Box 6459, Halfway House, 1685

(

011 921 1811

Box 200, Isando, 1600

(

083 377 4109

Box 931, Wendywood, 2144

7

011 314 0957

gpsales@freedomstationery.co.za

7

011 921 1569

sarah.schoeman@tigerbrands.com

7

031 266 1082

dbn@rse.co.za

Freedom Stationery - Cape Town (

021 557 9152/3

36-38 Silverstone Rd Killarney Gardens

7

021 557 9155

cptsales@freedomstationery.co.za

Freedom Stationery KZN (Head Office)

Maynards - Olympus Audio S.A / Olivetti Distributors (

0860 00 1922

South African Diaries

sales@maynards.co.za

(

021 442 2340

Box 4862, Cape Town, 8000

www.maynards.co.za

7

021 442 2341

phoneyman@sadiaries.co.za

Staedtler SA (Pty) Ltd

Merpak Envelopes

(

032 459 2820

Box 478, Mandini, 4490

(

011 719 7700

sales@merpak.co.za

(

011 579 1600

www.staedtler.co.za

7

032 459 3255

sales@freedomstationery.co.za

7

011 885 3174

www.merpak.co.za

7

011 608 3497

admin@staedtler.co.za

Freedom Stationery - East London

Specialised Filing Systems

Narayan Wholesaler

(

043 731 2422

Box 14111 West Bank 5218

(

083 444 0959

7

043 731 2421

elsales@freedomstationery.co.za

7

011 869 7243

Global Bag And Sportswear Manufactures

narayantextiles@gmail.com

(

011 477 0640

7

011 477 3528

www.specfiling.co.za

Star Stationers and Printers

New Era Office cc

(

031 305 6507

P.O Box 18586, Dalbridge, 4014

(

011 334 2013

Box 10383, Lenasia, 1821

(

031 569 1061

luke@starstat.co.za

7

031 301 6553

www.globalbags.co.za

7

011 334 7358

kuban@neweraoffice.co.za

7

031 569 1094

www.starstat.co.za

Global Envelopes

Technical Systems Engineering

Nikki - Cape Town

(

031 465 5544

info@envelopes.co.za

(

0860 006731

cpt@nikki.co.za

(

011 708 2304

Box 1532, Northriding, 2162

7

031 465 5634

www.envelopes.co.za

7

0800 204868

www.nikki.co.za

7

011 708 1799

sales@tse.co.za

Gordon’s Productions

Tidy Files

Nikki - Durban

011 943 4210

(

031 705 8713

Suite 69, PvtBag X4, Kloof, 3640

(

0860 006731

dbn@nikki.co.za

(

7

031 705 8714

jacquie@gordons.co.za

7

0800 204868

www.nikki.co.za

Topmark

Grafton/Star Paper Products 011 262 0777

(

011 262 0780

7

011 421 1300

(

Nikki - Johannesburg

www.tidyfiles.co.za

(

011 837 8045

Box 550, Bergvlei, 2012

(

0860 006731

jhb@nikki.co.za

7

011 837 7442

sales@graftonpaper.co.za

7

0800 204868

www.nikki.co.za

Tower (Division of Pyrotec) - Cape Town

Grip Binders

Nikki - Pretoria orders@tigerpaper.co.za

Hortors Stationery

info@topmarksa.com

(

021 787 9600

(

0860 006731

pta@nikki.co.za

7

021 787 9791

7

0800 204868

www.nikki.co.za

Tower (Division of Pyrotec) - Johannesburg

(

011 620 4800

Box 1020, Johannesburg, 2000

Nor Paper

7

086 612 4663

orders@hortors.co.za

(

011 011 3900

7

011 011 4099

Impala Vuwa Stationery Manufacturers

sales@nor.co.za

PvtBag X1, Capricorn Square, 7948

(

011 611 1820

59 Lepus Rd, Crown Mines, 2025

7

011 611 1834

tower@pyrotec.co.za

Tower (Division of Pyrotec) Durban

(

036 634 1535

Box 389, Ladysmith, 3370

Optiplan a division of Waltons

(

031 701 0192

Box 594, Pinetown, 3600

7

036 634 1890

impalastat@mweb.co.za

(

011 620 4000

Pencil Park, Croxley Close, Herriotdale

7

031 701 1285

tower@pyrotec.co.za

7

086 681 8256

rcurrin@gp.waltons.co.za

Tribe

Ink Spot Suppliers (

011 854 3013

7

011 852 3013

Palm Stationery info@inkspotsuppliers.co.za

Interstat Agencies - Durban

(

011 314 4746 (Jhb)

Box 6280, Halfway House, 1685

(

031 507 7051

viran@palmstat.co.za

7

021 386 4261 (Cpt)

tribe@global.co.za

7

031 507 7053

www.palmstat.co.za

Unicopy & Stationers CC

(

031 569 6550

Box 201707, Durban North, 4016

PaperGeni

7

031 569 6559

interstat@mweb.co.za

(

011 011 3900

7

011 011 4099

Interstat Agencies - Cape Town

(

031 201 8415

122 Che Guevara Road, Glenwood, 4001

info@papergeni.co.za

7

031 201 8672

sales@unicopy.co.za

www.papergeni.co.za

Versafile

(

021 551 9555

Box 36696, Chempet, 7442

Paper World

7

021 557 5456

Capetown@interstat.co.za

(

012 250 1477/8

info@paperworldsa.com.

7

012 250 0322

www.paperworldsa.com

Interstat Agencies - Port Elizabeth (

041 453 2558

Box 27693, Greenacres, 6057

Parrot Products

7

041 453 8504

pe@interstat.co.za

(

011 607 7600

debbie@parrot.co.za

7

011 615 2502

www.parrotproducts.biz

Kemtek Imaging Systems 011 624 8000

(

0866 101 185

7

Box 86173, City Deep, 2049

Penflex

labelling@kemtek.co.za

(

021 521 2400

Box 36964, Chempet, 7442

7

021 521 2402/3

info@penflex.co.za

Kemtek Imaging Systems - Cape (

021 521 9600

Box 181, Cape Town, 8000

Pentel S.A (Pty) Ltd

7

021 551 5032

brenth@kemtek.co.za

(

011 474 1427/8

Box 202, Crown Mines, 2025

7

011 474 5563

www.pentel.co.za

Kemtek Imaging Systems - KZN (

031 700 9363

Box 15685, Westmead, 3608

Peters Papers

7

031 700 9369

Sandim@kemtek.co.za

(

011 677 9000

sadlerly@peterspapers.co.za

7

011 622 6646

www.peterspapers.co.za

Kemtek Imaging Systems - PE (

041 582 5222

Box 15685, Westmead, 3608

Powerhouse Dictation

7

041 582 5224

clinth@kemtek.co.za

(

011 887 1056

info@speech.co.za

7

086 555 3833

www.speech.co.za

Kemtek Imaging Systems - PTA (

012 804 1410

PO Box 816, Silverton, 0127

Power Stationery

7

012 804 4286

johlettat@kemtek.co.za

(

032 533 4003

Box 1305, Verulam, 4340

7

032 533 3254

powersta@netactive.co.za

(

021 709 0190

Box 183, Steenberg, 7947

Press Products

7

021 709 0199

kmppty@iafrica.com

(

011 493 6332

marketing@pressproducts.co.za

7

011 499 1019

www.pressproducts.co.za

KMP

Kolok - Head Office (

011 248 0300

Box 4151, Johannesburg, 2000

Pyrotec

7

011 248 0381

infojhb@koloksa.co.za

(

021 787 9600

PvtBag X1, Capricorn Square, 7948

7

021 787 9791

tower@pyrotec.co.za

Kolok - Cape Town (

021 597 2700

Box 6385, Roggebaai, 8012

RBE Stationery Manufacturers (Pty) Limited

7

021 297 2799

infoctn@koloksa.co.za

(

011 793 7321

7

011 793 7348

Kolok - Durban

46

Redfern Print Services - Cape Town

Kolok Polokwane

(

011 226 5600

Box 43501, Industria, 2042

7

011 474 9242

sales@versafile.co.za

Win this! winner

The winner of the TroCraft hamper in our April issue is Suzi Muller Congratulations!

sales@rbe.co.za www.rbe.co.za

(

031 570 4900

Box 4206, Riverhorse Valley East, 4017

Reboni Furniture Group

7

031 569 6880

infodbn@koloksa.co.za

(

086 173 2664

www.reboni.co.za

7

086 627 7737

sales@reboni.co.za

my office magazine

(

Vol 100 - May 2016

the real stuff

The real Not stuff marketing fluff Cobus Jerling, owner at Colop Marking Solutions and Gencotech Laser Marking What’s the highlight of your working career?

There are so many: taking over Penguin Ink & Colour in 1993; selling it to Waltons (then part of Pepkor); joining Kolok and Silveray; and then starting Colop SA in 2000 If you could change one thing about your industry, what would it be?

I wish we could put an end to all tender corruption, kickbacks and rebates. It is harming the businesses and people that have been loyal to the industry for so many years What do you like best about the office products industry?

The wonderful, mainly honest and sincere people that I have met in the industry over the last 30 years

What’s your favourite meal?

Sushi Do you have a hobby?

Yes - fishing What music did you listen to in the car this morning?

No Longer Slaves by Robbie Wessels and Corlea Do you have any pets?

Yes, a miniature pincher dog What was your first car?

My first car was a beach buggy

What’s your greatest personal achievement?

To help my four wonderful girls, grow up and study Describe yourself in three words Honest, hardworking, soft Where did you grow up?

Bluewater Bay, Port Elizabeth What was your first CD? I grew up with vinyl records and tapes – the first one was in 1973. It was a small 45rpm: The Peacemaker by Albert Hammond What’s your favourite gadget?

Night vision binoculars What’s your favourite movie?

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

www.myofficemagazine.co.za

my office magazine

47

punchline

Caption this!

Send us your funniest caption for the photograph below and you stand a chance to win a Rexel Laminator GBC Fusion 1100 A4 valued at R2 000. Send your Punchline and contact details to competitions@ shop-sa.co.za with Punchline in the subject line

Win

The Rexel Laminator is 33% faster than competitor machines, taking just 45 seconds to laminate a standard A4 pouch or 80 pouches per hour, with an additional cold setting for heat sensitive documents. Other features include: • Automatic switch off after 30 minutes of inactivity.

• Exit tray keeps pouches straight as they come through the heated rollers for a perfect, warp-free finish • Incorporates SureFlow™ Technology that reduces jamming significantly for stress-free laminating and maximum productivity • Laminates up to A4 size including ID cards, notices and certificates • Modern, compact design is easy to move around and suits most office and home environments • Single touch button interface: simple to use, no previous experience required • Three heat settings • Accepts 2 x 75 micron (150 in total) pouches, 2 x 100 micron (200 in total) and 2 x 125 micron (250 in total).

WIN ME

WINNING CAPTION APRIL ISSUE Winning Caption: “Welcome to the Rat Pack!” – James Coetzee, Johannesburg

For the BRIGHT T at heart!

Rexel PUNCHLine Working for you

Matching staplers available

www.rexelsa.co.za

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