Workplace360 Issue 6. September 2023

BE NICE ABOUT IT

Blah, blah, blah. What’s that you say? Why are you still blathering on about hybrid working? I know, I’m with you. But. And it’s a sizeable ‘but’ – hybrid working has been flipping the script on our whole industry. Take the furniture sector as an example.

Once upon a time, it was a case of doing an office refurb every so often, selling a whole load of chairs and desks, while ergonomic equipment was the greatest thing since sliced bread. Today, office fit-outs are practically the norm and the style of furniture and layout of the workplace has changed dramatically.

Collaboration is key, and all the tools that encompass this –audiovisual, telecoms, videoconferencing, networks, etc –are rapidly becoming part and parcel of the furniture dealer’s

arsenal. Now throw in what homeworkers want for their office set-up and I think you get the point about the impact of hybrid working (read more in Sitting targets on page 30).

That’s not all. Ed Morgan of DisplayNote explains how this collaborative and hybrid world means a complete rethink of the humble meeting room. More importantly, he describes how to create the perfect set-up in Design matters (page 26).

Hybrid selling is also a thing. Highlands’ Jade Wilson is convinced it’s the future of B2B sales – you can read his thoughts on the matter in I used to love dunking biscuits (page 38). It goes without saying that keeping in touch with customers – in whatever form – is vital. Perhaps even more important is staying in contact with colleagues with this new way of working.

Workplace360 will continue to include articles on mental health as it has done from the beginning because the team from the top down believes it’s an essential topic of discussion. So, too, does Prima Software’s Ian Buckley and you can read the reasons for this in Why it’s ok not to be ok (page 44).

In a similar vein, Steve Harrop from Nectere is all about spreading the love. Granted, he puts a business spin on it (Why nice works on page 24), but I applaud the sentiment. Imagine a world where everyone just sprinkles a little extra kindness around. Now that’s a nice thought.

Michelle Sturman, Editor

business supplies and beyond

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The carrier sheet is printed on Satimat Silk paper, which is produced on pulpmanufactured wood obtained from recognised responsible forests and at an FSC® certified mill. It is polywrapped in recyclable plastic that will biodegrade within six months. 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.

OWorkplace360’s CEO Steve Hilleard (right) on a tour of Antalis’ impressive facilities with Tim Percival (left) for this issue’s In conversation with... (page 18)

Imagine a world where everyone just sprinkles a little extra kindness around. Now that’s a nice thought

In conversation with... Antalis UK Category Director for Office and Digital Tim Percival

Laura Sweet on the art of crafting and delivering the perfect message

Prima Software’s Ian Buckley says tackling mental

The furniture and workplace collaboration categories are merging fast in the hybrid working world

EO on the up

Workplace360 speaks to EO Group CEO Simon Drakeford about the company’s latest financial results and developments at Office Power

There is no point delaying good news. That is the message from EO Group after the online reseller and software company published its FY2023 annual accounts earlier than usual. CEO Simon Drakeford told Workplace360 he was “cautiously positive” the business is moving in the right direction after coming through COVID, and is now seeing the benefits of actions taken over the past three years.

He believes the benefits are now being seen in EO Group’s results after year-on-year revenue grew by 16% to £39.4 million in the 12 months to 31 March 2023. At the same time, EBITDA increased by 25% to £944,000. There was a slight increase in the group’s operating loss to £1.55 million, but this included one-off restructuring costs, and higher amortisation charges related to Office Power investments.

CORE GROWTH

The core Euroffice business – which, together with UK Office Direct, comprise EO’s direct operations – reported a positive set of financials. FY2023 sales were up 6% to £15.1 million (although still lower than in pre-pandemic 2019) and EBITDA grew by almost 90% to £643,000. The latter figure benefitted from an 8% decrease in administrative expenses.

Drakeford confirmed that much of Euroffice’s growth in the fiscal year was due to inflation, albeit with areas of “small underlying growth”. He said volume patterns had continued to improve in the current year.

In his management commentary, Drakeford said the effects of inflation had been felt across all areas of the business. However, they were most noticeable in product cost prices, which rose by another 10-15% on top of similar levels of increases during the previous financial year.

“While we have remained competitive on price compared to our peers, the market has continued to show a willingness to accept most of these increases –although it has become harder to maintain margin,” he noted. “This resulted in a small gross profit margin dilution [in the direct channel] to 38.1%, compared with 38.8% in 2022.”

INCREASING POWER

Turning to EO Group’s indirect businesses (which include Office Power), these now represent more than 50% of total sales. FY2023 revenue was up by 23% versus the previous year to just over £20 million, thanks to new customers and growth with existing partners. Office Power’s EBITDA decreased from £380,000 to £272,000 due to higher investments to support the launch of a new software-only product.

In the past few months, following several key hires, Office Power has redefined how it goes to market, with new propositions that allow it to “decouple” its e-commerce ERP technology from its services. It now offers three packages – Power Full, Power Select and Power Lite – aimed at different customer profiles and/or requirements.

Power Full includes both the operational and commercial services plus the e-commerce ERP software, while Power Select lets customers choose just one of the services offerings. Meanwhile, Power Lite is a co-branded model for smaller dealers.

According to Drakeford, the packages provide greater flexibility to partners and opens the company’s addressable market up to a wider audience of larger companies – and not just in the business products channel. Watch this space.

EO Group CEO Simon Drakeford

BOSS special interest group formed

JGBM founder passes away

Dealer groups and solution providers have formed a BOSS special interest group to support their collective members. Advantia, Integra Business Solutions, Office Friendly, Nectere, NEMO Office Club and Superstat as well as dealer solutions provider Office Power have joined with the BOSS Federation to form the group.

It aims to highlight issues that affect dealers and provide a conduit where issues can be fed back to the wider business supplies industry or taken to the government.

The group’s other intentions are as follows:

• Identify issues that need raising through the appropriate government channels and assist BOSS in procuring evidence and lobbying on dealers’ behalf.

• Feedback into the trade issues affecting dealers or identify opportunities available to them.

• Be alert to moral issues affecting dealers, including sharp or underhand practices, illegal or immoral activities and be a whistle-blower on such practices.

• Provide collaboration and communication opportunities to benchmark and compare information and knowledge.

• Help to produce positive PR for the industry so that staff recruitment is easier for dealers.

Furthermore, the group elected Integra CEO Aiden McDonough as its Chair at the first meeting on 1 June. “Many of our members share the same issues. The BOSS Federation is perfectly positioned to facilitate a forum where we as groups can come together and ensure collectively our members are being represented to the wider industry and at a government level,” McDonough said.

Workplace360 is saddened to learn of the death of John George Snr, founder of wholesaler JGBM. John Snr passed away at the beginning of August after a short illness, aged 88. He established JGBM in 1977 as the sole UK distributor for Japanese typewriter firm Silver Reed. His daughter Kathy was the company’s first employee, with his wife Micheline also involved in the business.

Sons John Jnr and Mike joined in 1981 and 1982, respectively, and they took over the family business in 1999 when John Snr retired. While Silver Reed no longer exists, Plymouth-based JGBM has expanded its portfolio and now distributes more than 40 brands throughout the UK.

The W360 team extends its deepest sympathies to Micheline, Kathy, John Jnr, Mike and the whole George family.

Ryman launches loyalty scheme

Ryman has launched a loyalty scheme offering reduced prices and personalised deals. Ryman Rewards benefits online and in-store customers through a points system.

They will have access to 900+ exclusive prices and earn one point for every £1 spent. In addition, 100 bonus points will be awarded to customers when they sign up and make their first purchase. The scheme also gives users the chance to enter prize draws and receive email receipts.

Ryman Chairman Theo Paphitis stated: “We will support our customers through tricky times by offering reduced pricing on a diverse range of everyday items when they sign up and by rewarding them with points every time they shop with us.”

Amazon agrees to make UK Marketplace changes

Office Power appoints Commercial Director

EO Group has appointed a Commercial Director for its Office Power dealer technology and service platform.

Joining the business is Helen Batstone, an e-commerce and digital market expert who was previously the youngest head of a division at leading MillerKnoll dealership Tsunami Axis.

Most recently, Batstone was Customer Success Manager at specialist WordPress agency Angry Creative.

Amazon UK has offered to make changes to its Marketplace rules to address concerns of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). Last July, the antitrust organisation launched an investigation into concerns that Amazon was abusing its position as the UK’s leading online retail platform.

The CMA said the company was giving an unfair advantage to a)its own retail business over competing sellers that use Amazon Marketplace, and b) sellers that use Amazon’s own warehousing and delivery services rather than rival logistics businesses. Now, Amazon has put forward several commitments that propose to:

• Ensure Amazon does not use rival sellers’ Marketplace data to gain an unfair advantage over other sellers. This follows concerns that Amazon’s access to commercially sensitive data relating to third-party sellers helped its retail business decide which products to sell, manage stock levels for those products, set prices and make other important commercial decisions.

• Guarantee all product offers are treated equally when Amazon decides which will be featured in the ‘Buy Box’. This relates to concerns that products being offered by third-party sellers were less likely to appear in the ‘Buy Box’ than similar offers from either Amazon’s own retail business or third-party sellers that use Amazon’s delivery services.

• Allow third-party businesses using Marketplace to negotiate their own rates directly with independent providers of Prime delivery services so that customers can benefit from lower delivery costs where better rates are negotiated.

• Require Amazon to appoint an independent trustee who will monitor the company’s compliance with these commitments. The CMA will have a direct say in this appointment, ensuring they have the necessary skills and expertise for the job.

Ann Pope, Senior Director for Enforcement at the CMA, said: “Amazon’s commitments to the CMA will help ensure third-party sellers on Amazon Marketplace can compete on a level playing field against Amazon’s own retail business and, ultimately, mean that customers in the UK get a better deal. We are now consulting on these commitments, which we believe – at this stage – will address our concerns.”

Office Power Managing Director Mark Heath stated: “Helen joining marks a crucial milestone for Office Power, positioning us and our dealer partners for sustained growth. With our ambitious dealers already achieving impressive double-digit growth in the past 12 months and our platform welcoming a 20% increase in partners this year, Helen’s support will be vital in fuelling our further progress.”

Brother UK has announced two senior promotions to its leadership team. Former Head of Finance and Corporate Planning Stuart Maclean has been promoted to CFO. In his new role, Maclean will oversee the business’ financial activities with a focus on delivering profitability across the firm’s categories. He will also continue in his role as Head of European Finance Shared Services.

Meanwhile, Mike Anderson has been promoted to Chief Marketing Officer after eight years as Head of Marketing. He will have full responsibility for the business’ marketing operations and oversee a team of 25. Anderson’s new role follows the retirement of Sales and Marketing Director Andy Forsyth.

Both Maclean and Anderson will report directly to UK Managing Director Phil Jones, who said: “Stuart and Mike are already well respected in the business and will be instrumental in helping us respond to the sector’s changes with great precision.”

Senior promotions at Brother UK

Wilko collapses into administration

Wilko called in administrators on 10 August after rescue talks failed to secure a deal. The budget retailer has over 400 stores across the UK and employs 12,000 people. Prior to the collapse, Gordon Brothers was discussing a rescue bid to save the family-owned retailer.

Since news of administrators being called broke, media outlets have speculated about the most likely buyer. This included private equity firm Hilco which has dabbled in the business supplies industry over the years. Gordon Brothers is also thought to still be interested, as well as Alteri and OpCapita. The likes of discount retailers such as Primark, Poundland and B&M could also take on some stores.

Wilko’s product range concentrates on household essentials, including stationery. In addition, the Wilko brand accounts for 14,000 SKUs. Other business supplies brands Stabilo, Pilot Pen, BIC, Zebra Pen, Sharpie, Papermate, HP Inc, Canon, Epson, Wham, Stanley, Pritt, Sellotape and Tipp-Ex are also currently available at Wilko.

At the time of going to press, the retailer was continuing to trade from all stores without any immediate redundancies as discussions with interested parties continue. If buyers for some or all of the group

are not found, store closures and redundancies will likely follow. PwC will handle the administration for the chain. Jane Steer, Zelf Hussain and Edward Williams of PwC have been appointed as joint administrators.

Hussain, who is also a PwC Partner, said: “Many high-street retailers are facing a number of welldocumented challenges and Wilko has been significantly impacted by the headwinds facing the industry, including inflationary pressure and rising interest rates.

“As administrators, we will continue to engage with parties who may be interested in acquiring all or part of the business.”

Prima announces March event

Prima Software is returning to Liverpool next March for its GROWTHFACTOR-e event. The company has confirmed the 2024 customer conference will take place on 21 March at the city’s Crowne Plaza hotel.

The day will provide an opportunity to explore the latest product innovations while networking with fellow members of the business supplies community. Pre-registration is open, visit: growthfactor-e.co.uk.

Bisley opens Manchester showroom

Pukka Pads completes first phase of solar installation

Pukka Pads has finished the first installation of solar panels at its distribution centre in Lutterworth, Leicestershire. Described as a “huge milestone”, the vendor said its solar energy initiatives are part of an effort to become carbon neutral and reduce dependency on the national grid.

The new panels – which Pukka claimed will reduce CO2 emissions by around eight tons a year – will be used to power its fleet of forklift trucks at the site as well as an electric car charging station. The company plans to install more panels at Lutterworth and at its factory in Bingley, Yorkshire.

Bisley has opened a new UK showroom on Manchester’s Mosley Street – an area that is synonymous with architects and designers. The new 2,900 sq ft showroom, the firm’s second in the UK and its first in the north of England, encompasses two floors of the Calico building, a recently restored former industrial warehouse.

The decision to open a premises in Manchester was taken due to the rapid growth in demand witnessed in the northern and Scottish markets. Bisley recruited Scott Douglas as its first Northern Sales Director, and his first initiative was to find and open a Bisley showroom in the region.

Douglas has developed a strong team around him, including A&D Managers Ellie Phillip, Reece Chappell and, more recently, Niamh Kirwin. They will focus on the architectural and design market, while also displaying the Bisley Home domestic interiors range –which was launched at Clerkenwell Design Week in London earlier this year.

The opening of the new Manchester showroom follows a recent relaunch of Bisley’s Dutch showroom in Tilburg and precedes the relaunch of its Dubai showroom in the autumn.

Reaching new heights

Quills Group founder and CEO Andy Efstathiou is on the constant hunt for business opportunities

In the ever-evolving realm of business supplies and facilities management, one name stands out for its remarkable journey of resilience and growth –Croydon-based Quills Group. Guided by dynamic entrepreneur, founder and CEO Andy Efstathiou, this dealer has transformed itself from a humble start-up in a front room to a formidable force in the industry. With a colourful history and an ambitious vision for the future, Quills Group is a testament to the spirit of adaptability and perseverance.

With infectious enthusiasm, Efstathiou fondly recalls the initial stages, over a quarter of a century ago, when he took the bold step into entrepreneurship, encountering inevitable ebbs and flows. Office products might not have been an obvious choice for someone in his early 20s, but prior experience at Despec Supplies paved the way for his foray into the sector.

Starting with just a list of consumables scribbled on an A4 sheet, Efstathiou soon realised the venture had to transcend beyond selling a mere handful of ink cartridges, prompting the expansion of product offerings. Within a few years, sales had reached a commendable £2-£2.5 million.

As the company flourished, so did Efstathiou’s entrepreneurial spirit, leading him to establish five

additional entities, ranging from digital photo frames to importing cables for Sky TV. However, a turning point arrived when one of Quills’ major clients fell victim to bankruptcy, taking around 30% of turnover with it. In response, Efstathiou made the tough decision to shut his other ventures and focus exclusively on nurturing Quills Group – an act which would become decisive for the company’s future.

“At that time, I was dealing with the US and China, had young children and was getting about an hour’s sleep! We had to prioritise, and the bread and butter, which was Quills, won,” reflects Efstathiou.

ON THE HUNT

On the prowl for progress, the journey has been riddled with hurdles. Building a seasoned team and devising the

8,000

NO. OF ECOFRIENDLY SKUS

40 NO. OF STAFF

We had to prioritise, and the bread and butter, which was Quills, won

Quills Group CEO Andy Efstathiou

right business model proved costly, time-consuming and draining. This prompted Efstathiou to embark on an acquisition spree, seeking out companies to complement Quills’ core competencies in terms of employee skills and product inventory.

Simultaneously, the dealer had shifted into specialist vertical markets such as archiving, shredding, copiers and waste removal. Efstathiou explains: “In the quest for potential acquisitions, I targeted dealers that were heavily skewed towards traditional office products so their customers could avail themselves of Quills’ full product range.”

Over a span of five years, six businesses were added to the burgeoning portfolio, the crown jewel being the purchase of the B2B arm of UOE in October 2021. When lockdowns struck, Quills faced the daunting task of dealing with the aftermath of the purchases, with roughly 50% of overheads during the two years of the pandemic tied to these acquisitions. Efstathiou candidly notes the balance sheet was “annihilated” at this time.

Another root cause of the financial turbulence lay in Quills’ extensive corporate client base, particularly blue-chip technology companies, which were among the first to transition their staff to remote working.

This seismic shift resulted in a dramatic decline in spend, from hundreds of thousands down to tens of thousands, in one fell swoop. “It’s still tricky,” admits Efstathiou, as office occupancy remains well below

pre-COVID numbers concerning bums on seats. “We all rely on non-core OP for revenue but those sales have been impacted by the prevalence of hybrid working. For instance, if a customer has a 40% reduction in occupancy, the impact on our gross profit is nearer to 50-60%. Thankfully, our diversification into various verticals has provided some cushion.”

SAILING THROUGH THE STORM

Adaptability defines Quills’ response to the coronavirus crisis. The dealer established a division named Safer Shared Spaces, specialising in workplace cleaning, washroom solutions and legionella testing, among other hygiene measures. Expanding further into facilities management, the team began offering preventative compliance maintenance contracts and reactive maintenance solutions to on-boarded customers.

Efstathiou underscores the importance of securing these agreements, as they serve as a gateway to reactive work. “We manage the sales element and

4 NO. OF QUILLS GROUP COMPANIES

£8-£9 million APPROX 2023 SALES

Our diversification into various verticals has provided some cushion

operate a maintenance software platform through which we populate our client’s database with preapproved suppliers and rates. It’s a highly data-driven system,” he says.

With the ultimate goal of creating a distinct FM entity, Quills acquired one of its contractors, Formation Group, last year, giving rise to Quills FM. The amalgamation is a complementary union, with Formation bringing expertise in large project work to the mix. “I now have a great managing director to lead the division, and the first year has been nothing short of amazing, with sales hovering around £2-£3 million. We are also bolstering the team and I’m currently in discussions to acquire another business in this space,” shares Efstathiou.

Presently, Quills Group comprises four entities: Quills Office, Quills FM, Safer Shared Spaces and Quills Limpio – a joint venture for print and copier services. With a headcount approaching 40, the company shows no signs of slowing down. Besides the aforementioned potential purchase and several others in the pipeline to fuel FM growth, Efstathiou is also primed to embark on an acquisition trail in the realm of traditional OP. “For me, business is like riding a bike; I have to keep pedalling, otherwise I’ll fall off.”

Ever the visionary, he is exploring the possibility of harnessing artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance operations within the Quills Group. By crafting an AI strategy, the aspiration is to identify areas where the technology can bolster efficiency, confer a competitive edge and tackle challenges head-on.

THE ART OF CUSTOMER CARE

While AI promises to fortify Quills’ future standing and serve as a core differentiator for the dealer, Efstathiou contends the company already distinguishes itself through a strategic segmentation of clients into different tiers – platinum, gold, silver and bronze.

Platinum customers are not only assigned a sales rep but also a concierge service for an extra dollop of care and attention. “If they suddenly need 20 pizzas ordered, we can make it happen. As a result, we’ve become instrumental in sourcing specials, which now constitute around 10-15% of Quills Office turnover.”

Regarding product categories, Quills’ primary focus centres on FM and core office supplies, along with transactional furniture and a comprehensive fit-out service. The dealer also excels in specialist areas including managed print services, archiving, waste

management, shredding and promotional items. Furthermore, workwear and safety, and catering represent potential avenues of growth.

Venturing into more niche domains, one lucrative source of revenue comes from its warehouse storage and fulfilment facility. Already sporting prominent brand names, Efstathiou highlights the manifold benefits of the scheme: “Apart from the inherent invoicing opportunities, the ability to add any required workplace supplies to the client’s own shipment from one central location delivers substantial environmental advantages.”

On the subject of sustainability, among many of Quills’ ESG initiatives, it began its operational carbon offsetting programme with the World Land Trust (WLT) in 2008. Building on this commitment, the company introduced the Eco Rewards Scheme in 2021, with points earned able to be redeemed towards the WLT Plant a Tree programme when purchasing eco-friendly products. As of May 2023, Quills offers over 8,000 environmental and accredited items.

Across the group, the team collaborates closely with clients to understand how they wish to engage with environmental policies, staff and visitor wellbeing and CSR endeavours. The driving force behind all this is Sales Group Director Tom Davinson, who also sits on the BOSS Federation Environmental Forum. He told Workplace360 that the work and commitment to ESG will “never stop”, adding: “We are fortunate and proud to be able to help make a difference that is not just about the bottom line.”

THE WAY FORWARD

While Efstathiou firmly believes in the future of the workplace supplies sector, he thinks it harbours an excess of players. He says: “Unfortunately, too many dealers are entangled in price wars, demolishing the marketplace in the process. It has adversely affected cost-to-serve and service levels.

“Support is required from the wholesalers in terms of them refraining from opening small accounts, allowing everyone to regain some margin back in the industry.

“By offering more competitive pricing, all stakeholders can benefit from a more balanced and constructive business relationship. Moreover, fostering increased consolidation within the industry is essential, and we are enthusiastic about playing an active role in facilitating this positive change.”

With fingers in a lot of pies, Quills Group stands out as forward-thinking with a penchant for seizing opportunities and bridging market gaps.

Business is like riding a bike; I have to keep pedalling, otherwise I’ll fall off

YOU ARE INVITED TO ENTER THE EUROPEAN OFFICE PRODUCTS AWARDS 2024

CALL FOR ENTRIES

ENTRIES ARE NOW BEING ACCEPTED IN THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES:

l Business Product of the Year

l Sustainability Excellence

– Vendor and Reseller

l Marketing Campaign of the Year

l Initiative of the Year

l Marketplace/Platform of the Year

l Vendor of the Year

l Reseller of the Year

l Wholesaler of the Year

l Young Executive of the Year

l Executive of the Year

l Industry Achievement

FOR THE FULL CRITERIA, PLEASE VISIT WWW.OPI.NET/EOPA2024

HOW TO ENTER

Winning an award can make a real difference to your business, so be sure to get involved. Simply complete an entry form online at www.opi.net/EOPA2024 or email your nominations to awards@opi.net

The closing date for entries is 13 November 2023

AWARDS PRESENTATION – MARK YOUR DIARY!

WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED AT THE ANNUAL EOPA DINNER

12 MARCH 2024, HOTEL OKURA, AMSTERDAM

Return to base

The Climb of Life is back to support cancer research

In a few months, a congregation of around 100 members of the business supplies industry will pack their hiking boots, waterproof jackets, gloves and woolly hats and head off to the picturesque landscapes of the Lake District for the 36th annual Climb of Life (COL).

This year’s theme The Base is Ace - Supporting the ICR From the Ground Up, signifies a return to the Swan Hotel in Grasmere, the event’s original base. The past couple of years have been spent exploring scenic locations like Coniston and Ullswater while the Swan underwent significant refurbishment. Now, the COL community is delighted to be back in the heart of the lakes to continue supporting the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR).

DRIVING FORCE

Joining the attempts to match or better 2022’s £50,000 are Professor Paul Workman, previously CEO of ICR between 2014-2021 and ICR Director of Communications Richard Hoey, who is making the climb for the second consecutive year.

Championing the cause once more is the indefatigable team at OPI – Workplace360’s parent company – with the unwavering commitment of Steve and Kelly Hilleard and Janet Bell. COL organiser Philip Lawson says: “As the prime fundraiser for several years running, OPI’s involvement remains crucial to the resounding success of our collective endeavour.”

Corporate contributions remain essential, with EVO Group again taking centre stage as a major participant.

Hamelin, Office Power, Avery, Nestlé, BOSS Federation and other leading workplace supplies brands also continue to offer significant funding.

Behind the scenes, a dedicated team of individuals – including Andrew and Susie Stacey, along with Jason and Frances Stephen – provide valuable assistance to Lawson in orchestrating the logistical aspects of the event. Meanwhile, Graeme Chapman MBE, a true ambassador for COL, continues to inspire participants, while his wife Ruth plays an indispensable role in overseeing meticulous planning.

The 2023 Climb of Life takes place on 10 November. If you would like more information, contact Philip Lawson by email climboflife2023@gmail.com or visit justgiving.com/campaign/ climboflife2023 to donate and support the cause

STEPPING UP

While it’s great news the Swan is already fully booked for this year’s COL, there is a range of other accommodation available locally for anyone wishing to be involved. The walk comprises groups of 8-10 tackling some of the highest peaks in the Lake District, with summits including Scafell Pike, Helvellyn via Striding Edge and Helm Crag taking walkers well above sea level and out of their comfort zones.

As always, COL will be physically demanding as trekkers invariably face adverse weather conditions –everything from rain, howling winds, storms, snow and, on rare occasions, a few rays of sunshine.

Despite the seriousness of raising vital funds for cancer research, especially during trying economic times, COL remains a happy occasion, fostering camaraderie among all walkers. Says Lawson: “While there is a very strong core of experienced COLers, every year we see a number of new faces welcomed into the family. If you can’t make it in person, donations or sponsorship are very much appreciated.”

The ripple effect

Futureproofing is a word frequently bandied about and it is perhaps one that is particularly apt for the paper industry. Antalis UK Category Director for Office and Digital Tim Percival explains to Workplace360 CEO Steve Hilleard the journey to expand the company’s horizons while reducing its exposure to declining paper consumption

Workplace360: For any readers unfamiliar with Antalis, could you provide an overview of the company’s history?

Tim Percival: Antalis was formed over two decades ago and resulted from merging various independent paper distributors around Europe. The company was known as Wiggins Teape in the UK before being renamed Antalis. The rebranding was part of establishing a common trading platform and identity across all Antalis entities, which now operate in 43 countries globally.

W360: Can you tell us more about your role with Antalis and how it evolved?

TP: I started my journey in 2006 when I joined Wiggins Teape as an Account Manager in Field Sales. For five years, I continued working in the office side of the business and progressed into a sales management position for the northern region. Following this, I became the National Accounts Director which was based in Dartford.

Antalis has gone through several restructures and transformations to stay relevant in the marketplace. Around 12 years ago, the Office Division underwent consolidation and centralisation, and I accepted the role of Divisional Director for Office. I also took on responsibility for the Xerox entity when it was acquired by Antalis. Following restructuring in 2020, the digital print market was added to my portfolio due to its correlation with cut-size paper and suppliers.

W360: Antalis also changed hands in the not-sodistant past. What happened?

TP: Antalis was initially owned by French investment firm Worms et Cie which later transitioned into Sequana. Unfortunately, the company entered into administration in 2019. However, Sequana had set up Antalis with its own treasury and financing and became an asset put up for sale to secure the best return for investors.

Kokusai Paper and Pulp, which is based in Japan, had been eyeing Antalis for a while and proceeded with the purchase in the second quarter of 2020, just as the pandemic began.

W360: How does the UK business stand today?

TP: Currently, it is split into three main divisions: Papers, which includes print and office; Visual Communications for signage and display; and Packaging. Since the UK represents a significant market for Antalis, we

have influence over the overall group strategy and maintain a close working relationship with the central team in Paris, who are very supportive.

W360: Could you provide a rough breakdown of the importance of each segment within the total mix?

TP: In the UK, Papers represents around 60% of the business, while Packaging and Visual Communications account for approximately 40%.

The long-term strategic direction is to offset the expected decline in paper consumption by investing in emerging markets. We are focusing on potential acquisitions in the packaging and visual communication sectors – not only in the UK but also across Europe.

W360: Who are your key customer types?

TP: In the office segment, our primary customers are resellers, although there is a small percentage of direct consumer business. We work with most of the large companies, but mainly for specials-type items and non-commodity papers and packaging.

W360: I want to talk about your client relationships. Integra is a key partner, but could you elaborate on the importance of other dealer groups and customer segments?

TP: Given Antalis’ market position and strong supply presence, we major with most buying groups. They have a compelling proposition and any member that doesn’t utilise all the services provided should do so, particularly through this challenging trading period.

Encouragingly, all the dealer groups from 2019 are still operational. Consolidation has been discussed for a long time but hasn’t materialised. I guess it’s interesting to see how they have reinvented themselves with an increasingly cooperative approach, which from a supplier perspective is certainly more palatable.

The long-term strategic direction is to offset the expected decline in paper consumption by investing in emerging markets

W360: Are there any non-traditional customer types you are currently working with or considering working with in the future?

TP: Within the Office division, there are different channels. We have found success in the retail sector providing paper category management services to several major grocers. As a company, we are always exploring fresh routes to market.

Antalis does receive interest from non-traditional companies looking to collaborate via the Amazon marketplace. However, we tend to steer away from these due to potential conflicts with our existing business and the presence of our resellers on the platform. The challenge lies in figuring out how a new entrant adds value to the chain.

W360: During our tour of your facilities, I did notice a big Amazon Prime trailer at the loading dock. Can you tell us about your association with Amazon?

TP: We have a successful relationship with Amazon across multiple countries. We supply to them through

both 1P and 3P arrangements. In the UK, this hits the sweet spot for us when it comes to small deliveries. We have a pick-and-pack operation for a select few product lines and Amazon collects the goods from us in the evening for distribution. Our partnership with Amazon is very valued and productive.

W360: How would you describe your USPs to someone at a dinner party who is unfamiliar with the industry? What value do you add to the paper supply process?

TP [laughs]: Firstly, if you were talking to anybody at a dinner party and mentioned the word ‘paper’, you’d instantly lose their interest.

Joking aside, I would talk about the breadth of range. We offer 13,500 SKUs in the paper category, and even within the copier paper category, there are over 1,300 lines tailored to different market needs, such as quality levels, sizes, and grammage.

Our focus is not solely on commodity products but also on providing value-added solutions. Antalis maintains a customer-facing sales force and adopts a consultative approach, considering ourselves as partners to our key clients. We simply want to help our customers do what they do, but better.

W360: What about partners in terms of brands? Where is your emphasis with the vendors and with the mill community?

From left: Tim Percival and Steve Hilleard

The challenge lies in figuring out how a new entrant adds value to the chain

TP: Given the pressure on paper manufacturing capacity, a lot of mills became less interested in customer own label products and made a move toward mill-branded papers.

But, because of Antalis’ scale and purchasing strength across our global network, a unique aspect is that we retain our own merchant labels – it sets us apart as a paper distributor.

I would include Xerox here as we hold the distribution of Xerox in Western Europe, and the brand is a very big player in the UK and Europe. It has been a successful arrangement.

Additionally, we have our own brand called ‘Image’, which offers various quality levels to cater to different consumer needs. The copier paper market isn’t solely about providing the cheapest option; there is a demand for more selective and suitable products for specific applications.

W360: Let’s delve into some of the issues impacting the paper industry that you just touched upon.

TP: Describing the past three years as challenging would be an understatement. The sector has faced significant impacts from various events.

In 2022, we thought we were pretty much out of the woods with the pandemic consigned to memory, but its effects on capacity and production have endured. It’s like somebody chucked a rock into the middle of a lake and even today, we all continue to feel the ripples in numerous ways.

W360: Such as?

TP: Last year, as the appetite for paper was picking up and offices were reopening, there was a surge in distributors repairing their inventories. This spike placed an artificial demand on the paper mills which were naturally delighted as they had been running at such short capacity. Unfortunately, the shortage of supply in the first three quarters of 2022 resulted in a dramatic oversupply situation in the fourth quarter and into 2023.

W360: How has the war in Ukraine affected the paper industry?

TP: In the UK alone, we estimate that the Russian supply of cut-size paper before the war totalled approximately 40,000 tonnes. Consequently, a substantial part of the market has just stopped.

Going back to ripples, pre-war Russia accounted for nearly 5% of global pulp production. I remember in 2010 when the Chilean earthquake struck.

At that time, the country contributed about 3% of worldwide pulp and the consequences of that disaster led to seven concurrent price increases in the paper sector. While we have not seen such drastic price changes directly attributed to the dreadful Russian scenario yet, the expectation is for its effects to hit us at some point.

W360: We’ve been hearing about the headline inflation rate starting to fall gradually, but you’re saying, in paper terms, prices may still increase.

TP: Well, no. From both a market perspective and a supply position, prices have softened. This is largely a reaction from the mills facing low-order books due to the oversupply situation. Orders were delayed or cancelled, prompting mills to reduce prices in an attempt to fill their machines. However, this doesn’t stimulate demand.

While it’s an international issue, in the UK, there was probably in excess of 35,000 tonnes of oversupply which needs to wash through.

W360: You’re a paper guy and used to fluctuating prices, but for independent resellers, it’s yet another challenge to navigate amid all the other headwinds.

TP: It’s been hard and will continue to be difficult for the rest of 2023, possibly into next year. The bestcase scenario is that the oversupply product I just mentioned washes through, and common sense and equilibrium returns in terms of supply and demand.

Here’s an easy way to visualise what’s actually happened: the cost of pulp – a fundamental

The copier paper market isn’t solely about providing the cheapest option; there is a demand for more selective and suitable products for specific applications

component in paper production – has surged by over 80% since Q1 2020. Although it has started to dip, the decrease is only around 20%.

But paper prices did not go up by 80%, so the mills are still hurting because of their input costs. They are left with two options: either continue supplying at negative margins, which is unsustainable, or shift their focus to more profitable product areas.

During the pandemic, approximately three million tonnes of capacity were removed worldwide due to the drop in demand. That’s huge. In addition, once a paper machine is converted from making uncoated woodfree, eg offset paper and copy paper to say packaging board, it isn’t generally converted back again.

W360: Are business supplies dealers adapting to the opportunities in the packaging sector?

TP: Antalis is fortunate to have a market-leading packaging operation, allowing us to offer a diverse range of products. We consistently witness growth in this segment through the reseller market and those that embrace it are doing well. While it may require a different sales approach, the margins available offer the chance for success.

Dealers need to be proactive in this area and in simple terms, a change of approach to focus on the warehouse and distribution areas of the business as opposed to the front office areas is what’s required. We have multiple examples of resellers approaching their existing customers this way and opportunities being realised.

W360: What are your internal forecasts for office paper consumption, including A4, A3, and other important grades?

TP: It’s incredibly difficult to accurately gauge office paper consumption over the past 12-18 months. Being optimistic, the average demand observed in Q1 and Q2 2022 may still be relevant today. If you take the pragmatic view, the industry has faced a situation of supply constraints, extreme price inflation and an economic downturn since September last year, none of which would positively influence demand or would encourage an optimistic outlook.

W360: Why has paper always been so price-sensitive?

TP: It’s a major frustration. Paper is one of the few

products within the core OP market where everybody thinks they know the price. Invariably, what the majority of people talk about is the lowest price.

However, with inflation affecting costs, selling paper as a loss leader is no longer sustainable for many. I have certainly seen a lot of previously accepted contractual periods completely go.

W360: If dealers move from using paper as a lossleading line, it could be good for the industry.

TP: From a resale point of view, it has been wretched because they’ve had to keep up with the inflationary process. But, speaking to some, they appreciate the higher prices, especially those on margins that have compensated for the decline in demand.

W360: Another big issue is Brexit. How has it impacted your organisation?

TP: Initially, it was quite painful, especially with elongated transition times for goods entering the UK. Over time, we have adapted, and Brexit-related processes are now embedded into our normal working practices.

Nevertheless, we’ve had to dedicate resources to address issues not present pre-Brexit.

W360: Sustainability is firmly back on the agenda. Where is Antalis on this journey?

TP: I’d like to think we lead the way. Over the past few years, as an organisation, we have significantly reduced our carbon footprint. As part of our sustainability efforts, we are installing a full aisle of solar panels, which will make us 100% self-sufficient for our electricity needs.

We have introduced some electric vehicles into our fleet. However, this area remains challenging as paper is inherently a heavy product. Finding vans fit for purpose, bearing in mind mileage requirements, has been a struggle.

The real trick is educating people about what really is sustainable and environmentally friendly. To this end, Antalis has developed a Green Star System which is a straightforward way for consumers and our customers to understand the environmental impact and sustainability implications of each item that we sell.

The real trick is educating people about what really is sustainable and environmentally friendly

Launched for the Papers division, the Green Star System now extends to Packaging and Visual Communication. Every product is assessed for its environmental credentials, considering factors like manufacturing processes, route to market, and relevant accreditations. It is represented with a simple zero to five star rating.

W360: Would it be fair to say there’s nevertheless a lot of misinformation surrounding paper and its environmental impact? Does our industry do enough to communicate the truth to consumers?

TP: Yes, there are still myths, and I believe we can do more to address this issue. When sustainability started rising up everybody’s agenda paper manufacturers were scratching their heads and thinking, well, we’re already pretty good at this. One manufacturer has been quoted as saying the industry is the envy of others because it relies on a truly sustainable and natural source of fibre. However, there are still question marks over sustainability in some paper manufacturing operations.

W360: We’ve gone through some tough years. What are your thoughts on how it has all panned out?

TP: One of my favourite expressions is ‘we’re good at difficult’, which has come back to bite me frequently in the past few years. Due to various dynamics and situations, it’s been a real slog to get through it.

However, it’s remarkable to see the resilience of the dealer market.

W360: It’s a bit like whack-a-mole.

TP: Definitely. How many times have we used the expression ‘the perfect storm’? It would be refreshing to have a ten-day forecast without any mention of bad weather.

W360: Thinking about the future of this industry in the next few years, how optimistic are you?

TP: I think it’s going to be very tough, especially considering the uncertainties surrounding the long-term implications of returning to workplaces. However, I do think resellers will continue to demonstrate adaptability and diversification, with consolidation likely to occur.

W360: Any other plans for Antalis that you haven’t shared yet?

TP: Over the past few months, we faced issues during the SAP integration, which caused some service interruptions. The benefits realisation stage of the implementation has yet to come. Clearly, we wouldn’t have made this big jump if there wasn’t something tangible at the end of it. So, watch this space. We aim to ensure Antalis remains relevant to the market, and I believe we’re in a pretty good place at the moment.

Photography by Paul Fairbrother

More than 25 years ago, I was extremely fortunate to work at Kingfield Wholesale Office Supplies which was proud to sport the tagline ‘nice to be with’. Headed by Alan Hickman – one of the industry’s most amazing personalities –this eventually morphed into the ‘nice way forward’. This mantra still matters today: quite simply, being nice is great for business, employee morale and productivity, customer loyalty and brand reputation.

In the current fast-paced and competitive world, the importance of cultivating a positive and friendly environment cannot be understated. Being kind and respectful enhances workplace culture but can tangibly impact overall success.

Here are ten thoughts on why ‘nice’ works and why we ignore its influence at our peril for a successful, progressive and inclusive business:

1.Improved employee morale and engagement

Who doesn’t want to be employed in a pleasant, courteous environment with a deep sense of teamwork and a palpable feeling of belonging?

Why worksnice

Benevolence as a business strategy

I retain strong memories of when we tried to integrate the second- and third-largest wholesalers in the OP industry from two separate entities into Kingfield Heath. They were very diverse cultures which needed to merge into one focused identity. We took our thoughts and vision on tour to customers, using the slogan ‘every step of the way’ – long before it was used in multinational banking advertising.

Alan was masterful in setting an example for each client he visited. He appeared to know everyone’s name and had taken the time to understand their specific circumstances. This spirit set the course for successful integration and cooperation.

2.Enhanced team collaboration Niceness promotes openness, understanding and collaboration. Naturally, there are situations when we might feel less comfortable sharing ideas, seeking feedback and offering constructive criticism, but honesty, respect and consideration are crucial to creating an open and reciprocal environment. This fuels innovation and drives the development of novel approaches and solutions. It built the brand and was how the service proposition at Kingfield grew the benefits for all stakeholders.

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3.Customer loyalty and retention

Being nice extends beyond associations within the organisation, it also seeps into customer interactions. Treating people with consideration and going the extra mile to ensure their contentment builds trust and commitment.

The Kingfield team satisfied clients by simply picking up the phone and conducting regular meetings and reviews to ask about their needs. This wasn’t us telling them what to do; it was about listening and empathising. The outcome was rapid growth in both new customers and product categories.

It wasn’t perfect, but in the fast transitional environment in which we operated, members of teams were encouraged to address friction in a thoughtful manner and try to build a sense of unity and cooperation.

When clashes arose, the focus remained on finding resolutions rather than dwelling on fault. We tried hard to eradicate blame culture and instead replace it with personal responsibility.

8.Improved leadership

Alan set an enormous example by leading with understanding and empathy, consequently earning the regard and faith of colleagues.

He also ensured the company invested in learning and development and his leadership style enhanced staff motivation and commitment. The result was enhanced employee performance and satisfaction.

9.Increased productivity and efficiency

4.Real brand reputation

Kingfield was always looking to evolve and so the original slogan was subsequently modified into the ‘nice way forward’. Being known for niceness and compassion created a strong positive brand reputation. It increased brand loyalty, improved word-of-mouth marketing and gave the company a competitive edge.

5.Resilience in times of crisis

There were challenging times, but Kingfield’s culture of benevolence and mindfulness made a significant difference. When teams feel reassured and cared for, they are likely to band together and work collaboratively to overcome obstacles and deliver solutions. The business was known for treating its customers with awareness and sensitivity during difficult periods, which enhanced allegiance and trust.

6.Attracting top talent

Now, it’s easy to look back at that time and see an aggressive jobs sector, but the support net created ensured new employees saw more than just attractive salaries. They also valued working environments where they had a genuine opportunity to thrive and feel appreciated. Prioritising kindness and respect helped attract and retain high-performing individuals and they felt empowered to contribute to the organisation’s success.

7.Reduced conflicts

Here’s a really comforting thought regarding the following tough question: does the principle of being nice promote conflict resolution and reduce workplace tension? In our world, you bet it did!

I’m convinced a constructive work environment, built on a foundation of care, results in increased productivity and efficiency. For 13 years, Kingsfield achieved double-digit growth and employees needed to be focused and motivated to genuinely feel valued and supported.

Everything I’ve said so far paints a pretty rosy picture, but there were times when we had to look inwardly and reassess our values. What we didn’t do was stray from the ‘nice way forward’.

10.Long-term business sustainability

Kindness is not a short-term strategy; it fosters a sustainable business model. The virtues of niceness, thoughtfulness and teamwork should always shine through. Companies that prioritise this tend to build enduring relationships with customers, employees and other stakeholders.

Being nice is an essential aspect of success. A hybrid working culture and the latest generation(s) displaying impressive caring attitudes can help organisations evolve. Encouraging niceness is likely to create a positive impact on the workforce, leadership and, above all, on our industry.

Some may disagree and think ruthlessness and self-interest make a more successful environment. But that, to me, is short-sighted, transient and unsustainable. The ‘nice way forward’ is a better route to lasting success.

Steve Harrop is Head of Commercial at Nectere –a service bureau helping resellers deliver a strong sales platform

The virtues of niceness, thoughtfulness and teamwork should always shine through

Design matters

As businesses navigate the uncharted waters of the hybrid work model, one thing remains crystal clear: meeting spaces are the lifeblood of every workplace. These are the areas where creativity flows, key discussions are brought to the table and pivotal decisions are made.

Of course, as we all know, they are also the place for some of the boring (but still significant) everyday stuff like project updates or check-ins. Given their multifunctional and frequent use, meeting rooms should be thoughtfully designed to accommodate the multifaceted interactions that take place within them.

Central to the success of these requirements is collaboration, a driving force behind productivity and innovation. The more a business can provide spaces that foster teamwork, the better. Moreover, the impression a room design makes to a prospective client or interviewee means the implications of transparency, trust and professionalism should also be considered.

All of these necessities are amplified by the demands of hybrid working. Organisations now have to radically rethink traditional layouts

as they strive to craft shared places suitable for both in-person and remote participants. Employees are embracing flexible schedules and exercising autonomy over office zone usage. This means businesses and facilities management teams must examine workplace functions like office design, space allocation, meeting protocols and how people engage with the area.

UNPRODUCTIVE CONFIGURATION

Regrettably, meeting rooms are frequently overlooked in terms of design. Believe it or not, elements such as furniture type and placement, technology, lighting and décor wield considerable influence over the direction and efficacy of gettogethers. Yet, many room configurations fail to provide the necessary support for meaningful conversations to unfold.

Two primary culprits emerge that commonly prevent effective meetings: faulty or difficultto-use technology and outdated features like uncomfortable furniture, inadequate lighting or the wrong screen size for the room.

Elements such as furniture type and placement, technology, lighting and décor wield considerable influence over the direction and efficacy of get-togethers

Ed Morgan is COO of DisplayNote

The importance of a meeting room set-up in the age of hybrid work

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GOOD GROUNDWORK

Today’s offices are adopting diverse meeting room layouts, infusing collaborative workspaces with modern interior ideas. It can involve utilising cutting-edge technology, ergonomic equipment and embracing natural light. Four pillars underpin a well-crafted meeting room design:

1.An appropriate layout

Meeting rooms serve many purposes, from highlevel board gatherings to client presentations and casual brainstorming sessions. As such, no one-size-fits-all room layout works for every office. However, there are simple adaptations like using smaller tables that can be placed to create one big table and moved around as needed. This mobility encourages creativity and boosts participant engagement.

2.User-friendly technology

The hallmark of successful collaborative technology lies in its seamless user experience and enabling participants to share screens and content effortlessly from their preferred devices. Focus and productivity increase when people don’t have to worry about setting up for sessions and ensuring devices are compatible with the tech already in situ. Additionally, staff can communicate and share resources and information more efficiently, which is the whole point of meetings. Technology is available – such as DisplayNote’s Launcher – which acts as an interface for the room display, giving users simple access to their calls, calendars and apps on the screen.

Thanks to the ability to customise apps, users can enjoy a consistent and standardised experience in every meetup space across a working environment.

3.Communication and connectivity

Communication is essential in the modern workplace. When working with remote staff, global team members or outside clients, including them easily in meetings is a must. Digital tools like screen-sharing and notetaking software are practical methods to ensure positive engagement and dialogue. The same applies to proper etiquette, such as making an agenda, reading in advance and using the session for discussing essential topics.

Likewise, audio quality has emerged as a paramount concern, as clear communication remains at the heart of productive collaboration.

4.Environmental factors

Ambient lighting and room temperature, good acoustics, comfortable furniture and adequate space for movement should all be key considerations when planning an area where people gather together. Encompassing all these factors will help ensure the environment remains conducive to productive discussions, even for prolonged periods.

In the era of hybrid working, it is even more critical to have communal spaces which accommodate both physically present and virtual participants. Meeting rooms represent an essential component of any workplace and their design can have an enormous impact on the success of gatherings.

Today’s offices are adopting diverse meeting room options, infusing collaborative workspaces with modern interior ideas

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Sitting targets

is over. At Dams, optimism has been buoyed by record sales for the last financial year, with an increase of 25.5% on the prior year’s turnover. Marketing Manager Simon Howorth says: “Much of our success is rooted in reinvestment in the business. We have expanded the teams in all departments and added equipment and infrastructure to help ensure we are in a strong position to meet the higher demand.”

POSITIVE VIBES

The office furniture category and demand for workplace collaboration have never been more entwined and that means a stronger landscape for both areas.

By Bruce Ackland

In an era when work dynamics have undergone a profound metamorphosis, collaboration –encompassing a spectrum ranging from workplace furniture and room ambience to cutting-edge technology – has emerged as the cornerstone of the contemporary professional sphere.

The realm of office furniture has experienced its own sea change, reshaped not only by the unprecedented pandemic upheaval but also influenced by geopolitical shifts and economic challenges. Selling into the homeworking sector has been hit and miss for many vendors and resellers, the return to office has yet to live up to its promise and workplaces are undergoing huge transformations in terms of ever-changing requirements. The result is fluctuation, recalibration and adaptation. Nevertheless, there is optimism.

Assman UK Managing Director Aaron Claydon sees a constantly improving situation and believes the worst

Fellowes Brands is also enjoying an upward trajectory, as the company’s Head of Channel Development UK & Ireland Luke Alemanno explains: “2023 has been a year of creating brand awareness and building new relationships which, in turn, have already resulted in the onboarding of high-profile partners, double-digit growth and intuitive product development initiatives. We still have a lot of work to do, but these are very exciting times for Fellowes Brands.”

At Floortex, the past year has seen moderate sales in its core chair mat category. Marketing Manager John Barker hopes to close off 2023 on a high note thanks to the launch of new products in Q4. “This should result in additional growth, with the focus on a sustainable material range,” he says.

Deflecto Director of Marketing Craig Malmloff is also witnessing a pick-up in sales in its floor protection chair mats category, adding: “We expect that to continue to improve as people return to the office.”

Meanwhile, dealer D3 Office Group experienced a 40% increase in 2022 for interior projects and furniture sales over 2021 – mainly due to favourable comparisons –but 2023 has been slightly trickier. Managing Director Martin Shaw says that although the beginning of the year started with plenty of design work and quotes, there was a lack of customer commitment. This changed in Q2 and he believes buyer confidence is rekindled, with improvements expected for the latter half of 2023.

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BE FLEXIBLE

The meteoric rise of hybrid working has woven an intricate web over the office furniture landscape, presenting plenty of challenges and opportunities for manufacturers and dealers alike. Having to deal with this evolution is no easier for end customers – for many, it remains a work in progress as they contend with its multifaceted dynamics.

Furniture giant MillerKnoll has revealed several broad themes influencing the category. These include: employers thinking about the workplace experience holistically; companies supporting more flexibility; leaders talking to their employees to discover what matters to them; an upswing in the consideration and support of hybrid working options; and real estate teams now collaborating closely with HR personnel. While organisations grapple with the nuances of flexible working arrangements, the home office furniture sector forecast is for continued gains throughout the forthcoming years. Part of this will undoubtedly be attributed to the move away from budget items or using domestic furniture when upgrading chairs and desks, suggests Dams’ Howorth

Work-from-home (WFH) has been a boon for Floortex, which has seen sales of its chair mats “dramatically boosted”. However, this surge has coincided with an influx of cut-price online competition. “The ongoing growth in homeworking has shifted demand, with a resultant rise in Far East imports. While quality and performance are poor, ongoing economic conditions have given these goods a market position,” observes Barker.

He underscores the need to communicate the longterm consumer value through paying a little extra for better products, a focus the company is championing in tandem with key resellers.

Fellowes Brands, too, has witnessed a seismic shift in how businesses have adapted. In a world where

approximately 60% of employees divide their week between the office and home, they are now more supported in their homeworking arrangement. It includes investments in smaller desks, monitor arms, laptop risers and ergonomic solutions.

This, notes Alemanno, has enhanced Fellowes’ sales performance due to the diverse ergonomic product range it offers.

REALITY CHECK

According to Shaw, the reality is clearly sinking in: “Some larger companies have taken WFH seriously and provided staff with all they require to set up a home office. Others have limited it mainly to chairs.

“However, as hybrid working is being built into company plans, we have observed increased interest in wellness. Workplace assessments are also gaining traction as organisations realise they have a responsibility to provide the right equipment wherever employees are based.”

This adjustment has led to modified purchasing habits as buyers contend with more restricted room in home offices. “People are looking for ergonomic and aesthetically pleasing furniture options for their home workspaces to support comfort and productivity. Also coveted are space-saving designs and versatile solutions to cater to different environments,” notes Assman’s Claydon.

4.8%

The ongoing growth in homeworking has shifted demand, with a resultant rise in Far East imports

Expected CAGR of the UK home office furniture market 2023-2028

Source: Statista

In the desking arena, adjustable and standing desks featuring compact formats and integrated cable management are popular as they can accommodate various work styles and spatial configurations. There’s additionally been a pronounced uptick in the requirement for smaller chair mats and foldable versions that are easy to lift and tuck away outside office hours.

In terms of seating, comfort has become key, with a desire from end users for ergonomic chairs offering customisable attributes, breathable materials and lumbar support. Across the gamut of home office furniture, a broader range of designs and the inclusion of more vibrant colours are popular, with unique textures adding vibrancy and personality in contrast to the neutral palette of the traditional office.

A COLLABORATIVE AFFAIR

Although the demand for transactional desks and chairs continues, companies are increasingly turning to comprehensive office fit-outs to navigate the challenges of hybrid work. The underlying principle is to provide an equitable experience for all employees, regardless of their location, ensuring they enjoy the same high-quality and professional opportunities and don’t feel isolated or left out. This shift is reshaping conventional settings into a hub for collaborative endeavours.

This intricate set-up necessitates various factors to be considered, such as furniture design, acoustic solutions, layout, and advanced video and audio equipment – all of which have to be combined for superior collaborative implementation.

Hot desking, for example, is a popular trend where quality headsets and desk phones provide instant access to work in multiple ways. The explosion in huddle rooms and pods, coupled with the decline of traditional

boardrooms, underscores the importance of fitting the right technology to different room sizes. Here, aspects like camera and screen performance to ensure clear communication must be taken into account. Innovations like voice and face tracking can now greatly enhance the overall execution.

The hybrid work trend has prompted a shift towards shared workspaces designed for dual presence. Consequently, meeting/conference rooms and huddle spaces need to house cameras, speakers and screens, even if they haven’t in the past.

Adrian Penny, Senior Solutions Consultant at global collaboration service provider Evolve IP, says: “Years ago, a big boardroom might have had a complex video system gathering dust in the corner of a room. But this is not the case today.

“Ease of use has greatly improved as jumping on a conference call is part of daily life for many employees. People can now walk into a meeting with their mobile device and simply connect.”

CONNECTING THE DOTS

Flexibility has become an anchor of the modern workplace, with companies empowered by technology to adopt various operational modes. Offering a wide array of display and TV mounts as well as hubs, docks, and other solutions to make connecting smoother are all opportunities for incremental growth in this space.

Neil Hampton, National Account Manager at connectivity accessories provider StarTech, believes

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Years ago, a big boardroom might have had a complex video system gathering dust

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that, as most workplaces are now facilitating some degree of hybrid work, offices are becoming more open as they are configured for hot desking or ‘hotelling’.

Consequently, IT is dealing with the additional risk of having more workers routinely working outside corporate-controlled spaces. So, while cybersecurity is important, business supplies dealers have a role to play in providing expertise on mitigating physical risks to data and devices through smart workspace designs.

Incorporating all the various components to establish seamless areas for collaboration clearly takes more than supplying a few desks and chairs and a new TV screen. So, is there a concerted effort from vendors from different sectors to cooperate and create cohesive products and solutions to meet this current specification? Or do dealers need to look at a more piecemeal approach of assembling ad hoc pieces which seem to work?

FINDING A SOLUTION

Furniture suppliers are stepping up, with more products on the market featuring innovative ways for including cabling systems and power requirements. Mobile solutions like wheeled tables and chairs containing battery packs are becoming increasingly sought after.

Says Holli Hulett, co-founder at videoconferencing provider Boom Collaboration: “Many separate components need to be compiled to create the ultimate workplace collaboration experience. It’s very much a mixed bag in terms of vendor partnerships, as some resellers have to source equipment from different distributors alongside individual manufacturers.

“Some wholesalers are better than others, especially around popular small, medium and large meeting spaces where solutions can be kitted out together.”

All of which begs the question: do dealers need to become IT gurus? Hampton responds: “Resellers don’t need an encyclopaedic knowledge of IT. Rather, they require a general understanding of the collaboration tools their customers plan to use so they can help better answer questions and win more of their spend.”

Expanding on this point, Hulett states: “It’s about doing your homework. What room size, how many people will be present and what are they using the room for? No one wants stuff gathering dust because it’s too complex to use or not the appropriate specification.

“Product demonstrations are the best way to capture new sales and show clients how good current solutions can be. With videoconferencing equipment, for example, secure support from the manufacturer and set up online meetings to demonstrate different cameras.”

Evolve IP’s Penny agrees, adding that achieving success hinges on having the correct tools in your kit bag, teaming up with the right service providers and keeping channels of communication open. “Resellers must lead from the front in terms of knowledge and expertise. Provide compelling evidence of what technology can do, not just for today but also with one eye on tomorrow’s office needs. Be at the vanguard rather than following from behind.”

ON THE RIGHT PATH

Talking about staying ahead of the curve, sustainability has made a comeback, particularly in the context of office fit-outs and renovations for larger firms. By and large, customers are placing a premium on environmentally conscious factors, such as the use of eco-friendly materials, responsible manufacturing processes and the ability to recycle.

According to D3 Office Group’s Shaw, the majority of its UK furniture suppliers possess strong sustainability credentials. The dealer itself has also been proactive in supporting clients in repurposing or recycling old furniture, all the while promoting the adoption of sustainable products and fabrics.

Acknowledging the inherent challenges and costs associated with revamping extensive workspaces and managing furniture disposal, Dams has relaunched its re.think by Dams recycling service.

Providing more insight, Howorth comments: “All our customers’ old furniture can avoid landfill through our recycling solutions, thereby helping to reduce their carbon footprint at the same time as creating a modern office environment.”

Estimated CAGR of the UK office furniture market 2023-2028

Source: Mordor Intelligence

In addition, the manufacturer has recently introduced the Everly range of multi-purpose chairs as part of its Social Spaces portfolio. These chairs, made from certified regenerated plastic derived from sources like bottles and food packaging, are engineered to be fully recyclable upon reaching the end of their life cycle.

Similar intentions can be observed among chair mat suppliers. The new BioPlus chair mat collection from Floortex is a prime example, showcasing a composition primarily comprised of 89% non fossil fuel-based bio-circular material and manufactured using 100% renewable energy. Meanwhile, Deflecto has launched its OceanMat floor protection solution, crafted from 100% ocean-bound plastic.

TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY

In today’s business landscape, the imperative to cultivate an inclusive work environment catering for a diverse array of employees is a universal challenge confronting all companies. For dealers, this presents fresh prospects to branch into solutions-selling, with manufacturers readily lending their support.

Dams has a dedicated team of interior designers and a space-planning department specialising in creating workspaces that are not only multifunctional and efficient but also apply innovative methods to save energy, cut waste and increase the wellbeing of staff.

At Fellowes Brands, it is all about the pivotal roles of connections and service. Explaining further, Alemanno states: “You can have the best product on the market, but if you do not have strong working relationships and second-to-none customer service to back it up, then you will hit a brick wall.”

There are three key factors for dealer success in the furniture and workplace collaboration sector, according to Assman’s Claydon:

• Stay agile: the office furniture landscape is evolving. Remain informed about industry trends and adapt your offerings accordingly.

• Customer-centric approach: understand your client’s unique needs. Customisation and personalisation can set you apart.

• Education: educate clients about the importance of ergonomic design, wellness-focused furniture and integrated technology solutions.

Resellers must lead from the front in terms of knowledge and expertise

Just a few months after its Spicers wholesaling business reported a “five-year multimillion pound” agreement with Nectere, OT Group made a “strategic investment” in the UK dealer services organisation. Several weeks after the announcement and at the time of Workplace360 going to press, OT Group still hadn’t disclosed the exact nature or the amount of the investment, but the deal apparently is not being viewed as an acquisition per se.

Nevertheless, with a press release referring to the “inclusion of Nectere into the OT Group” and Nectere pointing to “a significant cash injection and the successful securing of funds”, it can probably be assumed that OT exercises a strong degree of control.

Both parties are also keeping quiet about the exact reasons for OT Group’s intervention and what the consequences would have been had it not done so. There is, perhaps, a clue in a letter Nectere sent to its stakeholders at the time of the announcement.

“We recognise that market conditions have affected most, if not all, companies in our sector and [we haven’t] been immune to this,” it wrote, adding: “The past few months have without doubt been impacted by [the] credit squeeze and confidence in our company.”

OT takesGroupaction

PIVOTAL MOMENTS

It has been an ‘interesting’ few months for Nectere, to say the least. In February, founder Paul Musgrove and his wife Serena – joint owners – sold the firm in an MBO led by Mike O’Reilly and Heema Naik. At the time, it was said the transaction had been “carefully structured to secure the future of the business” (for more details read Talking point, April/May 2023, page 22).

Shortly afterwards, a long-standing wholesaling agreement with EVO Group’s VOW suddenly came to an end and Nectere moved over to Spicers. Whether that was related to the leadership change at EVO last December, the fall-out of the failure of leading independent reseller Complete and its acquisition by EVO in January or other factors is not clear. Nectere’s Head of Commercial Steve Harrop underlined the better commercial terms achieved with Spicers following a period of “skyrocketing” costs.

Then, just weeks into the Nectere/Spicers relationship, came news of OT Group’s investment to shore up the dealer organisation’s finances. It appears that OT Group’s hand was forced into injecting capital into Nectere – a move that is possibly not dissimilar to the situation which resulted in its main direct competitor acquiring Complete at the start of the year.

LOGICAL MOVE

Martin Eames, the recently retired former owner of Product Promotion Services, adds a historical perspective. “I understand Spicers has been struggling to make significant headway in the dealer channel due to a

Market consolidation grows as OT Group takes a stake in Nectere

range of issues, particularly with a problematic systems investment,” he notes.

“Therefore, it is worth remembering the early days of Spicers in France [in the 1990s]. The business initially failed to make much impact until it invested in two dealer groups, first creating Calipage, then acquiring Plein Ciel. “These transformed Spicers France’s performance, so perhaps the Nectere investment is a similar move.”

An industry source who wishes to remain anonymous says tying in Nectere’s wholesaling spend to Spicers –which Workplace360 estimates at approximately £10 million – is a “logical” step.

“It’s no secret that Paragon [OT Group’s owner, which recently rebranded to Grenadier Holdings] wants to double revenue over three years. It has to get that from somewhere and, as the number of dealers in the market continues to decline, competitors are fighting over a smaller pie.”

He adds: “I view this as a land grab for dealers. It doesn’t necessarily mean OT Group will go out and buy other dealer groups, but I can see it building out as many services as it can within Nectere and then using this to recruit other dealers.”

OT Group’s growth ambitions probably suffered a blow when Complete ended up in the EVO camp. That would have added more than £100 million to its top line. Now, with Nectere aligned, it has about 130 reseller partners that give Spicers a strong footing at the smaller end of the market.

MOVING FORWARD

Industry veteran Harrop has been acting as the public face of Nectere over the past few months and is keen to look forward. “It’s very clear we have a unique entrepreneurial model, and the way we go to market will be protected by being with OT Group,” he says, pointing to the opportunity for both financial and operational synergies between the companies.

Nectere has been diversifying out of core stationery and office supplies, today accounting for just over 35% of revenue. This ties in with OT Group’s goal of offering a million products by the end of 2023 and three million two years later via its SmartPad platform. Nectere partners will also have access to a growing range of services which can be repackaged for them.

“An exciting aspect of the Nectere model is that all partners are on the same platform,” adds Harrop. “It means you can really push out the marketing collateral and content, particularly working with suppliers and the wholesale channel. I believe, with the stable support of OT Group, the potential is huge.”

The platform part is critical for Nectere. It is currently running on a legacy system which is coming to the end of its life. While OT Group has had some teething troubles getting up to full speed after its own ERP implementation towards the end of last year, its scale and up-to-date e-commerce architecture is another obvious area where it can come to Nectere’s rescue.

Comments Harrop: “From our perspective, we need the service provider to give us a platform and let the dealers go out and sell. There is still room in the market for smaller independent resellers, but unless we are careful, our industry is going to end up with a handful of large players.

“Our partners have a massive instinct to survive, but they have to have the support behind them, and this is where we sit – now with the backing of OT.”

He concludes: “The industry wants an exciting alternative, and suppliers want to see their customers succeed. That’s the message I’m getting. Of course, we now have to go out and deliver.”

UNDER PRESSURE

Nectere has typically been viewed as something of a success story over the past 15 years, starting from scratch and developing into a £37 million business by 2018. Since then, however, its top line has been eroded by almost £10 million, according to its most recently available public accounts.

Despite a focus on reducing costs and taking steps to safeguard cash flow, it appears the continuing inflationary environment and sluggish economy coming out of COVID was too much of a burden for the new management structure.

OT Group has had its own issues recently as well, but has an ambitious owner with deep pockets. It may have missed out on Complete, but Nectere might give Spicers just the sort of impetus it needs.

The way we go to market will be protected by being with OT Group

The case for hybrid sales

I used to love dunking biscuits

What would it take to change your sales strategy? After all, you’ve built relationships with your customers probably through years of face-toface (f2f) contact, over a cup of tea and getting to know them personally. I was sceptical at first, but now believe hybrid sales is the future of B2B. If you allow me a few minutes of your time, I think I can prove that it can be a good thing – perhaps even a game changer for your business.

SHIFT IN CUSTOMER BUYING BEHAVIOUR

The way people make purchases has transformed. We’ve moved beyond the days of the ‘biscuit dunker,’ where every sale required a personal visit. Clients are turning to digital channels, seeking convenience and efficiency.

According to McKinsey, B2B customers are gravitating towards remote-first engagement, with two-thirds of buyers in 2021 opting for virtual human interaction or digital self-serve. The research firm also states that hybrid selling is on track to become the dominant sales strategy by next year.

But don’t worry, these changes don’t mean you have to lose the personal touch. Hybrid selling enables you to meet customers where they are. It’s not about replacing traditional methods; it’s about attaining the perfect balance

between the convenience of digital and remote interactions and the impact of f2f meetings. In fact, when in-person dealings do happen, they become even more crucial as clients want those moments to be meaningful, so every encounter counts tenfold.

THE HYBRID SELLING APPROACH

You might be worried your audience won’t accept video calls or will only want to deal with the same salesperson they’ve always known. While these concerns are valid, the truth is buyers are becoming more comfortable with digital communications, seeking efficient ways to get what they need.

Hybrid selling goes beyond remote call centres; it’s a flexible, scalable approach that embraces the omnichannel experience.

By blending inside and field sales, along with e-commerce channels, businesses can serve purchasers where they prefer to buy, offering real-time engagement and personalisation. This seamless integration of channels enhances customer experience. It also enables sales reps to gain a comprehensive view of behaviour, providing valuable knowledge to tailor their proposition. Adopting the omnichannel experience is key to remaining competitive in today’s fast-paced sales environment.

THE AGILITY ADVANTAGE

In an agile hybrid sales structure, resources are deployed dynamically based on customer opportunities. While in-person engagement still holds value for specific accounts and critical moments, a significant portion of selling is now

done remotely. This agility allows sales personnel to respond promptly to changing market demands, adjust strategies in real-time and stay ahead of competitors.

As the business landscape continues to evolve, the capacity to adapt quickly becomes a defining factor for success. Being nimble in your planning allows you to seize new opportunities and remain at the forefront of the industry.

DATA-DRIVEN INSIGHTS

As we negotiate our way through this current era, data-driven insights play a pivotal role. By leveraging digital interactions and behavioural information, reps can prioritise buyers, optimise lead-to-opportunity conversion rates and shape effective market strategies.

The ability to access and analyse data enables teams to make informed decisions, identify emerging trends and personalise their approach for each buyer.

Harnessing the power of data is essential for achieving better sales performance and meeting customer expectations. Data-driven intelligence provides the foundation for successful courses of action in a rapidly changing market.

TECHNOLOGY EMPOWERS SUCCESS

The pandemic brought forth a wealth of digital tools that a sales force can employ to delight purchasers at every stage of the funnel. However, the key is to optimise technology to enhance virtual collaborations and streamline processes without overcomplicating them.

Integrating CRM systems with communication tools and data analytics platforms creates a comprehensive tech ecosystem to support reps in their online engagements.

By incorporating technology which complements virtual selling, more efficient and productive workflows can be created while ensuring a customer-centric approach. Technology empowers success by enabling seamless cooperation and efficient procedures.

ENABLING TALENT AND DIVERSITY

Embracing hybrid selling necessitates cultivating new skills and capabilities in salespeople. By focusing on mentorship and coaching, firms can attract a broad-based talent pool, removing barriers for individuals previously excluded due to geographical limitations or other constraints.

Emphasising diversity in talent acquisition not only enriches the sales force with a broader range of perspectives but also aligns with the evolving needs and expectations of a multifaceted customer base.

Encouraging an inclusive and supportive work environment motivates sales professionals to thrive in this new age of hybrid selling, driving innovation and success for both the business and its clients. It brings fresh ideas and perspectives to strategies.

STAY AHEAD OF THE GAME

As a sales, marketing, and e-commerce agency partnering with both brands and dealers, Highlands is no stranger to change. Over 60 years, the company has witnessed the evolution of the workplace supplies sector firsthand and understands the importance of a tailored system for go-to-market propositions.

Working alongside dealers on behalf of the brands, opportunities are identified based on decades of experience and data insights. Maximising the benefits of all sales activities requires a solid methodology and Highlands fully supports a hybrid selling model.

As we navigate the future of sales, I want to challenge you to embrace hybrid selling. To reiterate, in order to stay ahead in this dynamic and competitive terrain combine:

l the best of in-person and remote interactions

l harness data intelligence

l utilise technology

l create a more personalised, agile and inclusive sales experience for clients/teams

Oh, and don’t get me wrong, if I come to visit, I’d still love a cup of tea and a biscuit.

Jade Wilson is Managing Director Europe at Highlands

Hybrid selling goes beyond remote call centres; it’s a flexible, scalable approach that embraces the omnichannel experience

Cracking the code

Awhile ago, I was asked by my boss: “How do you like to receive praise?”

I thought it was an odd question, but the reason behind it quickly became apparent. When he needed to impart a positive comment to somebody, he wanted to discern the best way to do this. Some people are partial to a big hurrah in front of colleagues, others favour a quiet word of praise, while many may lean towards a little note in a card.

By taking the time to conduct this research, he then knew exactly how to deliver encouraging words to individuals in such a way that each would embrace and fully understand it. The same is true when it comes to marketing. No one cap fits all and people have their preferred options on how they want to be communicated with. As marketers, we must make sure the appropriate vehicle is chosen to dispatch the message.

A TWO-WAY STREET

Sometimes marketing is made over complicated, and it really doesn’t need to be. It is defined in the Oxford Dictionary as: ‘The activity of presenting, advertising and selling a company’s products or services in the best possible way.’ It is pretty straightforward, just as it should be.

From a marketing perspective, a dealer group’s role is to act as a conduit between

manufacturers and dealers and to function as the linchpin responsible for ensuring information is transferred successfully in both directions. Research is the key ingredient in any marketing campaign, and I cannot stress this point enough. It is where dealer groups shine, but it still takes consistent input from all stakeholders to deliver the right message in the right way. Actively seeking feedback from group members means we know exactly where to channel our focus.

Research is the key ingredient in any marketing campaign

Dealers talk to consumers day in and day out and can pick up valuable findings and pass them on to us. In turn, we can liaise directly with manufacturers and make sure they are aware of exactly what is going on at the coal face.

I hope providing some insight into the inner workings of the main processes undertaken by dealer groups when creating marketing strategies will boost engagement from every relevant party.

DELVING DEEPER

When a manufacturer or brand presents a new product, range or service, it’s crucial to unravel the story behind it. We ask important questions regarding the background and research undertaken before launch, the benefits, the target market and training options. The answer to these basic queries enables us to make a

Laura Sweet is Graphic Design & Marketing Executive at Advantia

The art of delivering the perfect message

considered judgement call on which promotional and marketing activities to pursue and promote.

With numerous prospects available at any given moment, it’s essential both vendors and dealers understand that of paramount concern is the answer to a simple but vital issue: does it work for the consumer, the dealer and the supplier? A resounding yes to all three means a really good marketing opportunity lies ahead.

If there is an element of doubt against just one of them, it’s a no-go because if it isn’t going to be successful for one, it won’t turn out well for the other two.

Once a decision is made on what product or service will be marketed, the next stage in the procedure is to work closely with the manufacturer’s team. It is often the case that a supplier already has marketing and promotional collateral to hand, which can easily be tweaked for dealers or produced in-house using supplied information and images. Data is also checked to see if it is readily available via the software houses (if applicable).

THE FLEXIBLE CHOICE

Full marketing packs are created, containing editable PDFs (enabling sell-out prices to be changed), web banners, social media assets as well as any other supporting details.

As dealers know their customers best, these materials can then be tailored with the freedom to present the collateral in a manner which suits their client base.

Training sessions can be organised when necessary, cultivating direct interactions between operators and dealers and expanding the knowledge base on both sides. Every campaign requires one last check – ensuring there is sufficient stock. There’s nothing worse than sending out promotional activity only to discover the supplier is still waiting for stock to arrive.

While a promotion is running, it’s essential to monitor the success levels and review them once the initiative has finished. Feedback kickstarts the research process for planning the next campaign and allows changes and improvements to be made if necessary.

The root of all marketing strategies and the cornerstone of conveying the perfect message lies in conducting research and engaging with dealers – and it’s what dealer groups do best.

There’s nothing worse than sending out promotional activity only to discover the supplier is still waiting for stock to arrive

Uniting ambition and inspiration

The Superstat Showcase offered attendees a blend of motivation, business wisdom and camaraderie

The Superstat Showcase took place at Belton Woods in Grantham at the end of June, with a series of inspiring talks, a buzzy exhibition, plenty of fun and some awards handed out for good measure. The one-day gathering commenced with an informal summer evening BBQ, setting the scene for a convivial networking experience ahead of the main event. The following morning, the group’s members gathered for the start of the conference, with standout sessions from distinguished speakers.

Stepping onto the stage first, Exertis Supplies Managing Director Andrew Beaumont unveiled the wholesaler’s ambitious development plans, announcing strategic moves to new premises and the expansion of its product range.

PULLING TOGETHER

It was keynote speaker Derek Redmond who stole the show, leaving a profound impact with his emotive address. The celebrated Olympic athlete turned inspirational speaker drew striking parallels between the world of sports and business. Referencing his personal experiences of triumphs and challenges, Redmond emphasised the essence of teamwork and the value of embracing unconventional approaches.

The Dealer Voice segment brought four dealers – all part of the Superstat Business Growth Academy – to the forefront. Candidly sharing their journeys and accomplishments, they demonstrated the power of collective support in driving advancement. Collaboration, they attested, was the secret sauce to success.

Led by Superstat’s revered trainer, Tony Goodwin, the Business Growth workshop proved to be a treasure trove of strategic insights and planning techniques. Engaging in thought-provoking discussions, participants were empowered to chart unique trajectories for their companies, unlocking untapped potential and igniting fresh perspectives.

The afternoon was dedicated to the exhibition, where dealers explored the stands of over 30 suppliers representing a diverse array of categories including

workwear, warehousing, IT, safety, print and office supplies. They included Portwest, Dams, Beeswift, CTS Wholesale, Spicers and Exertis Supplies.

The Showcase culminated in a night of celebration. The Champagne reception, followed by a gala blacktie awards dinner, served as the perfect finale, acknowledging outstanding achievements and nurturing new alliances (see below for the Superstat Awards 2023 list of winners).

SUPERSTAT AWARDS 2023

DEALER AWARD WINNERS

Marketing Excellence

Winner: Managed Ink

Highly commended: Office Evolution

Salesperson of the Year

Winner: Cara Harty, Thombequ

Runner up: Kara Broughton, Brigg Office Supplies

Dealer Excellence £4 million+

Winner: Rainbow Office Supplies

Highly commended: KN Office

Dealer Excellence £2.5-£4 million

Winner: Buywise Health

Highly commended: Wordflow

Dealer Excellence up to £2.5 million

Winner: OS Workplace

Highly commended: Skylight Office Supplies

The Tim Holmes Memorial Cup for the Biggest Exertis Growth

Winner: KN Office

Runner up: AMR Office Solutions

SUPPLIER AWARD WINNERS

Distributor of the Year

Winner: Exertis Supplies

Joint 2nd: Dams / Antalis

Supplier of the Year

Winner: Prima Software

Runner up: ACCO Brands UK

Exhibitor of the Year

Tradesupply

Marketing Campaign of the Year

BIC Rocketbook

The 2024 Superstat Showcase will again take place at Belton Woods in Grantham on 27 June

It’s ok not to be ok

Tackling mental health in the workplace starts with knowledge

One in four of you reading this article will experience a mental health issue each year. In my company, Prima Software, there are 44 employees, so mathematically, 11 of us will suffer a decline in our mental wellbeing during the next 12 months. It’s hard to believe, isn’t it?

The sheer words ‘mental health’ may set alarm bells ringing for business owners, team leaders and HR departments throughout the land because of the stigma attached to them.

We can all think of several derogatory terms when delving into the subject. People suffering from mental health issues are also acutely aware of the stigma and will frequently anguish in silence. They will fight the battle alone rather than damage their promotion prospects or risk exclusion from work projects and social events.

Imagine being overwhelmed by anxiety, clouded by self-doubt, feeling worthless and thinking you are a burden to others. Add to this

living under a permanent grey cloud, frightened, numb and too ashamed to talk about how you feel. It’s a horrendous situation, but sadly these thoughts can lead to the saddest of conclusions.

In the UK, somebody takes their own life every 90 minutes. Take a moment to reflect on that statistic. The truth is, mental health is a spectrum, ranging from well to ill, with other levels in the middle. Think of it as going from green to red with yellow and amber in between.

Some days, we can dip into the yellow phase –maybe we’re sad about something or worried about a specific situation. When those yellow periods become more frequent, our mental health is likely to deteriorate into the amber zone. Ultimately, unless help is at hand, we can end up in the red zone, which can include severe chronic depression or crippling anxiety. This is a mental health crisis akin to a 999 emergency.

PROGRESSIVE CULTURE

Prima Software is a service provider, developing, selling and supporting software solutions for dealers. Our people are the company’s most valuable asset and biggest investment. Ensuring the team is happy, motivated and working to their full potential is critical to our success and highlights the importance of harnessing a great business culture.

However, great culture is not a static pillar; it has to improve, adapt and move with the times. It should always be a work in progress which is improved upon consistently. This forms a big part of the ‘why’ that led us to explore mental health assistance and employee wellbeing in more detail.

Back in January, I bumped into longtime industry friend David Langdown. During this chance encounter, I learned about the services of Prima Voca and its Mental Health Wellbeing First Aid course. It was a no-brainer from the moment David explained the offering.

I spoke with our Customer Operations Director, Steven Dennis, who is also very passionate about nurturing mental wellbeing and booked a date for the coaching. Steven was instrumental in offering the training to everybody in the business. We were both

Ian Buckley is Managing Director of Prima Software

People suffering from mental health issues [...] will frequently anguish in silence

delighted with the number of colleagues who stepped forward to participate – 12 in total from across all of Prima Software’s departments.

The idea of opening up the offer of becoming a Wellbeing First Aider to the entire team was to completely break down any barriers and eradicate any lingering stigma surrounding mental health. Having so many employees from across the company as qualified Wellbeing First Aiders means multiple people are able to recognise the initial signs of a friend’s mental health deterioration. It can provide early support to an individual’s wellbeing before a further decline along the spectrum I mentioned previously.

We owe a huge thank you to Prima Voca for delivering the training with expertise, empathy and warmth in a relaxed classroom environment at Prima HQ. We laughed as a team, cried as a team and emerged with the confidence to help others and a determination to be there for our colleagues, family and friends.

The experience has certainly brought our employees even closer together and I would urge other businesses to consider doing the same or similar. I can honestly say it has been one of the most important things we have done for our team.

RAISING AWARENESS

Prevention is always better than ‘cure’. Sometimes, just knowing that someone cares may be enough to lift someone up and guide them towards the security of good wellbeing.

A LEARNING CURVE

In many cases, wellbeing goes beyond a ‘here and now’ occurrence; it can be a journey requiring ongoing support and the encouragement of self-care. The training has taught us how to approach a friend in need and talk to them, asking the right questions while listening to understand and not to reply.

More importantly, we learned not to force solutions upon them but instead focus on ascertaining what will help them feel better.

At Prima Software, we have always cared about each other’s wellbeing. However, there is now a big difference in the fact we are able to identify early warning signs and offer support across the spectrum of age, gender, personality type and roles within the company.

We have a wealth of qualified individuals somebody can turn to in a crisis, not to mention a nonjudgemental, open-minded and understanding culture formed by the bedrock of the course. It’s a safe space for all our employees.

I must reserve a special mention for our well-loved industry friend, Steve Bilton, who was never too far from our hearts and minds during the sessions. If ever a positive can come from such a tragic event, then it is the increased awareness of mental health and the silent battles that one in four of us could face. RIP Billo.

To explain the importance of mental health in the workplace and being a Wellbeing First Aider, I would like to reference a famous song by The Hollies based on the legend of two young boys in an orphanage. One boy was supporting the other who had polio and wore leg braces. When asked if carrying the boy was hard, the reply was simply: “He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother”.

It’s not always the physical objects and ailments which weigh us down; mental health struggles can be the heaviest burdens. Sometimes we all need a friend to help carry us.

Sometimes we all need a friend to help carry us

Championing cybersecurity

It’s time to get smart about cyber threats

We are all too aware the global pandemic caused a significant disruption in the way many organisations conduct business and hybrid/remote workplace environments have emerged as the new norm. However, this transformation has given rise to some serious cybersecurity challenges employers are working hard to get to grips with.

There is a general acknowledgement that the world is now inextricably interconnected and it is only going to intensify with the rapid growth of the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence and machine learning. Amid this landscape, safeguarding what is arguably our most precious assets – personal and professional data – makes cybersecurity essential.

SERIOUS CHALLENGES

It requires new degrees of thought leadership to counter the evolving complexity and scale of systemic cyberattacks. Industry decision-makers must now champion the need for vigilance and cybersecurity implementation throughout an organisation. It is equally incumbent on employees to heed advice, fully understand the threats they face and take seriously the need to be proactive in instituting measures to protect themselves, their employer and their community.

A primary catalyst for this is that coupled with sometimes unsophisticated corporate systems accessed by remote workers, hackers have readily exploited typically less-secure home networks. This is challenging because certain hacking techniques can exploit the smallest network security loophole and negatively impact SMBs –which are three times more likely to be targeted by cyber criminals than larger companies. SMBs with on-premises IT infrastructures are often overseen by a single person or, at best, have a small team managing the systems. They simply can’t keep up with the influx of vulnerabilities and many are looking to take advantage of the large teams of security experts affiliated with cloud service providers.

CONSTANT VIGILANCE

Even technology companies are not immune. ECI, for example, has had to be highly proactive in the measures introduced and undertaken to minimise vulnerabilities to cyberattacks, focusing particularly on remote and hybrid workplaces. Training programmes have been conducted to sharpen employees’ acumen in identifying potential attacks and overall vigilance to threats. We have also installed multifactor, repetitive identity proofing and zero trust architecture to provide ongoing identity verification in the background.

There are many other preventative tactics ECI uses, but there is no one-size-fits-all approach to managing cybersecurity. Nonetheless, options are available for those SMBs that cannot afford nor manage their physical IT environments. These include virtualised cloud-based managed applications and services with proven solutions to combat current security issues.

It’s critical to understand that current concerns are exactly that – current. The landscape constantly changes, with unique hacking techniques emerging almost daily.

Paddy Donnelly is Business Unit Leader at ECI Software Solutions

EDUCATION FIRST

Cybersecurity is chiefly about education. While insecure machines can be hacked, human beings remain vulnerable to phishing and other nefarious attacks through social media, which has grown into a substantial avenue for access to valuable and exploitable data.

For this reason, leaders within ECI have prioritised education and awareness campaigns companywide that empower individuals at every level of the organisation to report potential threats. As a result, an innate culture of security has become ingrained – almost second nature –across the business.

Cybersecurity requires trusted partnerships and consistent training. For companies, this is not just for office-based and remote employees but also their respective constituencies, including suppliers, customers and supply chain links.

act as the drive for innovation – as exciting and potentially lucrative as it is – should never ever supersede the need for robust cybersecurity at every stage.

Those in leadership positions must provide the level heads and measured observations that keep security first in the quest for new knowledge throughout a product or service life cycle. Business ethics and user privacy are paramount. Any cybersecurity thought leader has a duty to be a firm advocate for data protection laws and data handling practices. This establishes a confidence that is a legal obligation as well as an ethical and moral responsibility.

THE TRUST FACTOR

In fact, in an exponentially growing technological transformation still very much in its infancy, security is the bedrock upon which the digital world will continue to rise for the benefit of humanity and the environment. Or fall in ways too unpleasant to contemplate. This is yet another reason cybersecurity should constitute a central pillar of corporate ethos.

The zero trust model is based on the “never trust, always verify” principle and requires continuous authentication and validation for each user, device and application attempting to access any network resource. It is a stark departure from the old perimeter-based approach which is no longer acceptable in a highly dynamic threat landscape.

Having said all the above, we must be realistic. Cyber threats sometimes succeed despite the best preventative measures. It merely takes an overlooked, misunderstood or poorly managed loophole to open the data vaults to cyber criminals who are only too happy to swiftly grab and monetise the opportunity.

Hence, the emphasis should be on robust incident response and continuity plans, which have to be rehearsed frequently. You may not stop a hacker from getting in, but you can certainly limit the damage caused and usually prevent a similar episode from recurring.

Best practices for collectively combatting threats should be shared, studied and consistently implemented to establish and maintain a unified front. It is not a case of erecting a single-walled fortress and walking away; it is about constantly monitoring and developing countermeasures against a rapidly evolving wave of cyberattacks.

They must be anticipated, evaluated and prevented as part of a permanent, ongoing protection programme, working cooperatively with as many like-minded partners as possible to share threat intelligence and benchmarks to respond as one. However, there is a balancing

Those who take cybersecurity seriously, which should be all of you, need to conduct regular simulations and drills to ensure the ability to detect, contain and, if necessary, recover from cyberattacks with minimal disruption to normal trading operations. While no easy task, it is now a compulsory component of business longevity.

Our digital world is only going to become more complex and within that, the cybersecurity threats will persist in parallel. Leadership in this area throughout ours and every other related industry is essential.

The landscape constantly changes, with unique hacking techniques emerging almost daily

Face time

Accept and embrace the changing nature of meetings

Ihave amassed a wealth of years in the IT industry – far too many to admit – during which time there have been all kinds of changes in the way we do business. Challenges have always come and gone, yet none have been as transformative and demanding as the enforced shift from faceto-face (f2f) interactions to online due to the global pandemic. Albeit, technology enabled the transition to occur relatively quickly.

In the pre-COVID era, networking for new business was part of the fabric of day-to-day sales roles, to the extent that even popping in for a coffee unannounced on the way home was considered the norm. Pursuing fresh opportunities was and always will be difficult. But back then, it felt like it was more of an achievable objective, within reach through unwavering levels of focus and drive.

For existing customers, f2f dealings showed you cared and valued your contact’s business. In your own company, there was a high level of expectation for monthly or quarterly reviews that aligned strategies, with actions discussed sometimes immediately implemented.

Being physically present granted easier access to all areas of the organisation – sales, logistics, finance, marketing, etc. It provided a greater chance of forming stronger, longerlasting connections and relationships, which built loyalty across the whole company.

REAL-WORLD ENCOUNTERS

Attending in-person meetings requires more effort and therefore has to be worthwhile.

Communication and participation are generally better in f2f settings as there are fewer distractions. It’s not as easy, for example, to respond to emails when sitting in the same room and you’re less likely to be interrupted by the dog barking at precisely the wrong moment.

Lisa Hainsworth is Business Development Manager at Static Control Components Europe

Being physically present allows you to observe how clients react to discussions through the subtleties of their body language and facial expressions. This, in turn, enables you to adjust accordingly and maintain your focus on achieving those all-important objectives.

It would be naive of me to suggest online meetings don’t equally deliver huge positives. Without a doubt, during the coronavirus crisis, digital dialogues helped us to keep in contact with one another, enabled companies to function and offered a connection to the outside world that we had momentarily lost.

Ultimately, we are living and working in our customers’ universe, so we must provide an engagement solution that suits them. We also need to acknowledge that the landscape has changed. This makes it really exciting to be in a sales environment all over again.

BREWING CONNECTIONS

Being flexible, embracing change, and adapting are no longer options – now more than ever, they are the keys to success in business. It’s thrilling to develop creative ways of collaborating with clients. Calling just doesn’t seem to cut the mustard these days. You have to stand out from the crowd, be different from the rest and remain dedicated to the cause.

I love going out to see customers, both old and new. As well as strong meeting content, I am always good for coffee and treats, so it’s worth getting in touch to arrange a catch-up.

In my opinion, seeing people in their environment is the best way to understand their requirements and formulate a proposal that aligns with their needs and capabilities.

Attending in-person meetings requires more effort and therefore has to be worthwhile

Who is your hero?

Although I never knew him, I’m a direct descendant of Frederick Savage. From a deprived background, he became an engineer who invented the fairground carousel and eventually held the title of Mayor of King’s Lynn. There’s even a statue commemorating him on the outskirts of the town.

What would your superhero power be?

I’d love to have a photographic memory. I currently live off ‘to-do’ lists!

Who or what makes you laugh the most?

I enjoy a variety of stand-ups and comedy shows, but my colleague Garry Wright is always one to come out with the most hilarious stories. Plus, he makes a tremendous Buttons at the pantomime!

Do you have any tattoos?

No, but I’d probably choose a Japanese symbol, as I love the imagery.

Best gig you’ve ever been to?

I’m a massive Mansun fan. They split up back in 2003, but I still attend gigs for their guitarist and lead singer Paul Draper, who these days has a

What’s something you’ve done that no one would believe if you didn’t have proof?

In 2013, I was privileged to be a part of a team that helped set a new Guinness World Record for the longestever rugby match. The time of 24 hr 51 mins has since been broken, but we did manage to raise over £65,000 for the British charity Scotty’s Little Soldiers.

Most embarrassing industry moment?

Fresh out of university as a Marketing Assistant with Newell Brands, I was carrying a box that ripped open and emptied 400 pens across the pavement. This was right in front of the production manager’s office and I was greeted back into the building with rapturous applause.

Who would your dinner guests (alive or dead) be to create the perfect evening?

Michael Palin, Marilyn Monroe, Jason Leonard and Freddie Mercury. There would be some entertaining anecdotes, I’m sure.

Have you ever met anyone famous?

I met Eddie ‘The Eagle’ Edwards in a bar in Blackheath.

What’s the synopsis for a novel you’d write? What goes on tour… the trials and tribulations of a rugby team abroad.

Proudest accomplishment? Having my name added to the list of club captains for West Norfolk RUFC.

Do you collect anything?

I love to travel and have a ton of Rough Guides and Lonely Planet books.

What’s your morning ritual? Prepping lunches and coffee.

What’s something new happening in your life right now?

I’ll be getting married to my fiancée Claire in October.

What’s your favourite place to visit?

There are some fabulous landscapes in the Scottish Highlands. Claire and I got engaged in Torridon in the Northwest Highlands.

Lawrence Savage, Marketing Manager, ExaClair UK