OPI APP SEPTEMBER 2022 A

BIG INTERVIEW

Paddy Donnelly & Dave Bent, ES Tech Group September 2022

INSIDE THIS ISSUE l Irwin Helford tribute l Lyreco eyes up Lomax l Spicers name revived l Industry Week ’22 preview

l How to create the perfect B2B website l Research: the US workplace l NAOPA shortlist revealed

Special Issue

TECHNOLOGY

SOLUTIONS

CONTENTS 6 Tribute Remembering industry legend Irwin Helford 16 Focus Spicers brand returns 36 Advertorial Showdown Displays 38 Category Update Imaging supplies/print sector ups and downs 44 Preview: Industry Week ’22 Heading to Las Vegas

Big Interview: Paddy Donnelly and Dave Bent, ES Tech Group ES Tech Group is a UK and US-based technology firm with a remit to provide best-in-class e-commerce support to B2B operators. It does this predominantly with its EvolutionX web store solution and FusionPlus Data service, the latter – in a nutshell, being a large, data-rich content repository.

Two of the tech provider’s leaders head up its geographic locations: Paddy Donnelly in the UK and Dave Bent in North America. Between them, they can draw on a vast pool of industry experience and tech expertise – much needed in these fast-changing times Special Issue when sticking to old models just doesn’t cut it anymore.

TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS

FOCUS: SPICERS IS BACK

54 Research The US workplace: what has changed?

Special Issue

TECHNOLOGY

SOLUTIONS 20 Big Interview The online customer experience: make it stick

Special Issue

TECHNOLOGY

28 Feature Technology solutions – the path to efficiency

SOLUTIONS

42 How to... ...create the perfect B2B service page

Special Issue

VENDOR SPECIAL

REGULARS 5 Comment 8 News

Special Issue

14 Green Thinking News

Special Issue

VENDOR SPECIAL

VENDOR SPECIAL

56 5 minutes with...

Ewoud Bosch 58 Final Word Steve McLaughlin

September 2022

I believe that both Spicers and VOW need to make changes in the way they work with their customer base. Maybe they could start by taking a leaf out of the Exertis book.

There are reasons why the original Spicers is no longer here, and the ‘new’ Spicers needs to learn from those. Firstly, overheads should be kept firmly under control, something that, in my opinion, was not managed very well previously. It then has to engage and listen to the people at the coal face, ie the dealers and dealer groups, and work in collaboration for the good of all.

46 Preview: NAOPA Shortlist revealed for the 12th North American Office Products Awards

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COMMENT The OPI team EDITORIAL Editor Heike Dieckmann +44 1462 422 143 heike.dieckmann@opi.net Deputy Editor Michelle Sturman michelle.sturman@opi.net News Editor Andy Braithwaite +33 4 32 62 71 07 andy.braithwaite@opi.net Freelance Contributor David Holes david.holes@opi.net

SALES & MARKETING Chief Commercial Officer Chris Exner +44 7973 186801 chris.exner@opi.net Head of Media Sales Chris Turness +44 7872 684746 chris.turness@opi.net Digital Marketing Manager Aurora Enghis aurora.enghis@opi.net

EVENTS Events Manager Lisa Haywood events@opi.net Event Programmer Sophie Carus sophie.carus@opi.net

PRODUCTION & FINANCE Studio Joel Mitchell joel.mitchell@opi.net Finance & Operations Kelly Hilleard kelly.hilleard@opi.net

PUBLISHERS CEO Steve Hilleard +44 7799 891000 steve.hilleard@opi.net Director Janet Bell +44 7771 658130 janet.bell@opi.net Executive Assistant Debbie Garrand +44 20 3290 1511 debbie.garrand@opi.net

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It’s all about the people!

t’s an often asked question: what do you most like about our industry? The answer, almost all of the time: the people! And there are some people that tower above the rest – in terms of business accomplishments, of course, but frequently because of their larger-than-life character.

In this issue, we remember one of the greatest personalities our sector has ever known – Viking Office Products legend Irwin Helford who, very sadly, passed away on 11th August (page 6).

I must admit, I never met Irwin – he retired not very long after I joined OPI and I didn’t get the opportunity. However, I ‘grew up’, in OP terms, with Irwin’s mantra of ‘the customer is always right’ – and he has left an indelible mark on this industry (and myself), not just for being an excellent businessman, but also a really nice person.

On the ‘really nice’ note, I had the pleasure of catching up with two other OP personalities recently who ooze expertise in their chosen field as well as bags of charisma and fun. It was ES Tech Group’s Paddy Donnelly and Dave Bent, who I interviewed for our Big Interview (page 20).

[Irwin Helford] has left an indelible mark on this industry [...], not just for being an excellent businessman, but also a really nice person The Big Interview is just one of several features in this issue which deals with the topic of technology solutions – look out for the purple sticker on pages 28, 42 and 58. We’ve said for years how important it is for resellers to have online visibility. Now, however, the need for quality and functionality within that visibility has risen to new heights – ‘average’ is a sure way of driving customers away; ‘excellence’ is what's needed.

Talking about excellence, it will soon be time to celebrate one region of the business supplies industry – with the North American Office Products Awards (NAOPA). The shortlist is out (page 46) and is testament to our sector’s continuous innovation as well as diversification.

Don’t forget to get involved by voting for your favourite product in the People’s Choice award – visit www.opi.net/ peopleschoice2022. All the NAOPA winners will be revealed at this November’s Industry Week ’22 gathering in fabulous Las Vegas HEIKE DIECKMANN, EDITOR (page 44) – don’t miss it!

Twitter: @opinews Linkedin: opi.net/linkedin Facebook: facebook.com/opimagazine Podcasts: opi.net/podcast App: opi.net/app

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No part of this magazine may be reproduced, copied, stored in an electronic retrieval system or transmitted save with written permission or in accordance with provision of the copyright designs and patents act of 1988. Stringent efforts have been made by Office Products International to ensure accuracy. However, due principally to the fact that data cannot always be verified, it is possible that some errors or omissions may occur. Office Products International cannot accept responsibility for such errors or omissions. Office Products International accepts no responsibility for comments made by contributing authors or interviewees that may offend.

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September 2022

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5

TRIBUTE

An industry ICON remembered

Admired, respected and loved – it’s not often highly successful businesspeople are associated with those words. Irwin Helford is It was with great sadness that OPI – and our industry at large – learned of the passing of Irwin Helford on 11 August, at the age of 88 and after a long battle with cancer. Irwin’s business accomplishments at Wilson Jones Company, The Reliable Corporation and – needless to say – Viking Office Products are well known and have been recognised over the years with numerous awards and accolades. He retired 20 years ago, although his legacy and what he stood for, particularly at Viking, very much live on.

But, as Charlotte Bradley, his personal assistant of 33 years emotionally referred to at Irwin’s funeral on 14 August, it was perhaps his kindness, generosity and passion that made him stand out above everything else.

Those three words – and many others besides – also shone through in all the tribute messages OPI received in the aftermath of his death, as seen in these pages.

There is absolutely no doubt that the world is a much sadder place without Irwin Helford.

Eric Bigeard, former CEO, Lyreco I was very lucky to have had the chance to meet Irwin a number of times. Every one of those occasions was a wonderful source of inspiration, energy, generosity and respect. His focus was so simple: customers and employees. I have three heroes in our industry and Irwin for sure is one of them.

caring about the world around him. When asked, he would freely share his insights, but he also wanted to hear yours.

His were infinitely more valuable.

There is a Jewish phrase called “gutte nishama”. It means “good soul”. That was the essence of Irwin.

Jay Baitler, former EVP, Staples Contract There aren’t many people who, when you first meet them, you instantly think: “I like that guy.” Irwin was one of them.

His smile and conversation made you feel as though what you were saying was the most important thing he wanted to hear. Because he cared about people. His life, his business and his philanthropy were all dedicated to

Lisa Billig, former VP of Finance & CFO, Viking Office Products We had great Viking adventures, expanding in the US, Europe and Australia, going public, etc. Through it all, Irwin kept us grounded, instilling in us the ‘fanatical customer service’ philosophy. He was my mentor and I learned so much from him.

The respect and awe Irwin Helford garnered from all those he met – from Viking staff and executives to industry titans and Wall Street analysts – speak to the great leader and man that he was.

Graham Cundick, former SVP Merchandising & Marketing Europe, Office Depot An incredible man, brilliant businessman, inspirational leader, and very generous philanthropist. His legacy will last for many years. He will be greatly missed.

www.opi.net

Irwin Helford was a great man but, more importantly, he was a good man

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TRIBUTE

Jamie Fellowes, Chairman, Fellowes Brands In my career, I have worked alongside some extraordinary leaders from whom I learned a great deal. Among the most remarkable was Irwin Helford – a brilliant entrepreneur, industry leader and an even greater human being.

He viewed business as relationship-based and always strived for win-win outcomes. From his humble beginnings, he built a great business and amassed a fortune in the process. From this, he made transformational charitable gifts. The world he leaves behind is better because of his generous spirit and other qualities. His legacy and his memory live on.

Jack Miller, former owner, Quill Corporation Irwin and I were competitors in the mail order office products arena for many years. After we both sold our companies, we became much friendlier.

At all times, I had the greatest respect for him. Irwin was what we call a ‘mensch’ in Yiddish – a person of great integrity and honour in all that he did.

Jess Beim, former SVP, Avery Dennison What a guy! Our relationship goes back years and began as a business association of mutual trust and support between customer and vendor. It evolved into an ongoing friendship of respect and love for each other. We shared so many life experiences together that created memories never to be forgotten.

Irwin had such a positive impact on so many. He was a sensitive, caring, dedicated, loyal and compassionate individual, as well as practical and street smart. And, of course, so philanthropic. We’ve lost a very special person.

Doug Chapman, former Chairman & CEO, ACCO World Corporation Irwin was a gentleman with great compassion and generosity. A respected businessman, his company reflected his values. His positive personality will always remain with us.

Irwin with his wife Betty

Bruce Nelson, former Chairman & CEO, Office Depot Irwin was a business associate, a colleague and my friend for over 25 years. He was a true direct marketing genius and pioneered the concept of same-day delivery in the US, Europe and Japan almost 20 years before Amazon and others began to offer this service.

In a large, publicly-traded and highly successful company, he always put employees and customers before profit. In the process, Viking became the world’s leading direct marketer of office products and its shareholders were handsomely rewarded when Office Depot merged with Viking in 1998.

I had the privilege of attending Irwin’s memorial service in California and heard his children and grandchildren say how much they loved and respected him. Betty, his wife of 66 years, and his entire family will dearly miss his presence in their lives. As will I. Peter Damman, Non-executive Director, soft-carrier Irwin Helford was a visionary, leader, mentor and friend. He changed our industry like no one else.

One of the first lessons I learned from him was that customer loyalty is not about offering the lowest price.

Providing ‘fanatical customer service’ is much more important to earn and keep customers. He used to say at the end of our meetings to take good care of everybody I worked with because he believed that, if you looked after your people, the financial numbers would take care of themselves.

I remember when he told me it was ok to make a mistake. “It’s the best way to become better,” he said.

I am grateful for the opportunities he gave me and the trust he had in me. It was an honour to work with him.

Robert Stone, CEO, City of Hope Throughout his growing success, Irwin and his wife Betty remained committed to supporting the work of City of Hope. Irwin championed our mission with his industry colleagues and, through his leadership, the National Business Products Industry group came to be a significant philanthropic partner.

We would not be where we are today without the Helford family.

For many more tributes, please read the Xtra content in the September issue on opi.net

September 2022

Ron Sargent, former CEO, Staples Irwin Helford was a great man but, more importantly, he was a good man. Not only was he one of the giants of our industry, he was also a warm, humble friend who always put others first.

Even more impressive than his brilliant leadership of Viking was his post-business career in philanthropy. His humanitarian work on behalf of City of Hope, Parkinson’s organisations, at-risk youth and many other causes has changed our world and will remain his lasting legacy.

Irwin Helford

Doug Ramsdale, former EVP, Viking Office Products When I first met Irwin, I was intrigued by his passion for details, but also his conviction that only by getting the small things right could you build a bigger, better business.

I fell in love with the vision that was Viking – and Irwin’s plans to share Viking with customers all over the world.

He realised being global meant being able to understand differences, and address them in a way that made people feel good. It was an honour, it was fun, it was unforgettable.

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NEWS

Lyreco makes Nordics acquisition Lyreco has agreed to buy Lomax, the second-largest reseller of office products in Denmark.

Lomax was founded in 1962 and operated for many years as a mail order company. In more recent times, it underwent a major transformation into an e-commerce business – and was so successful that it earned Lomax the Reseller of the Year prize at the 2020 European Office Products Awards.

The company has annual sales estimated at €124 million ($130 million), making it the largest e-commerce reseller of business products in Denmark. The transaction will now be subject to a favourable decision from the Danish Competition and Consumers Authority.

Speaking to OPI, Lyreco CEO Greg Liénard called this a “normal” process, but the deal is not expected to close until as late as March 2023. However, he noted that Lyreco and Lomax have very little customer crossover, so he is not expecting much disruption from an end-user perspective in Denmark.

Providing some more background to OPI, Liénard said the decision to acquire Lomax was based on both geographical and customer criteria. There are a lot of businesses in Europe with 1-5 white collar employees, but Lyreco has not been targeting these types of companies because of the relatively high cost to serve using its account management model.

www.opi.net

Kokuyo buys HNI business

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HON brand owner HNI has sold its Greater China Lamex office furniture business to leading Japanese group Kokuyo for $75 million.

HNI acquired Lamex in 2006 as part of a strategy to grow in the Chinese and Asian markets, but now wants to focus on its core geographies. Kokuyo said the acquisition comes as it continues to expand its client base in China among non-Japanese firms and looks to grow outside of its home market in countries such as China, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia.

Founded in 1977, Lamex in 2021 reported sales of approximately ¥12.5 billion ($93 million) and operating profit of ¥362 million ($2.7 million).

But they are the sweet spot for Lomax’s pure online model. This will enable Lyreco – initially in Denmark – to cover the full client spectrum, from one person right up to large multinationals.

To what extent this is then rolled out into Lyreco’s other markets will depend on the learnings following the acquisition. While due diligence has been performed, the full picture of Lomax’s capabilities will only be known after the deal is done. That said, the intention is to subsequently target very small businesses in other countries and to improve the online user experience for Lyreco’s customers.

Liénard added that Lyreco would adopt a cautious approach post-acquisition, with no commercial integration planned until at least January 2024. “We will learn from each other and see what works best for our respective customers,” he stated.

Customer expansion is one of the targets of Lyreco’s GREAT 2026 strategy to counteract the 1-2% secular annual decline per customer in the purchase of traditional office products. This also includes growing into adjacent categories, notably PPE following the acquisition of Intersafe, and developing a sustainable products marketplace. This marketplace initiative was launched in Italy at the beginning of July and will go fully live in the coming weeks before being rolled out into other countries beginning in 2023.

NEWS

ODP reporting change The ODP Corporation will shortly alter the way it reports earnings to be in line with its new divisional structure. Currently, the company has two reportable divisions in North America – the Business Solutions Division (BSD) and Retail. That is now set to change in time for its Q3 2022 earnings report, which will probably be published at the end of October.

Going forward, results will be broken out according to the new four-division structure under the ODP holding company umbrella: Office Depot, ODP Business Solutions, Veyer and Varis (for more details, see Analysis, OPI July/August 2022, page 6).

In the recent Q2 earnings call, ODP CEO Gerry Smith said the move to this new reporting structure was taking place earlier than anticipated. One key change is that all e-commerce results from the officedepot.com website will come under the Office Depot (retail/consumer) division, having previously been part of BSD (except for buy online, pick up in store click-and-collect orders, which are already booked as retail sales).

The new business unit reporting set-up – with each division having its own standalone P&L – will provide more clarity and visibility into the constituent parts of ODP’s operations. That will include the keenly awaited Varis B2B marketplace platform, which has been under development for some time now under the leadership of Prentis Wilson, the former head of Amazon Business, and other senior ex-Amazonians.

ODP said a private preview launch of Varis had taken place recently and that feedback from this was being incorporated into the platform.

Varis is still set to launch this year and more details will be provided at an Investor Day. The date for this event has not yet been confirmed, but it could well be before Q3 earnings are released.

Australia’s COS acquires

Leading Australian independent dealer COS has strengthened its position in the country’s education vertical. The company has confirmed the purchase of the business of JI Office & Education, a regional supplier based north of Melbourne. COS took over the servicing of all JI customers at the beginning of August.

“Blending the COS and JI Office & Education businesses and teams will offer JI customers great value,” said COS co-CEO Belinda Lyone.

“They will be delighted that COS is a clear Australian-owned and operated company with significant buying influence to deliver competitive prices, a larger product range, a world-class website, and a leadership team that is passionate about service excellence.”

This is COS’ second acquisition in the education market following the 2019 purchase of Vital Office. Over the past four years, COS has also acquired Lyreco Australia and independent dealer QCA.

www.opi.net

Belinda Lyone

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New owner for Sheaffer AT Cross has sold its Sheaffer pen and accessories brand to Indian firm William Penn for an undisclosed sum.

William Penn, a Bengaluru-based retailer of high-end stationery and writing instruments, has acquired Sheaffer’s complete product portfolio and licences – including premium pens, journals and gift sets. It has been the exclusive distributor for Sheaffer in India since 2003 and the brand has a market share there of around 15% in the premium writing segment.

“We will now design, manufacture and market the brand out of India,” said William Penn founder and Managing Director Nikhil Ranjan.

In 2016, William Penn – which was established in 2002 – acquired British brand Lapis Bard as it diversified out of the writing category and into men’s luxury accessories such as leather belts and wallets.

The transaction marks another chapter in the history of Sheaffer, which has changed hands several times since it ceased to be a family business in 1966. Former owners include Textron, Gefinor and BIC.

ON THE MOVE

Steve Bandrowczak

Office Brands has joined fellow dealer group Office Choice and distributor GNS Wholesale for the OPIX 2023 Australian office products industry expo in an effort to reduce duplication and costs in the independent reseller channel.

Scheduled to be held in Melbourne in September 2023, the event will consist of a full-day supplier exhibition for members of both dealer groups and GNS’s customers, followed by a gala awards night. Office Choice and Office Brands will also hold their annual dealer conferences during OPIX. Co-hosted by Office Choice and GNS Wholesale, OPIX 2022 took place in mid-August. At the event, it was announced that Office Brands would participate from next year, bringing the independent office products industry in Australia together under one roof for the first time.

Invitations to participate in OPIX 2023 are also being extended to the Nextra and Lucky Charm newsagent groups, alongside existing OPIX partners Newspower and NewsXpress, and non-aligned newsagents. In addition, independent dealer groups ASA Australia and Office Products Depot New Zealand are in the early stages of discussing their potential participation.

Craig Matthews

BIC to acquire French tech start-up

Dana Duckworth

Office Brands names procurement and merchandise chief Australian business products dealer group Office Brands has appointed experienced retail exec Craig Matthews as its Head of Procurement and Merchandise, effective 15 August.

Matthews has a strong background in procurement, merchandising and marketing with (non-OP) dealer groups and licensees. Most recently, he ran his own business called Stock Box, which was a B2B e-commerce venture focused on small retailers.

He has previous experience in merchandising and marketing with Metcash, BP, British American Tobacco and Coles.

AFFLINK makes supply chain appointment US jan/san marketing and supply chain group AFFLINK has appointed Dana Duckworth as VP of Supply Chain Solutions.

In her new role, Duckworth will focus on leveraging relationships within the supplier and distributor community to foster growth among new as well as existing B2B customers.

September 2022

Following its acquisition of reusable notebook maker Rocketbook at the end of 2020, BIC is again looking to grow in what it calls the ‘digital expression’ market. It has signed an agreement to purchase the share capital of Advanced Magnetic Interaction (AMI) for an – as yet – undisclosed sum.

AMI (originally called ISKN) was established in 2014 as a spin-off from the French government-funded research institute CEA-Leti, located in Grenoble. Its technology is based on magnetostatics which enables accurate 3D tracking of a magnet. In 2019, it launched the Repaper digital writing product in partnership with Faber-Castell. This allows writings on paper, using a traditional pen or pencil, to be captured digitally.

BIC said the acquisition – which is expected to close shortly – strengthens its R&D capabilities in digital expression, one of the pillars of the company’s Horizon strategic plan.

It aims to accelerate the deployment of AMI’s patented technology, notably through B2B activity in digital creative and consumer electronics applications.

Xerox confirms new CEO Xerox appointed Steve Bandrowczak as its permanent CEO at the beginning of August.

Bandrowczak stepped into the CEO role on an interim basis at the end of June following the death of John Visentin. On 3 August, Xerox’s board of directors confirmed the company’s former COO as its new full-time CEO.

NEWS

Aussie groups collaborate for 2023 event

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NEWS

The Supply Room buys jan/san specialist US independent dealer The Supply Room has acquired Beach Chemical and Paper, a Virginia-based distributor of janitorial products.

Beach, a veteran-owned reseller that was founded in 1970, will become a division of The Supply Room, with its former owners set to retire following a transition period.

ON THE MOVE

Mark Heath

Bang & Olufsen targets enterprise market

Alex Tatham

High-end consumer audio brand Bang & Olufsen has said that the enterprise market is a strategic focus area. The Denmark-based company has already partnered with the likes of Cisco and HP to cater to the growing audio needs of hybrid workers.

In addition, it announced that a number of its products are to be certified by Microsoft Teams and Zoom in the coming months.

“Hybrid workers are moving towards multifunctional high-end audio products that can be used for both work and leisure – and they want to do that without compromising on quality and design,” said John Howard, Head of Enterprise at Bang & Olufsen.

According to Howard, the company is “uniquely placed” to fill a void in the market and it is seeing interest in its products from companies around the world. Bang & Olufsen expects to grow its B2B business significantly over the next couple of years as it expands its enterprise portfolio with new products and partnerships.

www.opi.net

opi.net poll

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What changes have you made to your 2022 results forecast in past few weeks? n No change n Revised upwards n Revised downwards

Christel Constant

Sreten Savkovic

30%

the

30%

40%

Heath to join Office Power Former Bluefish Office Products dealer principal Mark Heath has been named as Managing Director of Office Power.

Heath joins the UK technology and services provider in this newly created role in September, three years after Bluefish was acquired by independent dealer roll-up Complete.

Office Power CEO Simon Drakeford said the organisation had reached a size that requires “a full-time, dedicated and experienced leader”.

Tatham leaves Westcoast Alex Tatham, the long-serving Managing Director of successful UK distributor Westcoast, left the firm at the end of July.

Tatham, who spent 14 years at the £3 billion ($3.6 billion) wholesaler, will join one of its customers, IT services and consulting firm NSC at the end of September. He takes up the position of Global Head of Clients and Marketing.

Unite adds to executive board Christel Constant has joined European B2B marketplace platform Unite in July as an executive board member in charge of the marketing, sales and customer success functions. Her career includes 15 years at B2B financial services platform Edenred and a spell as VP of Sales (EMEA) at digital workplace platform Beekeeper.

Following the appointment, former sales and marketing board member Bernd Schönwälder has assumed responsibility for platform, IT and operations – these were previously overseen by founder Sebastian Wieser. It will allow Wieser to fully focus on his role as Unite’s CEO. New Managing Director at ABL Office furniture accessories and ergonomic products supplier ABL has appointed its long-standing Production Director Sreten Savkovic as Group Managing Director.

Savkovic has been with ABL – formerly known as Accessory Bits – for more than 16 years. He helped the company’s founders set up the manufacturing unit in Serbia and was named Production Director in 2007. Eight years later, Savkovic led a management buyout in partnership with now-retired Managing Director Paul Stotesbury.

GREEN THINKING Lyreco launches supplier sustainability tool Lyreco UK recently introduced what it calls its Supplier Sustainability Action Tool (SSAT), designed to understand and support its vendors’ sustainability strategies.

The SSAT has been created in partnership with UK organisation NETpositive Futures and aims to embed supplier engagement via an evidence-based action plan. Lyreco said that completion of the action plan will help drive its suppliers towards a more sustainable and ecologically conscious operation.

The SSAT focuses on four key areas: the circular economy, climate change and environment, diversity and inclusion, and social responsibility.

Based on their responses, evidence and the amount of work required to implement certain initiatives, suppliers are then scored on a scale of 1-5.

“This [SSAT] is a huge benefit to us as an organisation to increase the transparency of our supply chain to our customers,” said Andrew Bryers, Head of CSR at Lyreco UK. “We have the strict target that 90% of our products and services need to be sustainable by 2026, but to achieve this Lyreco needs to make sure our suppliers are aligned to our sustainability objectives.”

www.opi.net

ODP Business Solutions releases Diverse Supplier catalogue

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The B2B arm of The ODP Corporation recently launched its 2022 Diverse Supplier catalogue.

ODP Business Solutions said the catalogue is aimed at helping to connect public and private organisations with a wide range of products offered by certified minority-, women-, disabled-, LGBTQ+- and veteran-owned suppliers and small businesses.

The publication comprises more than 1,400 items from across the business supplies range, including over 600 products with eco-attributes or ecolabels, all sourced from diverse suppliers. In addition to products, the catalogue also features numerous small business success stories.

ACCO publishes 2021 ESG report In August, ACCO Brands published its ESG Report 2021, which outlines the company’s commitment to environmental, social and governance (ESG), and includes an update on its publicly committed sustainability and diversity goals. In 2020, ACCO committed to achieving three key goals by 2025. These are: • Increase the energy efficiency in its facilities (factories and warehouses plus offices with over 50 people) by 10% compared to 2019.

• Increase the percentage of director-level and above female leaders to 33% globally.

• Increase revenue from products certified to third-party environmental and social standards by ten percentage points compared with 2019.

What progress did ACCO make in 2021 on its 2025 goals?

Below are some highlights from its ESG report.

Energy: • As manufacturing and shipments began returning to pre-COVID levels in 2021, total energy consumption increased from 2020, but only by 4%.

• At its pencil factory in Lilyhall, UK, engineers completed two projects involving heat exchangers and the wood furnace that lowered the usage of natural gas and electricity.

Together, these changes reduced total energy consumption at the site by more than 11%.

• Scope 1 and scope 2 CO2 emissions were down by 24% from 2020 levels. Much of this reduction was due to a decrease in the carbon intensity of energy supplied by electricity providers. Electricity consumption accounts for about 75% of ACCO’s emissions and in 2021 just over 7% of its electricity came from renewable resources.

People: • In 2021, the percentage of director-level and above female leaders was 30%, up from its 2019 baseline of 27%.

Products: • In 2019, certified products represented just under 32% of global sales. In 2021, ACCO achieved a 6.1 percentage-point increase in certified product sales for the same categories in its 2019 baseline. This was mainly due to securing certified raw material sources for certain envelopes and paperboard report covers, and achieving a PEFC certification at the Lilyhall pencil facility.

• Considering ACCO’s total 2021 sales, which also include video gaming accessories following the acquisition of PowerA, revenue from certified products increased by 1.4 percentage points compared with the 2019 baseline.

FOCUS

SPICERS is BACK

Two years after Spicers went out of business, the name has been revived in the UK. OPI’s Andy Braithwaite gauges reaction...

A

www.opi.net

rguably one of the biggest industry stories of 2020 was the demise of the Spicers OfficeTeam (SPOT) group after it was put into administration by its owner, Better Capital. Several SPOT entities, such as OfficeTeam, Spicers Ireland and ZenOffice, were subsequently acquired by Ireland-based group Paragon, which led to the establishment of the OT Group.

Assets also included the 5 Star brand and various Spicers trademarks and intellectual property. The latter clearly gave OT Group the option of, at some stage, using the iconic Spicers name for its own wholesaling business, which has been operating as OT Wholesale.

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BRAND EQUITY This is exactly what happened on 13 July, when OT Group announced OT Wholesale had been rebranded as Spicers. It said extensive research was carried out before the relaunch, concluding that the Spicers name and heritage are still cherished, despite the issues towards the end of its Better Capital ownership.

The debts SPOT (and, in particular, Spicers) left behind still rankle with some vendors.

One leading supplier – that wishes to remain anonymous – questions the need for an extra player in the wholesaling sector and asks whether there is enough ‘profit room’ for another one given the size of the dealer channel compared with four years ago.

Others are more optimistic. Mark Wilkinson, Regional VP UK & Ireland at ACCO Brands EMEA, says he is “pleased” Paragon is showing its commitment to the wholesaler/ dealer channel. “I see this as a positive development for the market,” he notes.

“Our view has always been that we want to see more customers, not fewer, as it gives more balance to the market for dealers and vendors alike. Choice and competition keep all of us on our toes and I am sure we all want to see a vibrant and healthy supply chain for the dealer channel, so it has a chance to evolve and compete long into the future.”

At Avery UK, Head of Sales Shaun Tidman agrees that, although the move could be seen as “controversial”, dealers overall “seem pleased” to have this historic name back.

“I hope Spicers can create a streamlined process to enable its customers and manufacturers such as ourselves to work closer together to provide products and solutions to the industry,” he states.

We all want to see a vibrant and healthy supply chain for the dealer channel, so it has a chance to evolve INDUSTRY DYNAMICS On the reseller side, Tim Beaumont, Managing Director at dealer group Nemo Office Club, describes the rebirth of Spicers as “excellent news”. He comments: “The dynamics of the industry could do with a change [and] we are very hopeful that Spicers will get it right and be a force to be reckoned with.”

Adam Noble, Chief Commercial Officer at leading UK dealer Complete, also says the news was “very positive”. However, he cautions that the name change will be “irrelevant” unless Spicers proves capable of building a wholesale business which “gives dealers the service and products at the right costs, delivered at the right time”.

Spicers FOCUS

Noble advises Spicers to take inspiration from its business strategy in the 1990s. “The wholesaler was innovative with the services it developed for dealers, and advanced their ambitions, competitiveness and reach,” he notes. “If it can replicate this, then it will be a huge boost for the dealer community.”

WORDS OF ADVICE Advantia was one of two UK dealer groups closely aligned with Spicers, which have subsequently partnered with Exertis.

Advantia’s Managing Director Steve Carter is hopeful that OT Group’s move could be a positive development.

“I say ‘could’ because I believe that both Spicers and VOW need to make changes in the way they work with their customer base,” he states. “Maybe they could start by taking a leaf out of the Exertis book.”

He continues: “There are reasons why the original Spicers is no longer here, and the ‘new’ Spicers needs to learn from those.

Firstly, overheads should be kept firmly under control, something that, in my opinion, was not managed very well previously. It then has to engage and listen to the people at the coal face, ie the dealers and dealer groups, and work in collaboration for the good of all.”

8,000 seems a good compromise between servicing a dealer’s needs and SKU stock turn for the wholesaler.”

Andrew Jones

www.opi.net

Our model is clear: we will focus on product, price and service, and work with any [dealer] group that wishes to engage with us to help dealers grow their business

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Former SPOT Group CEO Jeff Whiteway, meanwhile, believes the return of the Spicers name was “an obvious thing to do”. He says it affirms OT Group’s intention to make its wholesale arm less of a “bolt-on” to the OfficeTeam business, something which may “clash with many OP dealers”.

He adds that the demise of Spicers left VOW in a “too dominant position” which enabled it to stop its “costly” overnight key drop deliveries. “This, and a stretching of margins, has undoubtedly had a negative impact on dealers that, for years, were encouraged to go stockless, making them ever more reliant on the wholesalers.”

Whiteway asserts an additional, focused wholesaler can “only be a good thing”, but warns against the over-servicing of dealers.

“Product range is going to be key, as is reliability of delivery. The historic 13,000 wholesale stock lines need to reduce; around

For more details about the Spicers relaunch, read a Q&A with Andrew Jones in the Xtra content in the September issue on opi.net

REDEFINED PROPOSITION The question is, of course: is the rebranding of OT Wholesale to Spicers more than a name change? Absolutely, according to OT Group CEO Andrew Jones.

“Our redefined Spicers proposition centres around the customer experience: getting the right products, at the right price and delivered on time, which really is what a wholesaler should be focusing on,” he says.

Jones points to a more straightforward and transactional model which “strips away any costs that are deemed unnecessary or of little value to a dealer”. This will enable Spicers to provide “a low-cost model, without the need for complex agreements and additional marketing costs”.

He adds: “The lines between wholesalers and dealer groups have become very blurred, with wholesalers competing with dealer groups to sell a variety of publications and ‘value-add’ marketing services. Our model is clear: we will focus on product, price and service, and work with any group that wishes to engage with us to help dealers grow their business.”

Investments in digital transformation should make the wholesaler easier to do business with and a new ERP system is due to go live later this year. This will also benefit delivery options through Spicers’ distribution partner Menzies, with the introduction of a fully integrated transport management system that will allow options such as desktop deliveries.

An area Jones sees as “key” to the mutual success of Spicers as well as its customers is enabling dealers and data to shape the wholesaler’s product range. The plan is to develop an extended range which offers “most of the things any dealer would want” without Spicers having to stock every line.

This is where OT Group’s SmartPad online platform comes in. The goal in the near term is to provide dealers with access to more than one million products – with an overall target of three million by the end of 2023.

OT Group is certainly making all the right noises about the ‘new’ Spicers. Dealers and suppliers will have a chance to see and hear for themselves at several open days planned in the near future at the company’s Ashton-under-Lyne HQ near Manchester.

For now, the initial impression is that there is a lot more to OT Group’s wholesaling proposition than just a return to the Spicers of old. And that must surely be a positive development for the market as a whole.

BIG INTERVIEW

Special Issue

TECHNOLOGY

SOLUTIONS

THE ONLINE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

E-commerce has been advancing for over 20 years now. But COVID has certainly sorted the wheat from the chaff and ‘average’ doesn’t cut it anymore. Nor does on to outdated Specialclinging Issue VENDOR operating models

– make it stick

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www.opi.net

S Tech Group is a UK/US-based technology firm with a remit to provide best-in-class e-commerce support to B2B operators. It does this predominantly with its EvolutionX web store solution and FusionPlus Data service, the latter, in a nutshell, being a large, data-rich content repository.

Two of the tech provider’s leaders head up its geographic locations – Paddy Donnelly in the UK and Dave Bent in North America.

Between them, they can draw on a vast pool of industry experience and serious, no-nonsense tech expertise.

These two execs joined OPI’s Heike Dieckmann in a three-way Zoom interview which encompassed sunny Scottsdale in the US, cold Glasgow in Scotland and rainy London in England. Never let it be said that stereotypes aren’t alive and well. It was a chat that was insightful and educational as much as it was entertaining – and refreshingly irreverent.

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OPI: ES Tech Group is a pretty familiar name in certain circles in our industry and you two are well-known personalities in these circles. So just for those not in the know, can you introduce yourselves briefly?

Paddy Donnelly: Sure. But I will keep it brief!

I’ve been doing what I’m doing right now for the past 16 years – working for ES Tech Group. I’m one of the co-founders and Group CEO. Beforehand, I had various senior leadership roles in business supplies companies. I’ve basically lived and breathed office products for the past 25 years.

SPECIAL

Dave Bent: For my part, until joining ES Tech in 2017, I had spent my entire career in large global companies in CIO roles in Europe and the US. Many of them were distribution businesses – I was at Essendant between 2003 and 2013, followed by Avnet in Phoenix, a huge distributor of electronic components.

I first connected with Paddy ten years ago and then we met again in 2017. When I saw what he had created at ES Tech with the newly architected version of the company’s e-commerce solution EvolutionX, I decided to invest and join the team.

OPI: What are your specific jobs now?

PD: I’m the Group CEO, as I said, but I’m also still very much the chief product guy, spending most of my time hanging out with the product and development teams. Dave is President of the company in North America.

OPI: How does the ownership of the company work?

PD: It’s pretty simple. There’s myself and Dave. Then we have our CFO Tracy Gill and a guy called Jon Hood who is my co-founder and the tech genius behind what we do. Finally,

Special

TECHNO

SOLUT

Special

VEND SPEC

Special

VEND SPEC

We’re not an off-the-shelf shopping cart like Shopify and BigCommerce there’s Steve Bilton who is Managing Director of FusionPlus Data.

We have quite a few entities under the broad ES Tech Group umbrella – six in total – as we’ve made some acquisitions over the years, but the ownership structure is the same for all of them. It’s the five of us owning the company. That’s out of about 50 staff working for ES Tech Group.

OPI: The Canadians weren’t historically served particularly well by technology solutions providers, is that correct?

DB: I think that’s fair to say, so it’s been a good opportunity for us. We’ve been working with ECI in Canada for the past 12 months and signed up two of the largest office supplies dealers in the country – they both run EvolutionX now (see picture/caption, page 26).

Seeing what we can do in Canada has served as a bit of a catalyst for business supplies dealers in the US actually.

OPI: Let’s talk about your product – EvolutionX. What is it and who do you serve with it?

PD: EvolutionX is a B2B e-commerce platform for dealers. What it allows them to do is provide an online shopping capability that can match the procurement processes of their most complex customers.

We’re not an off-the-shelf shopping cart software like Shopify and BigCommerce.

If you want to sell a t-shirt online, you don’t need EvolutionX. Shopify does this really well for $50 a month. But if you’re a reseller selling to another company, and that firm has lots of users, addresses, cost centres and procurement controls set up internally, then we’re a fantastic fit for this type of transaction.

September 2022

OPI: In terms of geographic coverage, you mentioned the UK and North America. Last time we spoke, it was just the US – when did this change?

DB: We made the move into Canada about two years ago, hence the North America reference.

BIG INTERVIEW Paddy Donnelly & Dave Bent

Paddy Donnelly

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Paddy Donnelly & Dave Bent BIG INTERVIEW

OPI: So, it’s a customer-facing web store?

PD: Exactly. We provide dealers with the site.

They can use our tools to style and brand it or they can engage our design agency to custom design it. Ultimately, they go to market with a website powered by EvolutionX – that’s the front end.

The back end of the website allows them to manage the store, and we also hook it all up to their ERP system. You never deploy a site in isolation – it always needs to be integrated and this is what makes us different from off-the-shelf shopping cart software.

OPI: You talk about dealers as being your target audience. Are the type of dealers you attract and work with the same in the UK and North America?

PD: Not at all. Our customer demographic is quite different. The UK is very much an SMB customer base – dealers with revenues of £1-£5 million ($1.2-$6 million) make up the bulk of our clients. There are exceptions, but generally, this is what we’re looking at.

There are over 320 dealers in the UK running EvolutionX today, a number that is growing every month. All our UK dealers come from the business supplies space.

www.opi.net

DB: In terms of size, most of our customers in North America have sales starting in the region of $5 million, but we also have clients doing

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hundreds of millions. Where we most differ is in the type of customer.

We work with about 140 partners here right now. But the big focus for me has been on going after verticals outside of the business supplies sector. About 98% of our customers are some kind of distributor. I say distributor because the term ‘dealer’ is fairly unique to this industry – in most verticals they’re called distributors, but it’s essentially the same model – companies selling to businesses, all B2B. These verticals I’m talking about include electrical; plumbing; industrial supplies; MRO; safety and, recently, gas and welding.

Every other space I know of is manufacturer driven; ours is not and, certainly from a technology standpoint, that’s a great thing OPI: Why is the client base so different?

PD: Finding another vertical to sell into is actually very tricky in the UK. And that’s because there’s nothing quite as well organised and which lines up as nicely as office products.

From a technology and distribution point of view, the business supplies industry is light years ahead of any other sector that we have

Dave Bent

DB: It’s the same here in the US – the business supplies space is more advanced from an e-commerce perspective – much more so than other verticals. This is because, in the early 2000s, the then power channel really jumped on e-commerce, first in B2C and then in B2B. Staples, in particular, was the gold standard and it pulled the independents with them.

Dealers weren’t going to survive if they didn’t get online and the wholesalers did an awesome job at enabling them to be successful, creating content and setting up a supply chain that could compete.

It’s a wholesaler-driven industry. In every other vertical – and we’re in a number of them I’ve just shared with you, and we’ve looked at several others – every dealer has to set up direct relationships with manufacturers to procure. Then it’s about holding inventory, getting to minimum order quantities, etc. Every other space I know of is manufacturer-driven; ours is not and, certainly from a technology standpoint, that’s a great thing.

PD: By the way, this is the reason Amazon Business started – its first vertical back in 2012 was in OP because of how advanced the supply chain is, how organised content is, and the percentage of sales being done online.

There’s something really special about what the wholesaler does in terms of logistics, stock, last mile, corralling hundreds of manufacturers into a pot, solving big problems like logistics and content – it creates efficiencies which make our industry extremely successful.

OPI: I’m really liking all the positivity here. I can hear a ‘but’ coming too though.

PD: (laughs) Yes, don’t worry, we’ll balance it out nicely with the bad stuff in a moment.

OPI: What makes a great experience?

DB: Sub-second response time is essential.

It doesn’t matter how many SKUs are on the platform, a super-fast response time is key.

Search is vital. Search results have to relate to what the customer is actually looking for and again, you need a great – and fast – experience. EvolutionX has a “find” engine where the dealer can control brand and product priorities.

If you look at a lot of dealer sites in North America today, the front end often contains corporate information that sits in front of the e-commerce site. However, when you start shopping, the experience typically isn’t great because every site kind of looks the same.

With the systems currently on offer, it’s hard for dealers to really represent who they are, what differentiates them, what their brand

September 2022

OPI: Would it be right to assume that the lack of business supplies dealer customers you have in the US is closely linked to what you just said about the wholesalers and how integral they are to the technology game? We’ve recently had plenty of discussions – you were at the OPI Global Forum in Chicago in May, Dave, and saw the tension first-hand – about how independents feel their hands are tied by both the wholesalers and the tech providers as regards product offering, content, etc.

DB: Spot on. Out of the dealers which are customers of SPR or Essendant, we deal with

fewer than 20 and that is because they are served by the wholesalers in combination with the technology providers.

As I said, as a result of what was happening at the big boxes 20 years ago, the wholesalers began investing massively in technology to help dealers. This had to happen to enable them to compete – I was part of this effort while at Essendant. Typically, dealers did not offer a remarkable customer experience online and search was a particular problem – but search is the foundation of any online experience.

The wholesalers invested millions to produce great product content and develop services to provide search results. They then partnered with the incumbent technology providers to deliver these capabilities on a dealer’s website.

ECI is the primary one, but there are others that dealers are using for ERP and their websites.

This lock-in with the wholesaler has continued, but it’s clear from the conversations at the OPI event in Chicago you referred to that it’s no longer the ideal solution. Dealers need to be easily able to add products on their websites that extend beyond traditional business supplies, and they need to take control of the complete online experience if they are to compete going forwards.

Our EvolutionX platform is as good as anybody’s, but we elected not to embed the wholesaler search as we weren’t really focused on the business supplies market when I came on board.

If you look at an EvolutionX-powered web store in North America versus pretty much any other dealer site, the customer experience is dramatically different. And it’s precisely what we’re focused on – an experience that meets or exceeds anything customers would get at an Amazon, a Staples or a Depot.

BIG INTERVIEW Paddy Donnelly & Dave Bent

access to. All dealers beat themselves up and think they could or should be doing better and that they’re antiquated. The truth is they are fantastic in technology terms.

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Paddy Donnelly & Dave Bent BIG INTERVIEW

is about, and extend their product offering, so they’re circumventing this by putting an informational piece on the front end of the main URL. But when you log in, you’re not getting a sub-second response time. Dealers don’t have full control of search – that is managed by the wholesalers – which causes frustration as you pointed out.

With EvolutionX and our rich marketing and merchandising tools, you can really segment your customer base. Let’s say you had a customer that buys school supplies versus one selling into healthcare. When the school district logs in, it’s going to get a different experience because we know it’s procuring school supplies, and the marketing and merchandising, the selection and assortment will be tailored accordingly. This increases the stickiness of the customer/dealer relationship.

We have all sorts of solutions around reward programmes, promotions in terms of buy one, get one, coupon codes, and so on. All of these can be made specific to certain customers.

And when you have a really tailored experience like this, customers actually buy more from you versus alternate sources. Again, stickiness.

awesome supply chain capabilities, their delivery, drop ship, and wrap and label services. But they don’t have to play the technology game now. There are e-commerce platforms like EvolutionX that have outstanding native search and features which allow dealers to tailor the experience more specifically to customer segments.

Statistics prove a site with a larger product assortment is going to grow faster – the one-stop-shop concept. The question should always be: what else is my existing customer buying that I’m not selling, but I could sell?

Those resellers that answer the call will become the destination site for their clients.

But dealers typically don’t have the breadth of SKUs they need – it’s an often-raised point and, as you said, caused debate in Chicago.

Essentially, nobody wants to relinquish control and, in the process, the whole user experience has become very rigid.

When you have a really tailored experience [...] customers actually buy more from you

www.opi.net

OPI: Product depth – or lack thereof – is another topic that always comes up.

DB: It goes back to what seems the big question right now: what do we call our industry? I would go with “workplace solutions and services”. The trouble is the various channel operators are not equipped to deal with this much broader definition because they’ve all veered from their core competence.

Years ago, the wholesalers created technology to serve their dealers. At the time, that was super effective. It is no longer required.

Dealers became totally dependent on the wholesalers for really good reasons – their

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UK dealer websites powered by EvolutionX

PD: We have to ask ourselves what role everybody should play. What is the role of the wholesaler? Or the technology provider? The lines have become very blurred – and for good reason, but they are outdated now. I would go as far as to say they are inappropriate.

What do dealers really want? They want to offer a phenomenal customer experience and a gorgeous-looking website. And the baseline has become much higher because of COVID – the pandemic has sent the whole world online and ‘average’ doesn’t cut it anymore.

Dealers need to offer a vast range – much broader than one wholesaler can offer. They want to sell coffee and pens, but they also want to sell power tools, embroidered workwear, promotional goods and services. And they don’t want their wholesaler and technology provider to come between them and other suppliers in getting that product content onto their website to sell.

Finally, they want control of their own promotional content, their own search and their own merchandising. All these are perfectly reasonable things to want to achieve when you’re running a web store.

Paddy Donnelly & Dave Bent BIG INTERVIEW

OPI: What’s the answer?

DB: Well, here’s what the answer isn’t, what’s being promoted at times. Out of frustration, dealers are looking to move their ERP system.

It makes no sense. It’s a lot of pain and not much gain. Why are they changing their ERP systems? To get control of their website.

For the past 10-15 years, because of secular declines, this industry has been talking about how to eliminate duplicate efforts. Why are both wholesalers in the US developing content?

It’s basically the same content. Again, there’s history here, but it’s a massive investment on both sides.

Companies which compete with each other, such as SYNNEX and Ingram Micro, are using the same content provider. Product content is no longer a differentiator. Investments should provide differentiation.

www.opi.net

OPI: Am I right in thinking this is precisely what one of your companies in the UK is doing – FusionPlus?

PD: (laughs) Funny you should say that. Of course, the current stakeholders in the US are not going to abandon what they’re doing overnight, but I’m convinced what we have in the UK right now is, or should be, the model going forward.

What do the wholesalers do in the UK? They provide inventory and they’re logistically excellent. They don’t try and get involved in your marketing or your website – they’ve moved on from that model years ago. They simplified and do what wholesalers should do – solve inventory and logistics problems.

It created a gap. FusionPlus popped up and took on the role of being the content repository for the industry. Limitless catalogues, limitless suppliers – all coming together to build a dataset which works with ERP systems and on web stores. Readily available to the industry.

Then you have an EvolutionX show up and say, “well, we’ll leverage all that stuff – the logistics capability of the wholesaler, the

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For more from the interview with Paddy Donnelly and Dave Bent, including topics such as consolidation, live chat and reviews, see our Xtra content in the September issue on opi.net

Office Central, one of Canada’s largest dealers, went live on EvolutionX – integrated with ECI’s DDMSPLUS – in 2021. It has created a completely new customer experience and added 200,000 SKUs across new product categories.

The outcome? Sales growth of 32% in the first half of 2022

FusionPlus content – and we’ll build a great web experience for that community of dealers”.

Our typical web store has 75,000 to 100,000 business supplies SKUs on it. The wholesaler catalogues these days have something like 20,000 SKUs. It means two thirds of all products are non-wholesaler SKUs. Has that resulted in the destruction of wholesaler VOW? Definitely not. Exertis? No. OT Group? Too early to tell. All those guys have done fine and not been negatively impacted by dealers having a much broader choice of products to sell. More is better and competition is good. It could work in North America too.

OPI: What’s the feedback you’re getting from your customer base in the UK? PD: Well, we survey our customer base every six months, and we ask them one question: would you recommend EvolutionX to a co-worker or a friend? Over 160 surveys, our net promoter score was 60, which puts us somewhere between excellent and world class (Apple is at 47). That’s the type of thing we rely on to know if we’re delivering a good service.

You have to ask the tough questions to improve. The good feedback is motivational but, it’s in fact the negative comments that are more useful than the pats on the back. As soon as someone doesn’t like any aspect of what we do or how we do it, we get in touch and see if we can figure things out to make it better.

OPI: So are you trying to get into the US with FusionPlus too?

PD: We have one or two strategic customers, but it’s not a meaningful business in the US for us at the moment. The real opportunity has yet to present itself. It requires the incumbent parties to step back and re-evaluate their unique value propositions.

Because we’re in so many verticals in North America with EvolutionX, we know that every other industry already has a kind of FusionPlus type set-up, so it’s not an unusual concept.

OPI: Finally, we’ve talked a lot about your UK and North American customers. But you also have ambitions for Australia I believe.

Any update on that part of the world?

PD: We are in the middle of negotiating an opportunity in Australia right now for our EvolutionXGEN product line. This is a variant of our EvolutionX platform specifically tailored for groups and wholesalers that allows them to efficiently manage a large network of member stores. Through opt-in capabilities, dealers could choose for the group to manage the theme, marketing, promotions and day-to-day running of their website. Stay tuned!

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FEATURE

Special Issue

TECHNOLOGY

SOLUTIONS

TECHNOLOGY: the route to efficiency

Priorities may differ, but the importance of a well-functioning online set-up has become a no brainer for independent dealers – and technology solutions providers are here to help

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-commerce has, quite simply, become non-negotiable – it’s how consumers want to shop. And the whole process has to be smooth.

But there’s more to it than just the front-end customer purchasing experience. Technology software is increasingly becoming an

indispensable enabler in these challenging times of soaring inflation, under-pressure margins and logistics obstacles.

OPI’s Heike Dieckmann spoke to a selection of software providers to find out the current status quo, the most pressing issues and what lies ahead.

Special Issue

VENDOR SPECIAL

BRIAN BOWERFIND, PRESIDENT, OFFICE PRODUCTS & CONTRACT FURNITURE, ECI SOLUTIONS

www.opi.net

The challenges facing businesses have been somewhat relentless. From the COVID-19 pandemic to rising prices and global supply chain instability, the need for innovation has never been greater.

Over the past year, we have continued to see independent dealers figuring out ways to move their companies forward – by adding new revenue streams but also by bolstering their online presence, having realised just how important this is to end consumers. These end consumers will switch suppliers until they find one that is able to deliver the level of service they expect. Five-star customer service, 24/7 is that expectation.

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TECHNOLOGY ROI The decision to invest in technology is always a difficult one. However, we have found that more and more dealers are realising the benefits and embracing fully integrated business management solutions, both from an efficiency as well as a cost-saving viewpoint.

There are different perspectives to address. The first is from a dealership angle. With hybrid working seemingly here to stay, dealers need to have the right technology in place to support their own employees with their day-to-day work, maintain communication channels and boost productivity across the business.

Our products are designed to provide them with the tools required to minimise unnecessary admin and integrate all

departments. In that context, cloud-based solutions can provide greater insight into the business and identify the processes that are working and the ones which aren’t. This is especially important for those looking to branch out into new markets or scale up.

Secondly, it’s about end customer needs and expectations. To keep pace with the industry’s giants, it’s vital for independents to make their websites dynamic by running regular offers and targeted marketing campaigns. ECI products are designed to help these SMEs easily create and execute such campaigns, promote specific products and services, manage customer engagements and even assess and review buyer behaviour.

LOGISTICS EXCELLENCE This industry is known for quick delivery, with businesses often able to pick, pack and ship items within a matter of hours. For stocking dealers, knowing how much inventory they hold and the exact stock turnover rate is essential, and deploying a system that has full integration with the major wholesalers has been a key aim for our customers.

With this functionality, teams can be confident stock will automatically be replenished as and when necessary to ensure end consumers aren’t left disappointed. In the past, this was a full-time job for someone; it was also susceptible to human error.

Find out more: www.ecisolutions.com

Technology Solutions FEATURE

CHARLES RUSSELL, CO-OWNER, SSI Efficiency and how to achieve it has become key for independents. Last year saw many dealers trying to operate with fewer people, as employees were out as a result of COVID-19.

They had to be more structured and SSI facilitated that.

Our core focus has been – and continues to be – on helping dealers achieve the most efficient order flow. One place where dealers can control some of their costs is in their internal operations.

DYNAMIC PRICING Price changes are happening so fast that it is taking up more time to keep costs correct and margins good. We were already completely integrated with Item411 so that dealers can change prices dynamically while protecting their margins. We added additional cost management features to the software and conducted seminars to help them do a better job managing this part of their operation.

There’s also more interest in reducing delivery costs and we have the tools to enable this. We recently included further features for managing delivery fees and our long-standing partnership with Apjax gives dealers very economical and effective options for route management and proof-of-delivery which are tightly integrated with the software.

On the furniture side, we’ve been adding several project management features. And we

are always enhancing our web store to keep dealers competitive online.

For most dealers in the US, web store orders account for the majority of all purchases, and the percentage continues to climb.

One place where dealers can control some of their costs is in their internal operations In Canada, online purchasing may not be the majority yet, but the trajectory is upwards too. SEO and punchouts have seen tremendous growth over the past year.

An interesting phenomenon we’ve noticed is that more dealers have closed their retail operations, going commercial-only this year.

Find out more: www.ssiop.com

ANDY BALLARD, DIRECTOR OF SALES, GOPD

www.opi.net

From our dealers’ perspective, the theme of the past year has been ‘flexibility’. This is because all their customers are unique and looking for different things in terms of how they’re approached, the products they want to buy, and the support they need.

And as these buyers are now working from a variety of environments, dealers must be flexible in not only their product offering, but how items are presented, their pricing, and how they interact with customers.

Technology is a vital tool in helping a potential buyer become a customer. GOPD breaks the journey down into four steps:

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• Find the dealer: potential buyers have to know the dealer has an e-commerce solution and know how to get there to shop. Appealing and frequent marketing is essential to driving them to the web store.

• Find the product: buyers need to find the products they want to purchase. Search tools and suggested buys, customised to the

type of buyer, are important. Once the item is found, it should be easy to see further details on that product, irrespective of whether it’s supplied by wholesalers like S.P. Richards and Essendant or a different source.

• Price competitiveness: GOPD has a wide variety of pricing tools, and dealers can choose those that best accomplish their offering goals per customer, including our Chain Store Match or Beat module.

• Communication and automation: once an order is placed, keep the customer updated on what’s happening.

ON- AND OFFLINE INTEGRATION We’ve launched an intensive campaign to enhance awareness that dealers need to change their business strategy from face-to-face interaction to selling through online processes. It doesn’t mean face-to-face is dead, but it has to become integrated with e-commerce. The same goes for customer service, back office functions and accounting.

Technology Solutions FEATURE

Many of our dealers adopt these necessities with great enthusiasm.

As the online climate continues to evolve, digital marketing has become a significant component of selling. Our marketing partnership with Sortis Digital Marketing has seen tremendous results for dealers and helped them adapt to rapid changes. In the past, they often depended on others to do their marketing, but have then wound up frustrated by generic, cookie-cutter strategies.

Sortis has worked with GOPD dealers for years and understands how to tailor individualised marketing strategies to their specific needs instead of offering a one-size-fits-all, canned approach. By utilising tools such as email marketing, SEO, social media and direct links back to dealers’ e-commerce sites, GOPD and Sortis are helping them reach their unique goals.

All the various tools on offer don’t just benefit the end customers, of course – they aid dealers’ sales teams as well. This is because they can draw on all the information at their fingertips through a feature called

Selling Suites: product availability and pricing information from multiple sources, product specifics, customers’ histories, and the ability to build quotes and orders.

E-commerce will only accelerate further so it’s high time independents got comfortable selling online and interacting with their customers in a new way.

Find out more: www.gopd.com

SONNY ARORA, OPERATIONS MANAGER, DEALER COMMANDER

www.opi.net

It’s been a perfect storm for the past two years, but it’s the challenges that make small businesses stronger and allow them to think outside the box. I believe the dealer community will bounce back to its best levels within the next 12-18 months.

There are definitely two segments in this community – the wait-and-see contingent and the progressives. In the latter group, I’ve seen a major change in approach in terms of taking control of their marketing to customers – this has long been a tug of war between dealers and wholesalers.

In fact, we regard those dealers that want to be in charge of their business as our target audience. There are many challenges and

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current macroeconomic influences only exacerbate these.

Since we launched our software, we have always looked at margin management as

There are definitely two segments in this community – the wait-and-see contingent and the progressives the most important function for a dealer and a big focus has been on how purchasing is managed as an approach to enhancing margins after the sale.

The best-kept secret is the buying groups in this context – they offer a way to add margin

Technology Solutions FEATURE

to the bottom line. Buying groups are also in a perfect position to change the content game and make dealers truly independent.

They don’t do enough in that area in my view, maybe because of too many hands in content syndication. It’s a big task, but once an effort is made, it’s just upkeep and management.

Imagine a completely synced effort with one mission – so much could be done.

Dealer Commander’s tools remove third-party dependency and, with COVID-19 in mind, we have created several changes in our system to accommodate issues such as touchless delivery. We’ve created Delivery Commander, for instance, our digital delivery software. A lot of the enhancements we make are a result of dealer feedback as, clearly, they are the ones with their ear to the ground.

E-COMMERCE MIGRATION Overall, dealers need to focus on increasing their online presence and order-taking. 50% of the US dealer community still accepts orders on paper from customers.

Many have redirected websites or choose not to show prices because of fears competitors will steal their customers. It’s utterly insane and these dealers will not survive. Competition is healthy.

I’m proud to say all our clients embrace technology and grow with it. One of our dealer partners now receives 90% of orders online – that’s the way to go and will be the catalyst to catapulting independents to the next level.

E-commerce should be the 100% focus – now more than ever before.

Find out more: www.dealercommander.com

JENNIFER RAE STINE, PRESIDENT, FORTUNE WEB MARKETING I believe there has been a shift in certain areas of the independent community as far as technology is concerned, especially where dealers are taking advantage of platforms at their disposal.

We have seen an increase in those moving to HubSpot, for example, which serves as an inbound marketing hub and CRM to advanced email marketing software platforms.

www.opi.net

THE PENNY HAS DROPPED I’m delighted mobile and the vital importance of it has at long last become standard – thank goodness. I was getting slightly frustrated there. For those that have never engaged in SEO, meanwhile, this has also steadily crept up the agenda.

However, it is now extremely difficult to be successful for dealers which have not diversified their portfolio or focused on growth in specific categories. The days of trying to rank for ‘office supplies’ are over.

Social media is another big topic that continues to be underrated by independents.

Many still do not take advantage of the power

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of relationship building and key ad strategies they should, especially on LinkedIn. Instagram is also, finally, being used more in this industry.

The mindset of “my clients are not on social media” is completely misguided. They are there all the time – professionally and personally. Of course, it takes time to run an effective social media campaign, but just being engaged on a daily basis is a start.

At Fortune Web, we’ve recently added a video production arm to our business. Video is another component which is paramount to a successful digital strategy and we are trying to get those behind the curve on board faster.

Overall, for dealers that have been reluctant to move into new technologies or platforms, I urge them to start with the programs the wholesalers have developed. They are really making strides every year and the barrier to entry is low – when it comes to cost, learning curve and even what you might need to manage on your own. There are, quite literally, programs available for everyone.

Find out more: www.fortunewebmarketing.com

For more comments from these software companies, including topics such as Amazon, working with the wholesalers and new product developments, see our Xtra content in the September issue of opi.net

ADVERTORIAL

DISPLAY

diversification

The viscom sector is booming. One way to stay on this upward trajectory is to keep innovating and breaking down traditional boundaries

G

www.opi.net

one are the days of narrow product sets and industry-specific demands – definitions of the words ‘visual’ and ‘communications’ have exploded. As has the potential for maximising that explosion, according to Nicola Forani, Director of Business Development at Showdown Displays Europe (pictured above). Forani recently spoke to OPI about the company’s state of play in Europe.

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OPI: For those of our readers not familiar with your business, please tell me a bit about Showdown Displays.

Nicola Forani: Showdown Displays Europe is a manufacturer and supplier of visual communication, event and display products.

We are a subsidiary of private equity-owned Showdown Displays which operates from Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, in the US. The company has existed since 1995 and, in Europe, was initially known as Jansen Display.

After the merger in 2020 of Jansen with Dutch event display wholesaler Promic Display Systems, Showdown Displays Europe was born. We are now a global market leader in the display market.

We have a production facility at our European headquarters in the Czech Republic where we manufacture a wide range of products, including lockable noticeboards, showcases, poster-, snap- and A-frames, and digital signage. Aside from our European HQ, we also have offices and warehouses in the Netherlands (Nederweert) and Spain (Barcelona).

OPI: How do you go to market to reach your end customer?

NF: Our route to market in Europe is quite simple – we sell exclusively to resellers and distributors which, in the office supplies sector, means traditional OP companies that put our products in their printed catalogues or online assortment.

Other industries we serve are the point-of-sale market and the sign and print sector, where we sell to printing firms and event operators. The promotional products market and hospitality industry are also key verticals for us.

Our biggest geographical destinations are Germany, the Netherlands and France, with rapid growth now coming from Southern Europe as well.

OPI: What does Showdown Displays bring to the table that you would highlight as a real competitive advantage?

NF: One of our core USPs is definitely ‘Made in Europe’. We are a full-service supplier for companies looking for a comprehensive viscom assortment – produced in Europe.

And we are organised in a way that we can drop-ship product directly to the end-customer. This, in our opinion, is a really important factor because, with this service component, we take a lot of work out of our customers’ hands.

One of the key factors of our success is flexibility and responsiveness. This is visible in all our processes, from R&D all the way to

Industries will continue to merge and diversification will become non-negotiable Our marketing team, for instance, makes it very easy for existing partners to add more products to their assortment while at the same time helping to onboard new clients. A wide range of printing solutions and customisation options are core to what we do.

And we know how crucial product content is.

As such, we offer a broad range of collateral, including high-quality photos, instructional videos, inspirational content, neutral leaflets, in-use visualisations, etc.

Technology is vital too. We are always working on further evolving our online reseller platform where customers can find details of their order history, re-order and view stock and price information. Our IT team, meanwhile, is constantly enhancing automation and developing ERP integrations via API and EDI connections.

Showdown Displays’ production and logistics facilities in the Czech Republic (left and right) and its offices in the Netherlands (middle)

OPI: What about new product development?

NF: It’s really important. We design new products every year to expand our portfolio and launch about 20-30 items. OP firms today are looking to continually diversify their ranges and a broad spectrum of fresh items helps them to easily cross-sell to their customers.

We have a team of in-house product designers and engineers who create products from scratch – from idea to design and from prototype to production in our own facility.

Alongside that, we regularly update our portfolio with adaptations to existing products, in line with changing needs or trends. We also produce non-standard items that we design exclusively for customers’ businesses.

Our R&D team is currently finalising the 2023 portfolio which includes unique digital signage solutions and a range of outdoor products.

OPI: How would you describe the viscom sector as it stands today?

NF: Thankfully, after initially being hit by COVID-19, it’s now rapidly growing again. But with the ongoing supply chain constraints, many companies prefer to work with European producers – supplier reliability is key.

The whole industry is changing and traditional boundaries are becoming less rigid.

We often get questions from our office supplies reseller partners about products that serve different types of industries. As they diversify and expand their assortment, they no longer just sell the standard viscom items for the office – think the hospitality space, for example.

E-commerce operators in particular are broadening their scope as they become one-stop shops. This channel has represented our biggest growth in sales recently.

With regards to specific items, we are seeing a lot of demand for printed products – for logo personalisation or company branding, but also for decorative and signage purposes.

We produce these items with standard print designs, and drop-ship them to the end customer – no need for a graphic designer or special software to complete anything.

We are also noticing that viscom is becoming more and more part of interior design preferences – both in office and home office settings – rather than a mere functionality.

Digital signage, of course, is huge, and we manufacture digital display solutions which are easy to use, without special software. Digital A-boards and totems are typically used in reception, meeting and showroom areas.

Finally, there is an increase in demand for eco-friendly products which we’re in the process of addressing with the use of more sustainable materials. This is very high on the agenda for us right now and ties in with the company’s CSR policies.

September 2022

OPI: Where do you see the sector – and Showdown Displays – going in the future?

NF: Industries will continue to merge and diversification will become non-negotiable.

We are here to help them accelerate and be successful wherever they choose to go – in the process becoming the number one choice in the visual communications category.

ADVERTORIAL Showdown Displays Europe

day-to-day operations. We are able to quickly respond to market developments and end customer needs. And we listen to our resellers as they are in direct contact with the end user.

Our mission statement is ‘Great products, legendary customer experiences’. This manifests itself in real partnerships with resellers. We want to help them sell as many of our products as possible and we do that in a variety of ways.

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CATEGORY UPDATE

Rethinking

PRINT Although it’s facing a multitude of ongoing concerns, the print, imaging supplies and MPS sector is finding new opportunities – by Michelle Sturman

E

www.opi.net

ven as decimated print volumes of the past few years are being clawed back, it will come as no surprise to learn that it’s unlikely pre-pandemic figures will be exceeded. Throw in the current extenuating circumstances such as rising paper and energy costs, inflationary pressures, supply chain and chip issues, and the prognosis isn’t exactly rosy.

Louella Fernandes, Research Director for printing industry insights firm Quocirca expects a continued decrease in print volumes for the foreseeable future, but believes there will be some degree of bounceback now COVID is seen as being under control.

Industry players also remain reasonably optimistic. “We have seen some improvements in print volumes in the first half of 2022 compared to last year. Our data shows that, while there have been gains, volumes have not been as good as pre-pandemic numbers, in part due to more people working from home and hybrid workplaces,” notes Static Control VP of Business Development EMEA Steven Hole.

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HYBRID PRINTING As employees head back to the office, many organisations are reviewing how to procure and manage printers in a hybrid working world.

Says Fernandes: “There is a great opportunity for MPS players to offer the provision and management of controlled, secure home printers along with just-in-time consumables, so homeworkers do not self-fund or claim via expenses for what often represents higher-priced items.”

According to Ingram Micro MPS Program Manager Steve Johnson, keeping home-based employees supplied with cost-effective ink and toner, and eliminating the inefficiencies of purchasing from multiple sources at retail prices and expensing it is a major challenge for companies.

With intensified competition due to the increase in online sales, print giant Ninestar told OPI it is looking to focus on e-commerce in various vertical fields with its partners.

The company also believes hybrid working will represent an incremental market for small desktop printers for years to come.

It expects new printing demands brought about by recent changes to result in positive adjustments to the industry.

The cost implications alone will make homeworkers think twice about whether they need to print MPS Monitor CEO Nicola De Blasi, meanwhile, thinks remote working will accelerate the downward trend in print volumes, reasoning that an unmanaged desktop printer can be expensive to use regularly. “The cost implications alone will make homeworkers think twice about whether they need to print,” he says.

On the other hand, Steve Holmes, PaperCut EMEA Regional Director, sees it as a golden opportunity to encourage firms to consider how print management may be extended to devices outside the existing print fleet.

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Armor Group VP of Sales Bob Reynolds says customers are paying close attention to their contractual business as COVID highlighted costly contracts designed around print volume commitments. While they remain attractive to end users, he suggests future negotiations could start to focus on more flexible contract options such as Armor’s Dyalog.

MORE FLEXIBILITY Based on volumetric tracking and historical data since 2000, Colin Bosher, CEO of managed print service software supplier EKM Global, reports current trends reveal a gradual but slow decline in overall volumes.

Acknowledging the impact of the pandemic, he admits the shift to work-from-home (WFH) and hybrid working has “not been so easy” for conventional MPS vendors to track.

“Ironically, this is establishing a far more load-balanced environment that is improving workflow efficiency and device utilisation.

Lower cost devices are being deployed on a greater distributed basis, which has driven up demand for desktop printers and MFPs.” It’s a view shared by Ryan Mitchell, Print Director for UK distributor Westcoast. He says that, initially, WFH was spurring demand across the transactional market as consumers would purchase what was available as it was not driven by functionality or longer-term business needs. But, he notes, companies are now mandating products, specs and looking at document management, endpoint security and cost per copy.

While demand in the contractual market is in line with forecasts, supply and chip shortages have meant vendors cannot hit their targets, he adds. “During the pandemic, many machines in field were refinanced or contracts extended, so as these leases come up for renewal, we’ll see condensed demand. Contractual printing is down by 85%, mainly driven from office printing and education.”

MOVING UP THE VALUE CHAIN According to Bosher, security, reliability, accuracy and compliance are the current order of the day. All of these present an opportunity for the office equipment channel to move up the value curve by delivering a higher quality approach built upon rock-solid technologies, including Remote Service Management infrastructure and cloud-based MPS offerings.

Companies are now mandating products, specs and looking at document management, end point security and cost per copy

September 2022

However, he adds, it also plays into the hands of established MSPs and IT resellers which are already familiar with security, while having established credibility and trust with their clients.

“The latter are embracing next-generation fleet service management by making it a natural extension to their core offering as the industry moves from transactional supply chain fulfilment to contracted as-a-service subscriptions, especially supporting modern workplace and hybrid working.”

Fernandes agrees, believing innovation in the sector revolves not around hardware but targets areas such as sustainability and value-add software solutions, for example aggregating cloud-based services to provide a best-in-breed set of solutions which expand way beyond the print environment. It is here, she says, where business supplies dealers can potentially “cash in”.

Remarks Bosher: “With a relatively low margin expectation model and approach, office products dealers can easily start adopting comprehensive solutions and services via distribution for any brand as a pre-packaged offering.

“This is an opportunity for them to increase margins without incurring higher operational costs. Many are embracing programs like TaaS and OpenMPS to broaden their range of products, solutions and services. After nearly 20 years of commoditisation and declining market share, the office products sector is

CATEGORY UPDATE Imaging Supplies/MPS/Print

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“We think the print ecosystem – from manufacturers to ISPs and the channel – will work together to help better communicate to end users the value of intelligent print management solutions. This will include how they can be applied to ensure efficiency, security and sustainability for all devices, wherever they are located.”

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Imaging Supplies/MPS/Print CATEGORY UPDATE www.opi.net 40

beginning to witness a return of conventional business, making it far stickier with clients.”

Westcoast’s Mitchell points to MPS becoming progressively “transactional”, with distributors expanding their service offering to support more partners in entering the market with PDI, specialist deliveries and installation.

“We are leading this with our bespoke facility in Andover and Print Infinity sales team, enabling and supporting non-MPS resellers to engage without the investments that were historically required,” he explains.

At Ingram Micro, Johnson notes renewed interest from IT and MPS resellers in its MPS program, which includes the leasing of new A3 and A4 printers, on-site break-fix service options and auto-replenishment in a traditional office environment. The distributor is also adding wide format and Zebra label printers.

Over at Ninestar, the team expects MPS to continue to provide more integrated digital services through IoT devices connected to the cloud, along with increasingly convenient and easy-to-use software. In addition, the company asserts that MPS offerings could include the disposal or recycling of cartridges as part of the package to accommodate new environmental regulations.

SUSTAINABLE PRINTING Indeed, as sustainability has been rapidly rising up the boardroom agenda, the print sector is no exception in that context. As Javier Martinez, President of the European Toner and Inkjet Remanufacturers Association, comments: “There is a tsunami of sustainability approaching, as companies recognise the need for ‘circularity’ in how they do business.

“This includes reusing, recycling and repairing wherever possible to improve the environmental and social impact of our behaviours and decisions. It is an exciting time for our industry as more and more companies realise that the ‘old’ way of operating, using single-use cartridges for example, is obsolete – in terms of both performance and price.”

While there is a general feeling of optimism, particularly with the recent proposals announced by the European Commission as part of the new Ecodesign and Energy Labelling Working Plan 2022-2024, there is still a long way to go, Martinez is quick to point out.

Armor’s Reynolds, meanwhile, is convinced that, across Europe, customers and the public are “hungry” for sustainable options and indeed are often obliged in some cases to purchase products with environmental virtues.

“This will only get stronger,” he adds.

As a supplier of components for toner and inkjet manufacturers, Static Control’s Hole refers to his company’s deep roots in terms of recycling and reducing waste, with its products meeting stringent environmental European regulations such as RoHS, REACH and the WEEE directive.

“Customers, especially in Europe, are seeking an eco-friendlier option and, in addition to our full line of remanufactured cartridges, we recently added a plastic-free packaging solution,” he explains.

There is a tsunami of sustainability approaching

For more industry comments on issues such as print security, supply chain, M&A and new innovations, read our Xtra content in the September issue on opi.net

Talking to OPI, Steve Weedon, CEO of Print-Rite Pelikan Solutions and Print-Rite Europe, explains that Pelikan’s eco-friendly product range reduces CO2 footprints compared with OEM equivalent yields, and eliminates the waste toner which usually ends up in landfill. “Pelikan has been awarded the only ‘TÜV Austria OK Biobased’ certification in the industry for our cartridge range that uses organic materials for toner powder and bioplastics for the cartridge body,” he says.

It’s not just about individual products, however, as MPS Monitor’s de Blasi points out. He notes that customers are increasingly taking a holistic view, looking at a supplier’s overall credentials as an organisation just as much as they’re examining how their solutions can help drive sustainability.

This opinion is backed up by recent research from Quocirca – the expectation is that sustainability will not only maintain its high priority position for buyers, but further grow in importance in the future.

Fernandes concludes: “For those in the print market, being able to demonstrate how their Scope 1, 2 and 3 outputs are being improved can then be leveraged to provide clients with help in how they calculate and improve their own outputs – with compelling messages then passed onto customers.”

HOW TO...

The PERFECT

Special Issue

Orbit Media’s Andy Crestodina analyses TECHNOLOGY the anatomy of a B2B service page. It’s not

SOLUTIONS rocket science, but a long hard look at your site can be quite the eye opener

Special Issue

TECHNOLOGY

SOLUTIONS

Y

ou are a B2B brand selling a product or service. You sell to companies, not consumers and yours is a premium service, meaning you are not – and nor are you striving to be – the lowest cost operator in the market.

Often, several people are involved in the sales process and decision-making can take weeks.

Does this describe you? If so and if you have a web presence – which obviously you should in some capacity – it’s critical to have a marketing and service website that is driving demand through clarity and trust, content and design. Are there missed opportunities? Is anything unclear and could changes make it a better experience?

Special Issue

VENDOR SPECIAL

Special Issue

VENDOR SPECIAL

www.opi.net

THE DOS AND THE DON’TS Take a look at this ten-point guide and review the service you provide against the checklist – whether you’re starting from scratch or are simply planning a redesign.

42

1. Short and descriptive headline Those few words at the top of the page should pass the ‘backyard BBQ test’. Imagine you meet someone for the first time at a party. The person asks what you do. You respond with the words at the top of your service page. Does that new acquaintance now know what you do?

Or is there confusion?

Examples of this confusion could be: “We take excellence to new levels.” Or: “Transforming experiences one brand at a time”. What about “Capture opportunities.

Driving ROI”?

None of these pass the test because they don’t in any way describe a service.

If the header isn’t descriptive, visitors will have to scroll, scan and keep reading to learn what your company offers. Every visit to your page starts with the question: “Am I in the right place?” It’s the header’s job to answer.

2. Quick visual credibility Often, the next step is to differentiate the brand from competitors. This can be done quickly and visually with logos near the top of the page. Logos of clients, awards, partnerships and certifications – these so-called ‘trust seals’ build trust instantly. They also provide a bit of differentiation. Not every competitor can put these on their pages.

3. Meaningful subheads Subheads keep visitors flowing through the content. They tell the potentially interested parties what’s in each section, so they can decide if they want to slow down and read deeper. When the subheads are meaningful, they’re more likely to read the section.

Specificity is good for visitors. It’s also good for search engines.

4. Answers to top sales questions Imagine the phone rings. It’s a prospect who is calling to talk about your service. What is the likely cause of people calling you; what questions would they ask? What are they worried about and hoping for? How would you answer them?

The best service pages emulate this sales conversation. It answers questions, addresses objections and gives examples. The more educated visitors are, the more likely they are to become a lead.

Andy Crestodina is co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer of Orbit Media, a US-based company dedicated to web design and development.

Crestodina’s remit – in a nutshell – is to help organisations do a better job getting results online. Recently, at the OPI Global Forum in Chicago, he gave a critique of our industry’s internet presence, taking a close look at the websites of some well-known operators in our sector (see Focus, OPI July/August 2022, page 24).

6. Testimonials and social proof A lawyer wouldn’t go to trial without witnesses.

Web designers shouldn’t go live without testimonials. Every one of your messages has a messenger and the best messengers are your customers. When they say it, the words transform regular marketing into social proof.

Social proof shows that others have chosen your brand, making the choice feel safer.

And the wording in testimonials is often more forthright than anything that you could have written yourself.

Testimonials can answer questions and address objections. They also have their own little headlines. Does your current page include evidence that you’re legitimate? Or is it just a pile of unsupported marketing claims?

7. People faces Faces are magnetic. We are all hard-wired to look at faces. As such, pictures of people instantly make a service page more compelling. And when those pictures are real

HOW TO CREATE THE PERFECT B2B SERVICE PAGE

people at the business, they lend legitimacy.

They create a human connection.

If you don’t show your team, you miss another chance to differentiate. Your people are your difference. You’re the only company with your team. Small companies always try to look larger while big entities aim to look smaller. In reality, every company should just try to be more human.

8. Data and statistics If testimonials are a challenge, there are other ways to add evidence. Data about your business or the value of your services can help nudge the visitor towards conversion.

Beyond industry or company-specific stats, you can add years in business, number of clients and typical ROI. When given a bit of design love, these numbers can jump off the page and set you apart from competitors.

Statistics appeal to the desire of all visitors to make rational decisions based on data.

HOW TO... B2B Website Design

5. Short paragraphs and plenty of formatting Subheads help, but visitors will still struggle if you use dense, blocky paragraphs. Long paragraphs get scanned, short ones get read.

As a general rule, make sure paragraphs are no longer than three lines.

Break them up. Add white space and mix in some other formatting to make your sales copy easy to scan. It could be bullets and numbered lists, bold and italics, internal links, simple words or a few images.

9. Depth and detail A great sales call can take a while. The prospect has quite a few questions and the salesperson’s answers are detailed and thorough. A great sales page is no different.

It takes time to cover each topic, often using 800 to 1,000 words. A short page is like a sales rep hanging up the phone before the conversation is finished.

The goal of the writer of this page is to make it complete, answering every question and thereby addressing every potential objection.

10. Compelling call to action Sales pages often stop right before the finish line. Rather than offering a call to action, suggesting the visitor gets in touch, the page just dead-ends.

To avoid this, add at least one of these calls, near the bottom, towards the end of the sales conversation. Next, look closely at the verbs.

Does it just say “contact” or is it something more compelling? Verbs such as “read”, “learn” and “click” aren’t much better. Your buttons and links can work harder for you.

A great call to action triggers demand. It is relevant to the page. It’s personal, warm and inviting. It’s a gentle nudge. And it makes all the difference.

September 2022

PROVIDING ANSWERS In summary, the perfect B2B service page should stand happily on its own and it’s very much worth spending time and effort on. It aims to accomplish what any top sales rep would do: answer questions, offer examples and, finally, ask for the customer’s business.

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EVENT

Vegas AWAITS

F

INDUSTRY WEEK ’22 POWERED BY ISG PREVIEW

www.opi.net

ollowing last year’s well-received debut in Florida, Independent Suppliers Group (ISG) will once more host the highly anticipated Industry Week ’22 powered by ISG – this time from 6-11 November in Las Vegas, Nevada, at the celebrated Caesars Palace.

Again, the first two days of the event are dedicated to ISG’s Pinnacle members. The difference this year is that the traditional one-on-one meetings will be co-branded and combined with AOPD. It means AOPD dealers that are also members of Pinnacle will be able to discuss their AOPD contracts with suppliers during their time together.

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FULL AGENDA Wednesday, 9 November, sees the start of the wider educational programme, with a panel discussion on direct buying for ISG members and a selection of seminars.

The post-lunch General Session that day will feature a panel – chaired by OPI CEO Steve Hilleard – of external and industry experts, who will share their insights on the workplace of the future and the trends which will determine the success of the US independent dealer channel. The keynote address will be delivered

by Phil Kirschner, a senior expert in the People and Organizational Performance Practices department at McKinsey & Company.

The General Session will conclude with a message from ISG Chairman Jordan Kudler, the group’s member awards and the presentation

Industry Week ’22 powered by ISG takes place from 6-11 November at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada. To register, visit www. industryweek22. cventevents.com

of the 2022 North American Office Products Awards. In the evening, it’s time to relax with a poolside Welcome Reception for all attendees.

The next day kicks off with wholesaler Essendant hosting its own General Session followed by the BSA Forum. The latter comprises a members-only roundtable and a think tank session for all manufacturers which will look at the ongoing effects of the pandemic and the current economic climate on the developing workplace.

The conclusion of the seminar programme on Thursday is followed by a lunch during which there will be the presentation of both the ISG Supplier and BSA Awards. Delegates will also hear about City of Hope’s latest advances.

The trade show in the afternoon gives dealers the opportunity to see a wide range of innovative products close up, cement existing relationships and, of course, forge new ones.

They will also have a chance to win $2,500 by taking part in the ‘Deal of a Lifetime’ promotion.

After several days of education and networking, it’s time for what promises to be a spectacular closing event that evening. It will take place in a private lounge in the OMNIA Nightclub – the 75,000 sq ft (7,500 sq m), multi-level nightclub in Caesars Palace. There will be fantastic food and drink as well as music provided by some of the hottest DJs on the circuit operating in a hi-tech LED booth.

At the end of a busy week, the hope is that delegates will use the learnings from Industry Week ’22 to further grow their businesses.

EVENT NORTH AMERICAN OFFICE PRODUCTS

The countdown BEGINS…

F

NORTH AMERICAN OFFICE PRODUCTS AWARDS PREVIEW

or the second year in a row, the annual North American Office Products Awards (NAOPA) are being hosted by OPI in association with Independent Suppliers Group (ISG).

The awards – now in their 12th year – will be presented live at the hugely anticipated Industry Week ’22 powered by ISG, which will take place in Las Vegas, Nevada, from 6-11 November (for a preview of Industry Week ’22, see page 44).

The NAOPA judges were once again impressed by the high calibre of entries across the five product categories. Innovation as well as consumer and independent dealer benefits were key criteria.

Here’s the shortlist for the Best Product and Innovation of the Year categories:

and

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BEST PRODUCT – FURNITURE & DESIGN Dorel Home Furnishings – COSCO SmartFold Portable Workbench/Folding Utility Table Ghent – Coda Circle Glassboard Ghent – Pattern Glass The HON Company – Cofi The HON Company – Workwall Victor Technology – Victor DC175A Acacia Wood Laptop Stand with Keyboard Tray BEST PRODUCT – TECHNOLOGY Kensington – SmartView Organizing Laptop Riser Kensington – Universal 3-in-1 Pro Audio Headset Switch Kensington – W1050 1080p Fixed Focus Wide Angle Webcam + Konnect 2.0 Software Proximity – Workplace Management Technology TruSens – TruSens Performance Series Air Purifier, Z-6000 and Z-7000 INNOVATION OF THE YEAR 3M – Scotch Cushion Lock Protective Wrap ECI Software Solutions – Cognytics: Business Intelligence Dashboards for Multi-Industry Growth Ghent – Preserve Outdoor Collaboration Kensington – Universal 3-in-1 Pro Audio Headset Switch Kensington – W1050 1080p Fixed Focus Wide Angle Webcam + Konnect 2.0 Software TruSens – TruSens Performance Series Air Purifier, Z-6000 and Z-7000

BEST PRODUCT – CORE BUSINESS PRODUCT 3M – Scotch Cushion Lock Protective Wrap ACCO Brands – GBC AutoFeed+ Shredder Line ACCO Brands – Quartet Agile Glass Dry-Erase Easel Avery – Avery Marks A Lot UltraDuty Markers Deflecto – Standing Desk Accessories BEST PRODUCT – FACILITIES, BREAKROOM, SAFETY & INFECTION CONTROL Avery – Avery UltraDuty Printable Safety & Lockout Tags Fellowes Brands – Fellowes AeraMax Pro AM4 FLEX OttLite Technologies – OttLite Wellness Series SanitizingPro LED Desk Lamp and UV Air Purifier

Reckitt – Lysol 800ct Surface Disinfecting Wipes TruSens – TruSens Performance Series Air Purifier, Z-6000 and Z-7000

HIGHLIGHTING YOUNG EXECS For the first time, OPI is pleased to reveal a shortlist for Young Executive of the Year to honour these budding leaders of the future.

For more details about the North American Office Products Awards, please visit opi.net/ naopa2022

YOUNG EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR Kelly Ennis-Senato – Director of E-commerce & Analytics, JAM BNC Adam Fox – Director of Marketing, S.P. Richards Barry Honore – Owner/CEO, Honore Office Products Alicia Kolbus – Analytics Specialist, Stinson’s HB Macey IV – President, Perry Office Plus As always, there will also be the popular People’s Choice award again – all details on the following pages – and two further individual awards: Professional of the Year and Industry Achievement.

NAOPA 2022 EVENT

Choose the most outstanding...

Now is your chance to nominate your top product(s) in the People’s Choice category of this year’s North American Office Products Awards (NAOPA).

You have two votes to help select the People’s Choice winner from the following 22 shortlisted products. Online voting opens on 1 September, and it couldn’t be easier – just visit www.opi.net/peopleschoice2022.

The winner will be announced during Industry Week ’22 powered by ISG, to be held in Las Vegas from 6-11 November.

3M – SCOTCH CUSHION LOCK PROTECTIVE WRAP 3M’s Scotch Cushion Lock Protective Wrap offers a sustainable alternative to plastic. The durable all-in-one expanding paper wrap cushions, immobilises and conforms to items for proven protection. With a pull, it expands up to 60x its original volume while eliminating the need for additional void fill.

Cushion Lock uses an Advanced Self-Locking Technology to remove the need for tape, is made with 100% recycled paper and is kerbside recyclable.

www.opi.net

ACCO BRANDS – GBC AUTOFEED+ SHREDDER LINE The GBC AutoFeed+ full line of shredders consists of 13 models and ranges from solutions for the home that shred up to 60 sheets to large office models for multiple users and able to shred 750 sheets at once.

All GBC AutoFeed+ shredders offer P-4 or P-5 level security, meaning the documents are not able to be restored. The 300-750 versions are equipped with lockable trays preventing others from viewing documents during the shredding process.

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ACCO BRANDS – QUARTET AGILE GLASS DRY-ERASE EASEL The Quartet Agile Easel has an adjustable glass surface that can be raised to create a writing area of 60.5” during use or be collapsed to 41” for easy storage. The smaller form factor also makes this product effortless to store or nest.

The durable double-sided tempered glass and premium felt base differentiate it from other dry-erase easels.

Although intended for collaboration, it can be used in individual settings as well, next to a desk or as a partition.

DEFLECTO – STANDING DESK ACCESSORIES Deflecto’s line of patent-pending standing desk accessories include a cup holder, small and large desk organiser, file organiser, and 24-inch privacy panel.

The organisers can be attached to a seated or standing desk and each accessory includes details to maximise space and hide unsightly cords. Plus, the spring-loaded clamp attachment means a quick set-up and ensures accessories are portable so locations can be switched easily.

DOREL HOME FURNISHINGS – COSCO SMARTFOLD PORTABLE WORKBENCH/ FOLDING UTILITY TABLE Designed to be used in the home, office and shop, the SmartFold portable workbench and folding utility table saves time and storage space. Made with industrial-strength steel, there is a choice of multiple surfaces.

Locking casters keep the table in place while working.

EVENT NAOPA 2022

AVERY – AVERY MARKS A LOT ULTRADUTY MARKERS Marks A Lot UltraDuty permanent markers feature an industrial ink formulation that is water, abrasion and smear resistant and won’t dry out when the cap is left off for up to 72 hours.

Durable chisel or bullet tips can write on abrasive, wet, dusty or oily surfaces without getting clogged – perfect for bins, metal, wood, concrete, corrugated materials and more.

AVERY – AVERY ULTRADUTY PRINTABLE SAFETY & LOCKOUT TAGS Avery UltraDuty Printable Safety & Lockout Tags enable users to customise and print durable safety, inspection and lockout tags – all on-site with a standard laser printer. UltraDuty tags are engineered for heavy-duty environments, are waterproof and resistant to chemicals, abrasion, tearing and UV fading. They also meet OSHA’s 50lb pull-strength requirement for lockout tagout.

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ECI SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS – COGNYTICS: BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE DASHBOARDS FOR MULTI-INDUSTRY GROWTH Cognytics is a proprietary business intelligence technology platform that connects and compiles infinite data sets to display compelling role-based dashboards and data visualisations within ECI ERP business applications.

The platform aids users in their digital transformation and enables them to identify problems and find opportunities to grow their businesses. Cognytics helps transform companies from being reactive to predictive.

GHENT – CODA CIRCLE GLASSBOARD Coda Circle Glassboards are designed as functional art and a great alternative to the traditional square or rectangular whiteboard.

The shape and variety of colour options and sizes allow consumers to install one or many Codas to create an attention-grabbing visual communication tool.

FELLOWES BRANDS – FELLOWES AERAMAX PRO AM4 FLEX The AeraMax Pro AM4 FLEX is Fellowes Brands’ first air purifier on casters. The portable unit provides flexibility for the user and requires no installation. It includes a custom-casted side stand, heavy-duty silicone casters, and cable management for the power cord.

It has dual 4-Stage H13 True HEPA Filtration and features active air quality monitoring using EnviroSmart Technology. PureView Technology provides real time status updates as the air is cleaned.

GHENT – PATTERN GLASS Pattern Glass features seven different patterns derived from nature or geometry and crafted using the pointillism technique. The artwork is printed below the glass surface ensuring it will never smudge or fade regardless of repeated use.

In line with the natural imagery it is portraying, the glassboard is made from recycled glass.

THE HON COMPANY – WORKWALL Workwall is a customisable and easy-to-install engineered tile system that mixes and matches fabric, metal, glass, and laminate materials with smart tools and accessories.

Options include shelves, single tool rails, bins and trays, hanging file folders, magnetic picture holders and cups, plus hooks for bags, headphones and more.

THE HON COMPANY – COFI HON’s Cofi executive chair is customisable, supportive, built to last, has three user-friendly control mechanisms and supports different positions and postures. The thin, tapered back is available in managerial or executive heights and, in addition to back heights and stitching options, comes in multiple fabrics with a choice of bases and arms.

KENSINGTON – SMARTVIEW ORGANIZING LAPTOP RISER Kensington’s SmartView Organizing Laptop Riser incorporates its proprietary SmartFit height adjustment system.

Constructed of aluminium alloy and steel for maximum stability and heat dissipation, the riser not only creates a sleek, contemporary focal point for the work area but also incorporates a headset hanger and cable management system.

An integrated fabric-covered storage area provides a convenient location to store and connect a docking station.

EVENT NAOPA 2022

GHENT – PRESERVE OUTDOOR COLLABORATION Preserve is a permanent outdoor meeting spot designed to withstand a multitude of weather conditions. Reinforced steel columns support a vertically mounted laminated tempered glassboard.

Perserve can be configured as singles or paired as multiple units for maximum use of space.

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KENSINGTON – UNIVERSAL 3-IN-1 PRO AUDIO HEADSET SWITCH The Universal 3-in-1 Pro Audio Headset Switch allows professionals to use their favourite wired or wireless headset, headphones or earbuds as they switch between different devices.

It accommodates up to three audio sources, automatically remembers the last paired devices, eliminates the need for multiple headsets, and works with Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, Zoom, Spotify and Apple Music, among others.

The overall design encompasses a minimal aesthetic with a compact structure to help maximise desk space.

Dedicated buttons help to easily transition between audio sources, with intuitive LEDs indicating the channel connected and the type of device.

KENSINGTON – W1050 1080P FIXED FOCUS WIDE ANGLE WEBCAM + KONNECT 2.0 SOFTWARE Kensington’s W1050 1080p Fixed Focus Wide Angle USB-A Webcam is a professional yet cost-effective webcam. It delivers high-quality video with omnidirectional microphones and has unique features for privacy, camera placement and improved low-light imaging.

OTTLITE TECHNOLOGIES – OTTLITE WELLNESS SERIES SANITIZINGPRO LED DESK LAMP AND UV AIR PURIFIER The OttLite SanitizingPro LED Desk Lamp and UV Air Purifier utilises three different technologies to sanitise a workspace. Firstly, patented SpectraClean visible light disinfection technology reduces bacteria and other organisms. Secondly, a powerful HEPA air filter traps allergens including pollen, mould spores, pet dander and dust mites. Thirdly, the air passes through enclosed UVC LEDs to kill up to 99.9% of viruses and bacteria.

The lamp offers ClearSun LED technology which has been shown to reduce eyestrain by 51%. It also has the best Color Rendering Index available to show colours with incredible accuracy.

TRUSENS – TRUSENS PERFORMANCE SERIES AIR PURIFIER, Z-6000 AND Z-7000 TruSens Performance Series Air Purifiers are recommended for large professional spaces and include a remote SensorPod air quality monitor and TRU-BEAM UVC light system.

The SensorPod measures airborne pollutants and delivers real time feedback to the air purifier. The TRU-BEAM UVC system provides exceptional coverage of the True HEPA filter, using an engineered array of optical reflectors and UVC lights.

RECKITT – LYSOL 800CT SURFACE DISINFECTING WIPES The Lysol 800ct Surface Disinfection Wipes bucket has been optimised for businesses with 10x more wipes to reduce refill time. The resealable lid helps protect unused wipes from contamination and drying out, while also dispensing just one at a time.

The bucket is made from 50% post-consumer recycled material and can be reused and refilled with 800ct packs. The wipes kill 99.9% of viruses and bacteria on surfaces.

VICTOR TECHNOLOGY – VICTOR DC175A ACACIA WOOD LAPTOP STAND WITH KEYBOARD TRAY Crafted from high-density acacia wood, the Victor DC175A is a lightweight laptop standing desk that is portable and easy to store.

It features a 10-slot ladder design for enhanced height adjustability and assembles and disassembles in less than 60 seconds.

EVENT NAOPA 2022

PROXIMITY – WORKPLACE MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGY The Proximity workspace management platform is designed for the coworking and hybrid world. The software manages digital door access, desk and meeting room reservations and wifi control, and can track office building usage.

The Proximity Network serves as a hub for collaboration and entrepreneurial activity.

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RESEARCH

Tear UP the RULEBOOK

T

here is no doubt that all former paradigms are well and truly broken when it comes to how the US workplace operates today.

Companies around the country have reduced staffing levels, moved some or all workers to homeworking and reorganised, downsized or even disposed of their office space. While this has been going on, most aspects of digitisation – already in progress for many years – have been supercharged.

Associates. It’s based on 400 in-depth interviews with business supplies buyers in a range of US company size brackets, regions and broad activities. The focus is on investigating a number of critical factors, now and into 2023:

Make sure your organisation is in the best position possible to plan for, adjust to and thrive in the future

www.opi.net

It’s highly doubtful there will be much rowing back from the position we have now reached, since many of the changes – organisational, technological and cultural – are expected to be largely irreversible. Indeed, they may simply be the prelude for further changes ahead.

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INDUSTRY RAMIFICATIONS What does all of this mean for the US business supplies industry? Companies will likely buy different business supplies categories and items, in different quantities, in different ways, from different sources. With many of their staff working totally – or partially – from home, their purchasing and servicing requirements will also have altered.

What is needed is a comprehensive insight into not only how these US companies are organised currently, what business supplies items they are buying and where they are buying them from, but also what buyers want from their suppliers – now and going forward.

The US Business Products Consumer: Trends and Behaviours in 2022-23 is a new research report by OPI and Martin Wilde

To order your copy of this research report, visit www. opi.net/trends2022

• What are US businesses’ current and expected future operations? What are the trends in sales volumes, staffing levels and the extent of homeworking?

• What kind of spend and budgets are now being set for business supplies purchasing? How much of this is for items destined for home use by employees? What are the average order values for business supplies purchases in 2022 and 2023? By what method and how frequently are these orders being placed?

• What types of business supplies are being purchased currently? Are any items being bought more or less, and are buyers looking for entirely new items?

• What sources are being used to purchase business supplies? Are new suppliers being added or old ones being dropped? What are the trends towards supplier consolidation?

Which sources are being used to supply home-based workers?

• What requirements do purchasers have of their business products suppliers? What kind of contact do they prefer to have and how frequently do they want it?

To be published in November 2022, The US Business Products Consumer: Trends and Behaviours in 2022-23 will provide answers to these vital questions. Make sure your organisation is in the best position possible to plan for, adjust to and thrive in the future. In order to do that, it’s vital to really understand the US workplace of today.

5 MINUTES WITH...

CAREER Q&A

Ewoud Bosch

Describe your current job.

As VP of International Sales at edding, I’m currently responsible for the B2B unit that comprises the office, industrial and education sectors. It’s one of six business units of the edding group.

What’s your life philosophy?

Live and let live.

Describe yourself in one sentence.

I’m an energetic, positive person who can be critical and stubborn, but always aims to work towards the greater good – both in business and my private life.

What phrase do you use the most?

Let’s make it happen.

What do you do in your spare time?

Skiing, hiking and biking depending on the time of year. And spending time with my family and friends – over a meal or a nice bottle of wine or beer.

Best way to spend the weekend?

Apart from any of the above, watching Formula 1 with my son or friends. Or, even better, join the F1 circus and go to a race – what an experience.

Early bird or night owl?

Most definitely not an early bird. Before 10 o’clock in the morning is not good for me. On the other hand, if there’s a party in the evening, I’ll be the last to leave.

Favourite place to travel?

I love the Austrian Alps. For me, the mountains are a place to be completely relaxed, any time of the year. And I like the lifestyle of ‘mountain people’.

www.opi.net

What’s your worst character trait?

I can be impatient and sometimes too direct. But the rest is all positive!

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Ewoud Bosch, edding

Best time of the year?

I have no favourite season and like the variety of them all. If winter is too long and cold, I really look forward to spring while after a hot summer, I crave autumn and the cooler season.

Favourite book?

Seven Summits. It’s written by two very successful businessmen, Dick Bass and Frank Wells, who took on the challenge of climbing the highest mountain on each of the seven continents. The whole book is one big adventure – they never give up, have a total ‘let’s make it happen’ mindset, and find a solution to every obstacle they encounter. I thoroughly recommend it.

What music puts you in a good mood?

It depends on the setting. But as my favourite thing is a party, I’d go with après-ski or Oktoberfest-type music. It never fails to hit the spot.

If you weren’t doing your present job, what could be an interesting alternative?

I’m not really sure as I’ve spent my entire career in this industry.

Maybe run a bed and breakfast place in Austria – that would appeal to me.

Your best piece of advice to someone who has just joined the OP industry?

It’s good to see new people coming into our sector – we need contemporary impulses and also young people. My advice to all of them is to think outside the box and not automatically follow old, well-trodden paths.

But be patient – learn how this industry is structured first, and then instigate new things.

If you could change just one thing about our sector, what would it be?

It’s linked to what I’ve just said: be open to bringing in new blood and be as diverse and inclusive as possible.

Some HR policies certainly need an overhaul and be comprehensively modernised.

What is the best way to stay motivated and complete any given goals?

Working with other motivated and energetic people always gives me a boost. Push the boundaries of what is possible, have a strong belief in your teams and always encourage them to try new things.

What most definitely isn’t helpful is to constantly be negative and highlight obstacles rather than potential solutions – it’s a really bad leadership style that I cannot bear.

THE 11TH ANNUAL OPI EUROPEAN FORUM FOR SENIOR EXECUTIVES FROM THE BUSINESS SUPPLIES INDUSTRY AND ASSOCIATED SECTORS

Following continuing demand adjustments, industry consolidation and new working trends, this is an important “MUST ATTEND” event for business supplies companies from across all channels. Explore avenues to achieve profitable sales and position yourself for a more sustainable future

The OPI European Forum is designed to help you better understand and analyse the changes to our sector in the post-pandemic era.

Practical takeaways will enable you to make informed strategic decisions to ensure your business continues to succeed

Book now at our special early-bird rates: www.opi.net/ef2022

30 NOVEMBER - 2 DECEMBER 2022

LONDON, UK

EUROPEAN Forum 2022

FINAL WORD

The dream software

– WHAT IS IT?

F

www.opi.net

inding the right software to run all the requirements of your business efficiently is a challenge. Achieving this on a budget increases that challenge considerably.

It is unlikely one software provider can deliver everything needed to enable your success, and many dealers will focus on different areas of their business at different times. Their core business models have evolved, and they will continue to do so. As such, software systems must adapt too, more and more with seamless links to third-party applications. Many great software products didn’t exist ten or often even five years ago.

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THE BASICS Every SME needs an ERP system and an online shopping store; both have to be integrated and easy to maintain, that’s a given. However, the requirements of the web store could be very different depending on product ranges and quality of data available, or the customer types – B2B, B2C or a mix of both.

So how can dealers make the right decisions about building their software system for success? I’ve given a lot of thought to what they are looking for and what they need, based on continuous feedback and endless wish lists we’re receiving.

Most SMEs selling business products want to broaden their range, provide great customer service and win – and keep – new accounts while being able to automate as many processes as possible. They want a flexible, easily managed, fully integrated online store – possibly via an API to a third-party store which gives them choices.

The idea is to help them sell products, but also enable their customers to self-service, in terms of paying invoices, seeing shipping information or tracking deliveries, for example. In essence, dealers are looking for their ‘dream system’ and they want it on a budget. They also want their software to be future-proofed because system requirements will change as a result of ongoing market developments and customer demands.

There is no perfect solution, but cloud ERP software, the availability of a multitude of

Specia

TECHN

Special Issue

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TECHNOLOGY

SOLUTIONS

great value add-on applications and the rapidly growing APIs that ERP systems are providing are finally allowing dealers to build their dream systems.

MUST-HAVE LIST • A cloud ERP system – the centre of your software: rich in features with great automation and built-in electronic trading Special Issue with many vendors. VENDOR • An integrated online SPECIAL store that offers all the products you want to sell and which promotes your business.

Specia Steve McLaughlin, CEO, Prima Software

Dealers are looking for their ‘dream system’ and they want it on a budget

• Access to an online marketplace of products – with content, images and fact sheets that will drive your online store and ERP system.

It also allows your business to grow into many associated markets and immediately trade efficiently and electronically.

• A mobile app to provide customer service whenever and wherever. In addition, it should offer digitalised shipping information – route planning, proof of delivery, signatures, pictures, maps and traffic.

• Business intelligence (BI) reporting: visualisation of business insights to improve efficiencies and drive sales.

• APIs: complete your business tools suite with seamless two-way integrations.

THE FULL PACKAGE Constantly evolving cloud software, the rise of the API, and powerful apps like Power BI – which provide excellent visual representations and insights into new business opportunities that exist in all dealers’ databases – can now be leveraged into a single joined-up package.

This is the road map really coming into focus at Prima Software. Whatever dealers decide, I believe now is the time for them to embrace the opportunity to modernise their software environment.

Find out more: www.primasoftware.co/us

NEXT ISSUE Focus The state of the US IDC Top 100 Who’s who in 2022?

Category Updates • Mailroom & packaging • Stamping Research Asynchronous working Event • OPI European Forum preview

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Specia

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